Today in History

[MissMittens]

Today in 1759, the first music store opened in colonial United States, located in Philadelphia.

Today in 1918, the U.S. Army of Occupation arrived in Germany after crossing the Rhine

 

[GHT]

Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor, born in Toronto, Ontario on this day in 1929 and still going strong. Also born on this day:
1818 Mary Todd Lincoln, President Lincoln's wife.
1989 Taylor Swift.

 

[MissMittens]

Today in 1916, the Battle of Verdun ended with 330,000 dead. Parts of the landscape are still known as the "La Zone Rouge" in 2018, and are uninhabitable due to contamination and unexploded ordinance, including chemical agents. Some of these still spontaneously detonate, or are detonated by digging.

Today in 1941, the US lost Guam to invading Japanese forces.

 

[Peacoat]

On this date in 1998 Bill Clinton was impeached, becoming only the 2d president to have been so charged. Two articles: Lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstruction of justice. Don't remember what happened to the charges, but I do remember he wasn't convicted in the Senate.

 

[LizzieMaine]

On this date in 1932, the BBC Empire Service began broadcasting on shortwave, inaugurating the Golden Era of Shortwave Broadcasting. Within the next few years, every major power -- with the exception of the United States -- and most minor powers had a string of state-owned shortwave transmitters battling in the 49, 31, 25, and 16 meter bands to get out the official national lines of their respective governments. All-Wave radio sets were all the rage among American listeners by 1936, as escalating international tensions made easy access to global news and views an important part of the average listener's media diet.

The Empire Service became the BBC Overseas Service with the start of World War II in 1939, reflecting a more international point of view, and became the BBC World Service in 1965. Under that name, it continues today to broadcast via shortwave to much of the developing world, although SW broadcasts to North America ended in 2001.

 

[Fading Fast]

On this date in 1932, the BBC Empire Service began broadcasting on shortwave, inaugurating the Golden Era of Shortwave Broadcasting. Within the next few years, every major power -- with the exception of the United States -- and most minor powers had a string of state-owned shortwave transmitters battling in the 49, 31, 25, and 16 meter bands to get out the official national lines of their respective governments. All-Wave radio sets were all the rage among American listeners by 1936, as escalating international tensions made easy access to global news and views an important part of the average listener's media diet.

The Empire Service became the BBC Overseas Service with the start of World War II in 1939, reflecting a more international point of view, and became the BBC World Service in 1965. Under that name, it continues today to broadcast via shortwave to much of the developing world, although SW broadcasts to North America ended in 2001.

Great stuff ⇧ and explains why the dials from many 1930s radios look so complex compared to our simple AM-FM dials of today:

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's really fascinating to listen to some of these broadcasts today -- every shortwave broadcaster had its own personality. The BBC was imperious and starchy, like its collar was on too tight, Reichsrundfunk tried to sound smooth and chummy and insinuating, even while giving out the most egregious Nazi arguments, Radio Moscow always had a distant, tubby sound, Paris Mondial seemed blase and disinterested in everything, 2R0 Rome and OLR5A Prague often had women announcing, and The Voice Of Republican Spain always sounded like it was under siege. Which, of course, it was.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

On this date in 1998 Bill Clinton was impeached, becoming only the 2d president to have been so charged. Two articles: Lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstruction of justice. Don't remember what happened to the charges, but I do remember he wasn't convicted in the Senate.

I think the governing law says that a sitting President can't be indicted on criminal charges, and can only answer to the Congress. The House of Representatives (generally more hot-headed than the Senate) can impeach (indict) while the Senate acts as the court, trying the President on the charges in the impeachment resolution.

 

[Fading Fast]

It's really fascinating to listen to some of these broadcasts today -- every shortwave broadcaster had its own personality. The BBC was imperious and starchy, like its collar was on too tight, Reichsrundfunk tried to sound smooth and chummy and insinuating, even while giving out the most egregious Nazi arguments, Radio Moscow always had a distant, tubby sound, Paris Mondial seemed blase and disinterested in everything, 2R0 Rome and OLR5A Prague often had women announcing, and The Voice Of Republican Spain always sounded like it was under siege. Which, of course, it was.

Today, the meme on TV and radio seems to be to sound like your friend casually talking to you, but back then, the meme was to project authority or dignity or professionalism or some combination or version of those. You and I, born in '64, saw the end of that world and the emergence of this one.

Only marginally related, the book "Human Voices" by Penelope Fitzgerald is a fictionalize account of the BBC in WWII based on her experience of working there at that time. It's been a long time since I read it, but remember it providing some interesting insight into the BBC.

 

[Peacoat]

I think the governing law says that a sitting President can't be indicted on criminal charges, and can only answer to the Congress. The House of Representatives (generally more hot-headed than the Senate) can impeach (indict) while the Senate acts as the court, trying the President on the charges in the impeachment resolution.

Correct. That is the current position of the Justice Department.

 

[MissMittens]

It's really fascinating to listen to some of these broadcasts today -- every shortwave broadcaster had its own personality. The BBC was imperious and starchy, like its collar was on too tight, Reichsrundfunk tried to sound smooth and chummy and insinuating, even while giving out the most egregious Nazi arguments, Radio Moscow always had a distant, tubby sound, Paris Mondial seemed blase and disinterested in everything, 2R0 Rome and OLR5A Prague often had women announcing, and The Voice Of Republican Spain always sounded like it was under siege. Which, of course, it was.

A little-known fact from the time is that Reichsrundfunk even had a regular scheduled TV service, and "viewing rooms" were initially set up for the public (but was apparently usually just low-level Nazi party officials and their families) for the scheduled 90 minute broadcasts. By the war's end, some estimates for privately owned televisions are as high as 4,000,000 sets throughout Germany

 

[LizzieMaine]

Hence the Presidential pardon for Mr. Nixon in 1974 -- and the recently-late Bush I's pardon of Caspar Weinberger in 1992. Bush was just about to leave office, and if Weinberger went up the river, there's a pretty good chance further investigation into Iran-Contra would have had Bush himself being measured for stripes. Leaving the White House rendered him highly vulnerable to prosecution, but pardoning Weinberger effectively shut off any further investigation.

 

[LizzieMaine]

A little-known fact from the time is that Reichsrundfunk even had a regular scheduled TV service, and "viewing rooms" were initially set up for the public (but was apparently usually just low-level Nazi party officials and their families) for the scheduled 90 minute broadcasts. By the war's end, some estimates for privately owned televisions are as high as 4,000,000 sets throughout Germany

By a miracle of preservation, some genuine off-the-air as-transmitted footage of these broadcasts exists.

Watch out for those chorus girls, Napoleon.

 

[MissMittens]

By a miracle of preservation, some genuine off-the-air as-transmitted footage of these broadcasts exists.

Watch out for those chorus girls, Napoleon.

I did a little further digging as well, and found out that there were broadcasts made targeting soldiers deployed within Germany.

There's a truly surreal 8 minute variety show-type reel in the Huntley Film Archives

 

[Lean'n'mean]

We interupt this radio broadcast for the latest news bulletins. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

On this day in 1957, Sir Elvis Presley was drafted. He was all shook up.

On this day in 1808, France handed over (for a sum) Orleans territory to the U.S.

On this day in 1989, The U.S. invaded Panama.

On this day in 1836, president Andrew Jackson, presented to congress an Indian treaty which removed the Sioux, Sacs, Omaha, Fox, Loway & Otoe tribes from their ancestral homelands in the Missouri territory, to make way for white settlers.

 

[MisterCairo]

It's a Wonderful Life premiered in 1946:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Wonderful_Life

 

[MissMittens]

It's a Wonderful Life premiered in 1946:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It's_a_Wonderful_Life

View attachment 149086

......and bombed. The really odd thing is that it didn't become popular until 1974, decades after it was made. After it's release, box office receipts left Capra over $500,000 in the hole. It was picked up by TV stations wanting to air a Christmas movie after 1974 because the copyright lapsed. It was considered public domain for almost 20 years after that.

 

[MisterCairo]

......and bombed

Wikipedia is a bit kinder in its assessment, noting that it came out amidst massive competition and barely before Christmas, though as you say, it did not even break even. Capra maintained it was his favourite shoot, and screened it for his own family each Christmas.

We have it in the queue for our Canadian Christmas Cavalcade!

 

[MissMittens]

Today in 1901, Van de Graff of the high-school generator fame, and for whom an 80's hairband was named, was born.

Today in 1924, the grandchild of unwed couple Maria Schickelgruber and Leopold Frankenberger was released from prison in Germany for serving one year of his sentence for treason. A sentence he could have (and should have) received the death penalty for thereby saving the world from another World War and a genocide of people like his grandfather, and basically anyone he didn't like.

 

[MissMittens]

Wikipedia is a bit kinder in its assessment

Wikipedia is usually written by fanboys, lol!!! I'm neither as kind, or as gentle as Wikipedia is

It's a great movie, I personally love it! But I think it was too close to the war in all honesty, and people weren't looking for feel-good drama for a few more years yet.