Today in History

[MissMittens]

On this date in 1940, NBC sound effects technician Frank Pittman pushed an odd aggolmeration of junk off a prop staircase in front of a microphone, introducing the radio audience to Fibber McGee's closet.

The art of Foley

 

[MissMittens]

Today in 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Black people could not become citizens, aka the shameful Dred Scott Decision.

Today in 1945, Cologne fell to the U.S. First Army.

 

[Peacoat]

Today in 1965 the US announced plans to send 3500 troops to Vietnam. Thus it began.

 

[GHT]

On March 7th, 1530, King Henry VIII's divorce request was denied by the Pope, Henry declared himself (not the Pope) as the supreme head of the Church of England.

On this day in 1876, The Scottish-born inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, patented the telephone. Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech, and both his mother and wife were deaf; factors that profoundly influenced Bell's life's work. Ironically, Bell considered the telephone an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and he refused to have a telephone in his study. 50 years later to the day, in 1926, the first transatlantic telephone call was made, from London to New York.

 

[MissMittens]

Today in 1933, two notable things happened. The first, the board game Monopoly was created. The second, the movie King Kong that shot Fay Wray to stardom, premiered.

 

[Peacoat]

On the first day of Tet (January 31, 1968) the Battle of Saigon began. Today in 1968 it ended. What tumultuous times.

 

[GHT]

On this day in 1765, The House of Lords passed the Stamp Act to tax the American colonies.
And today, in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi began the campaign of civil disobedience against British rule in India.

 

[scotrace]

The Big Fight, Ali Vs Frazier, 1971. Frazier won a 15 round decision.

In the same year, Harold Lloyd, silent film comic, actor, producer and later, pine photographer, died on this day.

As we mark International Women's Day, it's interesting to note that it began in Copenhagen in 1911.

In 1996, the Coen Brothers released their film, Fargo.
And in 1979, Phillips demonstrated the first compact Disc. American Online rejoiced.

 

[Peacoat]

This date in 1945 Phyllis Mae Daley received a commission in the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps. She was the first African-American nurse to serve in WWII.

 

[Fading Fast]

The Big Fight, Ali Vs Frazier, 1971. Frazier won a 15 round decision.
...

Where Frazier delivered one of the best left hooks ever thrown in boxing. And kudos to Ali, not only for getting right back up, but for getting back up at all.

 

[Peacoat]

The Big Fight, Ali Vs Frazier, 1971. Frazier won a 15 round decision.

And what a fight that was. As @Fading Fast alluded to, it was a wonder Ali was able to get back up at all. That left hook was thrown by one of the strongest boxers ever, and it was a direct hit.

Clay/Ali is my favorite fighter of all time, followed by Floyd Patterson, who was demolished by Sonny Liston twice, both by knockouts in the first round (I think). Liston was the most intimidating fighter of his day, and considered by some, at the time of the Clay fight, to be among the best heavyweights of all time. I didn't think young Cassius had much of a chance, but he beat Liston twice, the first time in early 1964, if I remember correctly. Then came the name change and the conversion, and Ali's troubles began. That didn't bother me. I had been a fan since the 1960 Olympics when he won gold in the light heavyweight division.

 

[scotrace]

1959, International Toy Fair, NYC: The Barbie Doll is introduced. More than 1 billion have been sold worldwide, and Mattel claims that worldwide, three Barbie dolls are perchased every second.

1945: The massive bombing of Tokyo begins.

 

[GHT]

1959, International Toy Fair, NYC: The Barbie Doll is introduced. More than 1 billion have been sold worldwide, and Mattel claims that worldwide, thee Barbie dolls are perchased every second.

When my God-daughter was younger, birthdays were always a problem. Her mother let me know that she was into Barbie. So, in the toy store, thinking that this would be easy, I asked for a Barbie doll. I should have known better. "What type of Barbie would you like Sir?" Enquired the assistant. "Type?" I replied, perplexed. The assistant explained that Barbie came in many guises. Doctor Barbie, Police Officer Barbie, Lawyer Barbie........."I get the picture," I said, interrupting her, "how much are they?" "They are all twenty pounds each except the one at the end, that one is a hundred pounds." "Goodness me," I replied "some disparity." "Yes Sir," the assistant said, unfazed. "She is Divorcee Barbie, she comes with Ken's house, Ken's car, Ken's boat, Ken's.............

 

[MissMittens]

Today in 537, the Goths laid siege to Rome, effectively ending the Roman Empire. It was also the day Robert Smith found eyeliner.

Today in 1905, the Paris Subway was officially opened.

 

[Harp]

Today in 537, the Goths laid siege to Rome, effectively ending the Roman Empire.

Theodoric had Boethius executed a dozen years earlier; surprising that he chose not to let him live.

 

[Harp]

On the first day of Tet (January 31, 1968) the Battle of Saigon began. Today in 1968 it ended. What tumultuous times.

Giap proved decisive, a Lee to Westmoreland's Meade.

"Mr Nixon drop the bomb, I don't want to go to Nam."

 

[Peacoat]

General Westmoreland sure dropped the ball on the Tet Offensive/Khe Sanh. Even well after Tet had started he still felt Tet was merely a feint to divert troops and supplies away from Khe Sanh.

 

[Peacoat]

On or about this date in 1945 Anne Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen labor camp, probably of typhus. The exact date is unknown and could have been as early as late February, 1945. Typhus and typhoid fever were rampant in the camp and killed hundreds. On April 15, 1945 the camp was liberated by British soldiers.

 

[scotrace]

It's the stories of those who came so very close to surviving, but didn't, that are the worst to me. Just a few more weeks and she would have made it, perhaps.
And Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He would have survived but the Nazis made it a point to murder him just days before bugging out.

March 12 is the birthday of Jack Kerouac, whose work I admire but DO NOT GET. Also of Liza Minelli.

And on this day in 1938, German troops marched in to occupy Austria.
As Christop Waltz recently said, [the difference between Austria and Germany] is like "the waltz and the goose-step."

 

[GHT]

On or about this date in 1945 Anne Frank died in the Bergen-Belsen labor camp, probably of typhus. The exact date is unknown and could have been as early as late February, 1945. Typhus and typhoid fever were rampant in the camp and killed hundreds. On April 15, 1945 the camp was liberated by British soldiers.

General Eisenhower was prophetic when he ordered The Ohrdruf camp, a sub-camp of the Buchenwald concentration camp, and the first Nazi camp liberated by US troops, to be photographed. Eisenhower new that someone, somewhere, in the future would cook up a conspiracy theory that the final solution never happened.