On this day in history.

[scifan57]

Yogi Berra (1925-2015) has just died at the age of 90 years old - he is considered arguably the greatest American baseball catcher and was just as famous off the field as on for his sayings - one of his last ones is quoted below; other 'sayings' can be found HERE - for more information, see his NY Times Obit - Dave


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The world has lost another baseball legend.

 

[giradman]

Columbus Day Holiday Today!

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus (an Italian sailing for Spain) unknowingly 'bumped into' the Americas on his way to China, and initiated one of the largest prolonged genocides in the world, i.e. the elimination of tens of millions of native Americans, likely greater than 90% of the pre-Columbian population by the 16th century - for those interested in the topic, I would recommend the American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World (1993) by David E. Stannard - short quote below from Amazon USA - a Kindle edition is available for $10 (I still have my paperback copy).

This event has increasingly become a 'controversial' holiday (celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October in the USA) in the United States w/ strong support for the small remaining Native American citizens - several articles appeared today in my morning papers discussing this issue - checkout this USA Today article for some more extended discussion - the second quote below includes just a few paragraphs from that story.

Stannard turns his attention to the devastating impact of the European intrusion into the New World. He argues that with more than 100 million people the Americas were not the unpopulated open spaces so often described and notes the squalor and disease that dominated Europe in contrast to the relative peace and harmony that prevailed in the New World. The arrival of the Spanish and other Europeans, he argues, brought about a demographic disaster of incredible proportions--the largest genocide in history--as a result of disease and depredation, as well as through enslavement and outright massacre. Though Stannard tends to gloss over violence and intertribal warfare in pre-Columbian America and accepts accounts of Spanish atrocities by early chroniclers as well as high population estimates for pre-Columbian America, his is a carefully researched, well-written monograph based on the latest secondary sources.

More cities are recognizing Native Americans on Columbus Day this year as they revive a movement to change the name of the holiday to celebrate the history and contributions of indigenous cultures around the country.

South Dakota renamed Columbus Day to Native American Day in 1990, and it has been an official state holiday ever since. Berkeley, California, has observed Indigenous Peoples Day since 1992.

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[giradman]

Just a follow-up to my Columbus post - below are some excellent books on the subject of the impact of Europeans (and later American-Europeans) on America's native populations - these are only 3 of many that are available on the topic (and I've read plenty more) - included is the 'American Holocaust...' mentioned before - Dave
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[scifan57]

The second Monday in October is the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada.,

 

[scifan57]

Columbus Day Holiday Today!

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus (an Italian sailing for Spain) unknowingly 'bumped into' the Americas on his way to China, and initiated one of the largest prolonged genocides in the world, i.e. the elimination of tens of millions of native Americans, likely greater than 90% of the pre-Columbian population by the 16th century - for those interested in the topic, I would recommend the American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World (1993) by David E. Stannard - short quote below from Amazon USA - a Kindle edition is available for $10 (I still have my paperback copy).

This event has increasingly become a 'controversial' holiday (celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October in the USA) in the United States w/ strong support for the small remaining Native American citizens - several articles appeared today in my morning papers discussing this issue - checkout this USA Today article for some more extended discussion - the second quote below includes just a few paragraphs from that story.




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Just a follow-up to my Columbus post - below are some excellent books on the subject of the impact of Europeans (and later American-Europeans) on America's native populations - these are only 3 of many that are available on the topic (and I've read plenty more) - included is the 'American Holocaust...' mentioned before - Dave
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Despite the controversy over celebrating Columbus Day in the United States, people won't want to give up a statutory holiday. I can see the possibility of renaming the holiday and changing it's purpose, but I don't see eliminating the October long weekend.

 

[giradman]

The second Monday in October is the Thanksgiving holiday in Canada.,

Yep - I knew that fact (maybe from you a while back?).

Despite the controversy over celebrating Columbus Day in the United States, people won't want to give up a statutory holiday. I can see the possibility of renaming the holiday and changing it's purpose, but I don't see eliminating the October long weekend.

Well, an extra Monday off work is hard to not defend! But, I'm pretty sure that this 'Native American' juggernaut will continue and the name of the 'holiday' will change in other states - will be interesting - Dave

 

[giradman]

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling Open to the Public Today in 1512!

After 4 years of work, Michelangelo finished the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which was first shown to the public on November 1, 503 years ago! Below are some web images - when I graduated from the U. of Michigan Medical School in 1971, as a gift, Susan's parents (we had been married < 1 year) sent us on a 3-week trip to Italy (my first to Europe) and we saw this chapel in person - of course, pictures can't do that experience justice, but what this brilliant artist could do in marble and frescoes is still astounding.

Just recently, I obtained the Blu-ray version of the 1965 film The Agony and the Ecstasy w/ Charlton Heston as the artist and Rex Harrison as the pope - not a great movie, but gives one the feeling of being there during the creation of these masterful paintings. Dave

P.S. a little more history quoted below (click Source for more information, if interested).

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest of the Italian Renaissance artists, was born in the small village of Caprese in 1475. The son of a government administrator, he grew up in Florence, a center of the early Renaissance movement, and became an artist’s apprentice at age 13. Demonstrating obvious talent, he was taken under the wing of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of the Florentine republic and a great patron of the arts. After demonstrating his mastery of sculpture in such works as the Pieta (1498) and David (1504), he was called to Rome in 1508 to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel—the chief consecrated space in the Vatican.

Michelangelo’s epic ceiling frescoes, which took several years to complete, are among his most memorable works. Central in a complex system of decoration featuring numerous figures are nine panels devoted to biblical world history. The most famous of these is The Creation of Adam, a painting in which the arms of God and Adam are stretching toward each other. In 1512, Michelangelo completed the work (Source).

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[scifan57]

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling Open to the Public Today in 1512!

After 4 years of work, Michelangelo finished the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel which was first shown to the public on November 1, 503 years ago! Below are some web images - when I graduated from the U. of Michigan Medical School in 1971, as a gift, Susan's parents (we had been married < 1 year) sent us on a 3-week trip to Italy (my first to Europe) and we saw this chapel in person - of course, pictures can't do that experience justice, but what this brilliant artist could do in marble and frescoes is still astounding.

Just recently, I obtained the Blu-ray version of the 1965 film The Agony and the Ecstasy w/ Charlton Heston as the artist and Rex Harrison as the pope - not a great movie, but gives one the feeling of being there during the creation of these masterful paintings. Dave

P.S. a little more history quoted below (click Source for more information, if interested).


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If you get the chance, you'll have to return to Rome and see the Sistine Chapel again. The restoration of the ceiling frescoes that was done after your trip gave us a view of what those first visitors saw 503 years ago, before hundreds of years of soot and dirt obscured the fine details and brilliant colours.

The world is in eternal debt to Michelangelo for not painting what the Pope originally wanted for the ceiling and instead giving us what we have today.

 

[giradman]

If you get the chance, you'll have to return to Rome and see the Sistine Chapel again. The restoration of the ceiling frescoes that was done after your trip gave us a view of what those first visitors saw 503 years ago, before hundreds of years of soot and dirt obscured the fine details and brilliant colours.

The world is in eternal debt to Michelangelo for not painting what the Pope originally wanted for the ceiling and instead giving us what we have today.

Yes, I knew about that restoration and would love to see the ceiling again - BUT, we will be 70 years old early next year and I don't see another European trip for us (and if we changed our minds, I'd loved to convince Susan to go to Austria, i.e. Vienna & Salzburg - I'm a BIG classical music fan and have a LOT of CDs of Mozart & Haydn + Beethoven, and many others from that period) - who knows? Thanks for the reminder - Dave

P.S. our last trip to Europe together was in 1996 when I was invited to speak in Bologna - we went early and spent time in Milan w/ some side trips, including a visit to the Piedmont area; Bologna was wonderful and a short day train trip to Ravenna on the Adriatic coast a thrilling experience.

 

[giradman]

Jefferson Davis elected Confederate president in 1861

A little confusing, Jefferson Davis was appointed the provisional president of the Confederate States early in 1861 (see first quote from the link) when the size of the confederation was just 7 states and the first capital was in Montgomery, Alabama. When the remaining 4 states seceded from the Union, the capital was moved to Richmond, Virginia, just over 100 miles only from Washington, D.C.

On this day, Davis was officially elected president of the confederacy (see second quote HERE) - in the second link, there are numerous videos related to Davis, Richmond, and other aspects of the American Civil War, for those interested.

When Virginia joined the Confederacy, Davis moved his government to Richmond in May 1861. He and his family took up his residence there at the White House of the Confederacy later that month.[94]Having served since February as the provisional president, Davis was elected to a full six-year term on November 6, 1861 and was inaugurated on February 22, 1862.

On this day in 1861, Jefferson Davis is elected president of the Confederate States of America. He ran without opposition, and the election simply confirmed the decision that had been made by the Confederate Congress earlier in the year.

Like his Union counterpart, President Abraham Lincoln, Davis was a native of Kentucky, born in 1808. He attended West Point and graduated in 1828. After serving in the Black Hawk War of 1832, Davis married Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of General (and future U.S. president) Zachary Taylor, in 1835.However,Sarah contracted malaria and died withinseveral months of their marriage. Davis married Varina Howells in 1845.He served inthe Mexican War (1846-48), during which he waswounded. After the war, he was appointed to fill a vacant U.S. senate seat from Mississippi, and laterserved as secretary of war under President Franklin Pierce.

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[J. A.]

On November 9, 1914, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, better known as Hedy Lamarr, was born in Vienna (Austria-Hungary at that time).

Hedy Lamarr - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[scifan57]

November 9, 1989;

East Germany opens the Berlin Wall, allowing free passage between East and West Berlin. The wall is quickly demolished by the people and sections are saved as souvenirs of the Cold War. Berlin Wall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[giradman]

On November 9, 1914, Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, better known as Hedy Lamarr, was born in Vienna (Austria-Hungary at that time).

Hedy Lamarr - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As a BIG movie buff for decades, Hedy Lamarr was one of the most beautiful actresses from those glory days of Hollywood (of course IMHO - and many others are on my list - ). But for those not aware, she was also an 'inventor' - see the edited & shortened quote below (Source) concerning the 'frequency-hopping system' - the last paragraph may be the most important for the modern telecommunications industry - we owe her our gratitude for helping in her pioneering work to later establish wireless technology that we enjoy today. Dave

Lamarr's reputation as an inventor is based on her co-creation of a frequency-hopping system with George Antheil. During World War II, Lamarr was inspired to contribute to the war effort, and focused her efforts on countering torpedoes. In her home, explains author Richard Rhodes during an interview on CBS, she devoted a room to drafting her designs for frequency-hopping.[20]

Lamarr and Antheil discussed the fact that radio-controlled torpedoes, while important in the naval war, could easily be jammed by broadcasting interference at the frequency of the control signal, causing the torpedo to go off course.[21] Lamarr had learned something about torpedoes during her marriage to Mandl. Lamarr and Antheil developed the idea of using frequency hopping to avoid jamming. This was achieved by using a piano roll to unpredictably change the signal sent between a control center and the torpedo at short bursts within a range of 88 frequencies in the radio-frequency spectrum (there are 88 black and white keys on a piano keyboard).

The specific code for the sequence of frequencies would be held identically by the controlling ship and in the torpedo. It would be practically impossible for the enemy to jam all 88 frequencies, as it would require too much power. The frequency-hopping sequence was controlled by a player-piano mechanism.

On 11 August 1942, U.S. Patent 2,292,387 was granted to Hedy Kiesler Markey, Lamarr's married name at the time, and George Antheil. Although novel, the idea was not implemented in the U.S. until 1962, when it was used by U.S. military ships during a blockade of Cuba. Lamarr's work was honored in 1997, when the Electronic Frontier Foundation gave her a belated award for her contributions.[7]

Lamarr's and Antheil's frequency-hopping idea served as a basis for modern spread-spectrum communication technology, such as GPS, Bluetooth, COFDM (used in Wi-Fi network connections), and CDMA (used in some cordless and wireless cell phones).[24] Blackwell, Martin, and Vernam's 1920 patent[25] seems to lay the communications groundwork for Lamarr and Antheil's patent, which employed the techniques in the autonomous control of torpedoes.

 

[J. A.]

As a BIG movie buff for decades, Hedy Lamarr was one of the most beautiful actresses from those glory days of Hollywood (of course IMHO - and many others are on my list - ). But for those not aware, she was also an 'inventor' - see the edited & shortened quote below (Source) concerning the 'frequency-hopping system' - the last paragraph may be the most important for the modern telecommunications industry - we owe her our gratitude for helping in her pioneering work to later establish wireless technology that we enjoy today. Dave

There's a Google Doodle today (for Austria, no idea whether or not other countries got this as well):

 

[giradman]

Thanks Johanna - enjoyed the video! Dave