On this day in history.

[scifan57]

December 7, 1787;

Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution.

 

[giradman]

Only two of the ships sunk on that day are still at the bottom of Pearl Harbour. The USS Arizona and the USS Utah, an old battleship then being used as a target ship.
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The biggest mistakes made by the Japanese in the attack were that they did not destroy the oil tank farm, the sub base, or the dry docks.

USA Today had a 2-page article on Pearl Harbor w/ a nice map where colors of the ships showed those that were sunk and not recovered (3), ships sunked/salvaged/repaired, ships w/ moderate to minor damage, and the many surrounding ships/subs/etc. not damaged - tried to find that map online but came up w/ a slightly different one that did not have a legend for the ships colored - my assignment: 3 red ships sunk (Arizona, Oklahoma, & Utah), blue & green ships, the ones salvaged and/or damaged to various degrees, and black, the ships not damaged. Dave
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[giradman]

December 7, 1787;

Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution.
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The United States Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, and in September 1787 adjourns and agrees to send the document to the states for debate and ratification - Delaware quickly approved the Constitution, but not until May 1790 did Rhode Island become the last state to make the vote unanimous. Dave

December 7, 1787: Delaware ratifies. Vote: 30 for, 0 against.
December 12, 1787: Pennsylvania ratifies. Vote: 46 for, 23 against.
December 18, 1787: New Jersey ratifies. Vote: 38 for, 0 against.
January 2, 1788: Georgia ratifies. Vote: 26 for, 0 against.
January 9, 1788: Connecticut ratifies. Vote: 128 for, 40 against.
February 6, 1788: Massachusetts ratifies. Vote: 187 for, 168 against.
April 28, 1788: Maryland ratifies. Vote: 63 for, 11 against.
May 23, 1788: South Carolina ratifies. Vote: 149 for, 73 against.
June 21, 1788: New Hampshire ratifies. Vote: 57 for, 47 against.
June 25, 1788: Virginia ratifies. Vote: 89 for, 79 against.
July 26, 1788: New York ratifies. Vote: 30 for, 27 against.
November 21, 1789: North Carolina ratifies. Vote: 194 for, 77 against.
May 29, 1790: Rhode Island ratifies. Vote: 34 for, 32 against.

 

[J. A.]

December 7, 1676:
Danish astronomer Ole Rømer demonstrates that light has a finite speed.

Rømer's determination of the speed of light - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

John Glenn - First American to Orbit the Earth - Dies Today!

Back in early 1962, John Glenn completed 3 orbits of the planet, in a flight that lasted nearly 5 hours only - I was a sophomore in high school and remember in one or more of my classes watching the event on television - then took only seven years to put a man on the moon. Dave

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. He was one of the "Mercury Seven" group of military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA to become America's first astronauts and fly the Project Mercury spacecraft.

On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth and the fifth person in space, after cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov and the sub-orbital flights of Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom. Glenn was the earliest-born American to go to orbit, and the second earliest-born man overall after Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Beregovoy. Glenn received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. Glenn was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven after the death of Scott Carpenter in 2013 (Source).

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[scifan57]

John Glenn - First American to Orbit the Earth - Dies Today!

Back in early 1962, John Glenn completed 3 orbits of the planet, in a flight that lasted nearly 5 hours only - I was a sophomore in high school and remember in one or more of my classes watching the event on television - then took only seven years to put a man on the moon. Dave


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He also became the oldest person in space when he went on a space shuttle mission on October 29, 1998 as a payload specialist. He was the only person to fly in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle programs.

 

[giradman]

He also became the oldest person in space when he went on a space shuttle mission on October 29, 1998 as a payload specialist. He was the only person to fly in both the Mercury and Space Shuttle programs.
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And a United States senator (1974-1999) from Ohio (my state of birth) for two and a half decades - many other accomplishments and awards - for those interested, see his Wiki article linked previously. Dave

 

[giradman]

Kirk Douglas Turns 100 Years Old Today!

One of Hollywood's legendary actors is 100 y/o today - wow! I've probably seen most of his films over the decades and own many on optical disc - from IMDB, I've put together a list of my favorite films (own all but two) - probably my all time top Kirk movies are Lust for Life about Vincent van Gogh and Paths of Glory (an anti-war presentation), but I really enjoy many more. BTW - I have the two films just mentioned as blu-ray discs, which I recommend highly for their restoration (if interested in ratings, check HERE). Dave

1949 - Champion
1950 - Young Man With a Horn
1950 - The Glass Menagerie
1951 - Ace in the Hole
1952 - The Bad and the Beautiful
1953 - Ulysses
1954 - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
1956 - Lust for Life
1957 - Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957 - Paths of Glory
1958 - The Vikings
1959 - Last Train from Gun Hill
1959 - The Devil’s Disciple
1960 - Spartacus
1962 - Lonely Are the Brave
1967 - The War Wagon
1980 - The Final Countdown
1982 - The Man from Snowy River

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[giradman]

Da Vinci Notebook Sells for over $5 Million in 1980!

A remarkable da Vinci notebook bought at auction by Arnie Hammer for $5 million - then at another auction in 1994 purchased by Bill Gates (of MS fame) for $30 million (quotes below w/ links) - last year, Susan & I saw a special traveling exhibit @ the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC on this manuscript - link HERE (see post #8) w/ a brief discussion and some pics - a special experience for me. Dave

On this day in 1980, American oil tycoon Armand Hammer pays $5,126,000 at auction for a notebook containing writings by the legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci. The manuscript, written around 1508, was one of some 30 similar books da Vinci produced during his lifetime on a variety of subjects. It contained 72 loose pages featuring some 300 notes and detailed drawings, all relating to the common theme of water and how it moved. The text, written in brown ink and chalk, read from right to left, an example of da Vinci’s favored mirror-writing technique. In 1717, Thomas Coke, the first earl of Leicester, bought the manuscript and installed it among his impressive collection of art at his family estate in England (Source).

The Codex Leicester (also briefly known as Codex Hammer) is a collection of famous scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci. The Codex is named after Thomas Coke, later created Earl of Leicester, who purchased it in 1719. Of Leonardo's 30 scientific journals, the Codex may be the most famous of all. The manuscript holds the record for the sale price of any book, when it was sold to Bill Gates at Christie's auction house on 11 November 1994 in New York for US$30,802,500. The Codex provides an insight into the inquiring mind of the definitive Renaissance artist, scientist and thinker as well as an exceptional illustration of the link between art and science and the creativity of the scientific process (Source).

 

[KevinJS]

@giradman

Thanks for that post about Kirk Douglas, Dave. I thought I was familiar with all of Kubrick's work, but I wasn't aware of that one.

 

[giradman]

@giradman

Thanks for that post about Kirk Douglas, Dave. I thought I was familiar with all of Kubrick's work, but I wasn't aware of that one.

Hi Kevin - highly recommend the Paths of Glory, and the Criterion BD restoration is superb - Dave

 

[scifan57]

December 14, 1911;

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen becomes the first person to reach the South Pole. He beat British explorer Robert Falcon Scott to the pole by over a month. Roald Amundsen - Wikipedia

Roald Amundsen and his party looking at the Norwegian flag at the South Pole.

 

[giradman]

George Washington Dies at Mt. Vernon this day in 1799

George was out riding a horse most of a rainy day and caught a pulmonary infection which would have been cured easily w/ the antibiotics of today. Henry Lee gave the famous eulogy below - he was a young calvary officer during the Revolutionary War; his son was Robert E. Lee, who married Mary Custis (1808–73), great-granddaughter of Martha Washington to complete a circle. Dave

George Washington, the American revolutionary leader and first president of the United States, dies of acute laryngitis at his estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia. He was 67 years old.

In 1797, he finally began a long-awaited retirement at his estate in Virginia. He died two years later. His friend Henry Lee provided a famous eulogy for the father of the United States: “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen (Source).”

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[giradman]

New Madrid Earthquakes Started Today in 1811!

A year ago, I left the post below - actually there were multiple major earthquakes extending into February of 1812 - added the short video below (Source) - take a look. Dave

On this day, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake, one of the strongest earthquakes in human history occurred in Arkansas, causing widespread damage and what was called the fluvial tsunami which caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for several hours. Earthquake causes fluvial tsunami in Mississippi - Feb 07, 1812 - HISTORY.com

YES! The New Madrid fault and the time the Big Muddy went the other way - wish that I were there!

Below, the first pic of the fault zone which impacts on multiple states, including Arkansas - for those interested, there is an entire book on this subject which I read when released (second pic) - an amazing narrative - thanks for the reminder! Dave

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[giradman]

Boston Tea Party Took Place on this day in 1773!

Today in 1773, Samuel Adams organized the Sons of Liberty, and disguised as Mohawk Indians raided the three ships described below at midnight - 340 chests of tea were dumped into the harbor - the value of the tea in today's dollars is estimated at over $1,700,000.

While in Boston many times over the decades, I've visited the site several times, but cannot remember if the museum and all of its attractions were yet there - maybe time to go back! Video below; apparently all three ships will eventually be reconstructed (see website source below); and a Paul Revere engraving of Boston Harbor from 1768. Dave

To fully tell and understand the story of the Boston Tea Party, a flotilla of all three ships is necessary. With only the Beaver at the site of the museum for so many years, many people have the impression there was only one ship that was off-loaded during the Boston Tea Party. The new Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum will illuminate the importance and the significance of this historic event with replicas of all three ships involved. On the night of the Boston Tea Party, three ships that had sailed from London carrying cargoes of British East India Company tea were moored in Boston Harbor. The vessels were built in America and owned by Americans. The Beaver and the Dartmouth were whalers, and the Eleanor was a full rigged ship (Source).

Destruction of the Tea - 340 chests of British East India Company Tea, weighing over 92,000 pounds, were dumped overboard the night of December 16, 1773. All of the chests were smashed open with axes and the tea dumped into Boston Harbor. The cargo was worth more than $1,700,000 dollars in today’s money. Historical accounts record that no damage was done to any of the ships except a broken lock which was replaced the next day. The event was witnessed by thousands, and the implications and impact of this action were enormous, ultimately leading to the sparking of the American Revolution ([url=https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/ships-history]Source)[/URL].

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