On this day in history.

[giradman]

Memorial Day November 11 - Monday Holiday in the USA

Below is a post I left in the thread a few years ago on Memorial Day - still amazes me that the ensuing flu pandemic at the end of that decade killed at least 3-4X the number of people and likely more! Dave

World War I Ends on this day in 1918!

From the WW I deaths below, about 14 million people perished; however, the world was in the midst of the worst flu pandemic ever which is estimated to have killed 50-100 million individuals over a 3-year period. Dave

At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives. In addition, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure (Source).

The 1918 flu pandemic (January 1918 – December 1920) was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic, the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus. It infected 500 million people across the world, including remote Pacific islands and the Arctic, and resulted in the deaths of 50 to 100 million (three to five percent of the world's population), making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history (Source).

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[scifan57]

Memorial Day November 11 - Monday Holiday in the USA

Below is a post I left in the thread a few years ago on Memorial Day - still amazes me that the ensuing flu pandemic at the end of that decade killed at least 3-4X the number of people and likely more! Dave

What was signed on November 11th was an armistice; or cease fire. The formal end to the war came on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Treaty of Versailles - Wikipedia

This is why some WWI memorials, including the one in my hometown list the war as lasting from 1914 to 1919.

 

[giradman]

What was signed on November 11th was an armistice; or cease fire. The formal end to the war came on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Treaty of Versailles - Wikipedia
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This is why some WWI memorials, including the one in my hometown list the war as lasting from 1914 to 1919.

Well, true of a number of past wars, e.g. the American Revolutionary War is often dated April 19, 1775 (Lexington & Concord) to October 19, 1781 (Yorktown and Cornwallis' surrender) - and Yorktown was effectively the end of the struggle, but fighting continued, especially between the civilian population on either side - just finished the book below on Francis Marion, the 'Swamp Fox' who's exploits in eastern South Carolina between 1780-1782 were legendary - 1782 still saw some bloody warfare - officially, the war ended the following year w/ the Treaty of Paris signed on September 3, 1783. Dave
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[J. A.]

December 24, 1818:
200 years ago, the Christmas carol “Silent Night” (composer: Franz Xaver Gruber, lyrics: Joseph Mohr) was performed for the very first time in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria.
Silent Night - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

Great Boston Molasses Flood Today in 1919 Killing 21 People!

Centennial Celebration - On January 15, 1919, a HUGE molasses tank burst flooding the streets of historic North Boston causing massive destruction and killing 21 people and dozens of horses. At that time and just after WW I ended, molasses was used for the production of alcoholic beverages, particularly rum. Ironically, the next day the requisite number of states ratified the 18th Amendment approving Prohibition in the United States which became effective a year later in January 1920 - below a few pics and a short video. Dave

Fiery hot molasses floods the streets of Boston on this day in 1919, killing 21 people and injuring scores of others. The molasses burst from a huge tank at the United States Industrial Alcohol Company building in the heart of the city. The US Industrial Alcohol building was located on Commercial Street near North End Park in Boston. It was close to lunch time on January 15 and Boston was experiencing some unseasonably warm weather as workers were loading freight-train cars within the large building. Next to the workers was a 58-foot-high tank filled with 2.5 million gallons of crude molasses. (Source)

Suddenly, the bolts holding the bottom of the tank exploded, shooting out like bullets, and the hot molasses rushed out. An eight-foot-high wave of molasses swept away the freight cars and caved in the building’s doors and windows. The few workers in the building’s cellar had no chance as the liquid poured down and overwhelmed them. The huge quantity of molasses then flowed into the street outside. It literally knocked over the local firehouse and then pushed over the support beams for the elevated train line. The hot and sticky substance drowned and burned five workers at the Public Works Department. In all, 21 people and dozens of horses were killed in the flood. It took weeks to clean the molasses from the streets of Boston. (Source)

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[suenc]

Great Boston Molasses Flood Today in 1919 Killing 21 People!

Centennial Celebration - On January 15, 1919, a HUGE molasses tank burst flooding the streets of historic North Boston causing massive destruction and killing 21 people and dozens of horses. At that time and just after WW I ended, molasses was used for the production of alcoholic beverages, particularly rum. Ironically, the next day the requisite number of states ratified the 18th Amendment approving Prohibition in the United States which became effective a year later in January 1920 - below a few pics and a short video. Dave

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Add some ginger and flour and you’ve got some pretty good cookies

 

[scifan57]

 

[giradman]

Hi Scifan.. - thanks for the additional pics - for those who may not know the complex geography of Boston and the Harbor area, the Google map below may help - I've circled the location of the Molasses Flood plaque in the North End - a historic area close to the Old North Church and the Paul Revere House (which were not damaged, being on high ground) - Susan & I are planning a trip to Boston in June (have not been there in 10+ years and before the ugly green expressway was put underground) - we'll be down in the waterfront area and will look for that plaque - Dave
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[giradman]

First Fugitive Slave Law Passed Today in 1793

This year is the 400th anniversary of the introduction of slavery into the then colonial British America, i.e. Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Although a clause was present in the United States Constitution concerning return of slaves to their 'owners', the language was considered weak prompting the passage this day in 1793 of the first Fugitive Slave Law which was signed by George Washington (a slave owner who was obviously in favor of the act, I assume). However, over the next half century, the Southern States felt the need for stronger enforcement which led to passage of the second Fugitive Slave Law as part of the Compromise of 1850, which brought California into the Union as a 'free' state (see quotes below for further information).

The map below shows the 'slave status' of the states and territories in 1850; the Dred Scott case of 1857 further fueled the issue of slavery in the United States eventually leading to the election of Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil War in 1861. These were indeed terrible times - the need for slaves in the South, particularly to run their vast cotton economy, jeopordized 'free' slaves everywhere, especially in the North where kidnapping was not uncommon - a 2013 excellent period drama of this cruelty is the film 12 Years a Slave, highly recommended if not seen already. Also, I'm currently reading the Kindle edition of the book The War Before the War (last pic - released in November 2018), which goes into much detail of these pre-antebellum issues. Dave

On this day, Congress passes the first fugitive slave law, requiring all states, including those that forbid slavery, to forcibly return slaves who have escaped from other states to their original owners. The laws stated that “no person held to service of labor in one state, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be discharged from such labor or service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.” (Source)

As Northern states abolished slavery, most relaxed enforcement of the 1793 law, and many passed laws ensuring fugitive slaves a jury trial. Several Northern states even enacted measures prohibiting state officials from aiding in the capture of runaway slaves or from jailing the fugitives. This disregard of the first fugitive slave law enraged Southern states and led to the passage of a second fugitive slave law as part of the Compromise of 1850 between the North and South. (Source)

The second fugitive slave law called for the return of slaves “on pain of heavy penalty” but permitted a jury trial under the condition that fugitives be prohibited from testifying in their own defense. Notable fugitive slave trials, such as the Dred Scott case of 1857, stirred up public opinion on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. Meanwhile, fugitive slaves circumvented the law through the “Underground Railroad,” which was a network of persons, primarily free African Americans, who helped fugitives escape to freedom in the Northern states or Canada.(Source)

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[J. A.]

Galileo Galilei, once more. There have been a few posts about some important events during his lifetime, but not his birth date. So here we are:
February 15, 1564: Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy.

Galileo Galilei - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) bridged the Renaissance and Baroque musical eras - the lute (and other string instruments of the time) was popular - Galileo came from a musical family (portion of his Wiki bio quoted below) and was an excellent lutenist, himself - his father and younger brother, Michelangelo, were devoted musicians - I own a LOT of lute music and have a few of his lute pieces on some compilation CDs but not a disc completely devoted to father and/or younger son. Dave

Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy, on 15 February 1564, the first of six children of Vincenzo Galilei, a famous lutenist, composer, and music theorist. Galileo became an accomplished lutenist himself and would have learned early from his father a scepticism for established authority, the value of well-measured or quantified experimentation, an appreciation for a periodic or musical measure of time or rhythm, as well as the results expected from a combination of mathematics and experiment. (Source)

Three of Galileo's five siblings survived infancy. The youngest, Michelangelo (or Michelagnolo), also became a noted lutenist and composer although he contributed to financial burdens during Galileo's young adulthood. Michelangelo was unable to contribute his fair share of their father's promised dowries to their brothers-in-law, who would later attempt to seek legal remedies for payments due. Michelangelo would also occasionally have to borrow funds from Galileo to support his musical endeavours and excursions. These financial burdens may have contributed to Galileo's early desire to develop inventions that would bring him additional income. (Source)

P.S. Not sure if that's really the Galileis playing lute together but would certainly be a possibility?
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[giradman]

Just checked the History Website and March 1 was a memorable day - among the many events listed there, I selected the ones below in the quoted list - some may have already been discussed in this thread, but the one that is personal relates to James Taylor.

From the History website, the quotes on Taylor (1948 - Present) explain his early appeal and his continued success w/ nearly 20 albums, 5 Grammy Awards, and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Susan and I first met at the beginning of his rise to stardom, in Ann Arbor, MI (University of Michigan) in 1968, we married in July 1970 and moved to Winston-Salem, NC the following year - Taylor's song Carolina in My Mind was probably 'our song' at the time and Susan sang and performed the song on guitar - further cementing this relationship was his North Carolina roots - "In 1951, his family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, when his father took a job as an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine." (LINK above).

Pics below are his Time Magazine cover from March 1, 1971 and his first 2 albums, which we owned on LP - now I have just the one CD of 'Classic Songs' - he has been performing for decades now, has lost that long hair, but is still an outstanding entertainer. Just 2 years younger that us, he has certainly persevered unlike many of the rock stars of that early era. Dave

1692 - Salem Witch hunt begins.
1781 - Articles of Confederation finally ratified.
1864 - Grant nominated for lieutenant general.
1872 - Yellowstone Park established.
1932 - Lindbergh baby kidnapped.
1961 - Peace Corps established by JF Kennedy.
1971 - James Taylor makes cover of Time magazine.

James Taylor’s self-titled 1968 debut album, which featured the gorgeous, downbeat ballads “Carolina in My Mind” and “Sweet Baby James,” earned him a small but dedicated following among the collegiate liberal-arts set. But as the 60s counterculture burned itself out and the 70s began, his second album made him a star. Sweet Baby James (1970) featured a now-classic title track as well as Taylor’s first true hits, “Country Road” and “Fire and Rain.” With fellow singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Carole King also in ascendancy, Time magazine saw fit to declare a trend, placing James Taylor on its March 1, 1971, cover under the headline “The New Rock: Bittersweet and Low.”

“Over the last year a far gentler variety of rock sound has begun to soothe the land,” the Time article said in contrasting Taylor’s music to the “walloping folk rock of Bob Dylan,” the “thunderous eloquence of the Beatles” and the “leer of the Rolling Stones.” The article declined to offer a straightforward explanation for the apparent shift in public tastes, but it offered a trenchant sociological analysis of James Taylor’s particular appeal. On the one hand, the story argued, there was the subject matter of his songs, most of which dealt with the kind of internal struggles that “a lavish quota of middle-class advantages—plenty of money, a loving family, good schools, health, charm and talent—do not seem to prevent, and may in fact exacerbate.” And then there was this: “Lean and hard (6 ft. 3 in., 155 Ibs.), often mustachioed, always with hair breaking at his shoulders, Taylor physically projects a blend of Heathcliffian inner fire with a melancholy look that can strike to the female heart—at any age.” Whatever the explanation for James Taylor’s appeal, it was considerable. Just months after his appearance on the cover of Time, Taylor scored a #1 pop hit with the Carole King song “You’ve Got a Friend.” He continues to be an enormously popular and multigenerational concert draw, and his catalog of early-70s albums continues to sell well even decades after his hair started receding from his forehead instead of breaking at his shoulders.

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[giradman]

Ides of March 44 BCE - Julius Caesar is Murdered in Rome!

Just started the book below on a 'short' history of Europe (published recently) - on the second chapter about the Roman Empire (now this is really a 'condensed' account, but so far well done) - today, March 15, is the Ides and the day Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE. His adopted son, Octavian eventually defeated the armies of Cassius and Brutus, who both committed suicide; Octavian became the first Roman emperor, later know as Augustus (see quotes below) - apparently Caesar's last words, if any, are stated below and would have been said in Greek - 'Et Tu, Brute' was a creation of William Shakespeare, but still seems appropriately theatrical - Dave

Julius Caesar, the ”dictator for life” of the Roman Empire, is murdered by his own senators. The conspiracy against Caesar encompassed as many as sixty noblemen, including Caesar’s own protege, Marcus Brutus. Caesar was scheduled to leave Rome to fight in a war on March 18 and had appointed loyal members of his army to rule the Empire in his absence. The Republican senators, already chafing at having to abide by Caesar’s decrees, were particularly angry about the prospect of taking orders from Caesar’s underlings. Cassius Longinus started the plot against the dictator, quickly getting his brother-in-law Marcus Brutus to join. (Source)

Caesar should have been well aware that many of the senators hated him, but he dismissed his security force not long before his assassination. Reportedly, Caesar was handed a warning note as he entered the senate meeting that day but did not read it. After he entered the hall, Caesar was surrounded by senators holding daggers. Servilius Casca struck the first blow, hitting Caesar in the neck and drawing blood. The other senators all joined in, stabbing him repeatedly about the head. Marcus Brutus wounded Caesar in the groin and Caesar is said to have remarked in Greek, “You, too, my child?” In the aftermath of the assassination, Antony attempted to carry out Caesar’s legacy. However, Caesar’s will left Octavian in charge as his adopted son. Cassius and Brutus tried to rally a Republican army and Brutus even issued coins celebrating the assassination, known as the Ides of March. Octavian vowed revenge against the assassins, two years later Cassius and Brutus committed suicide after learning that Octavian’s forces had defeated theirs at the Battle of Philippa in Greece. (Source)

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[suenc]

Ides of March 44 BCE - Julius Caesar is Murdered in Rome!

Just started the book below on a 'short' history of Europe (published recently) - on the second chapter about the Roman Empire (now this is really a 'condensed' account, but so far well done) - today, March 15, is the Ides and the day Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE. His adopted son, Octavian eventually defeated the armies of Cassius and Brutus, who both committed suicide; Octavian became the first Roman emperor, later know as Augustus (see quotes below) - apparently Caesar's last words, if any, are stated below and would have been said in Greek - 'Et Tu, Brute' was a creation of William Shakespeare, but still seems appropriately theatrical - Dave




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[suenc]

“Beware the Ides of March!” Well, it’s 7 hours ’til midnight. If nothing catastrophic happens by then, we should be safe.

 

[giradman]

“Beware the Ides of March!” Well, it’s 7 hours ’til midnight. If nothing catastrophic happens by then, we should be safe.

Hey - I'm surprised that you did not comment on my James Taylor post!