Tidbits of History, December 14

December 14 is:

National Bouillabaisse Day Bouillabaisse is a fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. “What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of Provençal herbs and spices in the broth; the use of bony local Mediterranean fish; the way the fish are added one at a time, and brought to a boil; and the method of serving. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a soup plate with slices of bread and rouille (a sauce that consists of olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper); then the fish is served separately on a large platter; or, more simply, as Julia Child suggests, the fish and broth are brought to the table separately and served together in large soup plates.”

Monkey Day

National Biscuits and Gravy Day

Physician, astrologer and clairvoyant Nostradamus was born at St. Remy, Provence, France (December 14, 1503).

Princess Mary Stuart became Mary, Queen of Scots in 1542, succeeding her father, James V. She was 6 days old.

The Montgolfier brothers’ first balloon lifted off on its first test flight in 1782.

Publication of Federalist Paper #22: Other Defects of the Present Confederation written by Alexander Hamilton in 1787. The defects of the Articles of Confederation covered in this article are the lack of control of commerce between the States, the inability to raise an Army, the problems with equal voting power by large and small States, the ability of a minority to prevent government action, lack of a national supreme court, and the need for more than a single government body.

Death of George Washington, First President of the United States; died at age 67 at Mount Vernon, Virginia on December 14, 1799. His last words were “‘Tis well”. He was 67. On December 12, 1799, Washington inspected his farms on horseback in snow and sleet. He returned home late for dinner but refused to change out of his wet clothes, not wanting to keep his guests waiting. He had a sore throat the following day but again went out in freezing, snowy weather to mark trees for cutting. That evening, he complained of chest congestion, but was still cheerful. On Saturday, he awoke to an inflamed throat and difficulty breathing. The diagnosis of Washington’s illness and the immediate cause of his death have been subjects of debate since the day he died.

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” These famous words about George Washington come from a eulogy written by Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee. Lee was a major general in the Continental Army, member of the Continental Congress, governor of Virginia, father of the famous Civil War general Robert E. Lee, and close friend of George Washington.

Alabama Admission day (December 14, 1819), twenty-second state

• Capital: Montgomery
• Nickname: Yellowhammer State/Heart of Dixie/Cotton State
• Bird: Yellowhammer
• Flower: Camellia
• Tree: Southern Pine
• Motto: We Dare Defend Our Rights

See our page Alabama for more interesting facts and trivia about Alabama.

Prince Albert, husband of Britain’s Queen Victoria, died in London in 1861.

Former First Lady Julia Grant (Mrs. Ulysses S Grant) died of kidney and heart failure on December 14, 1902 at the age of 76. She was the first First Lady to write her memoirs. Julia Grant’s memoirs were not published in her lifetime.They first appeared in print in 1975 under the title The Personal Memoirs of Julia Dent Grant.

1941 Premier Winston Churchill traveled to U.S. on board HMS Duke of York in 1941. He arrived secretly at the White House just before Christmas in 1941.

From White House History

During his 24-day stay the staff had to adjust to his eccentricities. Chief Usher J.B. West recalled, “We got used to his ‘jumpsuit,’ the extraordinary one-piece uniform he wore every day, but the servants never quite got over seeing him naked in his room when they’d go up to serve brandy. It was the jumpsuit or nothing. In his room, Mr. Churchill wore no clothes at all most of the time during the day.”

On 26 December 1941, Churchill addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress.

In 1946, U.N. General Assembly voted to establish United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

“Saturday Night Fever,”starring John Travolta, premiered in New York City on December 14, 1977.