Tag Archives: Tidbits for this day in history

Tidbits of History, August 14

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August 14 is:

National Creamsicle Day

From Asimov, Isaac. Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts. New York, Bell Publishing Company, 1981:

The father of Frederick the Great (Frederick Wilhelm I, King of Prussia; born Aug 14, 1688; died May 31, 1740.) had a famous private guard company = the Potsdam Grenadiers. He would bribe, buy, or even kidnap tall men, close to seven feet in height, to get them for the Grenadiers; he made the giant men marry giant women so he could “raise” his own giants.

Frederick Wilhelm I was about 5 ft 3 in tall himself.

According to historian Jerome Blum, he (Frederick Wilhelm I) was “Uncontrollably violent in temper, vulgar in speech and manner, scornful of education and culture, and so deeply pious that he considered theaters “temples of Satan.”…He made a fetish of cleanliness, washing and grooming himself many times each day.”

Birthday of Hans Christian Oersted (August 14, 1777), Danish physicist who proved that an electric current produces a magnetic field as it flows through a wire, furthering understanding of electromagnetism in 1819.

Birthday of John Galsworthy (August 14, 1867), English author who wrote “The Forsyte Saga”.  Through his writings he campaigned for a variety of causes, including prison reform, women’s rights, animal welfare, and the opposition of censorship. 

Rainey Bethea was hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky on August 14, 1936 in the last public execution in the United States. Bethea, who was a black man, confessed to the rape and murder of a 70-year-old white woman named Lischia Edwards. The crime came to nationwide attention because of one fact — the sheriff of Davies County was a woman. Florence Shoemaker Thompson had become sheriff after her husband, Everett Thompson, unexpectedly died of pneumonia. As sheriff of the county, it was her duty to hang Bethea. A former Louisville police officer, Arthur Hash, offered his services free of charge to perform the execution. Thompson quickly accepted the offer. She also accepted the help of G. Phil Hanna who had assisted in hangings previously. On the appointed day, Hanna placed the noose and signaled Hash to release the trap. Hanna, however, was intoxicated and did not respond. A deputy released the trap, Bethea was hanged. Media attention was high because of the sheriff being female so publicity was widespread. Afterwards, all executions in the U. S. were performed in private.

V-J Day, or Victory Over Japan Day, commemorating the surrender of Japan and the end of fighting in World War II in 1945.

August 14/15, 1947:  the new mainly Islamic state of Pakistan was created.

Widescale power blackout in the northeast United States and Canada on August 14, 2003.

Tidbits of History, August 13

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August 13 is:

Left Hander’s Day
National Fillet Mignon Day A French derivative, the literal meaning is small (mignon) boneless meat (filet).

August 13, 1521 – After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captured Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Mexico.

author of Federalist PaperPublication of Federalist Paper #85: Concluding Remarks written by Alexander Hamilton in 1788. This was the final Federalist Paper.

King Louis XVI of France was formally arrested in 1792 by the National Tribunal, and declared an enemy of the people.

Annie Oakley born August 13, 1860Birthday of Annie Oakley (August 13, 1860), American markswoman. Annie Oakley was the stage name of Phoebe Ann Mosey Butler. From Wikipedia:

Throughout her career, it is believed that Oakley taught upwards of 15,000 women how to use a gun. Oakley believed strongly that it was crucial for women to learn how to use a gun, as not only a form of physical and mental exercise, but also to defend themselves. She said: “I would like to see every woman know how to handle guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies.”

Alfred Hitchcock born August 13, 1899 1899 Alfred Hitchcock was born. Renowned director known for over 50 feature films.

From Today in Science:
In 1913, the first true stainless steel was cast in Sheffield, England. It was a steel alloy that contained 0.24% carbon and 12.8% chromium. English metallurgist, Harry Brearley was developing a more erosion-resistant steel for rifle barrels. In order to examine the grain structure of the steel he needed to etch samples with acid before examining them under the microscope. The etching reagents he used were based on nitric acid, and he found that this new steel strongly resisted chemical attack. He then exposed samples to vinegar and other food acids such as lemon juice and found the same result. Brearley realized that this new steel could also revolutionise the cutlery industry.

Women enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha Mae Johnson is the first of 305 woman to enlist on August 13, 1918.

BambiWalt Disney’s fifth full-length animated film, Bambi, was released to theaters in 1942.

Building of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961. On June 12, 1987 President Reagan challenged Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. The date on which the Wall fell is considered to have been November 9, 1989.

1991 Jack Ryan died. Before helping to develop the Barbie Doll, Hot Wheels, and Chatty Cathy for Mattell and create the ‘easy bake oven’, Ryan worked for the Pentagon designing missiles! And he was the sixth husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Julia Child died August 13, 2004 2004 Julia Child died 2 days before her 92 birthday. American cooking authority, cookbook author, TV Cooking show host, etc. During World War II, she also worked for the OSS from 1941-1945 (The OSS is the forerunner of the CIA).

Tidbits of History, August 12

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August 12 is:

Middle Child’s Day
National Julienne Fries Day

According to Foodimentary.com, here are today’s five thing to know about Fries:

  1. Leaving the potato skin on French fries actually leaves in important vitamins that are lost if the skins are peeled away.
  2. In England these are referred to as “chips”
  3. French fries are, perhaps, poorly-named, since they originate in Belgium and are most popular in America.
  4. Though French fries were invented in Europe, the potatoes, from which they are made, originated in the Americas and were imported.
  5. The first occurrence of French fries in America may have been at a diplomatic dinner hosted by Thomas Jefferson.

Today’s Food History

  • 1856 James Buchanan (‘Diamond Jim’) Brady was born. American financier and philanthropist Diamond Jim Brady was known for his collection of diamond jewelry, and for his gargantuan appetite. He was known to eat 6 or 7 giant lobsters, dozens of oysters, clams and crabs, 2 ducks, steak and desserts at a single sitting. He would also mix a pound of caviar into a baked potato. George Rector, a New York restaurateur said he was ‘the best twenty-five customers I ever had.’

quagga became extinct June 13, 18831883 The quagga, a zebra-like mammal of southern Africa became extinct when the last mare at Amsterdam Zoo died. They had been hunted to extinction.

1948 Harry Brearley died. Brearley was an English metallurgist who invented stainless steel in 1912.

Ponce de Leon Day, a festival day in Puerto Rico honoring his arrival in 1508

Time and Date.com Perseid Meteor Shower expected to peak on August 11-12.

250px-Washington_Monument_Dusk_Jan_2006Birthday of Robert Mills (August 12, 1781), American architect, the first to study exclusively in the United States. He designed the Washington Monument. The Monument is both the world’s tallest stone structure and the world’s tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 5 1⁄8 inches (169.294 m) tall. Robert Mills also designed the U.S. Treasury Building and the U.S. Patent Office, now home to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

From Today in Science
In 1851, Isaac M. Singer of New York City was granted a patent for the first sewing machine with a rocking treadle. Although a sewing machine had already been patented, Singer’s sewing machine was revolutionary, having a double treadle. With patent in hand, Isaac set up shop in Boston, Massachusetts and began to manufacture his invention. Even after huge settlements paid to Elias Howe, another sewing machine patent holder, Singer, through business innovations like installment buying, after-sale servicing and trade-in allowances, had the marketplace all sewn up.

Birthday of Katharine Lee Bates (August 12, 1859), American educator and author of the text for “America the Beautiful”.
Bates originally wrote the words as a poem, “Pikes Peak”, first published in the Fourth of July edition of the church periodical The Congregationalist in 1895. At that time, the poem was titled “America” for publication.
The music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never met.

The original poem:
O beautiful for halcyon skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the enameled plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
Till souls wax fair as earth and air
And music-hearted sea!
The words we are familiar with:
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

From Today in Science
In 1865, Dr. Joseph Lister became the first surgeon to perform an antiseptic operation using carbolic acid (phenol) as a disinfectant. He had studied Louis Pasteur’s germ theory of disease – that infections are caused by bacteria. Lister knew carbolic acid had been effective in municipal use for treating sewage, and decided to try using it to kill germs that would otherwise infect wounds. He poured it on bandages, ligatures, instruments and directly on the wound and hands. His first patient to benefit from this procedure was James Greenlees, age 12, whose broken leg was treated after being run over by a cart. The dressing was soaked with carbolic acid and linseed oil. The wound healed without infection. Lister continued his protocol of hygiene, and reduced the surgical death rate from 45% to 15%.

1964 – Mickey Mantle set a major league baseball record when he hit home runs from both the left and ride sides of the plate in the same game.

1981 – IBM unveiled its first PC for $1,600 base price.

1994 – Major league baseball players went on strike rather than allow team owners to limit their salaries. The strike lasted for 232 days. As a result, the World Series was wiped out for the first time in 90 years.

Tidbits of History, August 11

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August 11 is:

National Raspberry Tart Day

Presidential Joke Day
On this day in 1984, during a sound check for a radio broadcast, President Ronald Reagan cracked the following joke:

“My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”

He didn’t know the mic was already recording, and the tape leaked. Since this little gaffe, August 11th has lived on as Presidential Joke Day.

Son and Daughter Day created so that you can let your children know how special they are.

1866 – World’s first roller rink opened in Newport, RI. The roller skate was invented in 1863 by James Plimpton.

$100,000 raised in US for pedestal August 11, 18851885 – $100,000 raised in US for pedestal for Statue of Liberty. The statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886, was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States.

Green Bay Packers football club founded on August 11, 1919 by George Calhoun and Curly Lambeau. Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor. The Green Bay Packers have played in their original city longer than any other team in the NFL.

A formal peace took hold in Indochina on August 11, 1954, ending more than seven years of fighting between the French and the Communist Vietminh.

August 11, 1956 – Elvis Presley released “Don’t Be Cruel”

2015 – For the first time in Major League Baseball history, all 15 home teams won their game. Prior to this happening, the record was 12 which was reached over a century ago in 1914.

Tidbits of History, August 10

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August 10th is:

Lazy Day
National S’mores Day
National Banana Split Day

August 10, 1792: Storming of the Tuileries Palace during the French Revolution. It was a royal and imperial palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine. It was the usual Parisian residence of most French monarchs, from Henry IV to Napoleon III. It was burned by the Paris Commune in 1871.

Missouri headerMissouri Admission Day in 1821, becoming the twenty-fourth state:

  • Capital: Jefferson
  • Nickname: Show Me State
  • Bird: Bluebird
  • Flower: Hawthorn
  • Tree: Flowering Dogwood
  • Motto: The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law

See our page Missouri for more interesting facts and trivia about the state of Missouri.

From Today in Science
In 1846, an Act of Congress signed by President James K. Polk established the Smithsonian Institution as a trust to administer the generous bequest of James Smithson, an amount over $500,000. In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that, should the nephew die without heirs (as he would in 1835), the estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” The motives behind Smithson’s bequest remain mysterious; he had never traveled to the U.S. and seems to have had no correspondence with anyone there.

August 10 birthdayBirthday of Herbert Hoover (August 10, 1874), 29th President of the United States. Hoover Trivia:

  • Hoover wrote many books including his own three-volume memoirs.
  • The Hoover Dam was also named in his honor
  • Hoover refused to accept a salary as president
  • The Star Spangled Banner was adopted as our national anthem during his presidency.
  • One line in the All in the Family theme songء “Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.”

From Today in Science
In 1897, Dr. Felix Hoffmann successfully created a chemically pure and stable form of acetylsalicylic acid. His handwritten laboratory notes—aspirin’s “birth certificate”—suggested: “Through its physical characteristics such as a sour taste without any corrosive effect, acetylsalicylic acid has an advantage over salicylic acid and will therefore be tested for its usability in this context.” His success was trademarked as Aspirin. It was a better pain reliever for his father’s rheumatoid arthritis than the salicylic acid previously used which had an unpleasant taste and side effects, such as stomach bleeding. Hoffmann had improved on the earlier work of French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt who derived acetylsalicylic acid from plants, though only in an impure, unstable form.

Scotland Yard disrupted major terrorist plot to destroy aircraft traveling from the United Kingdom to the United States in 2006. All toiletries are banned from commercial airplanes.

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Tidbits of History, August 9

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August 9 is:

Book Lover’s Day A day for all those who love to read. My kind of day!!
National Rice Pudding Day
Opening of the Sistine Chapel in Rome on August 9, 1483 with the celebration of a Mass.

The Vatican Virtual Tours offers an online 360 degree tour of the Sistine Chapel.

Treaty of Fort Jackson, August 9, 1814Indian Wars: In 1814 the Creek signed the Treaty of Fort Jackson, giving up huge parts of Alabama and Georgia. The Treaty was signed following the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The U.S. force was led by General Andrew Jackson.
The Upper Creek Natives were led by Chief Menawa, who fled with hundreds of survivors into Florida, where they allied with the Seminole. The surrender ended the Creek War, which the United States was fighting simultaneously with the War of 1812.

The Webster–Ashburton Treaty was signed in 1842, establishing the United States–Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains.

 Henry David Thoreau published Walden in 1854.

Betty BoopBetty Boop made her cartoon debut in Dizzy Dishes in 1930.

Smokey introduced August 9The United States Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council released posters featuring Smokey Bear for the first time in 1944.

Nagasaki (Japan) Memorial Day, a memorial observance for the victims of the second atomic bomb (Fat Man) in 1945. 3 days after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, the city of Nagasaki was destroyed by a 21 kiloton atomic bomb nicknamed Fat Boy. About 40 to 80 thousand people were estimated killed during this American-led attack towards the end of the Second World War. A few days later on August 15, Japan surrendered to the Allies, effectively bringing the War to a close by September, 1945.

Ford became President August 9, 1974Anniversary of the resignation of Richard Nixon as president of the United States in 1974.   His Vice President, Gerald Ford , became president.

Tidbits of History, August 8

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August 8 is the 221st day of the year. There are 145 days remaining until the end of the year.

Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day – now that’s nasty!
National Dollar Day
National Frozen Custard Day Frozen custard is a cold dessert similar to ice cream, but made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar. It is usually kept at a warmer temperature compared to ice cream, and typically has a denser consistency.

1844 – After the killing of Joseph Smith on June 27, Bringham Young was chosen to lead the Mormons.
Per Wikipedia: Joseph Smith, the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, United States on June 27, 1844. The brothers had been in jail awaiting trial when an armed mob of about 200 men stormed the facility, their faces painted black with wet gunpowder. Hyrum was killed first, having been shot in the face. As he fell, Hyrum shouted, “I’m a dead man, Joseph!” After emptying the pistol with which he tried to defend himself, Smith was then shot several times while trying to escape from a second-story window and fell from that window as he died.

On August 8, 1863, following his defeat in the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee sent a letter of resignation to Confederate President Jefferson Davis (which was refused upon receipt). Davis wrote, “To ask me to substitute you by someone… more fit to command, or who would possess more of the confidence of the army… is to demand an impossibility.”

Public Law 62-5, passed in 1911, set the number of representatives in the United States House of Representatives at 435. The law would come into effect in 1913.

Battle of Amiens: – On August 8, 1918, the Allies launched a series of offensive operations against German positions on the Western Front during World War I with a punishing attack at Amiens, on the Somme River in northwestern France.

1950 – Whataburger opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, TX.

1966 – Michael DeBakey became the first surgeon to install an artificial heart pump in a patient.

January 9 Birthday1974 – President Richard Nixon, in a nationwide television address, announced his resignation from the office of the President of the United States, effective noon the next day. Following his resignation, the Nixons flew to their home La Casa Pacifica in San Clemente, California.

On this day in 1988, the Chicago Cubs hosted the first night game in the history of Wrigley Field.

Tidbits of History, August 7

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August 7 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 146 days remaining until the end of the year.

National Lighthouse Day
Raspberries ‘n Cream Day

Anniversary of the dedication in 1927 of the International Peace Bridge, honoring the peace that exists between Canada and the United States. Extends from Buffalo, New York, and Fort Erie, Ontario where it crosses the Niagara River.

Florence Dome, August 7Construction of the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore begun in Florence in 1420.

On August 7, 1782 General George Washington ordered the creation of the Badge of Military Merit to honor soldiers wounded in battle. It was later renamed to the more poetic Purple Heart.

The United States Department of War was established in 1789. The War Department existed from 1789 until September 18, 1947, when it split into Department of the Army and Department of the Air Force and joined the Department of the Navy as part of the new joint National Military Establishment (NME), renamed the United States Department of Defense in 1949.

1794 – U.S. President George Washington invoked the Militia Acts of 1792 to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. The so-called “whiskey tax” was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. The “whiskey tax” became law in 1791, and was intended to generate revenue for the war debt incurred during the Revolutionary War.

In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steam Boat (also known as the Clermont) began chugging its way up New York’s Hudson River on its successful round-trip from New York City to Albany – 150 miles apart in 32 hours.

Oliver Hardy1957 Death of Oliver Hardy at age 65.  Comic actor best known as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted 25 years.

1959 – The Lincoln Memorial design on the U.S. penny went into circulation. It replaced the “sheaves of wheat” design, and was minted until 2008 when it was replaced by the Union shield.

Penny_Wheat
Penny_Lincoln Memorial
Penny_shield

Tidbits of History, August 6

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August 6 is:

Wiggle Your Toes Day
National Fresh Breath Day
National Root Beer Float Day

Hiroshima Day, anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb (Little Boy) on Hiroshima, Japan from a Boeing B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, in 1945. Around 70,000 people were killed instantly.

The Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus. According to legend, Jesus and three of his apostles, Peter, James, and John, went to a mountain. Jesus began to shine with bright rays of light. Moses and Elijah appear next to him. Jesus is called “Son” by a voice assumed to be God. The apostles consider this “transfiguration” as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

August 6, 1806, Francis II, the last Holy Roman Emperor, abdicated, ending the Holy Roman Empire.

Edith Roosevelt born Aug 6Birthday of Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, (August 6, 1861), wife of Theodore Roosevelt, first lady 1901-1909. Roosevelt’s mother and his first wife, Alice, both died on the same day (Feb 14, 1884). He married Edith, a friend since childhood, in 1886. At one time he had asserted that “I utterly disbelieve in and disapprove of second marriages; I have always considered that they argued weakness in a man’s character.”

Birthday of Sir Alexander Fleming (August 6, 1881), Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin.

From Today in Science
In 1890, the electric chair was used for the first time. William Kemmler was executed with 1,300 volts of alternating current in Auburn, N.Y. for murdering a woman with an axe. The state had legalized death by electricity on 4 Jun 1888, which was upheld despite a legal challenge. The Medico-Legal Society was appointed to manage the technical details. Thomas Edison wished the public to associate AC with danger and death, and promoted the electric chair to discredit Tesla’s AC system of electricity which competed with his own DC system. The execution was botched. The first shock lasted only 17 seconds. As the body appeared to move, a much longer second jolt was given until it produced a smell of burning flesh.

1930 – Judge Joseph Force Crater stepped into a taxi in New York and disappeared, never to be seen again. He was a New York City trial court judge and his disappearance increased public unrest about corruption in the city government, leading to the downfall of the Tammany Hall political machine. Bank records revealed a cash withdrawal of $20,000 just prior to his appointment as a judge.

1965 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

1991 – Tim Berners-Lee released files describing his idea for the World Wide Web. WWW debuts as a publicly available service on the Internet.

Tidbits of History, August 5

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National Oyster Day
National Underwear Day
Work Like a Dog Day
Although the origins of “Work like a dog” are not known, it most likely refers to actual working dogs. Sheep dogs and sled dogs are good examples. They are bred to work hard – working even gives them pleasure.
Alternately, in olden days, the two sawyers who worked on a tree sawing planks were the top-dog and the under-dog. A “dog”in those days was a manual worker.

On August 5, 1583 – Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed what is now St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. for Queen Elizabeth.

On August 5, 1620 – The Mayflower and the Speedwell departed from Southampton, England in their first attempt to reach North America.
Shortly after, the Speedwell started taking on water so the ships landed at Dartmouth, Devon. The leaks were sealed and the ships sailed again. They got as far as Plymouth, Devon when the Speedwell was again leaking. It was decided to sell the Speedwell and transfer the passengers and crew to the Mayflower. Of the combined 121 passengers, 102 were chosen to make the trip. The reduced party finally sailed on Sept 6th.

On August 5, 1735 New York Weekly Journal writer, John Peter Zenger, was acquitted of seditious libel against the royal governor of New York, on the basis that what he had published was true.  Read more about this on BenneyDavis.com.

Birthday of Guy de Maupassant (August 5, 1850), French novelist, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story.

In 1861 – American Civil War: In order to help pay for the war effort, the United States government levied the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US $800; rescinded in 1872).

cornerstone laid Aug 5, 1884The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid on Bedloe’s Island (now Liberty Island) in New York Harbor on August 5, 1884..

Aug 5, 1923, Henry Sullivan became the first American to swim the English Channel. He finished in 27 hours and 25 minutes.

Marilyn MonroeAugust 5 – 1962: Film actress Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home. She was 35 years old.

1981 – President Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.

Reagan had offered the union “Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization” (PATCO) an 11% wage increase. The union demanded a 100% increase which amounted to $700 million. PATCO’s strike, as it turned out, was illegal. Reagan echoed the words of Calvin Coolidge when he told his Transportation Secretary, Drew Lewis, “There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, at any time.”