On this day...

[Kat_lov]

Thanks for keeping this up, Kat! It's been one of my favourite threads...

Thanks! Nice to know people are interested.

There have been some other fine efforts though, so can't take all the glory.

[brammelaar]

Well, here's a new one. I got woken up this morning with the announcement that I probably lost just short of 17 000 euro.
That means I'm now saving to be able to pay my health insurance at the end of the year.
(and it means a lot more, but, hey, that's of no interest for this thread)


And for other news:

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) begins today.
From Wikipedia: Yom Kippur is the tenth and final day of the Ten Days of Repentance which begin with Rosh Hashanah. According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into a "book" on Rosh Hashanah and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. During the Ten Days of Repentance, a Jew tries to amend his behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God (bein adam leMakom) and against his fellow man (bein adam lechavero). The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one considers himself absolved by God.

And in 1600 San Marino, the world's oldest constitutional republic, adopted its written constitution.

[Dave iLT]

50 years ago today the very first hovercraft was unveiled to the press at the Saunders Roe boatyard at Cowes on the Isle of Wight. HOT!

I've never been on a hovercraft, but hope to one day.

[Kat_lov]

22nd July

192 days left until the end of 2009 folks!

Anyone seen Heavenly Creatures? Well, on this day in 1954, Pauline Yvonne Parker and Juliet Marion Hulme killed Honora Parker (Pauline's mother) in Christchurch, New Zealand.

It began with the girls friendship from early teens and they developed a sisterly bond, later suspected to have possibly been more of a lesbian relationship. In 1954 the girls discovered that they were to be separated as Juliet's father was taking her to South Africa intending to separate the girls as both parents felt that their relationship was unhealthy.

So, on the morning of 22nd July 1954, walking down a pathway in Victoria Park, Juliet dropped an ornamental stone so that Honora Parker would lean over to retrieve it. Upon doing so the girls struck her on the back of the head with a brick enclosed in a stocking. The girls fled the scene, covered in blood, running to a nearby tea stall claiming she had fallen.

Both girls were convicted on August 30, 1954, and each of them spent five years in prison. Following their separation they have lived separate lives without contact since conviction; Juliet began her career as a novelist Anne Perry and Pauline lives in the Orkney's. Both express extreme remorse for their actions.

[Kat_lov]

30th June 2009


Well it's the almost halfway mark peeps...well there are now only 184 days remaining until the end of the year!

On this day in 1934 or Operation Hummingbird or the Night of the Long Knives murders were committed.

The Nazi regime took it upon themselves to carry out political executions of members of the Sturmabteilung (SA).

Out of at least 80 of those killed included:

Kurt von Schleicher, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1882)
Gregor Strasser, former German Nazi politician (b. 1892)
Gustav Ritter von Kahr, Prime Minister of Bavaria (b. 1862)
Karl Ernst, German SA-gruppenführer (b. 1904)
Erich Klausener, German catholic politician (b. 1885)


Also on this day in 1983 (one for the boys), Cheryl Cole of Girls Aloud fame was born.

[Kat_lov]

1st July

On this day in 1908, SOS distress signal (· · · — — — · · ·) was officially effective as the worldwide standard under the Second International Radiotelegraphic Convention.

"Save Our Seamen", "Save our Ship", "Survivors On Shore" or "Save Our Souls", SOS is still recognized as a visual distress signal.

It was first used as part of the German set of national radio regulations, effective April 1, 1905:

Ruhezeichen ("Cease-sending signal"), consisting of six dahs ( — — — — — — ), sent by shore stations to tell other local stations to stop transmitting.

Suchzeichen ("Quest signal"), composed of three-dits/three dahs/one-dit, all run together (· · · — — — · ), used by ships to get the attention of shore stations.

Notzeichen ("Distress signal"), consisting of three-dits/three-dahs/three-dits (· · · — — — · · · ), also in a continuous sequence, to be repeated by a ship in distress until all other stations have stopped.


The first ship to transmit an SOS distress call is said to have been the Cunard liner Slavonia on 10th June 1909.

SOS can be read right side up as well as upside down became important for visual recognition if viewed from above which has led it to be used visually as well as audio.



Also on this day in 1977, Liv Tyler, actress was born.

Daughter of Aerosmith's lead singer, Steven Tyler and fashion model and singer, Bebe Buell, Liv Tyler has starred in over 22 films including Empire Records, Stealing Beauty, Armageddon, the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Incredible Hulk.

[brammelaar]

On the 2nd of July in:

1885 (Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan) Big Bear surrenders to General Strange after his men run out of food and ammunition. This marks the end of the North West Rebellion. Big Bear is sentenced with Poundmaker to three years in Stony Mountain Penitentiary.

1298 The Battle of Göllheim is fought between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.

1853 The Russian Army invades Turkey, beginning the Crimean War.

1870 Jules Joseph d'Anethan is elected the tenth Prime Minister of Belgium.

[brammelaar]

July 3 is Belarussian Independence Day!

Otherwise in:

1608 Québec City was founded by Samuel de Champlain.

1844 The last pair of Great Auks is killed.
Aaawwww:


1898 Joshua Slocum (1844-1909), from Briar Island, Nova Scotia, completes the first solo circumnavigation of the globe.


1994 The deadliest day in Texas traffic history, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Forty six people are killed in crashes.

[brammelaar]

Today, the 4th of July is Independence Day for the United States of America. On this day the USA celebrates the adoption of the declaration of independence, declaring independence from the so called corrupt Kingdom of Great Britain, in 1776. Subsequently the English treated the 4th of July as 'bad jokes-day'.

On this day in 2009 (and 2008 and 2011 and many more, but not every year on the 4th) the world celebrates Aphelion. Or in other words: the day that the sun is farthest away from the earth. Usual festivities are drinking contests for alcoholics and the display of fireworks.

In 1054 a supernova is observed by the Chinese, the Arabs and possibly Amerindians near the star Tauri. For several months it remains bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.
(I have no idea about the correctness of this, but here are some pictures, which to my eye seem pretty different, but are both supposed to be the Crab Nebula... looks fishy to me )



In 1947 The "Indian Independence Bill" is presented before British House of Commons, suggesting bifurcation of British India into two sovereign countries – India and Pakistan.

[brammelaar]

On the 5th of July:

In 1295 Scotland and France form an alliance against England, which states the beginnings of the Auld Alliance.

In 1937 Spam, the luncheon meat, is introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation.

In 1982 Philippe Gilbert, Belgian cyclist not cycling in the Tour de France this year, was born.

[brammelaar]

On July the 6th of 1483 Richard III is crowned King of England. He was the last king from the House of York, and his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth marked the culmination of the Wars of the Roses and the end of the Plantagenet dynasty.
Two large-scale rebellions rose against Richard. The first, in 1483, was led by staunch opponents of Edward IV (his brother) and, most notably, Richard's own 'kingmaker', Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham. The revolt collapsed and Buckingham was executed at Salisbury, near the Bull's Head Inn. However, in 1485, another rebellion arose against Richard, headed by Henry Tudor, 2nd Earl of Richmond (later King Henry VII) and his uncle Jasper. The rebels landed troops and Richard fell in the Battle of Bosworth Field, then known as Redemore or Dadlington Field, as the last Plantagenet king and the last English king to lead his troops in battle on English soil. Richard III and Harold II are the only English monarchs to have died in battle.

[Kat_lov]

8th July

On this day in 1898, Soapy Smith, a famous con artist, died.

Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II, born on 2nd November 1860, was a con artist and gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado, Creede, Colorado, and Skagway, Alaska, from 1879 to 1898.

One of his more widely known cons was the The Prize Package Soap Sell Swindle.

Smith would open his "tripe and keister" (display case on a tripod) on a busy street corner. Piling ordinary soap cakes onto the keister top, attracting a crowd. He would then pull out his wallet and begin wrapping paper money ranging from one dollar up to one hundred dollars, around a select few of the bars and then finished each bar by wrapping plain paper around it to hide the money. He mixed the money-wrapped packages in with wrapped bars containing no money. He then sold the soap to the crowd for one dollar a cake. A shill planted in the crowd would buy a bar, tear it open, and loudly proclaim that he had won some money, waving it around for all to see. This performance had the desired effect of enticing the sale of the packages. More often than not, victims bought several bars before the sale was completed. Midway through the sale, Smith would announce that the hundred-dollar bill yet remained in the pile, unpurchased. He then would auction off the remaining soap bars to the highest bidders.

Through manipulation and sleight-of-hand, the cakes of soap wrapped with money were hidden and replaced with packages holding no cash. It was assured that the only money "won" went to members of what became known as the "Soap Gang."




From this and other notable cons, he eventually built 3 major criminal empires in Denver, Colorado (1886-1895), Creede, Colorado (1892), and in Skagway, Alaska (1897-1898).

On 7th July 1898, John Douglas Stewart, a miner, came to Skagway with a sack of gold valued at $2,700. 3 of the Soap Gang members convinced the miner to play game of three-card monte, which he consequently lost. When Stewart refused to pay his losses, the men grabbed the sack and ran.

On the evening of 8th July 1898, the vigilantes organized a meeting on the Juneau Company wharf. With a Winchester rifle draped over his shoulder, Soapy began an argument with Frank Reid, one of four guards blocking his way to the wharf. A gunfight began and both Soapy Smith and Frank Reid were fatally wounded. Soapy's last words were "My God, don't shoot!".

Soapy Smith was buried several yards outside the Skagway city cemetery. Every year, wakes are held around the United States in Soapy's honor.



Also on this day, Marty Feldman, english comedian, actor and writer, was born in 1934.

[shackleton's man]

On this day in history a number of years ago (but not too many!) a budding scientist was born.
Can you guess who?

[Dave iLT]

On this day in history a number of years ago (but not too many!) a budding scientist was born.
Can you guess who?

Easy. Its Bertram N. Brockhouse.

Bertram shares his birthday with Ian Curtis.

Happy birthday Bertram!

[PaperChampion]

Is this the kind of thread where I could go on WIkipedia and just take something from the front page?