Thursday, March 31, 2011
On this Date in 1889...
...the Eiffel Tower is inaugurated. Apparently the French let anything run for President.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
On this Date in 1842...
...anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by Dr. Crawford Long. To the untrained eye it looked suspiciously like a rubber mallet.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
On this Date in 1982...
...Queen Elizabeth II gave Royal Assent to the Canada Act 1982, which ended all remaining dependence of Canada on the United Kingdom by a process known as "patriation". At which point Canada turned to the United States and said, "See, if you would have just waited a couple hundred years all you would have had to do was ask."
Monday, March 28, 2011
On this Date in 1979...
...a partial core meltdown of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US, resulted in the release of an estimated 43,000 curies (1.59 PBq) of radioactive krypton to the environment. Which explains the sudden nose-dive Superman took when he happened to be flying over that day.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
On this Date in 1958...
...Nikita Khrushchev became Premier of the Soviet Union following the death of Joseph Stalin. Russians everywhere were furious, until they found out that Nikita was, in fact, a man.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
On this Date in 1934...
...the driving test is introduced in the United Kingdom. Thus marking the beginning of the end for all automobile accidents in the United Kingdom.
Friday, March 25, 2011
On this Date in 1655...
...Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is discovered by Christiaan Huygens. His first reaction was, "Wow, thaat thing's big!"
Thursday, March 24, 2011
On this Date in 2003...
...the Arab League votes 21-1 in favor of a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional removal of U.S. and British soldiers from Iraq. Upon hearing the news leaders in both countries were overheard saying,"Those silly arabs, since when did we give them permission to vote on anything?"
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
On this Date in 1905...
...1,500 Cretans, led by Eleftherios Venizelos (pictured), met at the village of Theriso to call for the island's unification with Greece, beginning the Theriso revolt. The nerve of some people.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
On this Date in 1954...
...closed since 1939, the London bullion market reopens. Londoners everywhere rejoice as they are able to make chicken broth once again.
Monday, March 21, 2011
On this Date in 1935...
...Shah Reza Pahlavi formally asks the international community to call Persia by its native name, Iran, which means 'Land of the Aryans.' The irony of this request nearly causes Adolf Hitler's head to asplode.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
On this Date in 1974...
...Ian Ball attempts, but fails, to kidnap Her Royal Highness Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips in The Mall, outside Buckingham Palace, London. We was, reportedly, distracted, briefly, by a sale at The Gap when Mall security apprehended him.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
On this Date in 1687...
...explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men. Of course they were understandably upset considering they went over 300 hundred miles in the wrong direction and Cavelier refused to stop for directions.
Friday, March 18, 2011
On this Date in 1989...
...in Egypt, a 4,400-year-old mummy is found nearby the Pyramid of Cheops. Though some archeologists say she doesn't look a day over 2,800.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
On this Date in 1861...
...the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946) is proclaimed. This is a repeat from 1805. The Italians like to proclaim themselves a kingdom every so often, just in case someone missed it the last time.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
On this Date in 1912...
...Lawrence Oates, an ill member of Scott's South Pole expedition leaves the tent saying, "I am just going outside and may be some time." Which, as they found out later, meant, "I really have to pee" after they discovered the largest yellow stain ever recorded.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
On this Date in 1952...
Monday, March 14, 2011
On this Date in 1647...
...Thirty Years' War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm. Marking the first time in history when a truce was named after a verbal pause.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
On this Date in 1781...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
On this Date in 1622...
...Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier, founders of the Jesuits, were canonized as saints by Pope Gregory XV. There was a period of unexpected tension, initially, until someone explained to them that it was, in fact, a great honor, and they were not going to be actually shot out of a cannon.
Friday, March 11, 2011
On this Date in 1985...
...Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the Soviet Union's leader. Though many people thought it was just another rorschach test.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
On this Date in 1977...
...Rings of Uranus: Astronomers discover rings around Uranus. Funny, I didn't even know they could see into my bathroom.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
On this Date in 1276...
...Augsburg becomes an Imperial Free City. Shortly afterward, the General responsible for this debacle was seen being force-choked by Darth Vader.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
On this Date in 1916...
...World War I: A British force unsuccessfully attempted to relieve the Ottoman siege of Kut (in present-day Iraq) in the Battle of Dujaila. Apparently, they just didn't have to go.
Monday, March 7, 2011
On this Date in 1900...
...the German liner SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send wireless signals to shore. Those on the other end assume they are receiving a communication from "beyond the grave" and promptly burn the receiving station to the ground because of "demonic" activity.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
On this Date in 1945...
...Cologne is captured by American Troops. Mostly because of the pleasant aroma.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
On this Date in 1860...
...Parma, Tuscany, Modena and Romagna vote in referendums to join the Kingdom of Sardinia. Though many found the election results rather fishy, the majority of the population were ok with it.
Friday, March 4, 2011
On this Date in 1918...
...the first known case of the so-called Spanish flu was first observed at Fort Riley, Kansas, US. This strain of the flu was distinctive due to it's ability to quickly conquer a weak or inferior individual, then suddenly peter out due it's inability to effectively manage it.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
On this Date in 1575...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
On this Date in 1807...
...the U.S. Congress passes an act to "prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States... from any foreign kingdom, place, or country." Which worked out extremely well, and helped the country avoid a full blown civil war...or did it?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
On this Date in 1910...
...the worst avalanche in United States history buries a Great Northern Railway train in northeastern King County, Washington, killing 96 people. Of course, had the train not been there at the time it would have been "Just Another Avalanche".
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