This Day in History

Llave · Sep 7, 2011

This Day in History- September 7th

It's September 7th folks, and i must say today is very interesting so take a look!

Lead Story:
Sep 7, 1813: United States nicknamed Uncle Sam

On this day in 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with "U.S." for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as "Uncle Sam's." The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government.
In the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam. Nast continued to evolve the image, eventually giving Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit that are associated with the character today. The German-born Nast was also credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as well as coming up with the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party and the elephant as a symbol for the Republicans. Nast also famously lampooned the corruption of New York City's Tammany Hall in his editorial cartoons and was, in part, responsible for the downfall of Tammany leader William Tweed.
Perhaps the most famous image of Uncle Sam was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). In Flagg's version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the words "I Want You For The U.S. Army" was used as a recruiting poster. The image, which became immensely popular, was first used on the cover of Leslie's Weekly in July 1916 with the title "What Are You Doing for Preparedness?" The poster was widely distributed and has subsequently been re-used numerous times with different captions.
In September 1961, the U.S. Congress recognized Samuel Wilson as "the progenitor of America's national symbol of Uncle Sam." Wilson died at age 88 in 1854, and was buried next to his wife Betsey Mann in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy, New York, the town that calls itself "The Home of Uncle Sam." (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
World's first submarine attack, 1776

Automotive
Electric car wins the first auto race in the United States, 1896

Civil War
Atlanta is evacuated, 1864

Cold War
United Nations defeats Soviet motion, 1950

Crime
Tupac Shakur is shot, 1996

Disaster
Flash flood hits San Antonio, 1921

General Interest
Panama to control canal, 1977
Tutu becomes archbishop, 1986

Hollywood
Julie Kavner, voice of Marge Simpson, is born, 1950

Literary
Guillaume Apollinaire is arrested for stealing the Mona Lisa, 1911

Music
Buddy Holly is born, 1936

Old West
Minnesotans nearly wipeout the James-Younger Gang, 1876

Presidential
Carter agrees to transfer Panama Canal to Panama, 1977

Sports
Maureen Connolly wins U.S. Open, 1953

Vietnam War
Marines launch Operation Piranha, 1965
McNamara Line announced, 1967

World War I
British commander Sir John French issues first dispatch , 1914

World War II
The Blitz begins, 1940

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

Amaury · Sep 7, 2011

Ah, the good old era of the nicknames.

I've always wondered where it got its nickname of Uncle Sam, and now I know.

Also, what's this about a Panama transfer?

Llave · Sep 7, 2011

This Day in History- September 8th

Amaury said: ↑

Ah, the good old era of the nicknames.

I've always wondered where it got its nickname of Uncle Sam, and now I know.

Also, what's this about a Panama transfer?
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That was when the Government of Panama wanted the right to control the Panama Canal. Since it's creation, it had always been controlled by the United States.

Hello folks, 'tis September 8th. So enjoy today!

Lead Story:
Sep 8, 1974: Ford pardons Nixon

In a controversial executive action, President Gerald Ford pardons his disgraced predecessor Richard Nixon for any crimes he may have committed or participated in while in office. Ford later defended this action before the House Judiciary Committee, explaining that he wanted to end the national divisions created by the Watergate scandal.

The Watergate scandal erupted after it was revealed that Nixon and his aides had engaged in illegal activities during his reelection campaign--and then attempted to cover up evidence of wrongdoing. With impeachment proceedings underway against him in Congress, Nixon bowed to public pressure and became the first American president to resign. At noon on August 9, Nixon officially ended his term, departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States in the East Room of the White House. After taking the oath of office, President Ford spoke to the nation in a television address, declaring, "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over."

Ford, the first president who came to the office through appointment rather than election, had replaced Spiro Agnew as vice president only eight months before. In a political scandal independent of the Nixon administration's wrongdoings in the Watergate affair, Agnew had been forced to resign in disgrace after he was charged with income tax evasion and political corruption. Exactly one month after Nixon announced his resignation, Ford issued the former president a "full, free and absolute" pardon for any crimes he committed while in office. The pardon was widely condemned at the time.

Decades later, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented its 2001 Profile in Courage Award to Gerald Ford for his 1974 pardon of Nixon. In pardoning Nixon, said the foundation, Ford placed his love of country ahead of his own political future and brought needed closure to the divisive Watergate affair. Ford left politics after losing the 1976 presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter. Ford died on December 26, 2006, at the age of 93. (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
Bloody battle begins at Eutaw Springs, South Carolina, 1781

Automotive
Nissan's first European factory opens, 1986

Civil War
Rebels thwart Yankees at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass, 1863

Cold War
American troops arrive in Korea to partition the country, 1945

Crime
Huey Long is shot, 1935

Disaster
Deadly hurricane batters Texas, 1900

General Interest
New Amsterdam becomes New York, 1664
Deadly hurricane destroys Galveston, 1900
Siege of Leningrad begins, 1941

Hollywood
Oprah goes national, 1986

Literary
Ann Beattie is born, 1947

Music
RIAA begins suing individual sharers of copyrighted mp3 files, 2003

Old West
The Pacific Fur Company's first ship leaves for Oregon, 1810

Presidential
President Ford pardons former President Nixon, 1974

Sports
McGwire passes Maris, 1998

Vietnam War
SEATO established, 1954
ARVN general killed, 1968

World War I
German airship hits central London , 1915

World War II
Italian surrender is announced, 1943

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

Amaury · Sep 9, 2011

More war stuff, of course.

However, out of the wars for Sep. 8th, I find the Bloody Battle War to be the more interesting one.
I do hope, though, that it wasn't named that because of a lot of casualties. =/

If not, where did the name come from?

Llave · Sep 9, 2011

This Day in History- Septemper 9th

Amaury said: ↑

More war stuff, of course.

However, out of the wars for Sep. 8th, I find the Bloody Battle War to be the more interesting one.
I do hope, though, that it wasn't bamed that because of a lot of casualties. =/

If not, where did the name come from?
Click to expand...

Well this is what link to the article said about it:

The Battle of Eutaw Springs was one of the hardest fought and bloodiest battles of the Revolution and proved to be the last major engagement of the war to take place in the South. The Patriots' partial victory cemented their near-complete control of the southern section of the country.
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September 9th, i do hope you enjoy today! Feel free to comment as you see fit!

Lead Story:
Sep 9, 1893: President's child born in White House

Frances Folsom Cleveland, the wife of President Grover Cleveland, gives birth to a daughter, Esther, in the White House.

On June 2, 1886, in an intimate ceremony held in the Blue Room of the White House, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom, the daughter of Cleveland's late law partner and friend, Oscar Folsom. Fewer than 40 people were present to witness the 49-year-old president exchange vows with Frances, who at 21 years of age became the youngest first lady in U.S. history.

As a devoted family friend, Cleveland allegedly bought "Frank" her first baby carriage. After her father's death, he administered her estate. When Frances entered Wells College, Cleveland, then the governor of New York, asked Mrs. Folsom's permission to correspond with the young lady. After his inauguration as president in 1885, Frances visited Cleveland at the executive mansion. Despite a 27-year difference in age, their affection turned to romance, and in 1886 the couple were married in the White House.

Mrs. Cleveland, who replaced Cleveland's sister Rose Elizabeth as White House hostess, won immediate popularity for her good looks and unaffected charm. After the president's defeat in his 1888 reelection bid, the Clevelands lived in New York City, where their first child, Ruth, was born in 1891. In 1892, in an event unprecedented in U.S. political history, the out-of-office Cleveland was elected president again. Frances Cleveland returned to Washington and resumed her duties as first lady as if she had been gone but a day. On September 9, 1893, the first family saw the addition of a second child. Esther was the first child of a president to be born in the White House but not the first child ever to be born there. In 1806, James Madison Randolph was born to Martha Randolph, the daughter of President Thomas Jefferson.

When Grover Cleveland left the presidency in 1897, his wife had become one of the most popular first ladies in history. In 1908, she was at his side when he died at their home in Princeton, New Jersey. Five years later, she married Thomas J. Preston, Jr., a professor of archeology at Princeton University. (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
Congress renames the nation "United States of America", 1776

Automotive
President Johnson signs the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 1966

Civil War
Yankees capture Chattanooga, 1863

Cold War
Mao Zedong Dies, 1976

Crime
The Boston police department goes on strike, 1919

Disaster
Powerful earthquake rocks Algeria, 1954

General Interest
Riot at Attica prison, 1971
Chairman Mao dies, 1976

Hollywood
Audiences are treated to surprise preview of Gone with the Wind, 1939

Literary
Alice B. Toklas moves in permanently with Gertrude Stein, 1910

Old West
California becomes the 31st state in record time, 1850

Presidential
Cleveland baby born in White House, 1893

Sports
Sandy Koufax pitches perfect game, 1965

Vietnam War
Hackney receives Medal of Honor, 1967
Ho Chi Minh buried in Hanoi, 1969
DeBellevue becomes leading American Ace, 1972

World War I
U.S. Secretary of State Lansing demands recall of Austro-Hungarian ambassador, 1914

World War II
Japanese bomb U.S. mainland, 1942
Allies land at Salerno and Taranto, 1943

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

Amaury · Sep 9, 2011

Oddly enough, it's always nice to hear of a newborn baby.

What I do find interesting, though, and am curious about, is that they switched hostesses.

The end also interested me, especially because a woman made history.

Amaury · Sep 10, 2011

All right, guys! Here's the history of 9/10!

History.com said:

On this day in 1897, a 25-year-old London taxi driver named George Smith becomes the first person ever arrested for drunk driving after slamming his cab into a building. Smith later pled guilty and was fined 25 shillings.

In the United States, the first laws against operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol went into effect in New York in 1910. In 1936, Dr. Rolla Harger, a professor of biochemistry and toxicology, patented the Drunkometer, a balloon-like device into which people would breathe to determine whether they were inebriated. In 1953, Robert Borkenstein, a former Indiana state police captain and university professor who had collaborated with Harger on the Drunkometer, invented the Breathalyzer. Easier-to-use and more accurate than the Drunkometer, the Breathalyzer was the first practical device and scientific test available to police officers to establish whether someone had too much to drink. A person would blow into the Breathalyzer and it would gauge the proportion of alcohol vapors in the exhaled breath, which reflected the level of alcohol in the blood.

Despite the invention of the Breathalyzer and other developments, it was not until the late 1970s and early 1980s that public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving increased and lawmakers and police officers began to get tougher on offenders. In 1980, a Californian named Candy Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, after her 13-year-old daughter Cari was killed by a drunk driver while walking home from a school carnival. The driver had three previous drunk-driving convictions and was out on bail from a hit-and-run arrest two days earlier. Lightner and MADD were instrumental in helping to change attitudes about drunk driving and pushed for legislation that increased the penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. MADD also helped get the minimum drinking age raised in many states. Today, the legal drinking age is 21 everywhere in the United States and convicted drunk drivers face everything from jail time and fines to the loss of their driver's licenses and increased car insurance rates. Some drunk drivers are ordered to have ignition interlock devices installed in their vehicles. These devices require a driver to breath into a sensor attached to the dashboard; the car won't start if the driver's blood alcohol concentration is above a certain limit.

Despite the stiff penalties and public awareness campaigns, drunk driving remains a serious problem in the United States. In 2005, 16,885 people died in alcohol-related crashes and almost 1.4 million people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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Other Stories:

American Revolution

Nathan Hale volunteers to spy behind British lines, 1776

Automotive

Londoner George Smith gets caught driving drunk, 1897

Civil War

North and South fight indecisive battle at Carnifex Ferry, 1861

Cold War

Hungary allows East Germans refugees to leave, 1989

Crime

Crime boss Salvatore Maranazano is murdered, 1931

Serial-killing couple meets, 1977

Disaster

Jets collide over Zagreb, 1976

General Interest

Smith to lead Jamestown, 1608

The Battle of Lake Erie, 1813

The guillotine falls silent, 1977

Guernica returned to Spain, 1981

Hollywood

Halle Berry wins Emmy for Dandridge, 2000

Literary

Stephen Jay Gould is born, 1941

Music

Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is released as a single, 1991

Old West

Tensions grow in Tombstone, Arizona, after a stage coach robbery, 1881

Presidential

Andrew Jackson shuts down Second Bank of the U.S., 1833

Sports

Rod Laver wins Grand Slam, 1962

Vietnam War

President Kennedy gets mixed signals, 1963

President Johnson sends signal to both North and South Vietnamese, 1964

World War I

New York City parade honors World War I veterans, 1919

World War II

British War Cabinet reacts to the Blitz in kind, 1940

Amaury · Sep 12, 2011

I guess I get to get it again.

Anyway, as you all you know, today is September 11th, and we all know what happened on this very day 10 years ago (2001). =/

History.com said:

At 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors. As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767--United Airlines Flight 175--appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center, and sliced into the south tower at about the 60th floor. The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and the streets below. America was under attack.

The attackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly financed by Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist organization, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for America's support of Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War, and its continued military presence in the Middle East. Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American commercial flight schools. Others had slipped into the U.S. in the months before September 11 and acted as the "muscle" in the operation. The 19 terrorists easily smuggled box-cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports and boarded four flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the terrorists commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming the ordinary commuter jets into guided missiles.

As millions watched in horror the events unfolding in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington and slammed into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m. Jet fuel from the Boeing 757 caused a devastating inferno that led to a structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete building. All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon along with all 64 people aboard the airliner.

Less than 15 minutes after the terrorists struck the nerve center of the U.S. military, the horror in New York took a catastrophic turn for the worse when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke. The structural steel of the skyscraper, built to withstand winds in excess of 200 mph and a large conventional fire, could not withstand the tremendous heat generated by the burning jet fuel. At 10:30 a.m., the other Trade Center tower collapsed. Close to 3,000 people died in the World Trade Center and its vicinity, including a staggering 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers, and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors. Only six people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of their collapse survived. Almost 10,000 other people were treated for injuries, many severe.

Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane--United Flight 93--was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark International Airport in New Jersey. Because the plane had been delayed in taking off, passengers on board learned of events in New York and Washington via cell phone and Airfone calls to the ground. Knowing that the aircraft was not returning to an airport as the hijackers claimed, a group of passengers and flight attendants planned an insurrection. One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett, Jr., told his wife over the phone that "I know we're all going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey." Another passenger--Todd Beamer--was heard saying "Are you guys ready? Let's roll" over an open line. Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and explained that she had slipped into a galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water. Her last words to him were "Everyone's running to first class. I've got to go. Bye."

The passengers fought the four hijackers and are suspected to have attacked the cockpit with a fire extinguisher. The plane then flipped over and sped toward the ground at upwards of 500 miles per hour, crashing in a rural field in western Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m. All 45 people aboard were killed. Its intended target is not known, but theories include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, or one of several nuclear power plants along the eastern seaboard.

At 7 p.m., President George W. Bush, who had spent the day being shuttled around the country because of security concerns, returned to the White House. At 9 p.m., he delivered a televised address from the Oval Office, declaring "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve." In a reference to the eventual U.S. military response he declared: "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden's terrorist network based there, began on October 7, 2001. Bin Laden was killed during a raid of his compound in Pakistan by U.S. forces on May 2, 2011.
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Other Stories:

American Revolution

The Battle of Brandywine begins, 1777

Automotive

Emily Post's By Motor to the Fair appears in Collier's, 1915

Civil War

Rebels begin Cheat Mountain campaign, 1861

Cold War

Nikita Khrushchev dies, 1971

Crime

Silent-film star arrested for murder, 1921

Disaster

Commuter plane crashes, 1991

General Interest

America victorious on Lake Champlain, 1814

The Christiana Riot, 1851

Allende dies in coup, 1973

Hollywood

Fatal Attraction premieres, 1987

Literary

Flowering Judas, by Katherine Anne Porter, is published, 1930

Music

Donny Osmond has the #1 hit on the U.S. pop charts with "Go Away Little Girl", 1971

Old West

Mormons and Paiutes murder 120 emigrants at Mountain Meadows, 1857

Presidential

Bush learns of attack on World Trade Center, 2001

Sports

Pete Rose hits into the record books, 1985

Vietnam War

1st Cavalry Division arrives in country, 1965

Heavy fighting rages in Tay Ninh, 1968

World War I

Zimmerwald Conference issues a call for immediate peace, 1915

World War II

Hitler focuses East, sends troops to Romania, 1940

All right, guys! Here's the history for September 12th!
Interestingly enough, the lead story isn't that long.

History.com said:

Near Montignac, France, a collection of prehistoric cave paintings are discovered by four teenagers who stumbled upon the ancient artwork after following their dog down a narrow entrance into a cavern. The 15,000- to 17,000-year-old paintings, consisting mostly of animal representations, are among the finest examples of art from the Upper Paleolithic period.

First studied by the French archaeologist Henri-Ã‰douard-Prosper Breuil, the Lascaux grotto consists of a main cavern 66 feet wide and 16 feet high. The walls of the cavern are decorated with some 600 painted and drawn animals and symbols and nearly 1,500 engravings. The pictures depict in excellent detail numerous types of animals, including horses, red deer, stags, bovines, felines, and what appear to be mythical creatures. There is only one human figure depicted in the cave: a bird-headed man with an erect phallus. Archaeologists believe that the cave was used over a long period of time as a center for hunting and religious rites.

The Lascaux grotto was opened to the public in 1948 but was closed in 1963 because artificial lights had faded the vivid colors of the paintings and caused algae to grow over some of them. A replica of the Lascaux cave was opened nearby in 1983 and receives tens of thousands of visitors annually.
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Other Stories:

American Revolution

Congress receives news of defeat at Brandywine, 1777

Automotive

New floating bridge opens in Seattle; I-90 stretches from coast to coast, 1993

Civil War

The First Battle of Lexington, Missouri, begins, 1861

Cold War

German occupation rights are relinquished, 1990

Crime

Tyco execs indicted, 2002

Disaster

Hurricane Gilbert slams Jamaica, 1988

General Interest

Khrushchev elected Soviet leader, 1953

JFK marries Jacqueline Bouvier, 1953

Violence in Boston over racial busing, 1974

Steven Biko dies, 1977

Hollywood

Season One of Entourage--a TV show about life in Hollywood--comes to an end, 2004

Literary

Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning elope, 1846

Music

Barry White is born, 1944

Old West

Hopalong Cassidy rides off into his last sunset, 1972

Presidential

John F. Kennedy marries Jacqueline Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island, 1953

Sports

Sugar Ray Robinson wins back belt, 1951

Vietnam War

Situation deteriorates in South Vietnam, 1959

U.S. intelligence agencies report 100,000 troops in the South, 1972

World War I

U.S. launches Saint-Mihiel offensive , 1918

World War II

The Laconia is sunk, 1942

Amaury · Sep 13, 2011

Here's the history for 9/13, guys!

The lead story: Star-Spangled Banner

History.com said:

On this day in 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a poem which is later set to music and in 1931 becomes America's national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." The poem, originally titled "The Defence of Fort McHenry," was written after Key witnessed the Maryland fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the "Star-Spangled Banner": "And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."

Francis Scott Key was born on August 1, 1779, at Terra Rubra, his family's estate in Frederick County (now Carroll County), Maryland. He became a successful lawyer in Maryland and Washington, D.C., and was later appointed U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.
On June 18, 1812, America declared war on Great Britain after a series of trade disagreements. In August 1814, British troops invaded Washington, D.C., and burned the White House, Capitol Building and Library of Congress. Their next target was Baltimore.

After one of Key's friends, Dr. William Beanes, was taken prisoner by the British, Key went to Baltimore, located the ship where Beanes was being held and negotiated his release. However, Key and Beanes weren't allowed to leave until after the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Key watched the bombing campaign unfold from aboard a ship located about eight miles away. After a day, the British were unable to destroy the fort and gave up. Key was relieved to see the American flag still flying over Fort McHenry and quickly penned a few lines in tribute to what he had witnessed.

The poem was printed in newspapers and eventually set to the music of a popular English drinking tune called "To Anacreon in Heaven" by composer John Stafford Smith. People began referring to the song as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and in 1916 President Woodrow Wilson announced that it should be played at all official events. It was adopted as the national anthem on March 3, 1931.
Francis Scott Key died of pleurisy on January 11, 1843. Today, the flag that flew over Fort McHenry in 1914 is housed at the Smithsonian Institutionâ€™s Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
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Other Stories:

American Revolution

American sympathizer Charles James Fox dies in Britain, 1806

Automotive

Oprah gives away nearly 300 new cars, 2004

Civil War

Union troops discover Rebels' Antietam battle plan, 1862

Cold War

New book says war with Russia is greatest U.S. threat, 1976

Crime

Attica prison riot ends, 1971

Disaster

Devastating storm heads toward Caribbean, 1989

General Interest

Britain victorious on the Plains of Abraham, 1759

Massacre at Attica Prison, 1971

Israel-Palestine peace accord signed, 1993

George Wallace dies, 1998

Hollywood

Law & Order debuts, 1990

Literary

Children's author Roald Dahl is born, 1916

Music

Tupac Shakur dies, 1996

Old West

General Winfield Scott storms the Chapultepec fortress, 1847

Presidential

President Carter attends Willie Nelson concert at White House, 1980

Sports

Bob Feller strikes out 17 at 17, 1936

Vietnam War

British troops arrive to disarm the Japanese, 1945

Attempted coup against Khanh government fails, 1964

Large operation begins in the DMZ, 1968

World War I

Irish nationalist seeks German support, 1914

World War II

Italy invades Egypt, 1940

The Graceful Assassin · Sep 13, 2011

Huh. Sadly, I was unaware of this. Thanks for the update, Amaury.

Llave · Sep 14, 2011

This Day in History- September 14th

Sorry for not being on top of things guys, I have been busy the last couple of days. Anyway, enough about me, here's this day in history: September 14th

Lead Story:
Sep 14, 1901: McKinley dies of infection from gunshot wounds

On this day in 1901, U.S. President William McKinley dies after being shot by a deranged anarchist during the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York.

McKinley won his first Congressional seat at the age of 34 and spent 14 years in the House, becoming known as the leading Republican expert on tariffs. After losing his seat in 1890, McKinley served two terms as governor of Ohio. By 1896, he had emerged as the leading Republican candidate for president, aided by the support of the wealthy Ohio industrialist Mark Hanna. That fall, McKinley defeated his Democratic rival, William Jennings Bryan, by the largest popular margin since the Civil War.

As president, McKinley became known--controversially--as a protector of big businesses, which enjoyed unprecedented growth during his administration. He advocated the protective tariff as a way of shielding U.S. business and labor from foreign competition, and he successfully argued for using the gold standard of currency.

Above all, however, McKinley's presidency was dominated by his foreign policy. In April 1898, he was pushed by Congress and American public opinion to intervene in Cuba's struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule. In the first American war against a foreign power since 1812, the United States handily defeated Spain in just three months, freeing Cuba--although the island became a U.S. protectorate--and annexing Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. For the first time, the United States had become a colonialist power.

America's growing interests in the Pacific led McKinley's administration to greatly increase its involvement in Asian politics. In 1900, McKinley sent thousands of U.S. troops to China to help put down the Boxer Rebellion, aimed at driving out foreigners. His aggressive "Open Door" policy declared U.S. support for an independent China and argued that all nations with commercial interests in China should be able to compete on equal footing.

The popular McKinley won a second term by even greater margins over Bryan, who attacked him on his "imperialism" in the Pacific and, domestically, on the growth of illegal monopolies, or trusts. There was little time to see what his second term would bring, however. On September 6, 1901, while standing in a receiving line at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, McKinley was approached by Leon Czolgosz, a Polish-American anarchist carrying a concealed .32 revolver in a handkerchief. Drawing his weapon, Czolgosz shot McKinley twice at close range. One bullet deflected off a suit button, but the other entered his stomach, passed through the kidneys, and lodged in his back. When he was operated on, doctors failed to find the bullet, and gangrene soon spread throughout his body. McKinley died eight days later. Czolgosz was convicted of murder and executed soon after the shooting. (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
Brodhead completes Allegheny River expedition, 1779

Automotive
Dancer Isadora Duncan is killed in car accident, 1927

Civil War
North and South clash at the Battle of South Mountain, 1862

Cold War
Soviet probe reaches the moon, 1959

Crime
A song about crime hits the charts, 1974

Disaster
Millions flee from Hurricane Floyd, 1999

General Interest
Napoleon enters Moscow, 1812
Scott captures Mexico City, 1847
American canonized as saint, 1975

Hollywood
Hollywood star and real-life princess Grace Kelly dies, 1982

Literary
Make Way for Ducklings author Robert McCloskey is born, 1914
Steinbeck wins the Medal of Freedom, 1964

Music
Little Richard records "Tutti Frutti", 1955

Old West
An adoptive westerner becomes president of the United States, 1901

Presidential
President William McKinley dies from gunshot wounds, 1901

Sports
Denny McLain becomes a 30-game winner, 1968

Vietnam War
South Vietnamese forces and U.S. advisers conduct parachute assault, 1965
Operation Attleboro is launched in War Zone C, 1966

World War I
Seventh Battle of the Isonzo , 1916

World War II
Americans launch Operation Stalemateâ€”at extraordinary cost, 1944

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

Amaury · Sep 14, 2011

I always knew that gunshots, obviously, hurt, but I never would guess that they could cause an infection, but I guess it can happen.

On top of that, it happened to a president of all things, which, of course, is always sad.

Llave · Sep 15, 2011

This Day in History- September15th

Well today is my younger sister's birthday, so happy birthday! (Even though she isn't on these forums) Anyway, on to what happened on September 15th!

Lead Story:
Sep 15, 1978: Ali defeats Spinks to win world heavyweight championship

On this day in 1978, boxer Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to win the world heavyweight boxing title for the third time in his career, the first fighter ever to do so. Following his victory, Ali retired from boxing, only to make a brief comeback two years later. Ali, who once claimed he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," left the sport permanently in 1981.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 14, 1942, the future world champ changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 after converting to Islam. He earned a gold medal at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome and made his professional boxing debut against Tunney Husaker in October 1960, winning the bout in six rounds. On February 25, 1964, Ali defeated the heavily favored Sonny Liston in six rounds to become heavyweight champ, after which he famously declared, "I am the greatest!"

During the Vietnam War, Ali refused to be inducted into the U.S. armed forces and in 1967 was convicted of draft evasion and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed and returned to the ring in October 1970, knocking out Jerry Quarry in Atlanta in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali fought Joe Frazier in the "Fight of the Century" and lost after 15 rounds, the first loss of his professional boxing career. In June 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ali's conviction for evading the draft.

At a January 1974 rematch at New York City's Madison Square Garden, Ali defeated Frazier in 12 rounds. In October of that same year, an underdog Ali bested George Foreman and reclaimed his heavyweight champion belt at the heavily hyped "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire, with a knockout in the eighth round. On February 15, 1978, in Las Vegas, an aging Ali lost the title to Leon Spinks in a 15-round split decision. For Spinks, who was born in 1953 and won a gold medal in boxing at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the fight was just the eighth of his professional career. However, seven months later, on September 15, Ali won the title back, in a unanimous 15-round decision.

In June 1979, Ali announced he was retiring from boxing. On October 2, 1980, he returned to the ring and fought heavyweight champ Larry Holmes, who knocked him out in the 11th round. After losing to Trevor Berbick on December 11, 1981, Ali left the ring for the last time, with a record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts. In 1984, he was revealed to have Parkinson's disease. Spinks retired from boxing in 1995 with a record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 14 knockouts. (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
French capture British ships, 1779

Automotive
The Italian Job is released in Sweden, 1969

Civil War
Confederates capture Harpers Ferry, 1862

Cold War
Khrushchev arrives in Washington, 1959

Crime
A Bible school instructor abducts a teenage girl, 1990

Disaster
Train plunges off bridge, 1958

General Interest
Tanks introduced into warfare at the Somme, 1916
Tide turns in the Battle of Britain, 1940
U.S. forces land at Inchon, 1950
Four black schoolgirls killed in Birmingham, 1963

Hollywood
Famous Marilyn Monroe â€œskirtâ€ scene filmed, 1954

Literary
Agatha Christie is born, 1890

Music
The Four Seasons earn their first #1 hit with "Sherry", 1962

Old West
The first transcontinental mail service to San Francisco begins, 1858

Presidential
James Madison marries Dolley Payne Todd, 1794
Future President William Taft born, 1857

Sports
Athletics clinch pennant, 1931

Vietnam War
NLF calls for general military offensive, 1964
South Vietnamese forces retake Quang Tri City, 1972

World War I
First trenches are dug on the Western Front , 1914

World War II
Nuremberg race laws imposed, 1935

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

Amaury · Sep 15, 2011

It's always nice to hear when bad guys get arrested.

On top of that, it's always nice to hear music that gets recognized.

Llave · Sep 16, 2011

This Day in History- September 16th

Well September 16th, here we go!

Lead Story:
Sep 16, 1932: Gandhi begins fast in protest of caste separation

On this day in 1932, in his cell at Yerovda Jail near Bombay, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi begins a hunger strike in protest of the British government's decision to separate India's electoral system by caste.

A leader in the Indian campaign for home rule, Gandhi worked all his life to spread his own brand of passive resistance across India and the world. By 1920, his concept of Satyagraha (or "insistence upon truth") had made Gandhi an enormously influential figure for millions of followers. Jailed by the British government from 1922-24, he withdrew from political action for a time during the 1920s but in 1930 returned with a new civil disobedience campaign. This landed Gandhi in prison again, but only briefly, as the British made concessions to his demands and invited him to represent the Indian National Congress Party at a round-table conference in London.

After his return to India in January 1932, Gandhi wasted no time beginning another civil disobedience campaign, for which he was jailed yet again. Eight months later, Gandhi announced he was beginning a "fast unto death" in order to protest British support of a new Indian constitution, which gave the country's lowest classes--known as "untouchables"--their own separate political representation for a period of 70 years. Gandhi believed this would permanently and unfairly divide India's social classes. A member of the more powerful Vaisya, or merchant caste, Gandhi nonetheless advocated the emancipation of the untouchables, whom he called Harijans, or "Children of God."

"This is a god-given opportunity that has come to me," Gandhi said from his prison cell at Yerovda, "to offer my life as a final sacrifice to the downtrodden." Though other public figures in India--including Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambdekar, the official political representative of the untouchables--had questioned Gandhi's true commitment to the lower classes, his six-day fast ended after the British government accepted the principal terms of a settlement between higher caste Indians and the untouchables that reversed the separation decision.

As India slowly moved towards independence, Gandhi's influence only grew. He continued to resort to the hunger strike as a method of resistance, knowing the British government would not be able to withstand the pressure of the public's concern for the man they called Mahatma, or "Great Soul." On January 12, 1948, Gandhi undertook his last successful fast in New Delhi, to persuade Hindus and Muslims in that city to work toward peace. On January 30, less than two weeks after breaking that fast, he was assassinated by a Hindu extremist on his way to an evening prayer meeting. (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
Battle of Harlem Heights restores American confidence, 1776

Automotive
William Durant creates General Motors, 1908

Civil War
Confederate General Custis Lee is born, 1832

Cold War
United Nations essay contest angers Soviets, 1950

Crime
Murder in Illinois, 1845

Disaster
Killer quake shakes Iran, 1978

General Interest
Mayflower departs England, 1620
Mexican War of Independence begins, 1810
Maria Callas dies, 1977
Massacres at Sabra and Shatila, 1982

Hollywood
Frasier debuts, 1993

Literary
James Alan McPherson is born, 1943

Music
Opera star Maria Callas dies, 1977

Old West
Settlers race to claim land, 1893

Presidential
Franklin Roosevelt approves military draft, 1940

Sports
Leonard knocks out Hearns to unify middleweight title, 1981

Vietnam War
U.S. Ambassador in Saigon warns that situation is worsening, 1960
Nixon announces the withdrawal of a further 35,000 troops from Vietnam, 1969

World War I
Hindenburg gives order to strengthen German defenses , 1916

World War II
United States imposes the draft, 1940

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

Amaury · Sep 16, 2011

It's always nice to see when protests are made -- unless, of course, they head in the wrong direction.

Another story that interested me was the murder in Illinois, because it's always sad when a murder occurs.

Llave · Sep 17, 2011

This Day in History- September 17th

Another day, another story.

Lead Story:
Sep 17, 1862:Battle of Antietam

Beginning early on the morning of this day in 1862, Confederate and Union troops in the Civil War clash near Maryland's Antietam Creek in the bloodiest one-day battle in American history.

The Battle of Antietam marked the culmination of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern states. Guiding his Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River in early September 1862, the great general daringly divided his men, sending half of them, under the command of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, to capture the Union garrison at Harper's Ferry.

President Abraham Lincoln put Major General George B. McClellan in charge of the Union troops responsible for defending Washington, D.C., against Lee's invasion. McClellan's Army of the Potomac clashed first with Lee's men on September 14, with the Confederates forced to retreat after being blocked at the passes of South Mountain. Though Lee considered turning back toward Virginia, news of Jackson's capture of Harper's Ferry reached him on September 15. That victory convinced him to stay and make a stand near Sharpsburg, Maryland.

Over the course of September 15 and 16, the Confederate and Union armies gathered on opposite sides of Antietam Creek. On the Confederate side, Jackson commanded the left flank with General James Longstreet at the head of the center and right. McClellan's strategy was to attack the enemy left, then the right, and finally, when either of those movements met with success, to move forward in the center.

When fighting began in the foggy dawn hours of September 17, this strategy broke down into a series of uncoordinated advances by Union soldiers under the command of Generals Joseph Hooker, Joseph Mansfield and Edwin Sumner. As savage and bloody combat continued for eight hours across the region, the Confederates were pushed back but not beaten, despite sustaining some 15,000 casualties. At the same time, Union General Ambrose Burnside opened an attack on the Confederate right, capturing the bridge that now bears his name around 1 p.m. Burnside's break to reorganize his men allowed Confederate reinforcements to arrive, turning back the Union advance there as well.

By the time the sun went down, both armies still held their ground, despite staggering combined casualties--nearly 23,000 of the 100,000 soldiers engaged, including almost 4,000 dead. McClellan's center never moved forward, leaving a large number of Union troops that did not participate in the battle. On the morning of September 18, both sides gathered their wounded and buried their dead. That night, Lee turned his forces back to Virginia. His retreat gave President Lincoln the moment he had been waiting for to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, a historic document that turned the Union effort in the Civil War into a fight for the abolition of slavery. (source)
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Also on This Day

AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Indians and Loyalists burn German Flats, New York, 1778

AUTOMOTIVE
Amphibious cars arrive in Frankfurt after sailing across the English Channel, 1965

CIVIL WAR
Rebels and Yankees clash at the Battle of Antietam, 1862

COLD WAR
Louis Armstrong cancels trip to Russia, 1957

CRIME
A California judge sets a record for trying criminal cases, 1884

DISASTER
Fire threatens U.C. Berkeley, 1923

GENERAL INTEREST
U.S. Constitution signed, 1787
Space Shuttle unveiled, 1976
Camp David Accords signed, 1978

HOLLYWOOD
Vanessa Williams becomes first black Miss America, 1983

LITERARY
John Keats leaves for Italy, 1820
Oprah launches influential book club, 1996

MUSIC
The Who spark an explosion on national television, 1967

OLD WEST
Cheyenne and Sioux decimate frontiersmen at Beecher's Island, 1868

PRESIDENTIAL
Washington prepares final draft of farewell address, 1796

SPORTS
Fernandomania!, 1981

VIETNAM WAR
PRG presents a new peace plan, 1970
Hanoi releases three POWs, 1972

WORLD WAR I
Manfred von Richthofen shoots down his first plane , 1916

WORLD WAR II
Soviet Union invades Poland, 1939

source- History.com

Amaury · Sep 17, 2011

Hey, some civil war stuff.

Anyway, that's just sad. Like it says, it was the bloodiest battle in America's history, and that's always sad.

It looks like Abraham was still alive back then. It is, however, unfortunate that he was assassinated sometime later.

Amaury · Sep 18, 2011

History - 9/18

Today is Sunday, September 18, 2011, and it's a great day for history!

Today's lead story is: Capital Cornerstone Is Laid

History.com said:

On this day in 1793, George Washington lays the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of American government. The building would take nearly a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and it was called into use during the Civil War. Today, the Capitol building, with its famous cast-iron dome and important collection of American art, is part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress buildings, all developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

As a young nation, the United States had no permanent capital, and Congress met in eight different cities, including Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia, before 1791. In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which gave President Washington the power to select a permanent home for the federal government. The following year, he chose what would become the District of Columbia from land provided by Maryland. Washington picked three commissioners to oversee the capital city's development and they in turn chose French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant to come up with the design. However, L'Enfant clashed with the commissioners and was fired in 1792. A design competition was then held, with a Scotsman named William Thornton submitting the winning entry for the Capitol building. In September 1793, Washington laid the Capitol's cornerstone and the lengthy construction process, which would involve a line of project managers and architects, got under way.

In 1800, Congress moved into the Capitol's north wing. In 1807, the House of Representatives moved into the building's south wing, which was finished in 1811. During the War of 1812, the British invaded Washington, D.C., and set fire to the Capitol on August 24, 1814. A rainstorm saved the building from total destruction. Congress met in nearby temporary quarters from 1815 to 1819. In the early 1850s, work began to expand the Capitol to accommodate the growing number of Congressmen. In 1861, construction was temporarily halted while the Capitol was used by Union troops as a hospital and barracks. Following the war, expansions and modern upgrades to the building continued into the next century.

Today, the Capitol, which is visited by 3 million to 5 million people each year, has 540 rooms and covers a ground area of about four acres.
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Other Stories from Sep. 18th:

American Revolution

Washington reports to Congress on Battle of Harlem Heights, 1776

Automotive

Canada mall sets parking-lot record, 1981

Civil War

McClellan lets Lee retreat from Antietam, 1862

Cold War

Castro arrives in New York, 1960

Crime

A serial killer is executed, 1959

Disaster

Accidental poisoning in Brazil, 1987

General Interest

Anne Hutchinson arrives in the New World, 1634

Hammarskjold dies in plane crash, 1961

Patty Hearst captured, 1975

Hollywood

Doris Day wins lawsuit, 1974

Literary

Aldous Huxley is hired at Eton, 1917

Music

Bobby Vee earns a #1 hit with "Take Good Care Of My Baby", 1961

Old West

The struggling Donner Party sends ahead to California for food, 1846

Presidential

Carter files report on UFO sighting, 1973

Sports

Clemens strikes out 20, again, 1996

Vietnam War

North Vietnamese Army begins infiltration, 1964

"March Against Death" to be held in Washington, 1969

World War I

Battle of Epehy, 1918

World War II

MacArthur in Tokyo, 1945

Llave · Sep 19, 2011

This Day in History- September 19th

Today is pretty interesting so be sure to take a look and feel free to comment.

Lead Story:
Sep 19, 1957: Nevada is site of first-ever underground nuclear explosion

On this day in 1957, the United States detonates a 1.7 kiloton nuclear weapon in an underground tunnel at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), a 1,375 square mile research center located 65 miles north of Las Vegas. The test, known as Rainier, was the first fully contained underground detonation and produced no radioactive fallout. A modified W-25 warhead weighing 218 pounds and measuring 25.7 inches in diameter and 17.4 inches in length was used for the test. Rainier was part of a series of 29 nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons safety tests known as Operation Plumbbob that were conducted at the NTS between May 28, 1957, and October 7, 1957.

In December 1941, the U.S. government committed to building the world's first nuclear weapon when President Franklin Roosevelt authorized $2 billion in funding for what came to be known as the Manhattan Project. The first nuclear weapon test took place on July 16, 1945, at the Trinity site near Alamogordo, New Mexico. A few weeks later, on August 6, 1945, with the U.S. at war against Japan, President Harry Truman authorized the dropping of an atomic bomb named Little Boy over Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, on August 9, a nuclear bomb called Fat Man was dropped over Nagasaki. Two hundred thousand people, according to some estimates, were killed in the attacks on the two cities and on August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allied Powers.

1957's Operation Plumbbob took place at a time when the U.S. was engaged in a Cold War and nuclear arms race with the Soviet Union. In 1963, the U.S. signed the Limited Test Ban Treaty, which banned nuclear weapons testing in the atmosphere, underwater and outer space. A total of 928 tests took place at the Nevada Test Site between 1951 and 1992, when the U.S. conducted its last underground nuclear test. In 1996, the U.S signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear detonations in all environments. (source)
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Also on This Day

American Revolution
Arnold and Gates argue at First Battle of Saratoga, 1777

Automotive
Death of country-rock pioneer leads inspires car crime, 1973

Civil War
Union forces defeat Rebels at the Battle of Iuka, 1862

Cold War
Khrushchev barred from visiting Disneyland, 1959

Crime
Newspaper publishes Unabomber manifesto, 1995

Disaster
Earthquake shakes Mexico City, 1985

General Interest
President Garfield succumbs to shooting wounds, 1881
New Zealand first in women's vote, 1893
Peron deposed in Argentina, 1955
U.S. forces land in Haiti, 1994
Unabomber manifesto published, 1995

Hollywood
Goodfellas opens, 1990

Literary
Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel debuts, 2000

Music
The U.S. Senate convenes the PMRC hearings on Capitol Hill, 1985

Old West
Jim Bowie stabs a Louisiana banker with his famous knife, 1827

Presidential
President James Garfield dies, 1881

Sports
Louganis wins gold in springboard, 1988

Vietnam War
Pressure mounts against continued U.S. involvement in Vietnam, 1966
Nixon cancels draft calls for November and December, 1969

World War I
British offensive begins in Palestine , 1918

World War II
Germans bombard Leningrad, 1941

source- History.com

There are links in the events. If any of them interest you, feel free to click on it to learn more! Enjoy!

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