Archive for April, 2009

On this day in 1958, Chuck Willis died.

You can find out more about this day in history at Those Were The Days, and InfoPlease.

On this day in 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Court House.

As the South ran out of manpower the issue of arming the slaves became paramount. By late 1864 the army so dominated the Confederacy that civilian leaders were unable to block the military’s proposal, strongly endorsed by Lee, to arm and train slaves in Confederate uniform for combat. In return for this service, slave soldiers and their families would be emancipated. Lee explained, “We should employ them without delay … [along with] gradual and general emancipation.” The first units were in training as the war ended. As the Confederate army was decimated by casualties, disease and desertion, the Union attack on Petersburg succeeded on April 2, 1865. Lee abandoned Richmond and retreated west. His forces were surrounded and he surrendered them to Grant on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Other Confederate armies followed suit and the war ended. The day after his surrender, Lee issued his Farewell Address to his army.

Men laid dead or dying all over the United States, and it was the bloodiest battle our country has ever seen. So put down your personalized water bottles, your latte’s and your bagels and pay attention to whats going on today. You’ll be glad you did.

On this day in 1968, the Beatles received a gold record for “Lady Madonna”.

On this day in 1973, “The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia” hit number one. It was the only hit song from an awesome performer, Vicki Lawrence.

On this day in 1925, Eddie Cantor recorded “If You Knew Susie”.

On this day in 1887, Anne Sullivan made a breakthrough with Helen Keller at the water pump.

On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

At 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968, a shot rang out. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who had been standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN, now lay sprawled on the balcony’s floor. A gaping wound covered a large portion of his jaw and neck. A great man who had spent thirteen years of his life dedicating himself to nonviolent protest had been felled by a sniper’s bullet.

Violence and controversy followed. In outrage of the murder, many blacks took to the streets across the country in a massive wave of riots. The FBI investigated the crime, but many believed them partially of fully responsible for the assassination. A man was arrested, but many people, including some of Martin Luther King Jr.’s own family, believe he was innocent.

On this day in 1922, Doris Day was born.

One of America’s most prolific actresses was born Doris Mary Ann Von Kapplehoff on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her parents divorced while she was still a child and she lived with her mother. Like most little girls, Doris liked to dance. She aspired to become a professional ballerina, but an automobile accident that crushed a leg ended whatever hopes she had of dancing on stage. It was a terrible setback, but after taking singing lessons she found a new vocation, and began singing with local bands.

On this day in 2005, the world lost Pope John Paul II.

the bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic church (1978–2005), the first non-Italian pope in 455 years and the first from a Slavic country. His pontificate of more than 26 years was the third longest in history. As part of his effort to promote greater understanding between nations and between religions, he undertook numerous trips abroad, traveling far greater distances than had all other popes combined, and he extended his influence beyond the church by campaigning against political oppression and criticizing the materialism of the West. He also issued several unprecedented apologies to groups that historically had been wronged by Catholics, most notably Jews and Muslims. His unabashed Polish nationalism and his emphasis on nonviolent political activism aided the Solidarity movement in communist Poland in the 1980s and ultimately contributed to the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Read more at Brittanica Online.

Do you remember when our nation’s leaders did what was right for our country?

Wake up people.