Archive for the ‘History’ Category

On this day in 1941, Joseph Stalin became the premier of Russia, but things were a bit tense to say the least. Considering the circumstances, I bet he was hyperventilating, and couldn’t do too well with a spirometer if he tried.

During the early morning of 22 June 1941, Hitler broke the pact by implementing Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of Soviet held territories and the Soviet Union that began the war on the Eastern Front. Although Stalin had received warnings from spies and his generals, he felt that Germany would not attack the Soviet Union until Germany had defeated Britain. In the initial hours after the German attack commenced, Stalin hesitated, wanting to ensure that the German attack was sanctioned by Hitler, rather than the unauthorized action of a rogue general.

Accounts by Nikita Khrushchev and Anastas Mikoyan claim that, after the invasion, Stalin retreated to his dacha in despair for several days and did not participate in leadership decisions. However, some documentary evidence of orders given by Stalin contradicts these accounts, leading some historians to speculate that Kruschev’s account is inaccurate. By the end of 1941, the Soviet military had suffered 4.3 million casualties and German forces had advanced 1,050 miles (1,690 kilometers).

On this day in 1932, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_capone was sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary for tax evasion. He wasn’t even there long enough to work on his lower ab workout.

In 1931 Capone was indicted for income tax evasion and various violations of the Volstead Act. Facing overwhelming evidence, his attorneys made a plea deal, but the presiding judge warned he might not follow the sentencing recommendation from the prosecution, so Capone withdrew his plea of guilty. Attempting to bribe and intimidate the potential jurors, his plan was discovered by Ness’s men. The venire (jury pool) was then switched with one from another case, and Capone was stymied. Following a long trial, he was found guilty on some income tax evasion counts (the Volstead Act violations were dropped). The judge gave him an eleven-year sentence along with heavy fines, and liens were filed against his various properties. His appeal was denied. In May 1932, Capone was sent to Atlanta U.S. Penitentiary, a tough federal prison, but he was able to obtain special privileges. Later, for a short period of time, he was transferred to the Lincoln Heights Jail. He was then transferred to Alcatraz, where tight security and an uncompromising warden ensured that Capone had no contact with the outside world. His isolation from his associates and the repeal of Prohibition in December, 1933, precipitously diminished his power.

Using reconciliation to pass health care. Been there, tried that. Senator Robert K. Byrd made sure it didn’t happen.

That’s how we got the phrase, ‘flippin’ the Byrd’.

On this day in 1945, U.S. Marines raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima.

One of the first objectives after landing on the beachhead was the taking of Mount Suribachi. At the second raising of a flag on the peak, Joe Rosenthal photographed five Marines: Ira Hayes, Mike Strank, Rene Gagnon, Harlon Block, Franklin Sousley, and U.S. Navy corpsman John Bradley raising the U.S. flag on the fourth day of the battle (February 23). The photograph was extremely popular, being reprinted in thousands of publications. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography that same year, and ultimately came to be regarded as one of the most significant and recognizable images of the war, and possibly the most reproduced photograph of all time.

1945, a year when we were worrying about the entire world, and all the dangers within. We were ending World War II, and we had a lot on our plate to worry about. I am not sure if cholesterol treatment was one of those worries, but I imagine doctors have been telling people what not to eat for centuries now.

On this day in 1946, Edith Houghton became the first female scout in the major leagues. In an age where women spend more time thinking about the best weight loss supplement, many women today might not comprehend the contribution Edith made to American culture, let alone baseball.

In the mid-1930s, baseball opportunities for women disappeared with the demise of the Bloomer Girls teams, and Edith turned, reluctantly, to softball, playing for the Roverettes in Madison Square Garden. When World War II broke out, she enlisted in the Navy’s women’s auxiliary, the WAVES, and played on their baseball team as well.

After the war, Edith wrote to Bob Carpenter, owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, asking for a job as a scout. Carpenter looked through her scrapbook and decided to give her a chance, making her the first female scout in the major leagues. Edith scouted for the Phillies for six years before being called up by the Navy during the Korean War.

On this day in 1924, the silent president, Calvin Coolidge spoke via radio to the American people.

I had no idea that he also did this:

On June 2, 1924, Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, which granted full U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans, while permitting them to retain tribal land and cultural rights. However, the act was not clear whether the federal government or the tribal leaders retained tribal sovereignty

Funny how the government always has gray areas when they deal with Native Americans. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Native Americans are some of the bravest. In an age where you can get phentermine no prescription, cheeseburgers that are 1400 calories, and mint chocolate chip ice cream, a nation should be able to retain their sovereignty.

On this day in 1932, sled dog racing hit the Olympics. What did the drivers do to keep in shape back then? What were their women like? I know they didn’t have the kymaro body shaper back then.

A sled dog race was included as a demonstration event at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. 5 contestants from Canada and 7 contestants from the United States competed. The event, run under the rules of the New England Sled Dog Club, ran twice over a 25.1 mile (40.5 km) long course. With six dogs per sled, each sled took off at three minute intervals, and intermediate times were given to the mushers at 4 miles (6.44km), 10.6 miles (17.06 km), and 22.46 miles (36.14km).

If you ask kids these days, they probably have no idea what the 15th amendment is. They don’t hesitate for a moment however to tell you all about a video game on the ps3 without error.

Amendment XV

Section 1.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Section 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

On this day in 1972, Howard Hughes denounced Clifford Irving and sued his publisher for claiming to have written an autobiography about Hughes.

By 1958, Howard Hughes had become a recluse who hated any kind of public scrutiny. Whenever he found out that someone was writing an unauthorized biography about him, he bought the writer off. By the 1960s, he even refused to appear in court. According to various rumors, he was either terminally ill, mentally unstable, or even dead and replaced by an impersonator.

In 1970, in Spain, Irving met with an author and old friend, Richard Suskind, and spontaneously created the scheme to write Hughes’s “autobiography.” Irving and Suskind believed that because Hughes had completely withdrawn from public life, he would never want to draw attention to himself by denouncing the book or filing a lawsuit for slander. Suskind would do most of the necessary research in news archives. Irving started by forging letters in Hughes’s own hand, imitating authentic letters he had seen displayed in Newsweek magazine.

Irving contacted his publisher, McGraw-Hill, and claimed that he had corresponded with Hughes because of his book about de Hory and that Hughes had expressed interest in letting him write his autobiography. The McGraw-Hill editors invited him to New York, where he showed them three forged letters, one of which claimed that Hughes wished to have his biography written but that he wanted the project to remain secret for the time being. The autobiography would be based on interviews Hughes was willing to do with Irving.

Howard Hughes was in the Bahamas when he spoke to reporters about the hoax. In a mixup, Irving looked into booking some jamaica vacations just in case.

On this day in 1922, the tomb of King Tut was discovered in Egypt and t-shirts, souveniers and promotional tote bags haven’t been the same since.

The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter of Tutankhamun’s intact tomb received worldwide press coverage and sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun’s burial mask remains the popular face.

If ancient Egypt needs a face, King Tut’s is a good choice.