On This Day...

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882)

A great American Milestone: Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock on this day in 1620!

Other important events on this day in history:

1777 - The first Thanksgiving was actually held, celebrating a victory in the Revolutionary War.

1787- New Jersey becomes the third state to ratify one of my favorite documents, the Constitution. They've been polluting our climate and our gene pool ever since...

1878- The last of the Molly Maguires was executed.

1915- U.S. President Woodrow Wilson marries Edith Bolling Galt Wilson. This was the last time a sitting President got married.

1996- The Oakland, California school board passes a resolution officially declaring "Ebonics" a language or dialect.

It is also the birthday of Archduke Franz Ferdinand,
Betty Grable, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Christina Aguilera and it's Republic Day in Niger

On this day... Tea Party!

1773- Today is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party! It's also the independence day for several nations (see below) Celebrate by taking some civic action (or possibly participate in some civil disobedience). Write to your elected officials, sign a petition, create a blog (or comment on this one!), or even stage a sit-in. Get involved!


Other notable events on this day...

1653- Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. This, of course, was just after he returned from Ireland where he led the systematic slaughter of resident Catholics.

1497-Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope!

1826- Benjamin Edwards rides into Mexican controlled Nacogdoches, Texas and declares himself ruler of the Republic of Fredonia.

1937 - Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempt to escape from the American federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay; neither is ever seen again. Did they escape!?

1971- Independence Day of the State of Bahrain from British Protectorate Status. Happy Independence Day Bahrain!

1991- Independence of The Republic of Kazakhstan. Happy Independence Day, too!

2007 - Ron Paul raises a record amount of money online in a single day "money bomb": over six million dollars in 24 hours.

On this day...

1791- Virginia ratified the Bill of Rights, giving the amendments the necessary approval of 3/4 of the states and therefore making them law.

1878- Esperanto was born!

1891- Basketball was invented.

1939- Gone with the Wind premiers!

1970- Special "From the Headlines" Edition: The Illinois Constitution was adopted in a special election. (Yes, that's the same constitution that will allow a corrupt governor to appoint someone to the very same U.S. Senate seat he was trying to sell; not to mention remain Governor while under indictment...)

1978- President Jimmy Carter announces that the U.S. will officially recognize the People's Republic of China

Happy Anniversary!

There's some big stuff going on in the news- Blago is still making waves, the auto bailout sailed to defeat in the Senate yesterday in the face of a GOP filibuster, and the Moon is crashing into us tonight- but I thought a trip down memory lane might be a good Friday exercise.


On December 12th in:

1531- The Virgin Mary took a trip to Mexico City

1787- Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the United States Constitution

1901- Guglielmo Marconi receives the first transatlantic radio signal at Signal Hill in New Foundland.

1979- Rhodesia changed its name to Zimbabwe.

1991- Russia declared it's independence from the USSR. Little did we know back then that Putin would call it all a "Simple misunderstanding".

2000 - The SCOTUS decided the outcome of the presidential election in the case Bush v. Gore, ending the Florida recount and putting George W. Bush in the White House. Thanks guys, look how well that turned out! Happy Anniversary, Mr. President!