I love history.
Do you have something you’d like to share? A link? A joke? Some words of wisdom? A topic to discuss? It’s Monday Night Open Thread.
What’s on your mind?
Archive of posts filed under the History category.
Laika
Yesterday was the anniversary of the launching of Sputnik 2, which carried Laika, the first space dog, into orbit in 1957.
I was always fascinated by Laika for some reason. When I was young, all I heard was that the dog had died. It was much later before I became aware that was the intent all along.
Spruce Goose
You’ve heard of the Spruce Goose, right? The Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft made out of wood? You knew it wasn’t made of spruce, didn’t you? It was made of birch. And it flew it’s only flight on November 2, 1947.
The Spruce Goose was the airplane with the largest wingspan that had ever flown until earlier this year, when the Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch flew it’s only flight.
This Day in Python — Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (November 1, 1979)
Defending Life of Brian on TV:
A large Jaguar picks me up after lunch and takes me down to a BBC interview at Broadcasting House, this time with Gerald Priestland for the networked Today programme. John C is also on with me.
Priestland is enormous — he’s actually taller than John, but amiable and donnish. They play back his review of the film, which swings from great praise — “very funny – Python at their best” — to note of distinct criticsm for our handling of the “Crucifixion” sequences — or for the “Crucifixion’ sequences period. He equates it with “whistling at Auschwitz” and to him it appears that we are condoning suffering.
JC answers smoothly, as if he’s rehearsed. I become a little tongue-tied faced with Priestland’s penetrating stare and huge bulk…
— Michael Palin, Diaries 1969 – 1979: The Python Years
The Tempest
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest was first performed at Whitehall Palace in London on November 1, 1611.
There have been many performances over the years, but apart from a 1960 Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, with Maurice Evans and Richard Burton, most were variations on the story. Even the 1960 performance was a shortened version of the play.
My favorite variation was the 1956 film Forbidden Planet.
Come to think of it, BBC did a thing with the Shakespeare plays, and I’m thinking they did a nearly complete version in the 1980s. I haven’t seen that one, so I’m sticking with the science fiction movie.
Houdini (Again)
Panic?
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater did their infamous War of the Worlds broadcast.
Remember all the panic that caused?
No. No you do not. That was 1938, so I really doubt you’re old enough to actually remember that. Besides…
Still, the Orson Welles broadcast is one of my favorite things to listen to, especially around Halloween.
Witch!
On October 29, 1390, Paris held its first witch trials because that’s what people did then. People were stupid.
Of course, people have been stupid for a long time. For as long as there have been people. And some of the stupid things that people did are also horrible, and nothing to laugh at. Of course, we do laugh at them anyway, because we’re awful.
Oh, I forgot to mention that people are not only stupid, but they’re awful, too.
Okay, that wasn’t France. But it was funny, because we laugh at stuff like.
Gulliver
I think I should have read Gulliver’s Travels by now, but I haven’t. I just never go around to it.
It was published October 28, 1726. A lot of the writing from that time is … different. But, not having read the novel, I don’t know if that’s one of that odd type of writing. So, for those reasons, I haven’t read it.
Okay, that’s not true. I haven’t read it because I’m too lazy to get it and read it.
So, should I? Is it any good? I mean, yeah, it’s a classic, sure. But is it really any good. Should I go out and buy it?
A Time For Choosing
Ronald Reagan’s political career is generally thought to have begun during his “A Time For Choosing” speech on October 27, 1964. He actually was involved in politics prior to that, of course, but that speech was extremely important for Reagan’s political career.
This is a long one. You might want to save it and come back, whenever you have a spare 30 minutes.
What Reagan said is as important today as it was 55 years ago.
“We Band Of Brothers…”
Laurence Olivier was awarded a special Academy Award in 1946 for brining Henry V to the screen in 1944 as actor, director, and producer. That’s the movie with the Battle of Agincourt speech (the “band of brothers” speech).
The Battle of Agincourt was October 25, 1415, on the Feast of Crispin and Crispinian.
Butch and Sundance, again.
Kinda left you on a cliffhanger yesterday afternoon, huh? Okay, not really. But you knew there was more to the story, didn’t ya?
Yeah, I think they died in Argentina or Bolivia or Ludowici or somewhere. I don’t guess it matters though. So why do I care? Dunno. I just dunno.
Houdini
I’ve always been fascinated by Houdini. I saw the Tony Curtis movie a long time ago, and so did others I knew in school, so they and I were originally misinformed about how Houdini died. I later found out the truth. Or what I found out was closer to the truth.
Now, go have a magical day.
Butch and Sundance
I never heard of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid until the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was released in 1969. I don’t think I actually saw the movie during its first run, but when I did, I knew it was based on real people and some of what happened was real. But, I didn’t know how much.
It’s amazing what you know that just isn’t so, ain’t it?
222-0
If you follow college football at all, you’ve probably heard of Georgia Tech’s 222-0 win over Cumberland College back in 1916. Heck, even if you don’t, you may have heard of it. Because that was just that crazy nuts.
Tech’s coach, John Heisman was born on October 23, 1869, some 150 years ago. Next time you’re getting an ass kicking, just be thankful John Heisman isn’t administering it.