This Day In History

[ChronosCat 155]

May 20 in EGS History:

2003 - Tony is shocked when he accuses "Tedd" of being on a date with "your boyfriend" and she agrees. (I love how Grace then corrects herself. "Oh, wait... I'm the boyfriend tonight." )

2004 - Ellen, Nanase, and Justin bid farewell to Ellen's allowance.

2005 - Tedd sets out to make Grace's birthday party the best party ever.

 

May 21 in EGS History:

2010 - Grace dubs Susan "Susan the Vampire Slayer".

 

May 22 in EGS History:

2014 - In Sarah's imagination, a were-wolf version of herself shows up riding an alicorn.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 21

1554 – Queen Mary I grants a royal charter to Derby School, as a grammar school for boys in Derby, England.  She likes the hats.

1659 – In the Concert of The Hague, the Dutch Republic, the Commonwealth of England and the Kingdom of France set out their views on how the Second Northern War should end.  You know that things are bad in Scandinavia when they need advice from England and France about how to STOP a war.

1904 – The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is founded in Paris.  With a recognized governing body in place, there should be no more soccer related controversy or violence.  Ever.

1927 – Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

1932 – Bad weather forces Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.  Lindy lands at an airport in Paris.  Earhart is forced down in an Irish Pasture.  There a lesson in there about the treatment of genders in aviation.

1936 – Sada Abe is arrested after wandering the streets of Tokyo for days with her dead lover's severed genitals in her handbag. Her story soon becomes one of Japan's most notorious scandals.  Eighty two years later, this story would still be a notable scandal in almost any country today.

1952 – I pity the fool who doesn't know Mr. T was born on this day.

1992 – After 30 seasons, Johnny Carson hosted his penultimate episode of The Tonight Show featuring guests Robin Williams and Bette Midler.  It was episodes like this that made Johnny worth every penny of his obscenely large salary from NBC.

2011 – Radio broadcaster Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on this date.  He was wrong.  Just like every other prediction about the end of the world so far.  I believe there may be a pattern...

[The Old Hack 2,448]

2 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Eighty two years later, this story would still be a notable scandal in almost any country today.

I dunno. If it had been Eva Braun just a handful of years or so later, it would be a cause for world wide celebration.

2 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Just like every other prediction about the end of the world so far.  I believe there may be a pattern...

Indeed. When radio broadcasters named Harold Camping predict that the world will end on May 22, 2011, one should not pay too much attention to them. I know I didn't.

[Vorlonagent 442]

12 hours ago, The Old Hack said:

Indeed. When radio broadcasters named Harold Camping predict that the world will end on May 22, 2011, one should not pay too much attention to them. I know I didn't.

Someone predicted what when?

I like the Kirk quote from Star Trek VI, "We haven't run out of history just yet."

[The Old Hack 2,448]

Just now, Vorlonagent said:

Someone predicted what when?

I like the Kirk quote from Star Trek VI, "We haven't run out of history just yet."

Seriously. The Pharaoh is actually right, there has been a lot of that going around. There was a particularly sad case in Denmark back in the late sixties where some con artist convinced a large number of families that the world was ending and that their only hope was to escape with friendly alien UFOs at New Year's Eve. So they sold everything they owned, trusted him with the money, and well, the world was still there after New Year's Eve but the con artist was long gone.

[Vorlonagent 442]

1 hour ago, The Old Hack said:

Seriously. The Pharaoh is actually right, there has been a lot of that going around. There was a particularly sad case in Denmark back in the late sixties where some con artist convinced a large number of families that the world was ending and that their only hope was to escape with friendly alien UFOs at New Year's Eve. So they sold everything they owned, trusted him with the money, and well, the world was still there after New Year's Eve but the con artist was long gone.

That's the ugly dark side to claiming end of the world.  that some vulnerable people get defrauded badly.

It's all fun and games until someone loses their retirement savings.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 22

853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.  Most powerful empire of its day and the best it can do is sack an undefended port?

1176 – The Hashshashin (Assassins) attempt to assassinate Saladin near Aleppo.  Most feared hired killers in history and the best they can do is attempt to kill someone in the middle of a war?

1200 – King John of England and King Philip II of France sign the Treaty of Le Goulet.   In other words, intermission.

1246 – Henry Raspe is elected anti-king of the Kingdom of Germany in opposition to Conrad IV.  If the King and the Anti-King ever come into contact, they would annihilate each other and most of the surrounding feudal state.

1570 – The first atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, is published with 70 maps.   And not one of them had directions to the next Standard Oil gas station.

1762 – Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg.  Hold the onions.

1819 – SS Savannah leaves port at Savannah, Georgia, United States, on a voyage to become the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.  In 1933, Congress would designate the anniversary as National Maritime Day because we need another holiday celebrating business.

1849 – Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is issued a patent for an invention to lift boats, making him the only U.S. President to ever hold a patent.  It seems anyone can get a patent.

1856 – Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina severely beats Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane in the hall of the United States Senate for a speech Sumner had made regarding Southerners and slavery.  To me, this seems like a more honest version of politics.

1906 – The Wright brothers are granted U.S. patent number 821,393 for their "Flying-Machine".  As I said, anyone can get a patent.

1990 – North and South Yemen are unified to create the Republic of Yemen.  No one better try this with North and South Dakota.

1998 – A U.S. federal judge rules that U.S. Secret Service agents can be compelled to testify before a grand jury concerning the Lewinsky scandal involving President Bill Clinton.  And thus the modern Praetorian Guard can add Character Assassination to their available weapons and tactics.

2009 – BBC Radio 6 organizes the first World Goth Day.  Strangely, Rome remains unsacked.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

57 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

1849 – Future U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is issued a patent for an invention to lift boats, making him the only U.S. President to ever hold a patent.  It seems anyone can get a patent.

That is patently ridiculous.

58 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

1990 – North and South Yemen are unified to create the Republic of Yemen.  No one better try this with North and South Dakota.

I don't think that even if they did unite they would choose to call themselves the Republic of Yemen.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 23

230 – Death of Pope Urban I of the Catholic Church.  He was best known for his role in the Aesop Fable "The Urban Pope and the Rural Pope".

1430 – Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to raise the Siege of Compiegne.  I am certain a devout young woman with deeply held convictions will be treated fairly by her captors and rescued by her allies.

1568 – Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg, and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years' War.  How do they know the fighting will last 80 years?

1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years' War.  I suppose after everyone accepted the 80 Year name, they were pretty confident about naming this one 30 Years.

1701 – After being convicted of piracy and of murdering William Moore, Captain William Kidd is hanged in London.  The courts ignore his plea of "I was just Kidding!"

1824 – Birth of Ambrose Burnside, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Rhode Island.  He was not a great commander for the Army, but no military officer ever had better facial hair.

1829 – Accordion patent granted to Cyrill Demian in Vienna, Austrian Empire.  How did this legendary musical city not anticipate the suffering that would follow?

1873 – The Canadian Parliament establishes the North-West Mounted Police, the forerunner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police...

I never wanted to write historical commentary.

I always wanted to be  A LUMBERJACK! █████

█████ I'm OK █████

█████Wildflowers █████ Nobody Expects The █████ Llamas!

Ok, where was I?

1911 – The New York Public Library is dedicated.  Please ignore the rumors that it may be haunted.

[ChronosCat 155]

May 23 in EGS History:

2002 - Tedd explains to Grace why he wears glasses. (We would later learn that he wears his hair the way he does for similar reasons.)

2003 - Hedge spies on Elliot, Sarah, "Claire", and "Tedd"... and eats some popcorn.

2007 - Grace dreams of what her first day of school will be like. There are a few inaccuracies.

 

May 24 in EGS History:

2004 - Nioi nose-beeps Ellen. Just a bit of playfulness with no consequences, I'm sure.

2006 - The gang plays spin-the-bottle. (Now if only Dan had drawn what had happened next.)

2010 - Susan tells Sarah and Grace about how she and Nanase met the Immortals we now know as Helen and Demetrius. Ah, the tale of the wise old magic user (or users) recruiting children to heroically fight the forces of evil never gets old!

 

1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

1568 – Dutch rebels led by Louis of Nassau, defeat Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg, and his loyalist troops in the Battle of Heiligerlee, opening the Eighty Years' War.  How do they know the fighting will last 80 years?

Time travelers told them, of course.

1 hour ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

1618 – The Second Defenestration of Prague precipitates the Thirty Years' War.  I suppose after everyone accepted the 80 Year name, they were pretty confident about naming this one 30 Years.

That time they just made a lucky guess.

[Illjwamh 98]

Today's something of a big deal.

On May 25 in History:

567 BCE - Servius Tullius, an Etruscan who became King of Rome, celebrates a triumph for defeating the Etruscans. Ancient politics were just as crazy as ours.

1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile successfully reclaims the ancient Visigoth capital of Toledo. The Reconquista is going along well, but there is still much Moor left to take.

1521 - Holy Roman Emperor Charles V's Edict of Worms declares Martin Luther an outlaw. That ought to nip this whole "Reformation" nonsense in the bud.

1660 - England is tired of the Cromwells and invites Charles II to come round because they'd like to have a king again, please.

1803 - Ralph Waldo Emerson comes into existence, and thereafter never shuts up about it.

1809 - The Chuquisaca Revolution in what is now Bolivia gets the ball rolling. What ball? Oh, you'll see.

1810 - Citizens of Buenos Aires to Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros (and by extension, Spain): GTFO.

1819 - Argentine Constitution. Why couldn't the U.S. have synced theirs up with Lexington and Concord, huh?

1833 - Chilean Constitution. That's quite a ball. I told you.

1878 - Now give three cheers, because Gilbert and Sullivan's "H.M.S. Pinafore" opens in London. Is it silly comedy or clever political satire? Things are seldom what they seem.

1895 - Oscar Wilde is convicted of performing homosexual acts and is sent to prison for two years. Because that was a thing.

1914 - The UK House of Commons passes a bill that would allow Ireland to have self-rule within the UK, and then never implements it.

1925 - In the continuing saga of science teacher John T. Scopes, he is now officially indicted for teaching science to his science students in a science class. How DARE he? I hope they throw the Book at him. You know the one.

1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy announces to Congress his ludicrous intention to put a man on the moon. Sure, John. And they can eat moon pies with the moon people, and have all kinds of adventures.

1977 - The phrase "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." becomes iconic. Also, people begin to unknowingly ship a dude and his hot sister for six years.

[ChronosCat 155]

May 26 in EGS History:

2009 - Magus rants at Nanase, Chaos warns him that Ellen's life is in danger, then the power goes out.

2010 - Susan tells of the first time she summoned a hammer.

2014 - Sarah comes to a decision regarding whether to use vampire cards; meanwhile her vampire and werewolf selves transform into their monstrous forms and get in a fight. That's quite an imagination Sarah has there to have things going on in the background she's not even paying attention to...

2017 - Ellen zaps Greg and his evil doppelganger with her FV5 beam. But which one is which?

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 26

946 – King Edmund I of England is murdered by a thief whom he personally attacks while celebrating St Augustine's Mass Day.  As King, you CAN get away with personally beating the occasional random thief.  That does not necessarily mean you SHOULD beat any random thief.  You might want to look at hiring people to do that sort of thing for you.

1879 – Russia and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Gandamak establishing an Afghan state.  Yes, they created a country so that their colonial troops on the borders of India and Siberia didn't accidentally start shooting at each other.  Certainly that country they created wouldn't become a problem in the future.

1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
Speaking of soulless, bloodsucking monsters...

1897 – Dracula, a novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, is published.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

2 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

Speaking of soulless, bloodsucking monsters...

Really now. Bram Stoker wasn't that bad.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 27

1199 – John is crowned King of England.  Sorry Robin, but this time Richard Cœur de Lion won't come back.

1703 – Tsar Peter the Great founds the city of Saint Petersburg.  With a reliable Baltic port, Russia should no longer perceive a need to dominate European territory as a means to secure vital trade and resources.

1905 – Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Tsushima begins.  The overwhelming Japanese victory over the ill prepared Russian fleet creates a myth of Japanese Naval Invincibility.  The flaws in this myth will take about forty years to be fully exposed.

1933 – Walt Disney, through United Artists, releases the cartoon Three Little Pigs, with its hit song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?"  The short grossed ten times what it cost to produce.  The business people of show business demanded "More Pigs" from Disney.  When the Pigs sequels turned out to be box office disappointments, Walt Disney observed that "you can't top pigs with pigs".  Surely the studio Walt Disney founded would always remember this lesson and never be bogged down with unending sequels.

1935 – Birth of Lee Meriwether, American model and actress, Miss America 1955.  The second of Catwoman's nine lives.

1937 – In California, the Golden Gate Bridge opens to pedestrian traffic.  The project was completed ahead of schedule and over one million dollars under budget.  Yes, it can happen.

1949 – Death of LeRoy Robert Ripley.  Believe it or not.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

8 hours ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

The project was completed ahead of schedule and over one million dollars under budget.  Yes, it can happen.

This happened in Denmark, too, due to an expensive lesson.

When they decided to connect our two main islands with a bridge across the Big Belt, they failed to take a few things into account, such as the time it would take to build the bridge, the cost of materials and the wages paid to the workers and entrepreneurs. As a result it took six years longer to build and went one and a half billion dollars over budget. The next step was to connect our easternmost main island to Sweden and amazingly the planners took the lessons from the Big Belt fiasco into account. As a result the bridge across the Sound was finished half a year ahead of schedule and almost a hundred million dollars under budget. An expensive lesson but at least they learned it.

[ChronosCat 155]

May 27 in EGS History:

2002 - Mr. Verres accidentally informs Tedd that Grace can't get pregnant in part-squirrel form.

2011 - Greg cheerfully admits to having cosplayed as Chun-Li before, Grace gives her codename of Shade Tail, and Noah trips while sitting down.

 

May 28 in EGS History:

2002 - Tedd displays his artistic skill (he's actually pretty good), and seems to seriously consider zapping someone in public.

2003 - Sarah declares her intention to venture forth to yonder Laides room, and invites "Claire" to join her.

2004 - Vlad screams at Specialist Steve; Steve calls in for advice.

2014 - Larry starts acting overly "friendly" with Tedd; Tedd apparently forgets for a moment that people often mistake his birth form for a girl.

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 28

585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of Halys, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.  A day when some humans decided that they didn't want to fight each other?  We as a species would not make a habit of this.

1533 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, declares the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid.  Better write that declaration in pencil and keep an eraser on hand.

1754 – French and Indian War: In the first engagement of the war, Virginia militia under the 22-year-old Lieutenant colonel George Washington defeat a French reconnaissance party in the Battle of Jumonville Glen.  This was at some point between chopping the cherry tree and the wooden teeth.

1843 – Death of Noah Webster, American lexicographer.  His remains are buried alphabetically in New Haven's Grove Street Cemetery.

1934 – Near Callander, Ontario, Canada, the first quintuplets to survive infancy are born to Oliva and Elzire Dionne.  The Ontario government turns the girls into a tourist attraction and the following decades become a lesson on how not to treat children in multiple births and their families.

1936 – Alan Turing submits On Computable Numbers for publication.  He should have just posted it on line to a news group.

Also, May 28 is the Feast of Saint Bernard of Menthon (or Montjoux).  A holy man who went to the dogs.

[ChronosCat 155]

May 29 in EGS History:

2002 - In her first appearance, Susan makes a big impression... in TC's skull.

2006 - Sarah and Elliot's first attempt to kiss while in opposite sex forms goes painfully wrong.

 

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

May 29

1660 – English Restoration: Charles II is restored to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.  Apparently having a government that is entirely dependent upon the voters isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Better keep at least a figurehead who isn't quite as actively political.

1733 – The right of settlers in New France to enslave natives is upheld at Quebec City.  A court set up by settlers in a city built by settlers renders a decision in the settlers favor at the expense of the indigenous population.  That is unusual.

1886 – The pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in The Atlanta Journal.  If you can, imagine it.  Before this time people might go days, months, years, even lifetimes without seeing or hearing the name "Coca-Cola".  How did humans ever get along until this point?

1913 – Igor Stravinsky's ballet score The Rite of Spring receives its premiere performance in Paris, France, provoking a riot.  Apparently the audience was divided between very conservative and aristocratic traditional ballet fans, and "bohemian" fans of the avant-garde.  They started by yelling and throwing things at each other.  Then they did the sensible thing and started throwing things at the orchestra.  It would be several more decades before this became an educational video about the origin of life and the extinction of the Dinosaurs.

1953 – Tenzing Norgay becomes the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, quickly followed by Edmund Hillary.  Surprisingly, there is no Starbucks there.

1958 – First celebration of the World Digestive Health Day.  So what is your gut reaction to this?

2001 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin, under terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act, can use a cart to ride in tournaments.  Because it wouldn't be golf if they didn't fight every little challenge to the rules and traditions.

2018 – Google celebrates the inventor of the pH scale, Danish chemist S.P.L. Sørensen.  It wasn't the anniversary of his birth or death, so apparently smart Danes are to be celebrated whenever it is convenient.

[The Old Hack 2,448]

35 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

1953 – Tenzing Norgay becomes the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, quickly followed by Edmund Hillary.  Surprisingly, there is no Starbucks there.

As you said, quickly followed. Clearly Mr. Norgay did not have the time to open one before the first guest arrived.

36 minutes ago, Pharaoh RutinTutin said:

2018 – Google celebrates the inventor of the pH scale, Danish chemist S.P.L. Sørensen.  It wasn't the anniversary of his birth or death, so apparently smart Danes are to be celebrated whenever it is convenient.

Damn straight. They are so rare that we have to make the most of them.

[Illjwamh 98]

Another month coming to a close. Where is the time going?

On May 30 in History:

1381 - Officials of English king Richard II cry out "The Peasants are Revolting!" Everyone has a good chuckle.

1431 - Joan of Arc is executed for political reasons on made-up religious grounds and is afterwards considered a martyr. I'm sure this is the only time something this absurd ever happened.

1536 - Henry VIII of England marries Jane Seymour, who had been a lady in waiting to both of his previous wives (the second of whom had been executed a mere eleven days prior). No, I don't see anything suspicious about that; why would you even ask?

1806 - Future United States President and consummate madman Andrew Jackson murders a man named Charles Dickinson in a duel for saying mean things about him.

1814 - The Treaty of Paris ends the Napoleonic Wars, setting all borders back to the way they were before, and exiles the man himself to Elba. "Sure, lol," says Napoleon.

1908 - Voice actor Mel Blanc is born. You might remember him as literally every Looney Toons character ever.

1913 - Albania gains independence as a result of the Treaty of London. The treaty ends the First Balkan War, which of course was already being called that, since everyone considered it basically a given that there would be more of them.

1989 - The Tiananmen Square protesters unveil their 33 foot (10 meter) "Goddess of Democracy" statue. Surely an oppressive, totalitarian, repressive regime would not dare destroy such a thing.

[ChronosCat 155]

May 30 in EGS History:

2002 - Tedd calls Elliot's former girlfriend "some chick I've never heard of" (apparently Elliot never mentioned having a girlfriend before, and managed to get through the entire conversation about her without saying her name...). Then the rightful stars of the comic, Matt and Rat, show up.

2004 - Ellen, Nanase, Grace, and Susan get so spend some time as the greatest type of animal to ever walk the Earth. (I may be ever so slightly biased.)

2005 - Elliot and Tedd discuss why Tedd is in female form early. It just goes to show how well Tedd hid this side of herself that Elliot even needs to ask.

2008 - Abraham rises to reap.

 

1 hour ago, Illjwamh said:

Another month coming to a close. Where is the time going?

Time does not move; our perception of what moment is the present merely changes. (And far too quickly if you ask me.)

[Don Edwards 548]

1 hour ago, Illjwamh said:

1908 - Voice actor Mel Blanc is born. You might remember him as literally every Looney Toons character ever.

A small sampling of his roles:

[Pharaoh RutinTutin 1,586]

For personal reasons, I would like to mention for May 30

1539 – Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay in Florida with the goal of finding gold.  Spoiler Alert:  He doesn't find any.  Among the provisions he brought for his crew of 620 humans were 200 pigs.  Many of these pigs would escape and become the first ancestors of the feral hogs in the United States today.  In Death Sentence, did anyone even attempt to talk to the boar in Spanish before Grace broke out the Pig Latin?