Hey, remember yesterday when Columbus discovered Puerto Rico, to the apathetic response of the masses? Well today marks the day that he went ashore. Be still my heart! Although in fairness, he went ashore on the island of San Juan Bautista. I guess it was only later that they looked at a map and noticed that it was clearly Puerto Rico. Bet he was embarrassed to make that mistake!
In 1863, Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address. The address was written on the back of an envelope, but it still got delivered where and when it was intended. Wouldn't you be impressed if the post office was that efficient today? (With thanks to the late great Richard Armour for that joke, or one like it)
If you happened to be a German soldier in the 6th Army today, it wasn't a day you're gonna want to remember. That's the good news. The bad news? Tomorrow is gonna be worse. And the next day... Yes indeed- today is the day that the Russians launched their counter-attack against the German flanks that ultimately led to this being the Germans Stalingrad.
In 1950, General Eisenhower becomes the supreme commander in Europe. A short two years later, he'll discover something that MacArthur is also discovering about this time: A Commander in Chief outranks a Supreme Commander. (That one might also be stolen from Armour. He was brilliant!)
On this date, the Ford Family decides to cut their losses and walk away from their biggest ever disaster: William Clay Ford fired Marty Morningwheg (or however the hell it's spelled) as Lions coach! Just kidding- they announced that the Edsel was being discontinued. And they stuck with it. Thank God they also stuck with getting rid of Moronwheg.
A sad day in 1990. Milli Vanilli lost their Grammy. Because they didn't really earn it. It was actually a sad story- the record industry wanted the good looking (!) package with talent. The two guys were lacking in one area, so their bosses at the record company humiliated them by making them pretend to be something they weren't. And then, when it all fell apart, did the execs at the record label, the producer, or anyone else take the fall? Oh Hell no. This sort of thing is a lesson in why somebody once said that getting a record contract is like swimming across a moat filled with human feces. It's utterly degrading and dirty, but if you refuse to submit to it, the guy behind you will.
Remember when Clinton got impeached? It all started today, when the US House Judiciary Committee began the hearings. Despite what the media claims, it wasn't "all about sex", it was about how the Administration went to extreme lengths to buy off witnesses to inappropriate behavior that would make the stuff Herman Cain is accused of look like nothing. And it's about how the same Administration intimidated witnesses and arguably even bribed senators in order to protect a man who under ordinary circumstances would probably be classified as a sexual predator or serial rapist. Oh, and it's also the point at which the media and the feminist movement came out and pretty much explicitly said that anyone who they like should be protected, and anyone who thinks rape by a democrat is still rape needs to be demonized.
And with that history lesson completed (or well begun- I could go on a lot more in depth), we'll call it a day.
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