Well, I think we reach a conclusion on something today. Remember how over the last couple days Vespasian has been getting things done in Rome? Well today the whole "becomes emperor" thing passes it's final hurdle. The last emperor, a chap named Vitellius, who was deposed in favor of Vespasian, is caught. Apparently he's been on the run for a couple days. Anyhow, his running stops on this date in 69. Rather dramatically. And finally.
This one is a bit puzzling. It's now 1807, Jefferson is president, and he convinces Congress to pass the Embargo Act. So for the next couple years, the US forbids their merchants from trading with other countries. It works about as well as you would think, and doesn't accomplish it's goal of hurting England and forcing her to stop impressing American sailors.
The very next year, music fans in Vienna get a treat not equaled until San Dimas High School in the Bill and Ted years: Beethoven conducts the premiere of his own Fifth Symphony. Also on the program, his Sixth Symphony and a couple other pieces in the All-Beethoven program.
It's got the potential to be a really bad day for the city of Savannah today in 1864. Happily, General Sherman decided that it's better to have the City intact, than to give it the Atlanta treatment. He sends a famous and whimsical telegram to President Lincoln in which he offers the City to Lincoln as a Christmas Present. That's the end of the March to The Sea, and for the next month or two, Sherman will be preparing for The March To Virginia. If you look at a map of the east coast, you'll notice that South Carolina lies along the route for that. And recall that it was South Carolina that led the way with secession. So the Union troops weren't big fans of the Palmetto State. In fact, some Georgians were heard to express the hope that South Carolina would get some of what they got. Oh, trust me: They will. And whereas in Georgia Sherman's troops just burned things (officially at least) because they were useful to the Confederacy, in South Carolina they burned them because they were still cheesed of about the whole secession thing. Though I suppose if they take your food and burn down your farm, you probably won't really care why they did it.
And here's the coolest thing to ever happen on December 22. It's Belgium in 1944. The Germans are trying desperately to capture a town called Bastogne from its American defenders. They decide to see if they can simply convince the Americans to surrender. They send in a flag of truce demanding the capitulation. The American Commander, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe is told about it, and tells his staff "Aw, nuts!" Then he starts thinking of what he should tell the Germans. One of his staffers suggests he just tell them that. So he does. The Germans, not understanding this American slang term ask the escorting officer what it means. He replies "Do you know what 'go to Hell' means?" Well this means the same thing." The Germans take the hint. They do not, however, take the Town.
And here's the second coolest thing to ever happen on December 22: In 1989, the Brandenburg Gate reopens between West and East Berlin. For the first time in almost 30 years, Germany is effectively united! What a moment in history that was! Too bad that Communism survived it, and has essentially slithered its way into the US, under a different name.
And since it's impossible to top either of those, and nothing else of great interest has happened since, we'll finish there.
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