Also on this date, a new opera premiered. The title was Hänsel und Gretel, and it was written by Englebert Humperdinck. I know what you're thinking... "But HS, tell me when it premiered! I can't wait a moment more! Tell me quando, quando, quando! I can't wait a moment more... there goes my reason for living... There goes my everything"! To which I respond "sorry. You have the wrong Englebert Humperdinck". No tuxedo and cheesy mustache here (I hope!). Because this was in 1893 and I'm pretty sure the one you're thinking of wasn't around then.
If you're into sushi, then you'll perhaps be interested to know that on this date in 1938, off the coast of Africa, a fish was discovered. And not just any fish- it was a coelacanth and they were supposed to be extinct. As it happens, apparently nobody told the fish, so they just kept on going. Not the actual same fish, mind you; but their great great great great great great great great great great great great great... great great grandfish. Thankfully, there are apparently lots of them still around, so inbreeding is kept to a minimum.
Sadly, in 1941 the Japanese capture Wake Island after a long battle. By the standards of the day it's almost a victory, as the Marines held on for a couple weeks. The Corps doesn't seem to agree, as that Marine unit has apparently not been allowed back in the US since. Marines don't really cotton to that whole surrender thing. Though with the way things work now, the unit was probably brought back, given a group hug and everyone gets a Medal Of Honor.
It was a few years later, in 1947, that a new toy is demonstrated. It's called a "transistor" and it helps make electronics smaller, cheaper, and more reliable. It'll never catch on.
1972 is a good day/ bad day for Latin Americans. First the good: Remember that Andean plane crash with the soccer team, where the survivors were forced to cannibalism? Well they were rescued on this date. And I hope they didn't continue with their taste for human flesh. Or even worse, BRAINS! On the downside, Managua Is leveled by an earthquake. Some10,000 people are killed. In San Juan Puerto Rico, baseball legend Roberto Clemente, who recently collected career hit number 3000 starts thinking that something should be done to help all the survivors.
And finally, in 1979 Soviet forces occupy Kabul Afghanistan. As somebody said at the time, with the cold Russian winters, they probably wanted more afghans. It sadly won't end well for the Russians. Or, in a very real sense, for a lot of Americans. History does have a way of continuing its march.
Oh, and thanks to Beth Cleaver, I can now say "like us on facebook".
Sent from my iPhone
Oops! Sorry about the typos. For the first time, I'm posting this from my phone. Harder to catch an fix errors from here.
ReplyDeleteBut if you send me lots of money for "my" poem, then maybe I could buy an iPad and use that instead. For the common good!