We're off to Scotland for the first visit of the day. To a place called Dunnichen or Nechtansmere ("Nechtan's Lake"), and we're setting the Way Back Machine for 685. We're here to watch what happens when King Ecgfrith, leading the Northumbrian Team, goes up against Bridei III and the Picts. Long story short, the Picts win, and Ecgfrith will be seen again, in a later installment of the blog. The end result is that the Picts regain their independence from Northumbria.
In 1609, Thomas Thorpe hits the jackpot. He publishes a bunch of short poems, called "sonnets' from A Certain Well Known English Writer. He might not have even gotten permission before doing so! There is still a lot of debate as to who the young man (or boy) was that Shakespeare was writing to. I found it quite interesting when Michael Wood, in his brilliant "In Search of Shakespeare" pointed out that the sonnets were apparently written (or published) not long after Shakespeare's young son had died. There doesn't seem to be a lot of support for this theory, so either his timeline is completely out of whack, or the conventional wisdom is. It darn sure makes sense to me! Assuming of course that Wood didn't make a really basic screwup, which wouldn't be in character, from what I've seen. Guess I'll never know. But if you get the chance, find the series. I do love it so!
In 1873, the name Levi Strauss first comes to the attention of whomever. On this date, Mr. Strauss and his partner Jacob Davis receive a patent for this wild idea they had... pants made out of blue denim, with copper rivets in the appropriate spots! And they're called.... blue jeans! What an idea! All of which suggests that the old idea is correct... in a gold rush, you have better odds of wealth if you're selling supplies to the miners than if you're out there digging in the dirt. Remember that!
Where were you at 7:52 Eastern time? Well 85 years ago, Charles Lindbergh was lifting off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, to take a little flight.... to Paris. All by his lonesome! Did he make it? Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment!
Oh, and five years later, Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland, trying to accomplish the distaff side of Lindbergh's feat. She accomplishes it, although flying from Newfoundland to Ireland solo is less impressive than flying from Long Island to Paris solo. But that's just my opinion.
Sadly, in 1940 a new camp opens in Poland. The Germans call it "Auschwitz", and it's not intended to be an enjoyable place. And it truly isn't, as it's now another word for Hell. And deservedly so. Remember those very first men and women who arrived there on this date, and most likely never left.
In 1941, Germany strikes again, with another facet of her war machine. In the Mediterranean, German fallschirmjäger, or paratroopers, land in Crete. It's the first airborne operation of its size in history. In the end, the attack succeeds, and Crete falls. Germany however, loses a lot of good soldiers, and decides that this new approach might not be a great one to take, at least not on that scale. The US and British disagree, and try the same technique numerous times throughout the War. Most attacks succeed, but at a high cost. The overarching lesson here? Paratroops can make a nice surprise attack through "vertical envelopment", but you'd better get a lot more men, with a lot heavier equipment, down on the ground in short order, to support them.
Remember a few days ago, when we first watched US troops charge up Hill 973 in South Vietnam? Well they finally capture it on this date, by which time it's already known by its new title, Hamburger Hill. It cost the lives of a lot of American soldiers, and shortly after "victory" was won, the hill was abandoned. To me, it marks the nadir of the War, and it's hard to read about it (or see the very good movie) and not wonder What The F the commanders were thinking. And then you start to expand that thought to the entire war...
And finally, in 1989, the Chinese government declares martial law. Those darned people protesting in favor of democracy! Well, the government teaches them a lesson shortly after this, but putting the military in charge is the necessary first step.
Final lesson of the day? Lots of people died on this date, for very little actual gain. At least, that's the best I can come up with.
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