Interrogatories
(Questions suggested by Melanie) Most of the holidays listed at the bottom of this diary aren't real Congress-mandated holidays. What kind of holidays do you think the present Congress would propose? What holiday would you propose if you had that kind of power?
Speaking of those holidays, today is National Fruit Cocktail Day. Do you actually eat that flavorless, overly sweetened, canned fruit? Or did you think they meant Daiquiris?
Do you still have hope in mankind? If so, what is it that gives you that hope?
The Twitter Emitter
On This Day
In 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip departed England with a flotilla of convict-filled ships, later called the "First Fleet", to establish a penal (no, not penile) colony in Australia.
In 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico. (Hmmm, not much has changed…)
In 1888, Brazil abolished slavery with the passage of the Lei Áurea ("Golden Law").
In 1958, the trademark Velcro was registered.
In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in an attempted assassination.
In 1989, Chinese students began their occupation of Tiananmen Square.
In 1995, 33-year-old Alison Hargreaves became the first woman to climb to the top of Mt. Everest without oxygen or assistance from sherpas.
Born on This Day
1597 - Cornelis Schut I, Dutch baroque painter (d. 1655)
1625 - Carlo Maratta, Italian painter (d. 1713)
1655 – Pope Innocent XIII (d. 1724)
1717 – Maria Theresa, Holy Roman Empress (d. 1780)
1768 - Willem-Bartel van der Kooi, Dutch artist (d. 1836)
1774 - Pierre-Narcisse Guerin, painter (d. 1833)
1792 – Pope Pius IX (d. 1878)
1794 – Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (d. 1835)
1830 - Edouard Sain, French artist (d. 1910)
1853 - Adolf Hölzel, German painter (d. 1934)
1855 - Ludwig Deutsch, Austrian orientalist painter (d. 1935)
1857 - Delphin Enjolras, French painter (d. 1945)
1882 – Georges Braque, French painter (d. 1963)
1886 - Carl Mense, German artist (d. 1965)
1911 – Maxine Sullivan, American singer and actress (d. 1987)
1912 – Gil Evans, Canadian pianist, arranger, composer, and bandleader (d. 1988)
1914 – Joe Louis, American boxer (d. 1981)
1922 – Bea Arthur, American actress (d. 2009)
1922 – Otl Aicher, German graphic designer (d. 1991)
1923 – Red Garland, American pianist (Miles Davis Quintet) (d.1984)
1930 – Mike Gravel, American politician
1931 – Jim Jones, American founder and leader of the Peoples Temple, murderer (d. 1978)
1937 – Roger Zelazny, American author (d. 1995)
1939 – Harvey Keitel, American actor
1941 – Ritchie Valens, Mexican-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1959)
1943 – Mary Wells, American singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
1944 – Armistead Maupin, American author
1950 – Danny Kirwan, English singer-songwriter and musician (Fleetwood Mac)
1950 – Manning Marable, American educator and author (d. 2011)
1950 – Stevie Wonder, American singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and activist
1951 – Paul Thompson, English drummer (Roxy Music)
1957 – Alan Ball, American screenwriter, director, and producer
1961 – Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong Un's best buddy
1964 – Stephen Colbert, American comedian, writer, and actor
1980 – Chris Barker, American bassist (Anti-Flag)
1986 – Robert Pattinson, English actor and noted portrayer of sparkly vampires
Died on This Day
1835 – John Nash, English architect (b. 1752)
1878 – Joseph Henry, American scientist (b. 1797)
1916 – Sholom Aleichem, Russian author (b. 1859)
1945 – Tubby Hall, American jazz drummer (b. 1895)
1961 – Gary Cooper, American actor (b. 1901)
1985 – Leatrice Joy, American actress (b. 1893) (See Tipple Jar)
1988 – Chet Baker, American trumpet player and vocalist (b. 1929)
2000 – Paul Bartel, American actor (b. 1938)
2012 – Donald "Duck" Dunn, American bass player, songwriter, producer, and actor (Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Blues Brothers, and The Mar-Keys) (b. 1941)
Today is
National Fruit Cocktail Day
National Apple Pie Day
Leprechaun Day
Tulip Day
Frog Jumping Day