U.S. and World History

1777 – Having recognized the need for their territory to assert its independence from both Britain and New York and remove themselves from the war those two were waging against each other, a convention of future Vermonters assembled in Westminster and declared independence from the crown of Great Britain and the colony of New York. Delegates first named the independent state New Connecticut and, in June 1777, finally settled on the name Vermont.

1831 – Victor Hugo finished writing Notre Dame de Paris, also known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Distracted by other projects, Hugo had continually postponed his deadlines for delivering the book to his publishers, but once he sat down to write it, he completed the novel in only four months.

1865 – Fort Fisher in North Carolina fell to Union forces, and Wilmington, North Carolina, the Confederacy’s most important blockade-running port, was closed. After the loss of this last major Confederate port, it was only three months before the war concluded.

1870 – The first recorded use of a donkey to represent the Democratic Party appeared in Harper’s Weekly. Drawn by political illustrator Thomas Nast, the cartoon (“A Live Jackass Kicking A Dead Lion”) referred to the Democrat-dominated newspapers of the South, and the dead lion represented the late Edwin Stanton, President Abraham Lincoln ‘s secretary of war during the final three years of the Civil War. In the background is an eagle perched on a rock, representing the postwar federal domination in the South, and in the far background is the U.S. Capitol.

1919 – A large molasses tank at the United States Industrial Alcohol building in Boston burst and a wave of boiling molasses rushed through the streets, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others.
Workers were loading freight-train cars within the large building. Next to the workers was a 58-foot-high tank filled with 2.5 million gallons of crude molasses. Suddenly, the bolts holding the bottom of the tank exploded, shooting out like bullets, and the hot molasses rushed out. An eight-foot-high wave of molasses swept away the freight cars and caved in the building’s doors and windows. The few workers in the building’s cellar had no chance as the liquid poured down and overwhelmed them.
The huge quantity of molasses then flowed into the street outside. It literally knocked over the local firehouse and then pushed over the support beams for the elevated train line. The hot and sticky substance then drowned and burned five workers at the Public Works Department.

1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr. was born.

1947 – The body of Elizabeth Short was found mutilated, her body sliced in half at the waist, in Leimert Park, Los Angeles. According to newspaper reports shortly after the murder, Elizabeth Short received the nickname “Black Dahlia” at a Long Beach drugstore in mid 1946 as wordplay on the film, The Blue Dahlia – a claim which was false. In fact, Los Angeles County district attorney investigators’ reports state that the nickname was invented by newspaper reporters covering the murder – all in the name of selling more papers.
William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers, the Los Angeles Herald-Express and the Los Angeles Examiner, sensationalized the case in a despicable manner. The black tailored suit Short was last seen wearing became “a tight skirt and a sheer blouse” and Elizabeth Short became the “Black Dahlia”, an “adventuress” who “prowled Hollywood Boulevard.”
Short’s unsolved murder has been the source of widespread speculation, leading to many suspects, along with several books and film adaptations of the story. Her murder is one of the oldest unsolved murder cases in Los Angeles history.

1951 – Ilse Koch, wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a court in West Germany. Koch was nicknamed the “Witch of Buchenwald” for her extraordinary sadism. She had been given free reign in the camp, whipping prisoners with her riding crop as she rode by on her horse, and, most horrifying, collecting lampshades, book covers, and gloves made from the skin of tattooed camp prisoners.
Koch was tried for crimes against humanity at Nuremberg and sentenced to life in prison, but the American military governor of the occupied zone subsequently reduced her sentence to four years. His reason, “lack of evidence,” caused a Senate investigation back home. She was released but arrested again, tried by a West German court, and sentenced to life. She committed suicide in 1967 by hanging herself with a bed sheet.

1953 – Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prior to taking office as the new secretary of state, John Foster Dulles argued that U.S. foreign policy must strive for the “liberation of captive peoples” living under communist rule – although he remained vague about exactly how the “liberation” would take place.
Despite the vague specifics of the original declaration, Dulles’s call for action was soon put into practice. The Eisenhower administration conceived a wide-ranging program of political and psychological warfare, and overseas propaganda – produced and disseminated by the new United States Information Agency – became an important Cold War weapon. In Iran, Guatemala, and later, Cuba, the United States resorted to covert operations directed by the Central Intelligence Agency to destabilize foreign governments perceived to be a communist threat.
In 1956, however, Dulles’s oft-repeated calls for the liberation of captive peoples backfired badly when Hungarian citizens rose up in revolt against the Soviet presence in their country. As the Russians crushed the uprising, the United States – despite Dulles’s claim that “We shall never have a secure peace or a happy world so long as Soviet communism dominates one-third of all of the peoples” – did nothing while Hungarian rebels pleaded helplessly for assistance.

1953 – Harry S Truman became the first U.S. President to use radio and television to say farewell as he left office.

1970 – Muammar al-Qaddafi, the young Libyan army captain who deposed King Idris in September 1969, was proclaimed premier of Libya by the so-called General People’s Congress.
Blending Islamic orthodoxy, revolutionary socialism, and Arab nationalism, Qaddafi established a fervently anti-Western dictatorship. In 1970, he removed U.S. and British military bases and expelled Italian and Jewish Libyans. In 1973, he nationalized foreign-owned oil fields.
He reinstated traditional Islamic laws, such as prohibition of alcoholic beverages and gambling, but liberated women and launched social programs that improved the standard of living in Libya. As part of his stated ambition to unite the Arab world, he sought closer relations with his Arab neighbors, especially Egypt. However, when Egypt and then other Arab nations began a peace process with Israel, Libya was increasingly isolated.

1973 – President Richard Nixon announced the suspension of all U.S. offensive action in North Vietnam, citing progress in peace negotiations.

1981 – Hill Street Blues debuted on NBC, beginning a six-year run.

1983 – Meyer Lansky, a major organized crime figure, died of lung cancer at the age of 80. Despite all the attempts by U.S. law enforcement agencies to tie him to various crimes, Lansky was never found guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling.
The Hyman Roth character, portrayed by Lee Strasberg in The Godfather, Part II, was based on Lansky. In the film, Roth’s statement to Michael Corleone that “We’re bigger than U.S. Steel” was actually a direct quote from Lansky, who said the same thing to his wife while watching a news story on the Cosa Nostra.

1987 – Actor Ray Bolger (best known for his portrayal of the scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz) died of bladder cancer at the age of 83. At the time of his death, he was the last surviving main cast member of The Wizard Of Oz.

1993 – Sammy Cahn (lyricist for Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, Three Coins In A Fountain, All The Way, High Hopes, Call Me Irresponsible, My Kind Of Town) died of congestive heart failure at the age of 79.

1997 – Princess Diana angered government ministers after calling for an international ban on landmines. Her comments – made during a visit to Angola to see for herself some of the victims of landmines – were seen as out of step with government policy. Junior Defence Minister Earl Howe, described the princess as a “loose cannon”, ill-informed on the issue of anti-personnel landmines.

2009 – About a minute after taking off from New York’s La Guardia Airport, US Airways Flight 1549 collided with one of the aviation industry’s most threatening foes: a flock of geese. Crippled by the bird strike, both engines lost power and went quiet, forcing Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger to make an emergency landing. When air traffic controllers instructed the seasoned pilot to head for nearby Teterboro Airport, he calmly informed them that he was “unable” to reach a runway. “We’re gonna be in the Hudson,” he said, and then told the 150 terrified passengers and five crew members on board to brace for impact.
Ninety seconds later, Sullenberger glided the Airbus 320 over the George Washington Bridge and onto the chilly surface of the Hudson River, where it splashed down midway between Manhattan and New Jersey. As flight attendants ushered passengers into life jackets, through emergency exits and onto the waterlogged wings of the bobbing jet, a flotilla of commuter ferries, sightseeing boats and rescue vessels hastened to the scene. One survivor suffered two broken legs and others were treated for minor injuries or hypothermia, but no fatalities occurred. After walking up and down the aisle twice to ensure a complete evacuation, Sullenberger was the last to leave the sinking plane.

2011 – Actress Susannah York (A Man For All Seasons, The Killing Of Sister George, Images, Tom Jones, Superman and They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, for which she was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award) died from multiple myeloma at the age of 72.

ROCK & ROLL HISTORY

The late Captain Beefheat (born Don Van Vliet – founder of The Magic Band –‘Diddy Wah Diddy’) was born in 1941

The late Ronnie Van Zant (lead singer with Lynyrd Skynyrd – ‘Free Bird’) was born in 1948

Melvyn Gale (cellist with ELO – ‘Roll Over Beethoven’) is 63

Joan Johnson (Dixie Cups – ‘Chapel Of Love’) is 70

1952 – Hank Williams recorded ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’.

1955 – Elvis Presley performed on The Louisiana Hayride at Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LA. In the audience was ‘Colonel’ Tom Parker, who was witnessing Elvis for the first time.

1958 – Elvis Presley recorded ‘Hard Headed Woman’, ‘New Orleans’, ‘Crawfish’, Turtles, Berries And Gumbo’ and ‘Trouble’.

1961 – The Supremes signed with Motown Records. They had been known as The Primettes but Motown founder Berry Gordy insisted they change their name. Florence Ballard chose “The Supremes,” a name Diana Ross initially disliked as she felt it was too masculine.

1964 – Gerry & The Pacemakers signed a movie contract (which led to the filming of Ferry Cross The Mersey).

1965 – In one epic afternoon of work, Bob Dylan recorded ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’, ‘Maggie’s Farm’, ‘On The Road Again’, ‘Gates Of Eden’, ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ and ‘It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding’).

1965 – The Kinks released ‘Tired Of Waiting For You’ / ‘Come On Now’ in England.

1965 – The Rolling Stones released ‘The Rolling Stones No. 2’ (in England only). Containing only three Jagger/Richards original compositions, the album was dominated by R&B cover material, including ‘Under The Boardwalk’, ‘You Can’t Catch Me’ and ‘Time Is On My Side’. Seven of the songs would appear on an American release (‘The Rolling Stones, Now! ‘) one month later.

1965 – The Who released I Can’t Explain’ / ‘Bald Headed Woman’ in England. The single, which had been released in the U.S. a month earlier, reached #8 on the British charts, while it only reached #93 on Billboard.

1967 – Roy Orbison’s The Fastest Guitar Alive premiered in New York. The plot (such as it was) for the western centered around confederate spy Orbison’s bullet shooting guitar.

1967 – The Buckinghams recorded ‘Don’t You Care’.

1968 – The Byrds released The Notorious Byrd Brothers. Recording sessions for the album were complicated, to say the least. David Crosby was fired shortly after recording had started. Original band member Gene Clark, who had left the group in early 1966, rejoined for three weeks before leaving again. And then there was drummer Michael Clarke, who left the band midway through the sessions, only to return to finish the recording before being dismissed when the album was completed.

1969 – After a five-hour meeting, George Harrison agreed to return to the Beatles with the understanding they give up Paul McCartney’s idea of a live concert before an audience. Harrison also insisted the band move from the cavernous and chilly Twickenham film studios to the Beatles’ new studio in their Apple headquarters.
George did, however, agree to be filmed making an album, and his new rules didn’t rule out a live performance for the cameras, although he insisted it be casual and “not an event for the masses.” The band finally re-grouped in front of the cameras on January 22 at Apple.

1969 – Elvis Presley recorded ‘Gentle On My Mind’, ‘I’m Movin’ On’ and ‘Don’t Cry Daddy’.

1971 – George Harrison released ‘My Sweet Lord’ in England. The song – with ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ as the B-side – had been released as a single in the U.S. in November 1970. In the UK, the flip side was ‘What Is Life’.

1974 – Happy Days premiered on ABC with ‘Rock Around The Clock’ as its original theme song. The popularity of the television show put Bill Haley’s song back into the Billboard charts at #39, nineteen years after it had reached #1.

1982 – Harry Casey (KC of KC & The Sunshine Band) was partially paralyzed in a Hialeah, Florida auto crash. Recovery took a year.

1992 – Inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame included Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, Booker T. & The MGs, Johnny Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam and Dave and The Yardbirds.
Also inducted (in the Non-Performers category) were Bill Graham, Leo Fender and Doc Pomus, while Professor Longhair and Elmore James were inducted as Early Influences.

1992 – Dee Murray (bass guitarist with Elton John’s band – ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’) died from a stroke while battling skin cancer).

1994 – Harry Nilsson (‘Everybody’s Talkin’, ‘Coconut’, ‘Me And My Arrow’) died of heart failure.

1998 – Junior Wells (harmonica ace and blues vocalist – ‘Little By Little’) died of lymphoma.

2012 – Fumio Nunoya (lead singer with Blues Creation – ‘Smokestack Lightning’) died after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

2012 – Terry Dolan (singer/guitarist with Terry & The Pirates – ‘Montana Eyes’) died of a heart attack.

SPORTS HISTORY

1934 – Despite hitting .301 with 34 home runs and 103 RBI in 1933, Babe Ruth was offered – and accepted – a contract which reduced his salary from $52,000 to $35,000.

1967 – The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, in the AFL-NFL World Championship. Although it has become known as Super Bowl I, the term “Super Bowl” was not officially introduced until 1969.

1978 – The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos, 27-10, at Super Bowl XII. For the first and only time in Super Bowl history, there were co-MVP’s; DT Randy White and DE Harvey Martin.

1981 – Pitcher Bob Gibson was the sole eligible candidate to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

1990 – George Foreman, on the comeback-trail at 42 years of age, knocked out Gerry Cooney in the second round at Atlantic City, NJ. Foreman became the oldest [age 45] ever to win the heavyweight title when he knocked out Michael Moorer in 1994.

1994 – Following the New York Giants’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL playoff game, linebacker Lawrence Taylor announced his retirement from football.

1995 – The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38-28 in the NFC championship game and the San Diego Chargers edged the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 in the AFC title game.

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