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Remap

Dear Reader: Currently this blog is being redesigned and possibly will be removed to a new location. Please pend for new information.

February 19th

This Day in History:    

-- On this day in 1473, Nicolas Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland. Early on, the Pol became an astronomer, and was the first to develop the theory that the sun is the center of our solar system, not the earth. This later became known as the Copernican Theory, in honor of Copernicus, and nearly all scientists hold to it.

-- On this day in 1945, United States Marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima in the South Pacific. The island was a key stronghold of the Japanese, with 11 miles of underground tunnels swarming with 18,000 Imperial soldiers. It took 31 days and 70,000 Americans to take the island. Only 243 Japanese survived. The rest is history.

-- On this day, three years ago (2008), Fidel Castro, Communist dictator of Cuba, resigned power, and let his brother Raul take over. Fidel fought a guerrilla war to overthrow the Cuban government, which was successful in 1958. Ever since then, the Caribbean island has dropped into a dark age, with over 40 years of Marxist rule.

Random Fact of the Day:

In Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, the world’s smallest dinosaur footprints were found in 1984. They were made by a creature likely no larger than a robin.

February 18th

~~This Day in History:

--On this day in 1546, Martin Luther, the leader of the Protestant Reformation, died in Eiselben, Germany. Luther was indisputably one of the most influential characters in the Protestant Reformation. He was also one of the very few early challengers of the Roman Catholic Church (or Empire), who did not die by execution. Today, the Lutheran church is a denomination in the Protestant Church that is based on his teachings.

-- On this day in 1885, Mark Twain published Huckleberry Finn, one of the first modern American classics in literature.

-- On this day in 2001, Robert Hanssen, a veteran FBI agent, was arrested on charges for spying for the Russians. He pled guilty, and is serving a life sentence without parole. Hanssen was the most successful spy in the American government, and he leaked more information than any other...traitor... in our history.

~~Random Fact of the Day:

Chocolate chip cookies were made by mistake when the chocolate in the cookie did not melt properly.

February 17th

~~This Day in History:

 --On this day in 1801, the presidential deadlock between Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson was ended, and Jefferson was elected as our 3^rd President. He is probably most famous for his comments on “separation of church and state”, and for sending Lewis and Clark on their history expedition across the “Wild West”. He also signed a deal with Napoleon Bonaparte, the Louisiana Purchase, which gave much of the Midwest and northwest to the US.

-- On this day in 2008, Kosovo defiantly declared to the world that they were an independent country. Later, Serbia acknowledged that claim, and the tiny country that once was southern Serbia became the Republic of Kosovo.

-- On this day two years ago (2009), President Barack Obama signed the $757 billion economic stimulus package to “help balance” the economy.

~~Random Fact of the Day:

Cheesecake was invented in Ancient Greece and served to athletes at the very first Olympic Games.

February 16th

 

This Day in History:

-- On this day in 1804, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led a successful sting operation into Tripoli, Libya, to burn the USS Philadelphia, an American Frigate captured by Barbary pirates. It was the first time Americans executed a foreign foray, and it wasn’t to be the last.

-- On this day in 1918, the country of Lithuania declared its independence from Russia with its Act of Independence.  This small Baltic country was then occupied by the USSR, until Nazi Germany overran it in 1940. Later, Communist Russia once again took over Lithuania, and occupied it until the USSR fell in 1991.

-- On this day in 1923, archaeologists unsealed King Tutankhamen’s recently discovered tomb in Egypt. This tomb was fascinating to the modern world, and many previously unknown secrets of Ancient Egypt were uncovered inside the dust-filled hole in the desert.

Random Fact of the Day:

The border of your lips is called the vermilion-skin border.

February 15th

Portrait of Galileo Galilei

This Day in History: 

-- On this day in 1564, Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy. He was one of the most influential astronomers in modern history, and contributed much to the scientific field. It was he who first turned the telescope to the sky, and he discovered Jupiter's 4 largest moons. He also created the first thermometer.

-- On this day in 1898, the battleship USS Maine sank near Havana, Cuba, when it brushed up against a mine near the harbor. It sparked the Spanish-American War, which resulted in the Treaty of Paris. The Spanish forfeited the Philippines, Cuba, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the US. However, the American government consented to let Cuba and the Philippines form their own governments.

-- On this day in 1965, Canada dissed the Union Jack of the UK, and adopted the maple leaf flag. It still flies over the capital in Ottawa today.

Random Fact of the Day: 

The word “jumbo” is a term taken from the name of one of P.T. Barnum’s large circus elephants.  

The Muslim Crisis

In the last few weeks, the Muslim world seems to have gone completely chaotic. Egypt's government was overthrown, and a military coup is now in place. Algeria, Yemen, and Tunisia have also been rioting and protesting. Southern Sudan just had elections to secede from the North. Iran had protests this morning, and the military set off tear gas to dispel the crowds. Is this a good thing?
   My personal opinion is that some aspects are, and some aren't. Is it good that they are on the uprise? Yes, I do. The people of those countries have been oppressed and subdued for decades, some, for centuries. And now the people are taking after Egypt, and demanding reform. However, I think that it is a perfect chance for the Muslim Brotherhood to take control of the situation, and we could have another Afghanistan, except in several countries. Not good. I think right now, though, it is mostly impossible for that to happen in Egypt, as long as the military stays in power. It just won't happen.

February 14th

This Day in History: 

-- On this day in 1833, the state of Oregon was admitted into the Union. The Willamette Valley, where the Portland Metropolitan area now lies, was the destination of the Oregon Trail, a wagon turnpike that ran from Saint Louis, Missouri, to the Valley. Also on this day in 1912, Arizona became the 48th state. This state is home to many tourist sites, one of which is the Barringer Crater, the largest meteorite crater in the US.

-- On this day in 1907, the United Postal Service was started. It is now one of the largest mail deliverers in the market, it's largest competitors being the United States Postal Service, and FedEx.

-- On this day in 2003, Dolly the Sheep - the first cloned mammal - was put to sleep because of premature disease and aging.

Random Fact of the Day: 

After Bill Clinton won the 1992 election, the 3rd call he took—after President Bush’s concession & Vice President Quayle’s congrats—was from Whoopi Goldberg.

 

February 12th

~~This Day in History: 

-- On this day in 1809, two men were born within hours of each other, each to reshape the world in different ways. These men were Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. Darwin was born in a beautiful Victorian mansion in England; Lincoln, a log cabin in the wilds of Illinois.
  Abraham Lincoln was born a homesteader. He later became a country lawyer, and went on to be our 16th United States President. It was during his service and Commander-in-Chief that the American Civil War broke out, because many southern states wanted to secede from the Union. Pandemonium broke out. Lincoln wished for the country to be held together, though it was obvious it wasn't going to happen that way. War was declared, and from 1861 to 1865, the country was split in two, the northern states (Union), against the southern states (Confederates). However, the Confederates began to gain support from European countries, including England. This would have been devastating to the Union, and Lincoln signed, on September 22, 1862, the Emancipation Proclamation. It "declared" all slaves free from their masters in the south. It was a purely political move, and it caused foreign powers to back off from supporting. The Confederates lost, and in 1868, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by a radical. He is known as "Honest Abe", and is probably the most beloved and well-remembered USA presidents.
  Charles Darwin was born to a rich family in England. He later went into training to be a minster. However, after he went on a 3 year expedition on the HMS Beagle as a naturalist, he developed the evolutionary theory, which, in the simplest of terms, states that all beings evolved from more primitive creatures. He published 4 books, two of which (On the Origin of Species, and The Decent of Man) became a wild success. He later recanted his faith as a Christian, and became the "father" of evolution. He is celebrated in all fields of science and the root of all modern sciences (which is false. All his training as a naturalist came from CREATIONIST scientists, which knew much more on the subject than he did). Today, evolution dominates the scientific and educational realms, and has probably been the most influential component in the destruction of the modern Church.

-- On this day in 1999, President William Clinton was acquitted from the charges of purjery and obstructions of justice that would have led to his impeachment.

-- On this day in 2000, Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip, died at the age of 77. His comic strip is one of the most popular and well-known in the world.

~~Random Fact of the Day:

Since 1932, only Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush have failed in their bids for re-election to a second presidential term.

February 11th

~~This Day in History:

Thomas Edison in his Laboratory

-- On this day in 1847, inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born. Edison is possibly the most famous and influential inventors in the modern age. His creations numbered over 100, and some of them include the modern light-bulb, the phonograph (voice recorder), and first motion picture camera. The light bulb was one of the most influential inventions in modern history. More than 90% of Americans have 2 or more light bulbs in their homes. The phonograph he created was poorly designed, recorded on tin foil, and could only be replayed several times. He is justly called "the Wizard of Menlo Park". In 1832, he said this about his career:
"Genius is one percent inspiration. Ninety-nine percent is perspiration".

-- On this day in 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers seize control of Iran from the Shah. It was a turning point in Iranian history. Ever since then, the country has entered a "dark age". The Shah is still out of power, and one of Ayatollah Khomeini's most committed followers, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is now "president" of the country.

-- On this day in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from a life-sentence in prison. The South African was a supporter of the South African Communist Party, and the USSR "indirectly" backed him, attempting to have Communist rule in one of the world's most geographically strategic points: Cape of Good Hope. They were unsuccessful, and Mandela went to prison. He re-emerged in 1990, and won the election, becoming South Africa's first anti-arpetheid head-of-state in centuries. He won over 250 international awards, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.

~~Random Fact of the Day:

 “J” is the only letter of the alphabet not used in the atomic symbol for any element.

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Grant

February 10th



Victoria With her 9 children, and husband, Prince Concort Albert



~~This Day in History:

-- On this day in 1840, Queen Alexandrina Victoria of England married Prince Albert of Coxe-Saxony. They were cousins, and were married until Albert's death on December 14, 1861. The Prince Concort was very influential during Victoria's reign, and the Queen always consulted him before making a decision.  The Queen gave birth to 9 children, the oldest of which was named Victoria, after her mother. The two grew much attached, and Albert's passing plunged her into deep grief, and she wore black the rest of her life. She never re-married.

-- On this day in 1967, the 25th Amendment of the United State's ratification was completed. It was written on the subject of presidential succession and disability.

-- On this day in 2005, North Korea boasted to the world that it was in possession of nuclear and chemical weapons. Ever since then, the Communist entity has been "testing" its missiles in the Sea of Japan, and has become a world threat. It recently bombarded a South Korean island, killing several civilians and destroying many buildings.

~~Random Fact of the Day:
There is only one president who is a bachelor: James Buchanan.

February 9th Headlines

~~Pirates in Full Swing...~~

Somali pirates have successfully attacked TWO ships in TWO days. When will it stop? Somebody, and it doesn't have to be the US, needs to stop this! The pirates, from my own observation have been striking oil tankers. But not just ANY oil tankers. These ships usually headed for the US or other "infidel" countries, as these radicals call the Western World. The US seems to be slow in reacting, especially the Obama administration. Come on, people. That's OUR oil! WE bought it. And the military should PROTECT that oil. Or, another solution is just to take out all the pirates. Whichever you like...:D


Here's the link the full article: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/09/pirates-seize-greek-tanker-coast-oman/

February 9th

~~This Day in History:

-- On this day in 1861, the temporary Congress of the Confederate States of America elected Jefferson Davis President of the "rebel" country. He served from 1861 to the defeat and retaking of the Confederacy in 1864. Davis fled, even though President Abraham Lincoln (USA) granted him freedom from a prison or death sentence.

-- On this day in 1942, "day-light savings" was put into action, and the clocks were set forward one hour. Day-light savings is still in effect today, and next year will be it's 70th anniversary.

-- On this day in 1963, the first Boeing 727 took off. This airplane has carried more civilian passengers than any other passenger jet in history. It's predecessors are still in used, and include the 747, and the new, double-decked 787, which will be commissioned sometime next year.

~~Random Fact of the Day
After having an argument with his son about Crazy 8’s, Merle Robbins, a barber and card lover, invented UNO in 1971 in Reading, Ohio. He introduced the game to his family, and after they started it more and more he decided to have the game printed. It was a WILD success, and is very popular 40 years later.

February 8th Headlines

~~Healthcare...Defunded?~~

Today, the Republicans announced their plan to present a bill to the floor next week to defund and choke off money going to Obama Care. Without the funds, the Healthcare law can't work, and Obama and the Democratic Congress failed to pass any annual spending bills needed to fund it. Pray, people. Pray! Without money, Obama Care can't work!!!

Here's the link to the actual article. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/08/republicans-plan-choke-funding-health-care-law/

February 8th

~~This Day in History: 
-- This day in 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded for allegedly attempting to steal the throne from her sister, Elizabeth I. This was a key moment in Elizabeth's reign, for it most secured for England a monarch that believed in relative religions freedom.

-- This day in 1943, the Americans secured the island of Guadalcanal from the Japanese during World War II. This was one of the biggest and key battles in the Pacific Theatre. It took nearly six months and several thousand American lives to secure it. For the Japanese, it took 25,000 lives to defend it...unsuccessfully.

-- This day in 1958, Bobby Fischer became the youngest International Grand Master in chess history, having a perfect score of 11, 0. He was not even 14 years of age.


~~Random Fact of the Day:

“The Star Spangled Banner,” by Francis Scott Key, was originally a poem titled “The Defense of Fort McHenry,”

The Start

Hi, everyone!
  This is the start of Grant Bowers' new blog, "This Day...Past and Present". Every day, I post:

1) Three things that happened this day in history
2) The biggest news headline of the day
3) A random fact

Enjoy!!!