History Schmistory: December 9. These Woods Rock!

1962: The Petrified Forest National Park is established in Arizona. Local trees are too petrified to speak.

By Kumar Appaiah [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Kumar Appaiah [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: December 8. Duck and Cover!

1953: United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers the speech that launches the “Atoms for Peace” program, which supplied information to schools, hospitals, and research institutions on how to stop worrying and love the bomb.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Atoms_for_Peace_stamp.jpg

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: December 7. “We’ve been expecting you”

1995: The Galileo spacecraft arrives at Jupiter more than six years after it was launched by Space Shuttle Atlantis. Jupiter bakes a cake.

By NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: December 6. We’re number one!

1884: The Washington Monument in Washington D.C. is completed. Today it remains the tallest stone structure ever built, as well as the tallest obelisk. It took over 36 years to complete, and 106 years to crack in a Virginia earthquake. Uncle Sam denies any symbolism in the damaged symbol.

By Diliff (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Diliff (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: December 5. In a cavern, in a canyon…

1848: US President James K. Polk confirms that boat loads of gold have been discovered in California, leading to it’s ridiculous population surge in 1849. The miners who moved in by the thousands quickly become known as the 49ers, and they went on to win 5 Super Bowl titles and currently have the leagues most stifling rush defense… …wait…

By Molly Hayden, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs (See 4th image on slideshow) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Molly Hayden, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii Public Affairs (See 4th image on slideshow) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: December 3. Keep your pants on!

1927: Putting Pants on Philip, the first Laurel and Hardy film, is released. If you don’t know them, get on it. Here’s a good start!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_and_Hardy#/media/File:The_Flying_Deuces_(1939)_1.jpg

By film screenshot (RKO) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: December 2. Hubble Trouble.

1993: NASA launches the Space Shuttle Endeavor on a mission to repair the damaged Hubble Space Telescope, and, of course, terminate the culprits…

By NASA/Kim Shiflett [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By NASA/Kim Shiflett [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: November 30. Jersey Shake.

1783: A magnitude 5.3 earthquake strikes New Jersey, the largest in the state’s history. Citizens threaten to punch the earth in the face.

 

Armand85 at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Armand85 at English Wikipedia [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: November 29. Going South.

1929: U.S. Admiral Richard Byrd becomes the first person to fly over the South Pole. Say, if Santa Claus lives in the North Pole, then who lives in the South Pole? Could it be…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus#/media/File:Gruss_vom_Krampus.jpg

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: November 28. “Someone should invent the windshield.”

1895: The first American automobile race takes place along a 54 mile stretch between Chicago’s Jackson Park and Evanston, Illinois. In a little over 10 hours, Frank Duryea wins by a two hour nose. Here we see the thrill of their victory…

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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