History Schmistory: August 18. Truth or Dare?

1587: Virginia Dare, the first American child of English descent, is born. Sad news for the Truths, across the road, who are  two weeks overdue.

Henry Howe [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Henry Howe [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 17. Moving stick-people? One please!

1908: Fantasmagorie by Emile Cohl, debuts as the first animated film in history. Try it with your own soundtrack! … …Or don’t.

History Schmistory: August 16. Can you hear me now?

1858: The United States exchanges overseas greetings with the United Kingdom for the first time through the transatlantic telegraph cable.

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

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

Which was destroyed 4 weeks later by this guy…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Portrait of Wildman Whitehouse, 1856-1865, Maull and Polyblank, Science Museum, 1856-1865. Object No. 1980-2/50. © This image is available for use under the following license: CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0]

His complaint was it didn’t work fast enough, so he turned up the juice too high and fried the thing. Way to go, Wildman.

He tried to make it up to everybody with a communications device of his own…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one was amused.

History Schmistory: August 15. I see ridiculous pants in your future…

1519: Panama City is founded. A super great rock song is prognosticated shortly thereafter.

History Schmistory: August 14. Can’t get enough (US) Football?

1959: Founding of the American Football League (AFL), which lasted 9 seasons, then merged with the NFL as the AFC. The XFL wasn’t so lucky. Remember that? What a joke!

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

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

History Schmistory: August 13. Getting a-head

1792: King Louis XVI is arrested by the National Tribunal and declared an enemy of the people. When faced with the guillotine, he asked if they could just take a little off the top.

By Georg Heinrich Sieveking (http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/louis16_execution.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Georg Heinrich Sieveking (http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/louis16_execution.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 11. Welcome to the 500 club! Someone will be with you shortly.

1929. Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 500 career home runs. Though most agree it’s because he was all hopped-up on hot dogs.

 

By National Photo Company [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 10. A Voyage to Reminder

1519 – Ferdinand Magellan’s five ships set sail from Spain to circumnavigate the globe. Though Magellan was killed just before the final leg of the journey, the expedition was a success. Not only were they the first to encircle the globe, they were also the first to travel from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, as well as the first to cross the Pacific.

And yet it’s this guy gets a holiday?!…

Sebastiano del Piombo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Sebastiano del Piombo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 9. No more Richard jokes!

1974: President Richard M. Nixon becomes the only US president in history to resign. He does, however, retain the rights to all merchandising.
By Edmund S. Valtman [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Edmund S. Valtman [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Ludicrous Latin: Nulli Secundus

Second to none


… … Don’t tell this guy
 

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