History Schmistory: August 31. Zeppelin’s Zeppelin
Thursday, August 31, 2023
1895: German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon. He soon explores the heavens in search of the elusive stairway.
![By Till Krech from Berlin, Germany (stairway to heaven Uploaded by perumalism) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/400px-Stairway_to_heaven_156690123.jpg)
By Till Krech from Berlin, Germany (stairway to heaven Uploaded by perumalism) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 30. “Vhaaaat?”
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
1940: Nazi Germany re-assigns Romania’s Northern Transylvania territory to Hungary. They hold daytime meetings to avoid Dracula.
![By Screenshot from "Internet Archive" of the movie Dracula (1958) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Dracula_1958_c.jpg)
By Screenshot from “Internet Archive” of the movie Dracula (1958) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Deadword of the Day: Errorist
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Errorist: One who errs. A proliferator of error.
As in: Major League Baseball has had its share of errorist attacks.
History Schmistory: August 25. Life on the Moon?
Friday, August 25, 2023
1835: The New York Sun begins to perpetuate what later became known as the Great Moon Hoax, six articles written by a fictitious doctor who claimed that he viewed the moon through “an immense telescope of an entirely new principle” and discovered it was inhabited by, among other things, bat-people…
![See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Great-Moon-Hoax-1835-New-York-Sun-lithograph-298px.jpg)
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The articles caused quite a stir, not seen again until another bat-like hoax hit the mainstream many moons later…
![By Vinya [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2007-Michael_Clayton-George_Clooney102824.jpg)
By Vinya [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 24. More Gospels Omitted!
Thursday, August 24, 2023
1456:  The Gutenberg Bible, the first major book produced on a moveable-type printing press, is complete.
![By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) (originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/800px-Gutenberg_Bible_Lenox_Copy_New_York_Public_Library_2009._Pic_01.jpg)
By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) (originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: August 23. Silence! The Mad King Speaks!
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
1775: King George III declares that the American colonies exist in a state of open and avowed rebellion. And that his teacup has turned the sugar against him.
History Schmistory: August 22. “My kingdom for a horse!”
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
1485: Richard III is killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Sadly, no horse arrived in time to take advantage of the swingin’ deal.
![See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/427px-King_Richard_III.jpg)
See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Deadword of the Day: Farded
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Farded: Painted, embellished with color or decor.
As in: Somebody farded in here.Â
Michelangelo farded this one on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
History Schmistory: August 20. Who brought the cannon?
Sunday, August 20, 2023
1882: Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky premiers the 1812 Overture in Moscow, with a section of real cannon blasting away during the finale. Six months later a cannonball falls out of the sky and kills Wagner. It was that awesome.
Don’t think you know it? Skip to 3:05….
History Schmistory: August 16. Can you hear me now?
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
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](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/800px-Atlantic_cable_Map.jpg)
See page for author [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
[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.
