this day in the yesteryear: Zoot Suit Riots Come to an End (1943)

Zoot Suit Riots Come to an End (1943)

Named for the style of clothing favored by the mainly Mexican-American victims of these clashes, the Zoot Suit Riots erupted between American servicemen stationed in Los Angeles, California, during World War II and the city’s minority residents. While the local press lauded the attacks by the servicemen and described them as having a “cleansing effect,” First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt denounced them as “race riots” rooted in discrimination. What happened to the nine sailors arrested in the riots? More… Discuss

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

Today in History June 3

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

1098		Christian Crusaders of the First Crusade seize Antioch, Turkey.
1539		Hernando De Soto claims Florida for Spain.
1861		Union troops defeat Confederate forces at Philippi, in western Virginia
1864		Some 7,000 Union troops are killed within 30 minutes during the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia.
1888		The classic baseball poem “Casey at the Bat,” written by Ernest L. Thayer, is published in the San Francisco Examiner.
1918		The Finnish Parliament ratifies a treaty with Germany.
1923		In Italy, dictator Benito Mussolini grants women the right to vote.
1928		Manchurian warlord Chian Tso-Lin dies as a result of a bomb blast set off by the Japanese.
1938		The German Third Reich votes to confiscate so-called “degenerate art.”
1940		The German Luftwaffe hits Paris with 1,100 bombs.
1942		Japanese carrier-based planes strafe Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands as a diversion of the attack on Midway Island.
1952		A rebellion by North Korean prisoners in the Koje prison camp in South Korea is put down by American troops.
1965		Astronaut Edward White becomes the first American to walk in space when he exits the Gemini 4 space capsule.
1969		74 American sailors died when the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans was cut in two by an Australian aircraft carrier in the South China Sea.
1974		Charles Colson, an aide to President Richard Nixon, pleads guilty to obstruction of justice.
1989		The Chinese government begins its crackdown on pro-democracy activists in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Hundreds are killed and thousands are arrested.
Born on June 3
1726		James Hutton, Scottish scientist, pioneer in the field of geology.
1804		Richard Cobden, English economist and politician.
1808		Jefferson Davis, President of Confederate States of America.
1904		Charles R. Drew, American physician, researcher of blood plasma.
1906		Josephine Baker, dancer and singer.
1922		Alain Resnais, French film director.
1926		Allen Ginsberg, American poet (Howl).
1936		Larry McMurtry, novelist (The Last Picture Show, Terms of Endearment).

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today’s image: Civil War Soldier Col. Alfred N. Duffie, 1st Rhode Island Cavalry, U.S.A

Civil War Soldier
Col. Alfred N. Duffie, 1st Rhode Island Cavalry, U.S.A. is poses for a photo during the American Civil War. Note the flag in the tent behind him.

Photo: Library of Congress

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this day in the yesteryear: Battle of Palmito Ranch Ends (1865)

Battle of Palmito Ranch Ends (1865)

More than a month after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending the American Civil War, fighting continued in other regions. The Battle of Palmito Ranch was fought in Texas on May 12-13, 1865, and was the last major clash of arms in the war. It ended with a Confederate victory, with 118 Union soldiers killed and a few dozen rebels wounded. Who was the last casualty of the battle—and likely the last of the war? More… Discuss

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picture of the day: The Swedish Nightengale

The Swedish Nightengale

Swedish-born Jenny Lind (1820-1887), the greatest operatic and concert soprano of her age, was already the toast of Europe when she was approached by American showman P.T. Barnum in 1847. Even before hearing her voice, Barnum signed the ‘Swedish Nightingale‘ for 150 American concerts at the enormous sum of $150,000. With the help of Barnum’s matchless marketing, Jenny Lind mania swept America, with crowds of the rich and famous and ordinary music lovers alike falling at her feet. This 1850 daguerreotype of Miss Lind was taken by Matthew Brady.

Image: Library of Congress

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today’s holiday: Mother’s Day (United States)

Mother’s Day (United States)

The setting aside of a day each year to honor mothers was the suggestion of Anna M. Jarvis of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, whose own mother had died on May 9, 1906. She held a memorial service and asked those attending to wear white carnations—a gesture that soon became a tradition. By 1914, President Woodrow Wilson had proclaimed a national day in honor of mothers, and some people still wear carnations on the second Sunday in May—pink or red for mothers who are living and white for those who have died. More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: The Panic of 1837 (1837)

The Panic of 1837 (1837)

In 1836, US President Andrew Jackson issued the Specie Circular, an executive order requiring purchases of government land to be made only with gold and silver currency, or specie. A shortage of specie soon made loans harder to acquire, and the US economy suffered. When the speculative bubble burst in 1837, every bank in New York City stopped payment in specie. The Panic was followed by a nationwide depression involving record bank failures and unemployment levels. Who was blamed for the Panic? More… Discuss

P. I. Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 1 “Winter Daydreams” (Fedoseyev)

 

Joseph Aknin

Uploaded on Jan 27, 2012

P. I. Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 1 “Winter Daydreams” in G minor, Op. 13 (1866)
П. И. Чайковский – Симфония № 1 «Зимние грёзы» соль минор, соч. 13:
1. «Грёзы зимнею дорогой (Dreams of a Winter Journey)». Allegro tranquillo g-moll
2. «Угрюмый край, туманный край» (Land of Desolation, Land of Mists). Adagio cantabile ma non tanto
3. Скерцо (Scherzo). Allegro scherzando giocoso
4. Финал (Finale). Andante lugubre. Allegro maestoso

Moskow Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Vladimir Fedoseyev
Recorded live at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, 1991

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

SOMEWHERE IN TIME

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

Today in History
May 7

558		The dome of the church of St. Sophia in Constantinople collapses. Its immediate rebuilding is ordered by Justinian.
1274		The Second Council of Lyons opens in France to regulate the election of the pope.
1429		Joan of Arc breaks the English siege of Orleans.
1525		The German peasants’ revolt is crushed by the ruling class and church.
1763		Indian chief Pontiac begins his attack on a British fort in present-day Detroit, Michigan.
1800		Congress divides the Northwest Territory into two parts. The western part will becomes the Indiana Territory and the eastern section remains the Northwest Territory.
1824		Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” premiers in Vienna.
1847		The American Medical Association is formed in Philadelphia.
1862		Confederate troops strike Union troops at the Battle of Eltham’s Landing in Virginia.
1864		The Battle of Wilderness ends with heavy losses to both sides.
1877		Indian chief Sitting Bull enters Canada with a trail of Indians after the Battle of Little Big Horn.
1915		The German submarine U-20 torpedoes the passenger ship Lusitiania, sinking her in 21 minutes with 1,978 people on board.
1937		The German Condor Legion arrives in Spain to assist Fransico Franco’s forces.
1942		In the Battle of the Coral Sea, Japanese and American navies attack each other with carrier-launched warplanes. It is the first time in the history of naval warfare where two fleets fought without seeing each other.Two crucial battles in 1942 marked the turning point of the war in the Pacific.
1943		The last major German strongholds in North Africa–Tunis and Bizerte–fall to Allied forces.
1945		Germany signs an unconditional surrender, effectively ending World War II in Europe.
1952		In Korea, Communist POWs at Koje-do riot against their American captors.
1954		French troops surrender to the Vietminh at Dien Bien Phu.
1958		Howard Johnson sets an aircraft altitude record in F-104.
1960		Leonid Brezhnev becomes president of the Soviet Union.
Born on May 7
1812		Robert Browning, English poet.
1833		Johannes Brahms, German composer.
1840		Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, Russian composer.
1870		Marcus Loew, film executive, consolidated studios to create MGM.
1892		Josip Broz [Tito], leader of Yugoslavia during after World War II.
1892		Archibald MacLeish, American poet and statesman.
1901		Gary Cooper, film actor (High Noon, Friendly Persuasion).
1909		Edwin Herbert Land, inventor of the Poloroid Land Camera.
1919		Eva (Evita) Perón, first lady of Argentina.
1932		Jenny Joseph, English poet and novelist (The Thinking Heart, The Inland Sea).
1943		Peter Carey, Australian writer (Illywhacker, Oscar and Lucinda).

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this day in the yesteryear: The Elektromote Is Tested (1882) Ernst Werner von Siemens

 

 

The Elektromote Is Tested (1882)

Ernst Werner von Siemens demonstrated his Elektromote, the world’s first trolleybus, on a

Werner von Siemens Español: Werner von Siemens Français : Werner von Siemens Magyar: Werner von Siemens Italiano: Werner von Siemens ‪Norsk (bokmål)‬: Werner von Siemens Português: Ernst Werner von Siemens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

591-yard (540-m) test track in a suburb of Berlin, Germany. The trolleybus was a converted four-wheel coach equipped with two electric motors. Electric power was transmitted to the coach via a flexible cable from a small, eight-wheeled “contact car” running on the power lines above. How long was the Elektromote in operation? More… Discuss

 

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today’s image: Abraham Lincoln (Image: Library of Congress)

Abraham Lincoln

Born on February 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States during one of the most turbulent times in American history. Although roundly criticized during his own time, he is recognized as one of history’s greatest figures who preserved the Union during the Civil War and proved that democracy could be a lasting form of government. Lincoln entered national politics as a Whig congressman from Illinois, but he lost his seat after one term due to his unpopular position on the Mexican War and the extension of slavery into the territories. The 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates for the Senate gave him a national reputation. In 1860, Lincoln became the first president elected from the new Republican Party. Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865.

Image: Library of Congress

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today’s image: George Armstrong Custer Marries Libbie Bacon

George Armstrong Custer Marries Libbie Bacon

After a courtship that began at a party on Thanksgiving Day 1862, Brevet General George Armstrong Custer and Miss Elizabeth Bacon, both of Monroe, Michigan, married on February 9, 1864. Until Custer died at the Battle of the Little Bighorn a dozen years later, Libbie followed him to postings throughout the West whenever possible. Libbie never remarried, even though she outlived her husband by 50 years, preferring to keep his memory alive by lecturing and writing books about their life together on the Plains. Elizabeth Custer lived comfortably in New York City until her death on April 8, 1933, at the age of 91.

Image: Library of Congress

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this day in the yesteryear: Confederate States of America Established (1861)

Confederate States of America Established (1861)

Although Abraham Lincoln had stated his willingness to tolerate slavery where it currently existed, his election as US president precipitated the secession of several Southern states. South Carolina, the first to secede, was soon followed out of the Union by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. On February 4, 1861, delegates from the seceding states met in Alabama to organize a provisional government. Who was elected president of the Confederate States of America? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: 15th Amendment to the US Constitution Ratified (1870)

15th Amendment to the US Constitution Ratified (1870)

Ratified during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Period, the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution was intended primarily to enfranchise former slaves. It states: “The right of citizens…to vote shall not be denied or abridged…on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Though the amendment’s purpose was not fully achieved until 1965, the first African American to exercise this right did so the day after the amendment was ratified by participating in what election? More… Discuss

picture of the day: Abraham Lincoln ratifies The Thirteenth Amendment

The Thirteenth Amendment
On February 1, 1865 Lincoln’s home state of Illinois became the first to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery throughout the United States. President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, but it had not effectively abolished slavery in all of the states–it did not apply to slave-holding border states that had remained with the Union during the Civil War. After the war, the sentiment about blacks was mixed even among anti-slavery Americans: some considered Lincoln’s address too conservative and pushed for black suffrage, arguing that blacks would remain oppressed by their former owners if they did not have the power to vote. After the amendment was passed, the Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help blacks with the problems they would encounter while trying to acquire jobs, education and land of their own.

Image: Library of Congress

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Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A Timeline Of Events That Occurred On This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

February 1

1327		Edward III is coronated King of England.
1587		Elizabeth I, Queen of England, signs the Warrant of Execution for Mary Queen of Scots.
1633		The tobacco laws of Virginia are codified, limiting tobacco production to reduce dependence on a single-crop economy.
1793		France declares war on Britain and the Netherlands.
1861		A furious Governor Sam Houston storms out of a legislative session upon learning that Texas has voted 167-7 to secede from the Union.
1902		U.S. Secretary of State John Hay protests Russian privileges in China as a violation of the “open door policy.”
1905		Germany contests French rule in Morocco.
1909		U.S. troops leave Cuba after installing Jose Miguel Gomez as president.
1930		A Loening Air Yacht of Air Ferries makes its first passenger run between San Francisco and Oakland, California..
1942		Planes of the U.S. Pacific fleet attack Japanese bases in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands.
1943		American tanks and infantry are battered at German positions at Fais pass in North Africa.
1944		U.S. Army troops invade two Kwajalein Islands in the Pacific.
1945		U.S. Rangers and Filipino guerrillas rescue 513 American survivors of the Bataan Death March.
1951		Third A-bomb tests are completed in the desert of Nevada.
1960		Four black students stage a sit-in at a segregated Greensboro, N.C. lunch counter.
1964		President Lyndon B. Johnson rejects Charles de Gaulle‘s plan for a neutral Vietnam.
1965		Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and 770 others are arrested in protest against voter discrimination in Alabama.
1968		U.S. troops drive the North Vietnamese out of Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon.
1968		South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu declares martial law.
1986		Two days of anti-government riots in Port-au-Prince result in 14 dead.
Born on February 1
1552		Sir Edward Coke, English jurist who helped the development of English law with his arguments for the supremacy of common law over royal prerogative.
1878		Hattie Caraway, first woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
1901		Clark Gable, American film actor (Mutiny on the Bounty, Gone With the Wind).
1902		Langston Hughes, African-American poet
1931		Boris Yeltsin, The first president of the Republic of Russia and prime minister of the Russian Federation.

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history/february-01#sthash.wNe3P04U.dpuf

Today In History (January 31) : What Happened This Day In History

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

January 31

1606		Guy Fawkes is hanged, drawn and quartered for his part in the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up Parliament.
1620		Virginia colony leaders write to the Virginia Company in England, asking for more orphaned apprentices for employment.
1788		The Young Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart dies.
1835		A man with two pistols misfires at President Andrew Jackson at the White House.
1865		House of Representatives approves a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery.
1911		The German Reichstag exempts royal families from tax obligations.
1915		Germans use poison gas on the Russians at Bolimov.
1915		German U-boats sink two British steamers in the English Channel.
1916		President Woodrow Wilson refuses the compromise on Lusitania reparations.
1917		Germany resumes unlimited sub warfare, warning that all neutral ships that are in the war zone will be attacked.
1935		The Soviet premier tells Japan to get out of Manchuria.
1943		The Battle of Stalingrad ends as small groups of German soldiers of the Sixth Army surrender to the victorious Red Army forces.
1944		U.S. troops under Vice Adm. Spruance land on Kwajalien atoll in the Marshall Islands.
1950		Paris protests the Soviet recognition of Ho Chi Minh’s Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
1966		U.S. planes resume bombing of North Vietnam after a 37-day pause.
1968		In Vietnam, the Tet Offensive begins as Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers attack strategic and civilian locations throughout South Vietnam.
1976		Ernesto Miranda, famous from the Supreme Court ruling on Miranda vs. Arizona is stabbed to death.
1981		Lech Walesa announces an accord in Poland, giving Saturdays off to laborers.
Born on January 31
1734		Robert Morris, signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
1797		Franz Schubert, Austrian composer (C Major Symphony, The Unfinished Symphony).
1919		Jackie Robinson, first African-American baseball player in the modern major leagues.
1925		Benjamin Hooks, civil rights leader.

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today’s holiday: Stephen Foster Memorial Day (2015)

Stephen Foster Memorial Day (2015)

Stephen Collins Foster (1826-1864) was a composer whose popular songs and ballads have found a lasting place in American music. When he died at the age of 37, he left behind more than 200 compositions—among them “Camptown Races,” “Oh! Susanna,” and “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.” January 13, the anniversary of Foster’s death, was proclaimed Stephen Foster Memorial Day in 1951. In Florida, this day is part of Stephen Foster Memorial Week, and events include performances by musical groups from schools and universities throughout the state. More… Discuss

Saint of the Day for Wednesday, January 7th, 2015: Raymond of Pennafort

Saint of the Day for Wednesday, January 7th, 2015

St. Raymond of Pennafort

St. Raymond of Pennafort, Patron Saint of Canonists (Feast day – January 7) Born in Spain, St. Raymond was a relative of the King of Aragon. From childhood he had a tender love and devotion to the … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Raymond of Pennafort St. Aidric St. Anastasius XVIII St. Brannock St. Canute Lavard St. Clerus St. Crispin St. Cronan Beg Bl. Edward Waterson St. Emilian

St. Felix & Januarius St. Julian of Cagliari St. Kentigerna St. Lucian of Antioch St. Nicetas of Remesiana St. Reinold St. Theodore of Egypt St. Tillo St. Valentine

today’s Image: George Washington Carver (Library of Congress)

George Washington Carver
After devoting his life to helping fellow African Americans through education, George Washington Carver died on January 5, 1943, at Tuskegee, Alabama. Carver was born the son of a slave woman in the early 1860s, went to college in Iowa and then headed to Alabama in 1896. There, at the Tuskegee Institute, Carver served as an agricultural chemist, experimenter, teacher and administrator, working to improve life for African Americans in the rural South by teaching them better agricultural skills. One of the farming methods Carver devised, using peanut and soybean crops to enrich soil depleted by cotton crops, revolutionized Southern farming. Carver became somewhat of a benevolent example of the potential of black intellectuals. He was well-respected by people such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, Josef Stalin and Thomas Edison, whose offer of a job for more than $100 a year Carver refused. Carver worked at Tuskegee until his death.

Image: Library of Congress

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Today In History: What Happened This Day In History “History is never OLD: The fleeting moment is…HISTORY!”- George-B

History is never OLD: The fleeting moment is…HISTORY!

Today In History: What Happened This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

Today in History
January 1

1500		The Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral searches the coast of Brazil and claims the region for Portugal.
1586		Sir Francis Drake launches a surprise attack on the heavily fortified city of Santo Domingo in Hipanola.
1698		The Abenaki Indians and Massachusetts colonists sign a treaty halting hostilities between the two.
1766		The Old Pretender, son of James III, dies.
1788		The Times, London’s oldest running newspaper, publishes its first edition.
1808		A U.S. law banning the import of slaves comes into effect, but is widely ignored.
1824		The Camp Street Theatre opens as the first English-language playhouse in New Orleans.
1830		William Lloyd Garrison publishes the first edition of a journal entitled The Liberator, calling for the complete and immediate emancipation of all slaves in the United States.
1863		Confederate General Braxton Bragg and Union General William Rosecrans readjust their troops as the Battle of Murfreesboro continues.
1863		President Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves in the Confederacy.
1891		Facilities opened on Ellis Island, New York, to cope with the vast flood of immigrants coming into the United States.
1907		The Pure Food and Drug Act becomes law in the United States.
1915		The German submarine U-24 sinks the British battleship Formidable in the English Channel.
1918		The first gasoline pipeline begins operation. Along the 40 miles and three inches of pipe from Salt Creek to Casper, Wyoming.
1923		Sadi Lecointe sets a new aviation speed record flying an average of 208 mph at Istres.
1937		At a party at the Hormel Mansion in Minnesota, a guest wins $100 for naming a new canned meat–Spam.
1945		In Operation Bodenplatte, German planes attack American forward air bases in Europe. This is the last major offensive of the Luftwaffe.
1959		Fidel Castro seizes power in Cuba as General Fulgencio Batista flees.
1986		As the United States builds its strength in the Mediterranean, Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi threatens to retaliate if attacked.
Born on January 1
1735		Paul Revere, U.S. patriot.
1752		Betsy Ross, flag maker.
1879		E.M. [Edward Morgan] Forster, English novelist (A Passage to India, A Room With a View).
1895		J. Edgar Hoover, founding director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
1919		J.D. [Jerome David] Salinger, U.S. novelist (The Catcher in the Rye, Franny and Zooey).

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.ey3JXbrM.dpuf

Civil War Photography
Alexander Gardner probably took this chilling photograph of Confederate dead awaiting burial on September 19, 1862. It and several others shot immediately after the Battle of Antietam show the first dead soldiers ever captured on film.

Image: Library of Congress

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/picture-of-the-day#sthash.37H4hkkK.dpuf

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today’s birthday: Mary Todd Lincoln (1818)

Mary Todd Lincoln (1818)

Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Abraham Lincoln, was a tragic figure of the American Civil War period. As First Lady, she was criticized for her use of taxpayers’ money in refurbishing the White House and was even accused of harboring Confederate sympathies. She struggled with depression after witnessing her husband’s assassination and suffering the deaths of three of her children, and she was committed to an insane asylum for several months in 1875. Who had her committed? More… Discuss

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quotation: Human nature is above all things lazy. Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)

Human nature is above all things lazy.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Discuss

Overdue Library Book Returned after 65 Years

A copy of Gone with the Wind has been returned to John R. Rogers High School in Spokane, Washington, after a very long absence. A slip inside the book shows that it was checked out of the school library by Betty Mandershied, one of the school’s students, on January 4, 1949. The book resurfaced this past October in Maine when Wayne Hachey discovered it in his father’s basement. Once Hachey saw that it belonged to the library, he offered to ship it back. In return, the school promised to waive the book’s nearly $500 in late fees. More… Discuss

Il était une bergère (Version playback instrumental) – Mister Toony

  Mister Toony

this day in the yesteryear: 13th Amendment to US Constitution is Ratified (1865)

13th Amendment to US Constitution is Ratified (1865)

The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution completed the process of abolishing slavery, which had begun with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Between February 1 and December 6 of 1865, the required three-fourths of the existing states—then 27 of 36—ratified the proposed amendment, making it law. Slavery offenses were still being prosecuted as recently as 1947. Which of the states that initially rejected the amendment finally ratified it in 2013, 147 years after it was adopted? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Japan’s Meiji Constitution Goes into Effect (1890)

Japan’s Meiji Constitution Goes into Effect (1890)

In the mid-19th century, Japan was forced to end its isolation by signing a series of unequal treaties that gave Western nations special privileges in Japan. The unpopular Tokugawa shogunate collapsed soon after and, in 1868, the boy emperor Meiji was “restored” to power. The Meiji constitution defined Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving its own power. What did Ito Hirobumi, who drafted the Meiji constitution, do to prepare himself for the task? More… Discuss

quotation: No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. Abraham Lincoln

No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Discuss

Just a thought: Take a full sensorial visit in nature:… by George-B

Just a thought: “Take a full sensorial visit in nature: No, not the tunnel type, meant to exclude senses but one, rather a total immersion in nature: see everything, hear everything, experience everything, without judgement, with the sole purpose of…being in that moment!” -George-B

today’s birthday: Thomas Nast (1840)

Thomas Nast (1840)

Nast was a US caricaturist and cartoonist who defined the genre of the American political cartoon. During the American Civil War, Harper’s Weekly published the first of Nast’s serious political cartoons, which earned praise from President Lincoln. His stylized, clever, and forceful cartoons were instrumental in breaking up the corrupt New York City political machine of William Tweed. Nast popularized the use of what symbols in his depictions of the US Democratic and Republican parties? More… Discuss

quotation: Abraham Lincoln As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Battle of Gettysburg Begins (1863)

Battle of Gettysburg Begins (1863)

The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, resulting in some 50,000 casualties in three days. It took place in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and signaled a turning of the tide in favor of the Union. The site is now a national cemetery, at whose dedication on November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. Seamstress Ginnie Wade was the only documented civilian casualty of the battle. How did she die? More… Discuss

THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: GRANT’S TOMB DEDICATED (1897)

Grant’s Tomb Dedicated (1897)

The remains of American Civil War general and US President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, lie interred in Grant’s Tomb. The granite and marble structure, designed by architect John Duncan, was completed in 1897 and dedicated on what would have been Grant’s 75th birthday. The tomb complex is located in New York City’s scenic Riverside Park. A major restoration by the National Park Service was completed by its centennial. What did Duncan use as a general model for his design? More… Discuss

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THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: BATTLE OF YORKTOWN BEGINS (1862)

Battle of Yorktown Begins (1862)

The Battle of Yorktown took place during the Peninsular Campaign of the American Civil War, a major Union offensive aimed at capturing the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. The battle began when Union forces, under the command of Major General George McClellan, encountered enemy troops near Yorktown. Though the Union forces initially vastly outnumbered the Confederate troops, they failed to exploit this advantage and instead laid siege to the city. Why? More… Discuss

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THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: PERMANENT UNITED STATES NAVY ESTABLISHED (1794)

Permanent United States Navy Established (1794)

The first incarnation of the US Navy was short-lived, established in 1775 and disbanded in 1784. However, with Barbary pirates harassing US merchant ships, Congress rethought its decision and established a permanent US Navy with the authorization to build six frigates in 1794. Three of these were welcomed into service soon after. The US Navy distinguished itself in the War of 1812 by unexpectedly defeating British forces several times. What role did naval power play in the American Civil War? More…Discuss

Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – Meeresstille und Glückliche Fahrt (“Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage”) Overture, Op. 27

Hanover Band, Roy Goodman. Paint by Moonlight on the Sea and the Rocks by Ferdinand du Puigaudeau

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY: WILLIAM FREDERICK “BUFFALO BILL” CODY (1846)

William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody (1846)

Cody’s father passed away when he was just a boy, leaving him to support the family. He worked as a wagoner, trapper, and prospector before joining the Pony Express at 14. After serving in the American Civil War, he became a buffalo hunter—hence the nickname “Buffalo Bill.” Writers chronicled his frontier exploits, making him a folk hero. He capitalized on his fame with “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show,” which toured the US and Europe for decades. How many buffalo did Bill claim to have killed? More… Discuss

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QUOTATION: Ambrose Bierce

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Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) Discuss

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QUOTATION: Ambrose Bierce

The desire to know whether or not a woman is cursed with curiosity is one of the most active and insatiable passions of the masculine soul.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)

 

THIS DAY IN THE YESTERYEAR: THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION IS FORMALLY ISSUED (1863)

The Emancipation Proclamation Is Formally Issued (1863)

Though this edict, issued by US President Abraham Lincoln while the country was embroiled in a bloody civil war, was largely a symbolic gesture and did not actually end slavery, it was a major step on the road to abolition and sent a clear message about the Union’s stance on the matter. The proclamation—which was almost entirely the work of Lincoln himself—declared free all slaves living in areas still engaged in revolt against the Union. What officially ended slavery in the US? More… Discuss

 

Word: SUBJUGATE

subjugate 

Definition:	(verb) Make subservient; force to submit or subdue.
Synonyms:	subject
Usage:	Their central idea, their grand aim, is to subjugate you, keep you down, make you feel insignificant and humble in the blaze of their cosmopolitan glory. Discuss.

 

Today’s Birthday: JESSE JAMES (1847)

Jesse James (1847)

James was an outlaw who became a legendary figure in American folklore. After the Civil War, he and a number of other former Confederate guerillas banded together to rob banks, trains, and stagecoaches across several states. He was later betrayed by fellow bandit Robert Ford, who shot him to death in 1882 in order to receive a $10,000 reward. Despite James’s reputation as a murderous thief, his exploits led to a number of romanticized legends, including rumors that he survived until when? More…Discuss

 

Today’s Birthday: JOHN DAVISON ROCKEFELLER (1839)

John Davison Rockefeller (1839)

After two years of high school, Rockefeller—the man destined to become, by some estimates, the richest person in history—got a job as a bookkeeper. A few years later, he formed a food handling firm that prospered in the American Civil War. In 1863, he entered the brand new oil business, and within 15 years, his company dominated the American petroleum industry. A noted philanthropist, he donated $550 million during his lifetime. It has been said that Rockefeller had what two ambitions in life? More… Discuss

Today’s Birthday: Joseph Pulitzer (1847)

Joseph Pulitzer (1847)

Born in Hungary, Pulitzer immigrated to the US during the Civil War and served in the Union Army. He later became a reporter and purchased and founded several newspapers, establishing the pattern of the modern newspaper by combining investigative reporting with publicity stunts, self-advertising, and sensationalism. In his will, he established the Pulitzer Prizes, annual awards for achievements in American journalism, letters, and music. What famous saying about journalism is attributed to him? More… Discuss

Today’s Birthday: Winslow Homer (1836)

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Today’s birthday:  Winslow Homer (1836)

A preeminent figure in American art, Homer was a largely self-taught landscape painter and printmaker. He trained as a lithographer, then became a freelance illustrator. As a correspondent for Harper’s Weekly, he won international acclaim for his depictions of the Civil War battlefront. In 1876, he abandoned illustration to devote himself to painting, later settling in coastal Maine, where the local people and seascapes became the focus of his art. What are some of his most famous works?

NYC – Metropolitan Museum of Art: Winslow Homer ‘s Prisoners from the Front

Prisoners from the Front
1866
Winslow Homer (1836-1910)
Oil on canvas; 24 x 38 in. (61 x 96.5 cm)

The material that Homer collected as an artist-correspondent during the Civil War provided the subjects for his first oil paintings. Homer had been an artist-correspondent for Harper’s weekly, contributing illustrations based on his observations of camp life.

In 1866, one year after the war ended and four years after he reputedly began to paint in oil, Homer completed this picture, a work that established his reputation. Exhibited in 1867 in Paris, it represents an actual scene from the war in which a Union officer, Brigadier General Francis Channing Barlow (18341896) captured several Confederate officers on June 21, 1864 The fine, lithe figure of the general was modeled from another officer, lower in rank but more notable than Barlow in bearing and appearance, and to this figure the portrait head of the general was subsequently affixed. The differentiations in types and attitudes are consciously depicted with Homer’s unfailing sharpness of vision and passionate veracity.. The background depicts the battlefield at Petersburg, Virginia. Infrared photography and numerous studies indicate that the painting underwent many changes in the course of completion. (From New York Museum Of Art)

I also like, among other paintings “Snap The Whip (1872) and “Girl and Laurel” (1879). I enjoy the force of the action,   the naturalism in  details, and the general composition, that give Homer’s paintings life.