I sometimes feel we need to be more cultured and refined here at the MMP. Thus, this week we shall begin with a history lesson just to couth things up a bit. The following monumental, astonishing, amazing and otherwise astounding events occured on this date January 23rd:
638 - Start of the Islamic Calendar
1265 - First English Parliament convened
1368 - In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries.
1492- “Pentateuch” (Jewish holy book) 1st printed
1556 - Most deadly earthquake kills 830,000 in Shensi Province, China
1570 - Earl of Moray, regent of Scotland, assassinated; civil war breaks out
1647 - Scottish Presbyterians sell captured Charles I to English parliament
1719 - Principality of Liechtenstein created within Holy Roman Empire
1793 - Humane Society of Philadelphia (1st aid society) organized
1845 - Uniform US election day for president & VP authorized
1849 - Patent granted for an envelope-making machine
1897 - Elva Zona Heaster is found dead in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The resulting murder trial of her husband is perhaps the only case in United States history where the alleged testimony of a ghost helped secure a conviction. (Y’all have just got to love this one! :D)
1909 - 1st radio rescue at sea
1912 - The International Opium Convention is signed at The Hague
1941 - Ground breaking for NACA (now NASA) Lewis Research Center
1943 - Duke Ellington plays at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the first time
1950 - Israeli Knesset resolves Jerusalem is capital of Israel
1960 - Bathosphere “Trieste” reach bottom of Pacific (10,900 m) (Once for twenty minutes)
1961 - Supreme Court rules cities & states have right to censor films
1973 - Helgafell, island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for 1st time in 7,000 yrs
1977 - Miniseries “Roots” premieres on ABC
1978 - Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, believed to be damaging to earth’s ozone layer
1983 - “A-Team” with Mr T premieres on NBC (This would be the cultural entry to class it up a bit)
1985 - Britains House of Lords debate 1st televised (OOOH!!! English CSpan!)
1991 - World’s largest oil spill, caused by embattled Iraqi forces in Kuwait
1996 - The first version of the Java programming language was released (A little sump’n sump’n for all the nerds)
2001 - The Chinese Communist Party stages a self-immolation in Tiananmen Square to frame Falun Gong and escalate the persecution.
2003 - Final communication between Earth and Pioneer 10
3268 - Beginning of 2nd Julian Period (1/1 OS) (This is just too weird to not include)
There is one more noteworthy occurance for January 23rd. Perhaps the most noteworthy of all for all of Mumperdom. For, you see, on this date, January 23, 1954, the Earthly debut of our very own FairyChatMom occured in Ye Olde Lande of Merrye! YAY!!! ::confetti fling::
And so, as is traditional for Mumper birthdays…
<ahem> clearing throat <ahem>
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HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR MMMOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
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Let the adulations, hijackin’s and general carryin’s on commence!
