OS and NS dates indicate dates before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 1582 and 1923.
The Gregorian calendar went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII on 24 February 1582. Its principal change was to space leap years differently so as to make the average calendar year 365.2425 days long, more closely approximating the 365.2422-day ‘tropical’ or ‘solar’ year that is determined by the Earth’s revolution around the Sun.
When the Gregorian calendar was put in use, the accumulated error in the Julian calendar was corrected by a deletion of 10 days. The Julian calendar day Thursday, 04 October 1582 was followed by the first day of the Gregorian calendar, Friday, 15 October 1582.
Turkiye had used the lunar Islamic calendar before adopting the Gregorian calendar in 1926. Saudi Arabia adopted the Gregorian calendar in 2016.
It has been proposed to make the Gregorian Calendar even more precise by eliminating the leap day every 4000 years. Because of issues that affect the length of the day over time, this adjustment is not considered necessary right now.
Anyone who wants to read a great historical novel about the empire at its peak and during its tragic fall, check out Aztec by Gary Jennings. Very good stuff.
In play:
The Adjustment Bureau, a 2011 sf romance, stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery and Terence Stamp. Damon plays an ambitious young Congressman and Blunt a ballet dancer with whom he falls in love.
Emily Blunt went on to star with Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow, a 2014 scifi dystopian movie. Matt Damon would appear in another scifi dystopian feature, 2013’s Elysium.
Let’s get back to it, shall we? I’m playing off of Montezuma.
The Marine Corps Hymn opens with the two stanzas,
From the Halls of Montezuma To the shores of Tripoli
The Marines’ Hymn is the most recognizable military hymn and the oldest official song in the U.S. Armed Forces.
“From the Halls of Montezuma” — dates from 1847, in the Mexican-American War, at the Battle of Chapultepec. The Battle of Chapultepec involved about 7,500 Americans, and about 400 were Marines. On the early morning of 13 September 1847, after an artillery bombardment the day before, the castle was assaulted. 40 Marines took part in the assault and they suffered 90% casualties. By 0900 hours the Mexicans surrendered the castle, opening the way to Mexico City which fell that same day.
“To the shores of Tripoli” — dates from 1805, in the First Barbary War, at the Battle of Derna. The battle involved a forced march of 521 miles from Alexandria, Egypt, to Derna, Libya through the North African desert along the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Commanded by 1st Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, the Marines led the attack on Derna. In less than two hours the city fell. It was the US Marines’ first battle on foreign soil, and also the first time ever the US flag was raised over foreign soil. This flag had 15 stars and 15 stripes and was used from 1795 to 1818, later made famous in the War of 1812 as the “Star-Spangled Banner” written by Francis Scott Key. This Star-Spangled Banner remains the only official American flag to bear more than thirteen stripes.
Six Mexican military cadets were killed in the battle of Chapultepec; they are highly honored in monuments and schoolbooks as the Niños Héroes (Boy Heroes, or Heroic Cadets). The eldest of them was 20 year old Juan Escutia, who leapt from the castle walls to his death, wrapped in the Mexican flag in order to prevent the flag from falling into U.S. hands. Several of them were 19 or 18; one was 14, and the youngest was 12.
Harry S Truman won considerable goodwill for the U.S. when, during a state visit to Mexico City, he laid a wreath at the tomb of the Heroic Cadets, the first President of the United States to do so.
The name of the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S Truman, is often seen in print without a period after the S. Truman served as #33 from 1945 to 1953.
The archives of the Harry S. Truman Library have numerous examples of his signature written at various times throughout his lifetime where his use of a period after the “S” is very obvious. Truman himself has said that the “S” did not stand for any name but was a compromise between the names of his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. He was later heard to say that the use of the period dated after 1962 as well as before.
Truman contributed to the “period” controversy in 1962 when, perhaps in jest, he told newspapermen that the period should be omitted.
Larry Bird wore the number 33 on his Celtics jersey in deference to his older brother, Mark, who wore the number on his jersey in high school. Mark wore the number in deference of Indiana legend Rick Mount, who won an NCAA title in 1966. Mount was also the first high school basketball player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
The first cover of Sports Illustrated featured a picture of Eddie Mathews of the Milwaukee Braves taking a swing at a pitch from a non-pictured pitcher for the New York Giants, in a game played on June 9, 1954, in Milwaukee County Stadium. That issue, however, did not include a story about that game or the Braves.
The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, and the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966. The final game at County Stadium was played in September of 2000, and the stadium was demolished the following year.
The grid coordinates for the old Milwaukee County Stadium are 43.03000, -87.97400. When pasted into the map today, Helfaer Field is now located there. Nearby are the original home plate of Milwaukee County Stadium, and also American Family Field where the Milwaukee Brewers have played since the 2001 season. From 2001-2020 American Family Field was named Miller Park.
Helfaer Field is a little league ballpark. Helfaer Field retains the old foul poles from the old Milwaukee County Stadium. The field is named for Evan Helfaer, a part-owner of the Brewers when they arrived in Milwaukee.
Not in play: I’ve been there once, about 10 years ago… It was called Miller Park then. I like that name. My team, the SF Giants, we’re playing the Brewers that day. It’s a very nice ballpark! And the fans were very nice. Even as I wore my Giants gear they were very polite. I’ve been to some ballparks where, sadly, that isn’t the case.
