Friday, August 28, 2009

Today in History...

Coupla interesting things that happened today, years ago...
476
West Roman Empire formally disbands/emperor Romulus August ousted
1565
Oldest city in the US, St Augustine Fla, established
1605 Henry Hudson discovers and explores Delaware Bay
1789
Sir William Herschel discovers Saturn's moon Enceladus
1830
1st locomotive in US, "Tom Thumb," runs from Balt to Ellicotts Mil
1837
Pharmacists John Lea & William Perrins manufactures Worcester Sauce
1859 A geomagnetic storm causes the Aurora Borealis to shine so brightly that it is seen clearly over parts of USA, Europe, and even as far away as Japan. 1861 Battle of Fort Hatteras NC
1862
Battle of Groveton, VA (2nd Battle of Bull Run, Manassas Plains)
1884
1st known photograph of a tornado is made near Howard SD
1898 Caleb Bradham
renames his carbonated soft drink "Pepsi Cola". 1907 United Parcel Service begins service, in Seattle
1913
Queen Wilhelmina opens Peace Palace (The Hague)
1916
Germany declares war on Romania, Italy declares war against Germany during WW I
1920
19th amendment acknowledges women's rights
1926
Indian Emil Levsen pitches complete doubleheader victory (Red Sox)
1938
Mauthausen concentration camp opens in Austria
1939
"Monty" becomes commandant of 3rd "Iron" Infantry division
1944
Last German troops in Marseille surrendered & Toulon cleared
1955
1st NFL preseason sudden death football, Rams beats Giants 23-17
1958
Nellie Fox sets record for consecutive games without striking out (98)
1959 Michael E. Palmer born in Guymon, Oklahoma
1963
Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream speech" at Lincoln Memorial
1964
US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1970
Phillies Larry Bowa steals home for 2nd time in 1970
1973
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple goes gold
1977
Nolan Ryan strikes out 300 batters for 5th straight year,
NY Yankee Ron Guidry faces just 28 men & beats Texas Rangers 1-0
1978
Donald Vesco rode 21'-long Kawasaki motorcycle at 318.598 mph
1981
John Hinckley Jr pleads innocent in attempt to kill President Reagan
1983
Greg Luzinski is 1st player to put 3 HRs onto roof at Comiskey Park
Joseph Kreckman sets record of 2,215 clay pigeons shot in an hour
1986
US Navy officer Jerry A Whitworth sentenced to 365 years for spying
1987
Mike Schmidt passes Ted Williams & Willie McCovey with 522 HRs
1989
Frank Viola & Mets outduel Orel Hershiser & Dodgers 1-0 (both Cy Young Winners)
1991 Soviet Union collapses, Mikhail Gorbachev resigns

1993
Long Beach Calif beats Panama for little league world championship
1994
94th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Tiger Woods
2003
An electricity blackout cuts off power to around 500,000 people living in south east England and brings 60% of London's underground rail network to a halt.

Not sure if you caught the event in 1959, and i'd like to draw your attention to that. Today, my oldest brother, aka "Big Bro" around The Table, turns the Half Century mark. Its weird, you know...having my brother turn 50...honestly stranger than me being over 40...and i don't know why. He doesn't look 50, he dang sure don't act 50...not that 50 is "old"...i've worked with people 30 years his elder and they, being old, didn't act 'old' either. I've come to realize that age is more a state of mind. I've worked with people in their late 40's/early 50's that seemed in their late 70's. "You're only as old as you think" is as true an axiom ever coined.

As a small child, my favorite memory is playing football with him in the living room with a tattered square pillow for a ball. I'd stand on the fireplace and he'd throw it at me...hard. i'd catch it, jump down, and run as fast as my little legs would go til i was tackled within a few steps. My brothers had a paper route and there were always rubber bands around for shooting each other, which we did, mercilessly. He encouraged me in my short lived little league baseball career, rode me around on his motorcycle and all his cool cars. Took me to so many farm league baseball games i couldn't count, and probably as many Sooner football games. He's been as good of a Big Bro as anyone could ask for. I don't say it near enough, in fact, don't remember the last time i did (and that's a shame) but I love you Mike, always have, always will. You've been an inspiration to me in ways you'll never know.

So Happy Five-Oh, i'll take another 50 with ya bro!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks little bro, I Love you too. I sure appreciate you more than you really know.
BIG BRO

Buck said...

Nice tribute, Jay. Yeah, I suppose "50 is the new 30" and all that follows with that statement. You're right in that one is only as old as one feels and/or acts.

Anonymous said...

You did a lot of research. Suppose everything is right on.... except the birthday boy was born in Edmond, Ok. I know. I was there through the whole process. The hospital was above the movie theater and I could listen to the dialogue going on below me. Yes, my oldest son is my pride, my joy and I love him with every beat of my heart.