Mar 29

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

Mar 29, 2018 Week: 13\ Day: 88

86004 Today: H 58° \ L 28° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Nearest Lightning:  424 miles away

Wind ave.:   5mph\Gusts:  0mph Visibility: 10 mi

Record High: 70°[1934]   Record Low: 10°[1944]

Mar Averages: 46°\19°

Today’s Quote

Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.

  Jacques Yves Cousteau

Harper’s Index

-68  Percentage change between 1951 and 2014 in population of Venice’s historic center

+469  In the number of annual tourists

Observances This Week

20-4/5

National Cherry Blossom Festival

24-4/1

World Irish Dancing Week1

25-31

Holy Week
International Phace Syndrome Awareness Week
National Cleaning Week
National Protocol Officer's Week
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Week
National Physicians Week Link

Observances for Today

Knights of Columbus Founders Day
Little Red Wagon Day  Link 
Manatee Appreciation Day Link 
National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day
National Vietnam War Veterans Day  Link
Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day
Smoke and Mirrors Day

Texas Loves The Children Day

Today’s Significant US Historical Events

✪ Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

1500’s                                          

✪1549 The city of Salvador da Bahia, the first capital of Brazil, is founded

1600’s                                          

1638 1st permanent white settlement in Delaware (Swedish Lutherans)

1800’s                                          

1806 Construction is authorized of the Great National Pike, better known as the Cumberland Road, becoming the first United States federal highway

✪1847 12,000 US troops capture Vera Cruz, Mexico

1852 Ohio makes it illegal for children under 18 and women to work more than 10 hours a day

1900’s                                          

1945 Movie star Jimmy Stewart is promoted to full colonel, one of the few Americans to rise from private to colonel in four years

1951 "King & I" opens at St James Theater NYC for 1246 performances

1951 Julius Rosenberg and his wife Ethel Rosenberg are convicted of espionage and sentenced to death

1959 "Some Like It Hot", directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, is released

1961 23rd Amendment to the US Constitution ratified, allowing Washington, D.C. residents to vote in presidential elections

✪1961 After a 4½ year trial Nelson Mandela is acquitted of treason in Pretoria

1971 1st Lt William L Calley Jr found guilty in My Lai (Vietnam) massacre

✪1974 Chinese farmers discover the Terracotta Army near Xi'an, 8,000 clay warrior statues buried to guard the tomb of China's 1st emperor, Qin Shi Huang

1976 8 Ohio National Guardsmen indicted for shooting 4 Kent State students

1976 48th Academy Awards: "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", Jack Nicholson & Louise Fletcher wins

1982 54th Academy Awards: "Chariots of Fire", Henry Fonda & Katharine Hepburn win

1989 61st Academy Awards: "Rainman", Dustin Hoffman & Jodie Foster win

✪1989 I M Pei's pyramidal entrance to the Louvre opens in Paris

1993 Actress Elizabeth Taylor presented the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for work for AIDs causes at 65th Academy Awards

2000’s                                          

✪2004 The Republic of Ireland becomes the first country in the world to ban smoking in all work places, including bars and restaurants

✪2017 UK Prime Minister Teresa May sends a letter to the EU invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally triggering Brexit

My Rambling Thoughts

Nice spring day with nothing but spring weather ahead for a few more days.  Great! Weekly Shopping went well, quick and easy. Great!

As everyone is getting ready for Easter and the rebirth of spring my only hope is that ‘news’ is reborn as ‘news’ instead of commentary about what might or might not be news. Oh, and that crazies on both sides quit photoshopping pictures to make their opponents look stupid.

Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

90’s

@90- Isaac Mayer Wise,

rabbi/founder (American Hebrew Congregations)

(d. 1900)

80’s

@89- Eugene McCarthy,

American politician (Sen-D-Minn) and

presidential candidate,

born in Watkins, Minnesota

(d. 2005)

@88- Cy Young [Denton True Young],

American baseball pitcher (most wins in MLB history),

born in Gilmore, Ohio

(d. 1955)

70’s

79- Nancy Kwan,

actress (Flower Drum Song, Night Creature),

born in Hong Kong

75- Eric Idle,

English comedian, actor (Monty Python),

born in South Shields, England

75- Vangelis, [Papathanasiou],

composer/keyboardist (Chariots of Fire)

@74- Sam Walton,

American businessman

(founder and CEO of Walmart and Sam's Club),

born in Kingfisher, OK

bone cancer (d. 1992)

73- Walt "Clyde" Frazier, 

NBA guard (NY Knicks),

born in Atlanta

@72- Pearl Bailey,

singer (Hello Dolly),

born in Newport News, Virginia

heart disease (d. 1990)

@71- John Tyler,

10th US President (1841-45),

born in Charles City County, Virginia

stroke (d. 1862)

60’s

62- Kurt Thomas,

American gymnist (Olympics), actor (Gymkata)

50’s

54- Elle MacPherson,

supermodel and actress (Sirens),

born in Sydney, New South Wales

50- Lucy Lawless,

actress (Xena: Warrior Princess) and singer,

born in Auckland, New Zealand

30’s

@31- Karen Anne Quinlan,

famous comatose patient (right to die case)

(d. 1985)

Historical Obits Today

80’s

@84-1848 John Jacob Astor [Johann Jakob Astor]

German-American businessman

(first multi-millionaire in the United States)

@80-2014 Hobart "Hobie" Alter,

surf and sailing entrepreneur and

pioneer who created the Hobie Cat

70’s

@74-1980 Annunzio Mantovani,

Italian orchestra leader (Mantovani)

@73-2006 Salvador Elizondo,

Mexican writer

cancer

60’s

@69-2016 Patty Duke,

American actress (The Miracle Worker),

ruptured intestine

40’s

@43-1912 Robert Falcon Scott,

British pole explorer,

dies in Antarctica

30’s

@31-1891 Georges Seurat,

French post-impressionist painter (Pointillism),

diphtheria?/ meningitis?

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site contains mistakes and sadly once the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

☼☼☼☼…And That Is All for Now…☼☼☼☼

Mar 28

FYI: Any blue text is a link. Click to check it out!

Mar 28, 2018 Week: 13\ Day: 88

86004 Today: H 49° \ L 23° \ Average Sky Cover: 5% 

Wind ave.:   6mph\Gusts:  15mph Visibility: 10 mi

Nearest Lightning:  130 miles away

Record High: 68°[1971]   Record Low: -7°[1975]

Mar Averages: 46°\19°

Today’s Quote

Painting from nature is not copying the object;

it is realizing one's sensations.

   Paul Cezanne

Harper’s Index

1:6-Ratio of summer vacation cottages

         to permanent swellings in Finland

Observances This Week

20-4/5

National Cherry Blossom Festival

24-4/1

World Irish Dancing Week1

25-31

Holy Week
International Phace Syndrome Awareness Week
National Cleaning Week
National Protocol Officer's Week
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Week
National Physicians Week Link

Observances for Today

Barnum & Bailey Day
Something on a Stick Day

Virtual Advocacy Day Link
Weed Appreciation Day Link
Whole Grain Sampling Day  

Today’s Significant US Historical Events

≈Today’s Significant International Historical Events 

800’s                                            

≈845 Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving

1700’s                                          

≈1794 Louvre opens to the public (although officially opened since August)

1799 New York State abolishes slavery

1800’s                                          

≈1845 Mexico drops diplomatic relations with US

1866 1st ambulance goes into service

1881 "Greatest Show On Earth" was formed by PT Barnum & James A Bailey

1885 US Salvation Army officially organized

1900’s                                          

≈1930 Turkish cities Constantinople & Angora change their names to Istanbul & Ankara

≈1939 Spanish Civil War ends, Madrid falls to Francisco Franco

≈1944 Astrid Lindgren sprains ankle & begins writing "Pippi Longstocking"

1946 Cold War: The United States State Department releases the Acheson-Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.

≈1959 11 days after Tibet uprising, China dissolves Tibet's government & installs Panchen Lama

≈1960 Pope John XXIII appoints the first Japanese, African & Filipino cardinals

≈1960 Scotch whisky factory explodes burying 20 fire fighters in Glasgow, Scotland

≈1967 UN Secretary General U Thant makes public proposals for peace in Vietnam

1977 49th Academy Awards: "Rocky", Peter Finch & Faye Dunaway win

1990 Michael Jordan scores 69 points, 4th time he scores 60 pts in a game

1990 US President George H. W. Bush awards Jesse Owen the Congressional Gold Medal

2000’s                                          

≈2013 Pope Francis becomes the first Pope to wash the feet of women in the Maundy Thursday service

≈2014 Russia increases the price of gas to the Ukraine by 80%

v2017 World's largest dinosaur footprint at 1.7 meters found in Kimberley, Western Australia

2017 US President Donald Trump signs Energy Independence executive order undoing Obama climate-control measures

My Rambling Thoughts

I got a call yesterday that saddened me. A friend lost his 41-year-old son to a heart attack. Both father and son are well-known artists in the US. I have known the dad over 40 years, and the son all his life. They traveled together to many art shows. Jr. was becoming as well-known as his father in the past few years.  Just got a call that the funeral will be Friday. One never knows when their time is up.

Finally got all my tax info, I hope, and took them in to my tax preparer. Should know soon how I came out. Not holding my breath. Can’t complain ‘cause I am living a good life, but I do get upset about Medicare cost rises. Just doesn’t seem right.

My new internet is nice. It is noticeably faster, especially for Netflix.

Birthdays Today

@-  indicates age at death

90’s

@90- August A. "Gussie" Busch, Jr.,

American brewing magnate and

American baseball executive,

born in St Louis

(d. 1989)

80’s

@86- Jay Livingston,

composer (Buttons & Bows, Mona Lisa, Tammy)

(d. 2001)

82- Amancio Ortega,

Spanish businessman and

one of the wealthiest people in the world,

(founder of the Inditex fashion group),

born in Busdongo de Arbás, Spain

@81- Marlin Perkins,

American TV host (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom),

born in Carthage, Missouri

(d. 1986)

@81- Edmund Muskie,

American politician (Sen-D-Me) and

US Secretary of State (1980-81),

born in Rumford, Maine

(d. 1996)

70’s

75- Conchata Ferrell,

actress (Deadly Hero, Susan-LA Law)

74- Rick Barry,

Basketball forward (NY Nets, Golden State Warriors),

born in Elizabeth, NJ

73- Rodrigo Duterte,

Philippines politician, President of the Philippines (2016-),

born in Maasin, Leyte

@71- Henry Schoolcraft,

American geographer and geologist,

studied Native US tribes

(d. 1864)

60’s

@68- Maxim Gorky [Alexei Maximovich Peshkov],

Russian playwright and author

(Mother and The Lower Depths),

Park named after him

born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

(d. 1936)

63- Reba McEntire,

country singer (Can't Even Get the Blues)

40’s

48- Vince Vaughn,

American actor (Swingers, Wedding Crashers),

born in Minneapolis, Minn

30’s

37- Julia Stiles,

American actress (Bourne series, Save the Last Dance),

born in NYC

32- Lady Gaga [Stefani Germanotta],

American singer-songwriter (Bad Romance),

born in NYC

Historical Obits Today

80’s

@88-2012 Earl Scruggs,

American bluegrass musician

@88-2006 Caspar Weinberger,

US Secretary of Defense

@84-1958 W. C. Handy,

American composer and musician

known as the "Father of the Blues"

(Memphis Blues, St Louis Blues)

@82-2004 Peter Ustinov,

British actor, author, journalist, comedian and broadcaster

(Death on Nile, Logan's Run, Billy Budd)

@80-1979 Emmett Kelly,

circus clown (Weary Willy)

70’s

@78-1969 Dwight D. Eisenhower,

34th US President (R, 1953-61) and WWII general,

congestive heart failure 

@75-1712 Jan van der Heyden,

Dutch inventor (street lantern)

@74-2004 Art James,

American game show host

natural causes

60’s

@64-1953 Jim Thorpe (Wa-Tho-Huk),

versatile Sac & Fox athlete (Olympic gold-1912),

heart failure

50’s

@59-1941 Virginia Woolf-Stephen [Adeline],

British writer (To Lighthouse),

suicide 

@53-1584 Ivan IV [Ivan the Terrible],

Russian tsar (1547-84),

stroke

Disclaimer: All opinions are mine…feel free to agree or disagree.

All ‘data’ info is from the internet sites and is usually checked with at least one other source, but I have learned that every site contains mistakes and sadly once the information is out there, many sites simply copy it and is therefore difficult to verify. Also for events occurring before the Gregorian calendar was adopted [1582] the dates may not be totally accurate.

☼☼☼☼…And That Is All for Now…☼☼☼☼