|
May 9
1873. The stock market in Vienna crashes, ushering in the "Long Depression", which was sometimes called the Great Depression until the 1929 Depression seized that title. No word yet from BEP as to how this was the fault of the Federal Reserve (formed in 1913/14) or John Maynard Keynes (born 1883).
1941. The British Navy captures German U-Boat 110, thereby recovering an Enigma cryptography machine. This key development helps turn the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic.
1950. L. Ron Hubbard's book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is released. So called "Book One" of the pseudo-Church of Scientology, the Scientology calendar counts from this date (we're currently in Year 60 AD, for example (AD being "After Dianetics"). This concotion of unadulterated bullshit is released two years after Hubbard states at a SciFi convention that if you want to make a million, you should invent a new religion. He did considerably better than that, leaving an estate with a value of approximately $600 million when he died in 1986.
1955. Sam and Friends makes its first appearance on television. While that name probably doesn't ring any bells, the stars making their first appearance probably do -- Jim Henson, Kermit the Frog, and the Muppets.
1974. The House Judiciary Committee opens impeachment proceedings against President Nixon was a result of the Watergate scandal.
|