This Day in History

[Amnorix]

Today...

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Shouldn't she sign her wedding certificate with her maiden name? Otherwise, you can't tell who got married other than her first name.

Or was this the guest book or something? And did they have a lot of guests at their wedding? I would bet that it was a small affair.

Actually, the more I think about it, their wedding would have been kind of interesting.

Justice of the Peace: Do you take her for your lawfully wedded wife, until death do you part?

Hitler: Ja, ja, and on that topic we might want to hurry up.

More like their honeymoon.

Eva: Adolf, dear, where should we go?

Adolf: Vell, I am the dictatorial ruler of all Germany! Currently that means we can go about 100 yards in any direction outside of my bunker.

Eva: Ok. We can stay here and cuddle tonight. What about tomorrow?

Adolf: Ja. Tomorrow. I think I shall go to hell.

Eva: This wasn't the honeymoon package I was looking for...

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Donger

It is spelled correctly in the preceding post, too.

Yeah, no clue. Weird. I'd like to say I just read a lengthy book about Gustavus Adolphus or something, but, umm, I can't.

[Rain Man]

When she threw the bouquet, do you think it was hit by Russian machine gun fire?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

More like their honeymoon.

Eva: Adolf, dear, where should we go?

Adolf: Vell, I am the dictatorial ruler of all Germany! Currently that means we can go about 100 yards in any direction outside of my bunker.

Eva: Ok. We can stay here and cuddle tonight. What about tomorrow?

Adolf: Ja. Tomorrow. I think I shall go to hell.

Eva: This wasn't the honeymoon package I was looking for...

Eva: "I've always wanted to visit Buenos Aries."

Hitler: "You know, that's a really good idea."

[Donger]

Ugh. My history memory is getting fuzzy. Eva did not write "Braun" and then scratch it out. She actually began to write "Braun" but only made it to the "B" which she then scratched out.

My sincere apologies for my egregious error.

[Amnorix]

May 1

1707. The Act of Union welds the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain. Of course, "welds" is used loosely here...

1863. The beginning of the Battle of Chancellorsville. Probably Confederate General Lee's finest hour, he bravely splits his forces in the face of a numerically superior enemy, flanks the Union forces, and inflicts a sweeping defeat. Unfortunately for the Confederacy, the price is high. Scouting the Union positions after nightfall, General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson is shot by his own men while returning to his lines. In addition, Confederate casualties are nearly 25%, men it could not easily replace.

The Union effort is led by General Joseph Hooker, using what is really a very well thought out battle plan reflecting far more energy and intelligent thought than those used by any other Union commander until Grant. Hooker's efforts, however, are thwarted by a comedy of errors regarding Union communications, inferior Union commanders at the corps and division levels, and the aggressiveness of Generals Lee and Jackson.

Following the defeat, Hooker is replaced by Meade. More importantly, Lee decides to go over to the offensive, invading Pennsylvania and meeting defeat at Gettysburg two months later.

(if I have time I will do a detailed analysis of Chancellorsville, which is one of the more interesting of the Civil War battles. Anyone keenly interested should read Chancellorsville, by Stephen Sears.)

1956. The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk is made public. No word on whether BigGrandDaddy declared that it would inevitably cause autism or other childhood neurological disorders.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

Interesting. I knew that Chernobyl happened on my birthday, but I was unaware the gestapo was formed as well. If it wasn't for me, the whole day would be cursed.

[Amnorix]

May 2

1670. Charles II grants a royal charter to the Hudson Bay Company to open up fur trading in North America.

1885. King Leopold II of Belgium establishes the Congo Free State. This is colonialism taken to its ultimate absurdity -- a government which is actually a corporation established by King Leopold and owned by him individually for his sole benefit. Some of the worst international scandals of the early 20th century result. Wars, slavery, mutilations, racial incidents -- it's effectively impossible to overstate the horrific results of Leopold's greed -- a greed well fed by the Congo's plentiful rubber production at a time when rubber demand was starting to boom. Two famous authors took notable aim at him -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) in "the Crime of the Congo", which was widely read in early 1900, and Mark Twain in "King Leopold's Soliloquy". In 1908, the government of Belgium took over the administration of the country and annexed it, in reaction to worldwide condemnation.



1945. Soviet forces raise their flag over the Reichstag building in Berlin.

[Jenson71]

What a bad, bad guy. The hands of children hacked off because they did not produce enough rubber for him.

Such a contrast to the next King of Belgium: Leopold's nephew Albert, a pious Catholic who valiantly stood up to German aggression in WWI.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Jenson71

What a bad, bad guy. The hands of children hacked off because they did not produce enough rubber for him.

Such a contrast to the next King of Belgium: Leopold's nephew Albert, a pious Catholic who valiantly stood up to German aggression in WWI.

Yes, history has mostly forgotten about Leopold, but he was complete scum-sucking vermin.

[Amnorix]

May 3

1494. Christopher Columbus sights land that will ultimately be called Jamaica.

1715. Halley's Eclipse. Mostly known for a certain famous comet, Edmund Halley was one of the foremost astronomers of his day, and also provided invaluable support to the world by convincing (and financing the efforts of) some dunce named Isaac Newton to write a book called Principia Mathematica. On this day, however, occurred an total solar eclipse over England and much of Northern Europe. What was notable was that Halley predicted the time of the eclipse to within three minutes, and also the path of the eclipse with a predictive map which ultimately was accurate to within about 15 miles.

1921. West Virginia introduces the first state sales tax.

1951. The United States senate begins hearings regarding the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur. The hearings are the result of public outcry after MacArthur's dismissal, and led largely by the Republicans in the Senate. Senator Robert Taft, "Mr. Republican" and the son of former President and Chief Justice Taft, excoriates Truman and demands his impeachment!

Originally Posted by Senator Robert Taft

President Truman must be impeached and convicted. His hasty and vindictive removal of Gen. MacArthur is the culmination of series of acts which have shown that he is unfit, morally and mentally, for his high office. . . . The American nation has never been in greater danger. It is led by a fool who is surrounded by knaves. . .

The Senators begin the hearings with MacArthur, who repeatedly suggests that he was not aware of any friction or problems with any of his superiors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, etc., and then are completely astonished when all of Truman's advisors -- which include American heroes such as former head of the United States Army George Marshall (then Secretary of State) and Omar Bradley (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) uniformly support Truman's decision.

1963. The police in Birmingham, Alabama switch tactics and begin to use force against African-American protestors. The violent suppression is transmitted worldwide, bringing international attention to the civil rights movement.

[Amnorix]

May 4

1626. Pope Alexander VI issues the Papal Bull Inter Caetera, giving most of the New World to the Crowns of Aragon and Castile (i.e. Spain).

1814. Emperor Napoleon I arrives at the Island of Elba, beginning his exile.

1904. The United States begins construction on the Panama Canal. Those who are really interested should read David McCullough's somewhat painfully lengthy book on the topic.

1904. Charles Stewart Rolls meets a fellow named Frederick Henry Royce at a hotel in Manchester, England, having been introduced by a mutual friend. Their first car, the Rolls-Royce 10hp (yes, that's a 10 horsepower car), was introduced a bit over 6 months later, in December 1904. A total of 16 werre believed made, of which four are known to still be in existence. The oldest of these was sold in 2007 for $3.6 million British Pounds (about $5 million US dollars at current conversion rates).



1942. The Battle of Coral Sea begins. The first naval battle in history between carriers, it is also the first battle where opposing naval forces never see each other, and opposing ships never fire a shot themselves. The battle results after the US Navy moves to block the Japanese from occupying Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi, in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese were seeking to strengthen their defensive perimeter, while the US moved to block based on learning of the Japanese intentions via signals intelligence. The battle is a tactical victory for the Japanese, who inflicted more damage on the American navy than it received, but is a strategic victory for the US, as the Japanese invasion plan was thwarted. Additionally, the Japanese fleet carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku (both of which were involved in the attack at Pearl Harbor) are put out of action -- by damage and loss of aircraft -- for the upcoming Battle of Midway, which would result in a decisive victory for the US Navy.

Soon thereafter, as a direct result of the vulnerability the Japanese were trying to protect against by the now-thwarted invasion, the Americans launch their attack at Guadalcanal, and MacArthur begins his New Guinea campaign. These operations combine to break the Japanese defenses in the South Pacific, safeguard Australia from attack, and contribute to the eventual Japanese defeat.

1970. The Ohio National Guard, sent to stop rioting at Kent State protesting the Vietnam War, fire on the protestors, killing four and wounding nine.

[Amnorix]

May 5

1215. Barons in England begin renouncing their allegiance to King John. This begins the chain of events that will result in the Magna Carta.

1260. Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis, takes the title of Great Khan. He had been commander of the Eastern Armies of the Mongol Empire, in the process of conquering China. He completes that mission while Great Khan, forming the Yuan Dynasty in 1271. He also has tremendous influence over the western portions of the Mongol Dynasty -- the Ilkhanate (modern Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, and portions of surrounding countries) and the Golden Horde of the steppes. He also welcomes Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant, to China, greatly increasing his fame in the western world.

1821. Napoleon dies while in exile on the island of Helena.

1862. Cinco de Mayo! Troops halt a French invasion in the Battle of Puebla, Mexico.

1864. The Battle of the Wilderness begins, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. One of the nastiest of the Civil War, the battle lasts for days and covers some of the same ground that previous battles, most famously Chancellorsville, were fought on earlier in the war. The impenetrably thick brush and woods makes visibility poor. The most horrifying part is that weapons of the combatants light portions of the brush on fire, which rages in portions of the wilderness, including between the lines. Wounded men of both sides, unable to flee or be rescued, are heard screaming and perishing throughout the nights.

A tactical victory for Lee, perhaps, having inflicted more casualties on Grant's forces, it fails to thwart Grant's relentless determination to get to Richmond. The most notable part of this engagement isn't the fight, but what happened afterwards. In every previous engagement between Union and Confederate forces in this and similar areas between Washington and Richmond, the Union had disengaged and then withdrawn to positions behind the nearest river. This time, Grant withdraws but orders a march by the left flank, continually trying to get around Lee. The Army of the Potomac never again leaves Virginia soil until the end of the war.

Originally Posted by Historian James McPherson

While the armies skirmished warily on May 7, Grant prepared to march around Lee's right during the night to seize the crossroads village of Spotsylvania a dozen miles to the south. If successful, this move would place the Union army closer to Richmond than the enemy and force Lee to fight or retreat. All day Union supply wagons and the reserve artillery moved to the rear, confirming the soldiers' weary expectation of retreat. After dark the blue divisions pulled out one by one.

But instead of heading north, they turned south. A mental sunburst brightened their minds. It was not another "Chancellorsville ... another skedaddle" after all. "Our spirits rose," recalled one veteran who remembered this moment as a turning point in the war. Despite the terrors of the past three days and those to come, "we marched free. The men began to sing." For the first time in a Virginia campaign the Army of the Potomac stayed on the offensive after its initial battle.^[

1891. The Music Hall in New York City (later renamed Carnegie Hall) opens, with Tchaikovsky as guest conductor.

1945. Admiral Karl Konitz, now President of Germany, orders all U-boats to cease offensive operations and return to their bases. Prague rises up against their German occupiers. Wehrmacht troops capitulate in Denmark and the Netherlands

[Amnorix]

May 6


1527. Spanish and German troops, under the leadership of the Duke of Bourbon, sack Rome as the result of a dispute between Pope Clement VII and Hapsburg King Charles V. 147 Swiss Guards die to give the Pope time to flee to Castle Saint'Angelo. Rome suffers all of the pillaging and rape ordinary of the conquest of a city during the Middle Ages, and this date is considered the "end" of the Renaissance era in Rome. After a one month stay, the Pope surrenders himself and the castle. He is then imprisoned there for six months, after which he bribes imperial officers and escapes. Meanwhile, in Florence, his family (he was a d'Medici) is expelled by his family's enemies as a consequence of his humiliation. He only returns to a devastated Rome in October, 1528. Clement VII, not a particularly strong-willed character, spends the rest of his life trying very hard to avoid annoying Charles V ever again.

In memory of the Swiss Guard's sacrifice, new members are sworn into the service of the Vatican on only one day of the year -- May 6th.

[must....fight.....urge.....to....post.....more.....pictures......of.....those....silly.....uniforms. ...]

1863. The Battle of Chancellorsville ends when the Union withdraws to positions behind the Rapidan River. The federals withdrew overnight, and Lee is enraged the next morning when they are gone. He may have been very lucky, however -- the Union had formed into very strong defensive positions, and it's an open question whether Lee, who had intended to assault the Union, would not have suffered a very serious defeat. The defeat will instead come later, at Gettysburg, after Lee switches over to the offensive.

1937. The German Zeppelin Hindenburg catches fire and burns in less than a minute while attempting to dock in Lakehurst, New Jersey. 36 people are killed.

1942. American forces on Corregidor (an island in the Phillipines) surrender to the Japanese.

1994. The Channel Tunnel officially opens.

2001. In Syria, Pope John Paul II becomes the first Pope to enter a mosque. (thought this was an interesting one...)

[Amnorix]

May 7


1915. A German U-Boat fires on and sinks the USS Lusitania. Over 1,000 are killed, including over 100 Americans. The incident causes many Americans to reconsider their positions regarding American involvement in World War I.

1945. General Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms at Reims, France, ending German involvement in World War I. The terms go into effect the next day.

1952. Geoffrey Dummer publishes the concept of the integrated circuit.

1954. the Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends (it started in March), with the French suffering a total defeat.

1999. Pope John Paul II visits Romania. This is notable primarily becuase he becomes the first Pope to visit a predominantly Eastern Orthodox Country since the Great Schism of 1054.

(a day or two ago I posted about PJPII being the first Pope to enter a mosque. Who knew he was such a wild and crazy guy?!?}