1812

Today in History 08/16 (Solar Flares)

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Energy leaving the sun's surface photographed at the National Solar Observatory east of Alamogordo in Sunspot, NM (© National Solar Observatory/AP)(1989) Space storms crash a stock market’s computers
All trading is halted on the Toronto Stock Exchange as three disc drives fail and computers crash. Scientists trace the failure to microchip interference from a geomagnetic storm caused by a massive solar flare, even larger than the one that took down Quebec’s power grid months earlier.
A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by a solar wind shock wave and/or cloud of magnetic field that interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field. The increase in the solar wind pressure initially compresses the magnetosphere. The solar wind’s magnetic field interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field and transfers an increased energy into the magnetosphere.
Magnetosphere rendition
Artist’s depiction of solar wind particles interacting with Earth’s magnetosphere. Sizes are not to scale.
wiki/Geomagnetic_storm
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(1989) Space storms crash a stock market’s computers.
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1812 | The British score an easy win against America
Recognizing that his enemy is massing forces he can’t take on, and fearing for his family, General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit to the British. The action will result in a death penalty, but Hull’s sentence will be pardoned due to his previous Revolutionary War heroism.
1898 | The vertical loop roller coaster is patented
Edwin Prescott is awarded a patent for an improved roller coaster design using a teardrop-shaped loop. The Loop the Loop will open in Coney Island in 1901, but the trend of looping roller coasters won’t really catch on until decades later.
1974 | Four ‘brothers’ from Queens take the stage in downtown NYC
Johnny, Tommy, Dee Dee, and Joey Ramone play the Bowery’s CBGB club in matching leather jackets, jeans, and attitudes, belting out their set of blistering songs in a style soon to be dubbed ‘punk.’ Rocketing from this first gig, the Ramones will change the course of rock ‘n’ roll.

Today in History 08/16/17

Illustration depicting US General William Hull, surrendering Fort Detroit to British general Sir Isaac Brock during the War of 1812 (© Kean Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)(1812) The British score an easy win against America
Recognizing that his enemy is massing forces he can't take on, and fearing for his family, General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit to the British. The action will result in a death penalty, but Hull's sentence will be pardoned due to his previous Revolutionary War heroism.
The Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the Anglo-American War of 1812. A British force under Major General Isaac Brock with Native American allies under the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, used bluff and deception to intimidate the American Brigadier General William Hull into surrendering the fort and town of Detroit, Michigan, and a dispirited army which nevertheless outnumbered the victorious British and Native Americans.
Start date: Aug 15, 1812
End date: Aug 16, 1812
Plan of the Town of Detroit and Fort Lernoult, 1792.
Plan of Detroit and its fort, 1792

wiki/Siege_of_Detroit
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Today in History 07/22 (Battle of Salamanca)

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Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, enters Salamanca before the Battle of Salamanca in Spain (© Hulton Archive/Getty Images)(1812) French are routed at Salamanca by Wellington
His historic battle with Napoleon at Waterloo less than three years away, Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Wellington, helps liberate Madrid as he leads Anglo-Portuguese units against France in the Battle of Salamanca, an offensive that will garner him great praise and a rapid military rise.
In Battle of Salamanca an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont’s French forces among the hills around Arapiles, south of Salamanca, Spain on 22 July 1812 during the Peninsular War. A Spanish division was also present but took no part in the battle.
Date: Jul 22, 1812

Battle of Salamanca 22 July 1812
W & A.K. Johnston Battle of Salamanca 22 July 1812 published by William Blackwood & Sons 1870
wiki/Battle_of_Salamanca
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(1812) French are routed at Salamanca by Wellington.
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1587 | English colonists land at Roanoke Island
Hundreds of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present-day North Carolina. Although a previous colony on the island had vanished, Sir Walter Raleigh hopes this second colony will flourish. But three years later, relief ships will find it completely deserted, and the Lost Colony of Roanoke will become a haunting mystery.
1793 | Explorer completes crossing of North America
Twelve years before Lewis and Clark reach the Pacific, Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie finishes a North American cross-continental trip in what will be Canada. Mackenzie will lay the groundwork for Britain’s settlement of Canada and future continent-spanning expeditions further south.
1934 | Dillinger’s criminal career ends in a hail of bullets
John Dillinger’s seemingly superhuman skill at prison breaks, evading police raids, and literally getting away with murder finally falters as he leaves Chicago’s Biograph Theater. His companion, brothel owner Anna Sage, has set him up and he’s shot while attempting to flee police.

Today in History 07/22/17

Illustration depicting John White and others as they find a tree into which is carved the word 'Croatoan,' Roanoke Island, NC, 1590 (© Stock Montage/Getty Images)(1587) English colonists land at Roanoke Island
Hundreds of English settlers arrive on Roanoke Island, off the coast of present-day North Carolina. Although a previous colony on the island had vanished, Sir Walter Raleigh hopes this second colony will flourish. But three years later, relief ships will find it completely deserted, and the Lost Colony of Roanoke will become a haunting mystery.
The Roanoke Colony, also known as the Lost Colony, was established in 1585 on Roanoke Island in what is today's Dare County, North Carolina. It was a late 16th-century attempt by Queen Elizabeth I to establish a permanent English settlement in North America. The colony was founded by Sir Walter Raleigh.
Founded: 1585
Roanoke Map 1584

wiki/Roanoke_Colony
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Today in History 06/18 (War of 1812)

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Painting of the Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815, final battle of the War of 1812 (© Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images)(1812) War erupts between the US and UK just 30 years after revolution
A British blockade of French trade, America’s desire for Canadian territory, American sailors forced to serve in Britain’s navy, and unresolved issues from the Revolutionary War all culminate in US President James Madison signing a declaration of war against Great Britain.
The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their respective allies from June 1812 to February 1815. Historians in Britain often see it as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars; in the United States and Canada, it is seen as a war in its own right.
Start date: Jun 18, 1812
End date: Feb 18, 1815

War of 1812
Clockwise, from top: Damage to the US Capitol building after the Burning of Washington. The mortally wounded Isaac Brock spurs his troops on at the Battle of Queenston Heights. USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere. The death of Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames. Andrew Jackson leads the defence at the Battle of New Orleans.
wiki/War_of_1812
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(1812) War erupts between the US and UK just 30 years after revolution.
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1815 | Napoleonic Era comes to a bloody end at Waterloo
A once immensely powerful ruler and seemingly unstoppable military leader, France’s Napoleon Bonaparte fights his final battle at Waterloo, in the Netherlands. The coalition of forces arrayed against Napoleon, including the British and Prussian armies, prove insurmountable.
1960 | Final US Open golf round cinches victory for Arnold Palmer
Rising star in golf Arnold Palmer wins the prestigious US Open in a record-breaking final round, besting legendary veteran Ben Hogan and talented newcomer Jack Nicklaus. Palmer will go on to be arguably the greatest golfer of his time, and one of the wealthiest athletes in history.
1983 | First American woman, Sally Ride, travels to space
Sally Ride boards the Space Shuttle Challenger and becomes the first American woman (and the youngest US astronaut) to travel to space. She will later contribute to investigations into the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters before passing away from pancreatic cancer in 2012.

Today in History 08/16/17

Illustration depicting US General William Hull, surrendering Fort Detroit to British general Sir Isaac Brock during the War of 1812 (© Kean Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)(1812) The British score an easy win against America
Recognizing that his enemy is massing forces he can’t take on, and fearing for his family, General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit to the British. The action will result in a death penalty, but Hull’s sentence will be pardoned due to his previous Revolutionary War heroism.
The Siege of Detroit, also known as the Surrender of Detroit, or the Battle of Fort Detroit, was an early engagement in the Anglo-American War of 1812. A British force under Major General Isaac Brock with Native American allies under the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, used bluff and deception to intimidate the American Brigadier General William Hull into surrendering the fort and town of Detroit, Michigan, and a dispirited army which nevertheless outnumbered the victorious British and Native Americans.
Start date: Aug 15, 1812
End date: Aug 16, 1812
Plan of the Town of Detroit and Fort Lernoult, 1792.
Plan of Detroit and its fort, 1792

wiki/Siege_of_Detroit
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Today in History 06/18/17

Painting of the Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815, final battle of the War of 1812 (© Universal History Archive/UIG/Getty Images)(1812) War erupts between the US and UK just 30 years after revolution
A British blockade of French trade, America’s desire for Canadian territory, American sailors forced to serve in Britain’s navy, and unresolved issues from the Revolutionary War all culminate in US President James Madison signing a declaration of war against Great Britain.
The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the United States and the United Kingdom and their respective allies. Historians in Britain often see it as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars; however, in the United States and Canada, it is seen as a war in its own right.
Start date: Jun 18, 1812
End date: Feb 18, 1815

wiki/War_of_1812
Illustration of the Battle of Waterloo (© Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images)(1815) Napoleonic Era comes to a bloody end at Waterloo
A once immensely powerful ruler and seemingly unstoppable military leader, France’s Napoleon Bonaparte fights his final battle at Waterloo, in the Netherlands. The coalition of forces arrayed against Napoleon, including the British and Prussian armies, prove insurmountable.
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition: an Anglo-led Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington, and a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, Prince of Wahlstatt.
Date: Jun 18, 1815

wiki/Battle_of_Waterloo
USGA President John Clock, right, presents the US Open trophy to Arnold Palmer, left, at the Cherry Hills Country Club after Palmer won the golf tournament in Denver, Colorado (© AP)(1960) Final US Open golf round cinches victory for Palmer
Rising star in golf Arnold Palmer wins the prestigious US Open in a record-breaking final round, besting legendary veteran Ben Hogan and talented newcomer Jack Nicklaus. Palmer will go on to be arguably the greatest golfer of his time, and one of the wealthiest athletes in history.
The 1960 U.S. Open was the 60th U.S. Open, held June 16–18 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. Arnold Palmer staged the greatest comeback in U.S. Open history, erasing a seven-stroke deficit during the final round to win his only U.S. Open title. It is remembered as a crossroads for the three primary contenders in the final round: Palmer, Ben Hogan, and amateur Jack Nicklaus, three of the greatest players in the history of golf.
Start date: Jun 16, 1960
End date: Jun 18, 1960

wiki/1960_U.S._Open_(golf)
Astronaut Sally Ride communicates with ground controllers from the flight deck of the Space Shuttle Challenger (© Rex Shutterstock)(1983) First American woman travels to space
Sally Ride boards the Space Shuttle Challenger and becomes the first American woman (and the youngest US astronaut) to travel to space. She will later contribute to investigations into the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters before passing away from pancreatic cancer in 2012.
Sally Kristen Ride was an American physicist and astronaut. Born in Los Angeles, she joined NASA in 1978 and became the first American woman in space in 1983. Ride was the third woman in space overall, after USSR cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya. Ride remains the youngest American astronaut to have traveled to space, having done so at the age of 32. After flying twice on the Orbiter Challenger, she left NASA in 1987. She worked for two years at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Arms Control, then at the University of California, San Diego as a professor of physics, primarily researching nonlinear optics and Thomson scattering. She served on the committees that investigated the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters, the only person to participate in both. Ride died of pancreatic cancer on July 23, 2012.
Lived: May 26, 1951 – Jul 23, 2012 (age 61)
Height: 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
Partner: Tam O’Shaughnessy (1985 – 2012)
Spouse: Steven Hawley (m. 1982 – 1987)
Founded: Sally Ride Science
Education: Stanford University · Swarthmore College · Gaspar De Portola Middle School · Harvard-Westlake School
Highlights
  • 1982: In 1982, she married fellow NASA astronaut Steve Hawley.

  • 1983: On June 18, 1983, she became the first American woman in space as a crew member on space shuttle Challenger for STS-7.

  • 1987: In 1987, Ride left her position in Washington, D.C., to work at the Stanford University Center for International Security and Arms Control.

  • 1989: In 1989, she became a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego, and director of the California Space Institute.

  • 2012: After Sally Ride’s death in 2012, General Donald Kutyna revealed that she had discreetly provided him with key information about O-rings (namely, that they become stiff at low temperatures) that eventually led to identification of the cause of the explosion.

  • 2012: Ride died of pancreatic cancer on July 23, 2012.

wiki/Sally_Ride
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