1846

Today in History 09/23 (The Shawshank Redemption)

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(From left) Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in 'The Shawshank Redemption' (© Columbia Pictures/Separate Cinema Archive/Getty Images)(1994) ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ begins run in US theaters
Just 33 theaters host the limited American opening of ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ and the resulting box office returns will not be impressive. ‘Redemption’ will be redeemed with rave reviews, seven Oscar nominations, and a growing reputation as one of the best-loved movies ever made.

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. It tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in Shawshank State Penitentiary for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. Over the following two decades, he befriends a fellow prisoner, contraband smuggler Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman), and becomes instrumental in a money laundering operation led by the prison warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore appear in supporting roles.

Darabont purchased the film rights to King’s story in 1987, but development did not begin until five years later when he wrote the script over an eight-week period. Two weeks after submitting his script to the Castle Rock Entertainment film studio, Darabont secured a $25 million budget to produce The Shawshank Redemption, which started pre-production in January 1993. While the film is set in Maine, principal photography took place from June to August 1993 almost entirely in Mansfield, Ohio, with the Ohio State Reformatory serving as the eponymous penitentiary. The project attracted many stars of the time for the lead roles including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Costner. Thomas Newman provided the film’s score.

While The Shawshank Redemption received positive reviews on its release, particularly for its story and the performances of Robbins and Freeman, it was a box office disappointment, earning only $16 million during its initial theatrical run. Many reasons were cited for its failure at the time, including competition from films such as Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, to the general unpopularity of prison films, lack of female characters, and even the title, which was considered to be confusing for audiences. Even so, it went on to receive multiple award nominations, including seven Academy Award nominations, and a theatrical re-release that, combined with international takings, increased the film’s box office gross to $58.3 million.

Over 320,000 VHS copies were shipped throughout the United States, and based on its award nominations and word of mouth, it became one of the top rented films of 1995. The broadcast rights were acquired following the purchase of Castle Rock by the Turner Broadcasting System, and it was shown regularly on the TNT network starting in 1997, further increasing its popularity. The film is now considered to be one of the greatest films of the 1990s. As of 2017, the film is still broadcast regularly, and is popular in several countries, with audience members and celebrities citing it as a source of inspiration, and naming the film as a favorite in various surveys. In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.


Release date: Sep 23, 1994 (United States)
Director: Frank Darabont
Gross revenue: $58.30 million USD
Screenwriter: Frank Darabont
Story by: Stephen King
Awards: American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases (1994) · Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Foreign Language Film (1996)

Black and white image of the iconic tree from The Shawshank Redemption located in Lucas, Ohio. Photo was after the 2011 lightning strike which split the tree in half
The Shawshank tree after being split by lightning in 2011. It became a symbol of hope for its role in the film
wiki/The_Shawshank_Redemption
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(1994) ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ begins run in US theaters.
Also on this day,

1642 | Harvard holds its first graduation ceremony
Nine graduates participate in Harvard College’s first commencement exercise as about 14 undergrads, family members, clergy, plus Governor Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Company, look on. America’s first college will go on to become one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
1846 | Neptune is plotted, and discovered
French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier has used celestial mechanics to plot the coordinates of a faraway planet that can’t be seen by the naked eye, and today, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle’s telescope spies Neptune almost exactly where Le Verrier calculated it would be.
1889 | Handmade playing cards launch Japan’s Nintendo founding
Fusajiro Yamauchi thinks a revival of Japanese card playing would mean good business, so he founds Nintendo Koppai in Kyoto, a company specializing in the Hanafuda card game. A century or so later the firm will gain worldwide success when it evolves into an electronic games company.

Today in History 09/23/17

Voyager view of Neptune (Courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech)(1846) Neptune is plotted, and discovered
French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier has used celestial mechanics to plot the coordinates of a faraway planet that can't be seen by the naked eye, and today, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle's telescope spies Neptune almost exactly where Le Verrier calculated it would be.
The planet Neptune was mathematically predicted before it was directly observed. With a prediction by Urbain Le Verrier, telescopic observations confirming the existence of a major planet were made on the night of September 23–24, 1846, at the Berlin Observatory, by astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle (assisted by Heinrich Louis d'Arrest), working from Le Verrier's calculations.
Neptune by Voyager 2
Neptune in 1989 by the Voyager 2 probe

wiki/Discovery_of_Neptune
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Today in History 09/12 (Steve Biko)

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A poster of slain South African anti-apartheid leader Steve Biko on the 10th anniversary of his death, Sept 13, 1987, in Soweto (© John Parkin/AP)(1977) Anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko dies in police custody
After almost a month in South African police custody, Steve Biko, the leader of an anti-apartheid black student movement, has died in a Pretoria hospital. The 30-year-old’s autopsy will show that death was caused by severe brain injury, and 15,000 supporters will attend his funeral.
Bantu Stephen Biko was a South African anti-apartheid activist. Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known as the Black Consciousness Movement during the late 1960s and 1970s. His ideas were articulated in a series of articles published under the pseudonym Frank Talk.
Lived: Dec 18, 1946 – Sep 12, 1977 (age 30)
Nationality: South African
Spouse: Ntsiki Mashalaba (m. 1970 – 1977)
Children: Hlumelo Biko (Son) · Nkosinathi Biko (Son) · Samora Biko (Son) · Lerato Biko (Daughter) · Motlatsi Biko (Daughter)
Founded: Black Consciousness Movement · South African Students’ Organisation · Black People’s Convention
Parents: Alice Mamcete Biko (Mother) · Mzingayi Mathew (Father)
Highlights
  • 1968: He developed the view that to avoid white domination, black people had to organise independently, and to this end he became a leading figure in the creation of the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) in 1968.

  • 1970: Biko married Ntsiki Mashalaba in December 1970.

  • 1971: Biko presented a paper on “White Racism and Black Consciousness” at an academic conference in the University of Cape Town’s Abe Bailey Centre in January 1971.

  • 1972: In 1972, he was involved in founding the Black People’s Convention (BPC) to promote Black Consciousness ideas among the wider population.

  • 1972: In September 1972, Biko visited Kimberley, where he met the PAC founder and anti-apartheid activist Robert Sobukwe.

  • 1977: There, Biko died alone in a cell on 12 September 1977.

Steven Bantu Biko's Grave in King Williams Town, SA
Biko’s grave in Ginsberg cemetery, King William’s Town
wiki/Steve_Biko
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(1977) Anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko dies in police custody.
Also on this day,

1846 | A pair of poets Barrett and Browning elope
The lauded poet Elizabeth Barrett joins her beau, the up-and-coming poet Robert Browning, to marry in secret at a London church. They will then move to Italy, cultivate a circle of literary friends, have a son, and craft words for the ages.
1933 | Atom-age breakthrough as Szilárd’s stroll sets off a nuclear chain reaction
Hungarian physicist Leó Szilárd has been puzzling over using atoms as a form of energy, and as he strolls London’s streets, he suddenly conceives the idea of a nuclear chain reaction, which will lead to his work in the atom bomb’s formation and the harnessing of nuclear energy.
1978 | ‘Taxi’ brings NYC cab driver stories to TV
‘Taxi’ premieres with a cast that includes Judd Hirsch, Danny DeVito, Marilu Henner, Tony Danza, and Andy Kaufman. Christopher Lloyd will join later as the Rev. Jim Ignatowski. The show will go on to win 18 Emmy Awards during its five seasons on ABC and NBC.

Today in History 09/12/17

Dr. Leó Szilárd, of the University of Chicago, testifies before the House Military Affairs Committee, Oct 18, 1945 (© Henry Griffin/AP)(1933) Szilárd's stroll sets off a nuclear chain reaction
Hungarian physicist Leó Szilárd has been puzzling over using atoms as a form of energy, and as he strolls London's streets, he suddenly conceives the idea of a nuclear chain reaction, which will lead to his work in the atom bomb's formation and the harnessing of nuclear energy.
Leo Szilard was a Hungarian-born physicist and inventor. He conceived the nuclear chain reaction in 1933, patented the idea of a nuclear reactor with Enrico Fermi in 1934, and in late 1939 wrote the letter for Albert Einstein's signature that resulted in the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb.
Lived: Feb 11, 1898 - May 30, 1964 (age 66)
Spouse: Gertrud Weiss Szilard (m. 1951)
Academic advisors: Albert Einstein · Max von Laue
Inventions: Einstein refrigerator
Education: Budapest University of Technology and Economics · Technical University of Berlin · Humboldt University of Berlin
Awards: Albert Einstein Award (1960)
Highlights
  • 1922: His doctoral dissertation on thermodynamics Über die thermodynamischen Schwankungserscheinungen (On The Manifestation of Thermodynamic Fluctuations), praised by Einstein, won top honors in 1922.

  • 1938: Foreseeing another war in Europe, Szilard moved to the United States in 1938, where he worked with Enrico Fermi and Walter Zinn on means of creating a nuclear chain reaction.

  • 1950: He publicly sounded the alarm against the possible development of salted thermonuclear bombs, explaining in radio talk on February 26, 1950, that sufficiently big thermonuclear bomb rigged with specific but common materials, might annihilate mankind.

  • 1951: Leó Szilárd married Gertrud Weiss Szilard in 1951.

  • 1961: The Voice of the Dolphins, and Other Stories written by Leó Szilárd was first published in 1961.

  • 1964: On May 30, 1964, he died in his sleep of a heart attack; when Trude awoke, she was unable to revive him.

Fermi-Szilard Neutronic Reactor - Figure 38
An image from the Fermi–Szilard "neutronic reactor" patent

wiki/Leo_Szilard
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Today in History 08/10 (Smithsonian Institution)

Exterior view of the Smithsonian Institution in 1967 (© Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)(1846) Senate establishes Smithsonian Institution
The US Senate passes the act organizing the Smithsonian Institution, which will be signed into law by President James K. Polk. The Smithsonian will eventually become the world’s largest museum complex and ‘the nation’s attic,’ with 154 million items in 19 museums, plus a zoo and several research facilities.
The Smithsonian Institution, established on August 10, 1846 “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. Originally organized as the “United States National Museum,” that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967.
Website: www.si.edu
Customer service: +1 2026331000
Address: 1000 Jefferson Dr SW, Washington, DC 20560
Founders: James Smithson · Joseph Henry · Joel Roberts Poinsett
Architects: Norman Foster · James Renwick, Jr. · Gordon Bunshaft · James Polshek · Charles A. Platt · George Keister · Almus Pratt Evans · Lewis Shulman · Paul L. Wood
Established: Aug 10, 1846

Smithsonian Building
The “Castle” (1847), the Institution’s first building and still its headquarters
wiki/Smithsonian_Institution
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(1846) Senate establishes Smithsonian Institution.
Also on this day,

1519 | Magellan’s fleet sets sail to circle the globe
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan leads a fleet of five Spanish ships bound westward for an Atlantic crossing, then to sail into what Magellan will name the ‘Mar Pacifico,’ meaning ‘peaceful sea.’ He will die before his one surviving vessel completes the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
1793 | Revolutionaries open French royal art collection to the public
France’s revolutionary government opens to the public what used to be a grand royal residence, displaying a previously private collection of 537 paintings and 184 objects. Paris’ Louvre Museum will grow to hold almost 35,000 works and become the world’s most visited art museum.
1948 | Smile! ‘Candid Camera’ makes its TV debut
The hidden-camera show hits the TV screen a year after its debut on radio as ‘Candid Microphone.’ Creator Allen Funt hosts, playing practical jokes on celebrities as well as ordinary people. The show and specials will air on-and-off for decades.

Today in History 08/10/17

Portrait of Ferdinand Magellan (© DeAgostini/Getty Images)(1519) Magellan's fleet sets sail to circle the globe
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan leads a fleet of five Spanish ships bound westward for an Atlantic crossing, then to sail into what Magellan will name the 'Mar Pacifico,' meaning 'peaceful sea.' He will die before his one surviving vessel completes the first circumnavigation of the Earth.
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who organised the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth, completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano.
Born: 1480 · Sabrosa, Portugal
Died: Apr 27, 1521 · Mactan, Philippines
Spouse: María Caldera Beatriz Barbosa
Children: Rodrigo de Magalhães (Son) · Carlos de Magalhães (Son)
Parents: Rodrigo de Magalhães (Father) · Alda de Mesquita (Mother)
Siblings: Genebra de Magalhães (Sister) · Aires de Magalhães (Sister) · Diogo de Sousa (Brother) · Isabel de Magalhães · Duarte de Sousa
Highlights
  • 1511: In 1511, under the new governor Afonso de Albuquerque, Magellan and Serrão participated in the conquest of Malacca.

  • 1512: After the conquest their ways parted: Magellan was promoted, with a rich plunder and, in the company of a Malay he had indentured and baptized Enrique of Malacca, he returned to Portugal in 1512.

  • 1517: In October 1517 in Seville, Magellan contacted Juan de Aranda, Factor of the Casa de Contratación.

  • 1518: On 22 March 1518 the king named Magellan and Faleiro captains so that they could travel in search of the Spice Islands in July.

  • 1519: On 10 August 1519, the five ships under Magellan's command left Seville and descended the Guadalquivir River to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, at the mouth of the river.

  • 1521: Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521 in Mactan, Philippines.

Magellan Elcano Circumnavigation
The Magellan–Elcano voyage. Victoria, one of the original five ships, circumnavigated the globe, finishing 16 months after Magellan's death.

wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan
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Today in History 05/13/18

General Zachary Taylor leading American troops into battle at Palo Alto during the Mexican-American War (© Nathaniel Currier)(1846) US declares war on its neighbor
The US annexation of Texas the previous year lit the tinder between neighboring nations, and now the conflict explodes into the Mexican-American War as the US Congress votes in favor of President Polk’s request for military action. The two-year conflict will end in Mexico’s defeat and the loss of about half its national territory.
The Mexican–American War, also known as the Mexican War in the United States and in Mexico as the American intervention in Mexico, was an armed conflict between the United States of America and the United Mexican States from 1846 to 1848. It followed in the wake of the 1845 American annexation of the independent Republic of Texas, which Mexico still considered its northeastern province and a part of its territory after its de facto secession in the 1836 Texas Revolution a decade earlier.
Start date: Apr 25, 1846
End date: Feb 03, 1848

Collection of pictures of the Mexican-American War
Clockwise from top left: Winfield Scott entering Plaza de la Constitución after the Fall of Mexico City, U.S. soldiers engaging the retreating Mexican force during the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, American victory at Churubusco outside Mexico City, U.S. Marines storming Chapultepec castle under a large American flag, Battle of Cerro Gordo
wiki/Mexican–American_War
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(1846) US declares war on its neighbor.
Also on this day,
1981 | Pope is shot
1995 | Everest climb
1938 | Jazz standard is born

Today in History 02/10/18

Illustration of Mormons on the trek from Illinois to Utah in 1846 (© Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images)(1846) Mormons begin exodus from Illinois to the western US
Fleeing religious persecution that included the assassination of their leader, Joseph Smith, 1,600 members of what will become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their new leader, Brigham Young, head west, where they will eventually settle in the Great Salt Lake Valley.
The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is typically divided into three broad time periods: the early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith which is in common with all Latter Day Saint movement churches, a “pioneer era” under the leadership of Brigham Young and his 19th-century successors, and a modern era beginning around the turn of the 20th century as the practice of polygamy was discontinued. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints traces its origins to western New York, where Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, was raised. Joseph Smith gained a small following in the late 1820s as he was dictating the Book of Mormon, which he said was a translation of words found on a set of “golden plates” that had been buried near his home in western New York by an indigenous American prophet. On April 6, 1830, in western New York, Smith organized the religion’s first legal church entity, the Church of Christ. The church rapidly gained a following, who viewed Smith as their prophet.
Author: Joseph Smith
First published: 1897

LDS expansion western north america
Locations of major LDS settlements in North America prior to 1890. Included are major cities founded by LDS settlers who later abandoned the area.
wiki/History_of_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
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