Today in History ^05/08/17

May 8, 2017 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

Rumor the German Shepherd at the Westminster Kennel Club 141st Annual Dog Show (© Eugene Gologursky/WireImage/Getty Images)

(1877) First Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held

A group of hunters who had formed the Westminster Kennel Club hold their first dog show at Gilmore’s Garden, later renamed Madison Square Garden. The show is an immediate success and will become the second-longest running continuously held sporting event in the U.S.

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a prestigious all-breed conformation show that has been held in New York City annually since 1877. Currently, the breed and Junior Showmanship competitions are held at Piers 92 and 94, while the group and Best in Show competitions are held at Madison Square Garden. The number of entries is so large at nearly 3000 that two days are required for all dogs to be judged.

Website: hwww.westminsterkennelclub.org
First occurred: May 08, 1877

wiki/Westminster_Kennel_Club_Dog_Show

The first business to sell Coca-Cola was at the soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy, 1886, in Atlanta, Georgia (© John Van Hasselt/Sygma/Corbis)

(1886) First bottles of Coca-Cola sold

Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia, begins offering a bubbly beverage called Coca-Cola, a patent medicine said to ease ailments such as dyspepsia, headache, impotence, and morphine addiction. The drink will become rather popular as time goes by.

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink produced by The Coca-Cola Company. Originally intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Pemberton and was bought out by businessman Asa Griggs Candler, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the world soft-drink market throughout the 20th century. The drink’s name refers to two of its original ingredients, which were kola nuts and coca leaves. The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a trade secret, although a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published.

Website: www.cocacola.com
Inventor: John Pemberton

wiki/Coca-Cola

The ruins of Rue Victor Hugo and La Place Du Mouillage after the blast of the Mount Pelée volcano on May 10, 1902 at St. Pierre, Martinique (© Archive Farms/Getty Images)

(1902) Saint-Pierre buried after Mount Pelée erupts on Martinique

Called “the Paris of the Caribbean,” Saint-Pierre is wiped off the map as Martinique’s Mount Pelée volcano erupts with a fury, sending black clouds of superheated gases and dust 420 mph over the seaside town. More than 30,000 will perish in what will be the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century.

Mount Pelée is a semi-active volcano at the northern end of Martinique, an island and French overseas department in the Lesser Antilles island arc of the Caribbean. Its volcanic cone is composed of layers of volcanic ash and hardened lava. The volcano is currently in a quiescent state, which means it is not active, but is registering seismic activity.

Last eruption: 1932
Elevation: 4,583 feet (1,397 m)
Prominence: 4,583 feet (1,397 m)
Mountain range: Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc

wiki/Mount_Pelée

People celebrating VE Day along the Champs Élysées in Paris on May 8, 1945 (© Serge DE SAZO/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

(1945) German surrender ends WWII in Europe

With the unconditional surrender of the German military now official, the Allies and their supporters celebrate with massive VE Day demonstrations around the globe. The deadliest conflict in world history is over in Europe, but WWII still rages on in the Pacific.

Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, VE Day or simply V Day, was the public holiday celebrated on 8 May 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. It thus marked the end of World War II in Europe.

wiki/Victory_in_Europe_Day

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Today in History ^05/01/17

May 1, 2017 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

Initiation of an Illuminatus, published circa 1867 (© Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)

(1776) Bavarian Illuminati society is founded

With Freemason membership beyond his means, Adam Weishaupt founds his own secret society to promote anti-clerical and pro-Enlightenment ideas, the Order of Illuminati. The society will inspire both deep thought and wild conspiracy theories.

The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 May 1776. The society’s goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life and abuses of state power. “The order of the day,” they wrote in their general statutes, “is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them”. The Illuminati—along with Freemasonry and other secret societies—were outlawed through edict, by the Bavarian ruler, Charles Theodore, with the encouragement of the Roman Catholic Church, in 1784, 1785, 1787 and 1790. In the several years following, the group was vilified by conservative and religious critics who claimed that they continued underground and were responsible for the French Revolution.

Founded: 1776
Ceased operation: 1785
Headquarters: Ingolstadt, Germany
Founder: Adam Weishaupt

wiki/Illuminati

Coloured lithograph showing the Crystal Palace of The Great Exhibition in London in 1851 (© SSPL/Getty Images)

(1851) The Great Exhibition displays 19th-century might and majesty

The Great Exhibition in London’s Hyde Park opens with 13,000 exhibitors of the finest achievements in industry, science, and the arts. The displays stretch over 8 miles of tables inside a massive glass and iron structure dubbed ‘The Crystal Palace.’ The show will attract 6 million visitors.

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October 1851. It was the first in a series of World’s Fairs, exhibitions of culture and industry that became popular in the 19th century, and it was a much anticipated event. The Great Exhibition was organized by Henry Cole and Prince Albert, husband of the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. It was attended by famous people of the time, including Charles Darwin, Samuel Colt, members of the Orléanist Royal Family and the writers Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, George Eliot and Alfred Tennyson. Music for the opening was under the direction of Sir George Thomas Smart and the continuous music from the exhibited organs for the Queen’s procession was “under the superintendence of William Sterndale Bennett”.

Start date: May 01, 1851
End date: Oct 15, 1851

wiki/The_Great_Exhibition

Engraving of police officers dispersing the strike of streetcar employees in New York in 1886 (© Prisma/UIG/Getty Images)

(1886) Workers strike and rally for rights in major US cities

Sixty-hour workweeks at poverty wages inspire marchers to mass in Chicago, New York, Milwaukee, and other American cities. Among their demands are an 8-hour workday and better labor conditions. The strikes and rallies will inspire International Worker’s Day.

On May 1, 1886, 350,000 workers staged a nationwide work stoppage to demand the adoption of a standard eight-hour workday. Forty thousand workers struck in Chicago, Illinois; ten thousand struck in New York; eleven thousand struck in Detroit, Michigan. As many as thirty-two thousand workers struck in Cincinnati, Ohio, although some of these workers had been out on strike for several months before May 1.

The purpose of the May Day Strike was to bring pressure on employers and state governments to create an eight-hour workday. During this period, workers commonly spent twelve or more hours of each day at work. Unions, especially the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada — the predecessor of the American Federation of Labor, encouraged workers to strike on May 1, 1886, to demonstrate the need for an eight-hour day. The strike was to last a single day, although numerous workers remained away from their jobs for several weeks.

Not all unions condoned the May Day Strike. The Knights of Labor preferred peaceful negotiations and boycotts to secure better working conditions for employees. Terence Powderly, the leader of the Knights of Labor at this time, prohibited Knights of Labor members from participating. Despite Powderly’s proclamation, thousands of his union’s members struck on May 1. Numerous members of the Knights of Labor opposed the more peaceful tactics of Powderly.

The May Day Strike had some success. In Cincinnati, some employers, hoping to avoid the strike, granted their workers an eight-hour day. Other employers increased workers’ pay. Throughout the late 1800s, May Day Strikes became commonplace. Very quickly similar strikes occurred around the world. The May Day Strikes helped convince United States President Grover Cleveland to implement Labor Day, a holiday that celebrates the American worker. Numerous countries still celebrate May Day today.

/w/May_Day_Strike_of_1886

The Empire State Building and the Manhattan skyline viewed from the Metropolitan Life Insurance tower. (© NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images)

(1931) World’s tallest building is dedicated in New York City

At 102 stories high, the towering Art Deco-inspired Empire State Building is now the tallest manmade structure on the planet, and dominates midtown Manhattan’s skyline. It will reign as the world’s tallest building for nearly four decades, until the original World Trade Center overtakes it in 1970.

The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located on Fifth Avenue between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown, Manhattan, New York City. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet, and with its antenna included, it stands a total of 1,454 feet tall. Its name is derived from the nickname for New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world’s tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the topping out of the original World Trade Center’s North Tower in late 1970. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was again the tallest building in New York, until One World Trade Center reached a greater height in April 2012. The Empire State Building is currently the fifth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States and the 34th-tallest in the world. It is also the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas. When measured by pinnacle height, it is the fourth-tallest building in the United States.

Website: www.esbnyc.com
Address: 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118
Phone: (212) 736-3100
Opened: May 01, 1931
Floors: 102
Height: 1,250 feet (381 m) (Architectural) · 1,454 feet (443.20 m) (Tip)

wiki/Empire_State_Building

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Today in History ^10/28/16

October 28, 2016 by GµårÐïåñ

(312 CE) Constantine takes on Maxentius after a heavenly vision

	The River Tiber’s banks swarm with charging men, clashing metal, and rearing horses as hundreds of thousands fight for control of the Roman Empire in its capital. Some accounts claim Constantine saw a vision from the Christian god the night before, and his side emerges victorious. .
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. It takes its name from the Milvian Bridge, an important route over the Tiber. Constantine won the battle and started on the path that led him to end the Tetrarchy and become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Maxentius drowned in the Tiber during the battle and his body was later taken from the river and decapitated. Date: 312 AD — Source: wiki/Battle_of_the_Milvian_Bridge
(1420) Construction finishes on China’s new capital city

Seventeen years of a massive building project completed, Beijing is now China’s capital city. Having restored the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Di desires a power center to match his ambitions, and he’ll get just that as Beijing’s imperial palace, the Forbidden City, opens this year as well. .
Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China and the world’s third most populous city proper. It is also one of the world’s most populous capital cities. The city, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast; together the three divisions form the Jingjinji metropolitan region and the national capital region of China. Population: 21.70 million (2015) Area: 6,487 sq miles (16,801 km²) Host of: 2008 Summer Olympics Colleges and universities: Tsinghua University · Peking University · Beijing Language and Culture University · Beijing Normal University — Source: wiki/Beijing
(1664) A legendary fighting force forms in Britain

	Chartered by King Henry VIII, England’s Honourable Artillery adds a new company to its roster, The Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot. They’ll go on to be renamed the Royal Marines almost 100 years later, and emerge as one of the world’s great fighting units. .
The Corps of Royal Marines is the United Kingdom’s amphibious light infantry force, forming part of the Naval Service, along with the Royal Navy. The Royal Marines were formed in 1755 as the Royal Navy’s infantry troops. However, the marines can trace their origins back to the formation of the English Army’s “Duke of York and Albany’s maritime regiment of Foot” at the grounds of the Honourable Artillery Company on 28 October 1664. Founded: 1755 — Source: wiki/Royal_Marines
(1886) Lady Liberty lifts a lamp over New York Harbor

‘Liberty Enlightening the World,’ 151-feet of copper neoclassical sculpture, is accepted as a gift from France and dedicated by US President Grover Cleveland after hundreds of thousands of revelers throw the world’s first ticker-tape parade in honor of the new lady of Liberty Island. .
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the United States. The copper statue, designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor, was built by Gustave Eiffel and dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States, and was a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad. Address: Liberty Island, New York, NY 10004 Website: www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm Phone: (212) 363-3200 Established: Oct 28, 1886 Annual visitors: 3.20 million (2009) Architects: Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi · Gustave Eiffel · Richard Morris Hunt — Source: wiki/Statue_of_Liberty
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Today in History

September 4, 2016 by GµårÐïåñ

(476) Middle Ages begin as Rome’s child emperor is overthrown

	Flavius Odoacer becomes the first king of Italy after leading a successful rebellion against Western Rome’s young emperor. The beginning of his reign will traditionally mark the end of the Ancient Roman epoch and the start of the Middle Ages. .
Flavius Odoacer, also known as Flavius Odovacer, was a soldier who in 476 became the first King of Italy. His reign is commonly seen as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire. Though the real power in Italy was in his hands, he represented himself as the client of Julius Nepos and, after Nepos’ death in 480, of the Emperor in Constantinople. Odoacer generally used the Roman honorific patrician, granted by the Emperor Zeno, but is referred to as a king in many documents and he himself used it at least once and on another occasion it was used by the consul Basilius. Odoacer introduced few important changes into the administrative system of Italy. He had the support of the Roman Senate and was able to distribute land to his followers without much opposition. Unrest among his warriors led to violence in 477–478, but no such disturbances occurred during the later period of his reign. Although Odoacer was an Arian Christian, he rarely intervened in the affairs of the orthodox and trinitarian state church of the Roman Empire. Born: 435 AD Died: 493 AD · Ravenna, Italy
(1886) Geronimo lays down arms after 30 years of fighting

Apache leader Goyalkla, or as he’s known to non-Native Americans, Geronimo, formally surrenders after the US Army 4th Cavalry relentlessly pursues him and his band of warriors throughout southern Arizona. Geronimo will be the last Native American war chief to officially lay down arms. .	$1886$
Geronimo was a prominent leader from the Bedonkohe band of the Chiricahua Apache tribe. From 1850 to 1886 Geronimo joined with members of three other Chiricahua Apache bands—the Chihenne, the Chokonen and the Nednhi—to carry out numerous raids as well as resistance to US and Mexican military campaigns in the northern Mexico states of Chihuahua and Sonora, and in the southwestern American territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Geronimo’s raids and related combat actions were a part of the prolonged period of the Apache-American conflict, that started with American settlement in Apache lands following the end of the war with Mexico in 1848. The Apache-American conflict was itself a direct outgrowth of the much older Apache-Mexican conflict which had been ongoing in the same general area since the beginning of Mexican/Spanish settlement in the 1600s. Born: Jun 16, 1829 · Arizona, United States Died: Feb 17, 1909 · Lawton, OK
(1957) ‘E Day’ arrives as the Edsel is rolled out for public view

	After months of revved-up publicity, Ford Motor Company debuts a new car, but clever Madison Avenue ad campaigns won’t be able save the ill-fated auto. A combo of bad design choices and screwy mechanics dooms the Edsel to low sales, and the name itself will become a byword for overhyped failures..
The Edsel is an automobile marque that was planned, developed, and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1958-1960. With the Edsel, Ford had expected to make significant inroads into the market share of both General Motors and Chrysler and close the gap between itself and GM in the domestic American automotive market.
(1972) Spitz rules the pool at Munich’s Olympic games

Swimming phenom Mark Spitz, 22, caps off 16 years of medal-winning competition with the biggest amateur athletics prize of all, Olympic gold. The famously mustachioed US swimmer takes a total of seven gold medals at the Munich Games, a record that will stand for 36 years. .
Mark Andrew Spitz is an American former competitive swimmer, nine-time Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in seven events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, an achievement surpassed only by Michael Phelps, who won eight golds at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Spitz set new world records in all seven events in which he competed in 1972. Born: Feb 10, 1950 (age 66) · Modesto, CA Height: 6′ 0″ (1.83 m) Net worth: $10 million USD (2016)
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Today in History

July 3, 2016 by GµårÐïåñ

(1844) Early environmental activism not enough to save great auk
	A cruel irony finishes off a large penguin-like denizen of the North Atlantic, the great auk, when their dwindling numbers increase the desire of collectors to get their hands on one to stuff and put on display. The last known pair is killed on Eldey, an island off the coast of Iceland. .
(1886) Karl Benz presents his Benz Patent Motorwagen
A three-wheeled vehicle, the Benz Patent Motorwagen is the first automobile built to be propelled by an internal combustion engine, and its inventor Karl Benz presents it publicly for the first time in Mannheim, Germany. Benz will go on to help co-found the Mercedes-Benz car company..
(1913) Blue and Gray meet again a half-century on at Gettysburg
	The Great Reunion gathers veterans of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg 50 years after the US Civil War’s bloodiest battle was waged. More than 53,000 camp on the Pennsylvania battlefield site, and a reenactment of Pickett’s Charge ends in clasped hands between the former enemies..
(1940) Britain destroys French ships to keep them from Germany
With France in the hands of the Nazi-collaborating Vichy government, Great Britain launches an air-and-sea attack to prevent the Germans from capturing a flotilla of battleships and other French Navy armaments. In the scuttling, 1,200 sailors die and three battleships are destroyed..