1930

Today in History 07/31 (Daniel Defoe)

Wood engraving depicting Daniel Defoe in a pillory in London in 1703 (© Getty Images)(1703) Writer Daniel Defoe pelted with flowers for libel crime
A pamphlet satirizing England’s High Church has gotten its author, Daniel Defoe, into trouble and leads to his arrest for seditious libel. Legend has it that his popularity provokes folks to toss blooms instead of brickbats as he’s locked in a London pillory for three days.
Daniel Defoe, born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, which is second only to the Bible in its number of translations. Defoe is noted for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson, and is among the founders of the English novel. Defoe wrote many political tracts and often was in trouble with the authorities, including prison time. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted with him.
Lived: Sep 13, 1660 – Apr 24, 1731 (age 70)
Nationality: British
Spouse: Mary Tuffley (m. 1684 – 1731)
Children: Sophia Baker (Daughter) · ?? 5th Daughter of Daniel Defoe (Daughter) · ?? 1st Daughter of Daniel Defoe (Daughter) · ?? 2nd Daughter of Daniel Defoe (Daughter) · ?? 3rd Daughter of Daniel Defoe (Daughter) · ?? 2nd Son of Daniel Defoe (Son) · ?? 1st son of Daniel Defoe (Son) · ?? 4th Daughter of Daniel Defoe (Daughter)
Parents: James Foe (Father) · Annie Defoe (Mother)
Buried: Bunhill Fields
Highlights
  • 1684: On 1 January 1684, Defoe married Mary Tuffley at St Botolph’s Aldgate.

  • 1697: Defoe’s first notable publication was An essay upon projects, a series of proposals for social and economic improvement, published in 1697.

  • 1706: By September 1706, Harley ordered Defoe to Edinburgh as a secret agent to do everything possible to help secure acquiescence in the Treaty of Union.

  • 1708: When Harley was ousted from the ministry in 1708, Defoe continued writing the Review to support Godolphin, then again to support Harley and the Tories in the Tory ministry of 1710–14.

  • 1726: Published in 1726, The Complete English Tradesman is an example of Defoe’s political works.

  • 1731: Daniel Defoe died on 24 April 1731, probably while in hiding from his creditors.

Portrait of Daniel Defoe, National Maritime Museum, London
Portrait of Daniel Defoe, National Maritime Museum, London
wiki/Daniel_Defoe
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(1703) Writer Daniel Defoe pelted with flowers for libel crime.
Also on this day,

1715 | Spanish fleet packed with treasures founders off Florida
Gold and silver coins worth 14 million pesos, miles of gold chains, precious jewels, and other priceless treasures bound for Europe are sent to the bottom of the briny sea when a hurricane hits off the Florida coast, sinking 11 of the dozen ships in the Spanish Treasure fleet.
1930 | Evil lurking in the hearts of men no longer unknowable as ‘The Shadow’ airs
A pulp novel vigilante armed with an ability to cloud men’s minds, ‘The Shadow debuts on the ‘Detective Story Hour,’ a popular radio program. His appeal will grow until he gets his own radio serial, which will run for 24 years, spawning one of the most well-known catchphrases in American radio history.
1989 | North America gets its hands on Game Boy
Nintendo releases the black-and-white handheld console, letting gamers play ‘Super Mario Land,’ ‘Tetris’ and other titles on the go. The Game Boy (and subsequent color version) will go on to sell more than 100 million units.

Today in History 07/31/17

Painting depicting the Spanish Treasure Fleet sinking off the Florida coast in a hurricane on July 31, 1731 (© National Geographic Image Collection/Alamy)(1715) Spanish fleet packed with treasures founders off Florida
Gold and silver coins worth 14 million pesos, miles of gold chains, precious jewels, and other priceless treasures bound for Europe are sent to the bottom of the briny sea when a hurricane hits off the Florida coast, sinking 11 of the dozen ships in the Spanish Treasure fleet.
The 1715 Treasure Fleet was a Spanish treasure fleet returning from the New World to Spain. At two in the morning on Wednesday, July 31, 1715, seven days after departing from Havana, Cuba, eleven of the twelve ships of this fleet were lost in a hurricane near present-day Vero Beach, Florida. Because the fleet was carrying silver, it is also known as the 1715 Plate Fleet. Some artifacts and even coins still wash up on Florida beaches from time to time.
Date: 31 Jul 1715

wiki/1715_Treasure_Fleet
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Today in History 03/31/17

The Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1889 (© ND/Roger Viollet/Getty Images)(1889) Eiffel Tower officially opens
Towering nearly a thousand feet over the streets of Paris, Gustave Eiffel’s monument to the centenary of the French Revolution is formally dedicated. Many French intellectuals deem it an eyesore, but it will come to be regarded as a harbinger of the modern age and a cultural icon of France.
The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Address: 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris
Phone: +33 892 70 12 39
Opened: Mar 31, 1889
Floors: 3
Height: 986 feet (300.65 m) (Architectural)
Architects: Gustave Eiffel · Stephen Sauvestre

wiki/Eiffel_Tower
Magens Bay, Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands (© Don Hebert/Getty Images)(1917) US gains a little slice of paradise
After paying $25 million to Denmark, the United States claims the Danish West Indies as its territory, and christens them the Virgin Islands. Residents of the islands are US citizens, but their voting rights will be limited.
The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.
Founded: Jul 22, 1954
Population: 104,737 (2013)
Calling code: 1
Area: 133.73 sq miles (346.36 km²)
Travel tip: Made up of St Croix, St John and St Thomas, the laid-back USVI offer sophisticated dining, turquoise waters and quaint towns. On St Croix, Christiansted’s colourful Danish @tripadvisor
Capital: Charlotte Amalie

Flag:
US Virgin Islands - Flag
Coat of Arms:
US Virgin Islands - Coat of Arms


wiki/United_States_Virgin_Islands
Norma Shearer during the filming of 'A Slave of Fashion' in 1925 (© John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images)(1930) The Hays Code cracks down on Hollywood
In reaction to what they deem an excess of immorality in US motion pictures, government and industry officials begin enforcing the Motion Picture Production Code, better known as the Hays Code. The censorship rules won’t be dropped until 1968.

The Motion Picture Production Code was the set of industry moral guidelines that was applied to most United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the Hays Code, after Will H. Hays, who was the president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) from 1922 to 1945. Under Hays’ leadership, the MPPDA, later known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), adopted the Production Code in 1930 and began strictly enforcing it in 1934. The Production Code spelled out what was acceptable and what was unacceptable content for motion pictures produced for a public audience in the United States.

From 1934 to 1954, the code was closely identified with Joseph Breen, the administrator appointed by Hays to enforce the code in Hollywood. The film industry followed the guidelines set by the code well into the late 1950s, but during this time the code began to weaken due to the combined impact of television, influence from foreign films, bold directors (such as Otto Preminger) pushing the envelope, and intervention from the courts, including the Supreme Court. In 1968, after several years of minimal enforcement, the Production Code was replaced by the MPAA film rating system.


A Code to Govern the Making of Motion Pictures

wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code
The Dalai Lama in Delhi, India, in 1959 (© Central Press/Getty Images)(1959) Tibet’s Dalai Lama begins exile in India
Nine years after China invades Tibet and begins dismantling its cultural and religious identity, Tibetans wage a revolt and their spiritual and political leader finds asylum after crossing the border into India. He will become a beloved world figure while in exile.
The 14th Dalai Lama; is the current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are important monks of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism which is nominally headed by the Ganden Tripas. From the time of the 5th Dalai Lama to 1959, the central government of Tibet, the Ganden Phodrang, invested the position of Dalai Lama with temporal duties.
Born: Jul 06, 1935 (age 81) · Taktser, China
Speeches: Five Point Peace Plan
Awards: Nobel Peace Prize (1989) · Congressional Gold Medal (2006) · Honorary degree (2013, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007) · Templeton Prize (2012) · Four Freedoms Award (1994) · Ján Langoš Human Rights Award
Siblings: Jetsun Pema (Sister) · Thubten Jigme Norbu (Brother) · Tsering Dolma (Sister)
Parents: Diki Tsering (Mother) · Choekyong Tsering (Father)
Founded: Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts

wiki/14th_Dalai_Lama
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