1938

Today in History 03/12/18

Hitler takes the salute of Austrian National Socialists at Linz, Austria, March 1938 (© Heinrich Hoffmann/ullstein bild/Getty Images)(1938) Hitler absorbs his homeland, Austria, into Germany
The nation of Austria is no more, as the Third Reich annexes it into Germany and Wehrmacht troops dismantle border crossings. The invasion and forced incorporation violates the Treaty of Versailles, but most criticism will be mild.
Anschluss refers to the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The word’s German spelling, until the German orthography reform of 1996, was Anschluß and it was also known as the Anschluss Österreichs.
Date: Mar 12, 1938

Hitler Crosses into Austria in 1939
Hitler crosses the border into Austria in March 1938.
wiki/Anschluss
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Today in History 09/30/17

German-speaking schoolchildren welcome Adolf Hitler in the Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, in 1938 (© Central Press/Getty Images)(1938) Hitler’s Germany gains Czech borderlands
Adolph Hitler wants Czechoslovakia’s borderlands, and European leaders, still haunted by the ghosts of World War I and intimidated by the ever-growing Nazi war machine, agree to the demand. The Munich Agreement is signed by Britain, Italy, France, and Germany, allowing the Nazis to annex the ‘Sudetenland.’
The Munich Agreement was a settlement permitting Nazi Germany’s annexation of portions of Czechoslovakia along the country’s borders mainly inhabited by German speakers, for which a new territorial designation “Sudetenland” was coined. The agreement was signed in the early hours of 30 September 1938 after being negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe, excluding the Soviet Union. Today, it is widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Germany. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the future of the Sudetenland in the face of ethnic demands made by Adolf Hitler. The agreement was signed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. Sudetenland was of immense strategic importance to Czechoslovakia, as most of its border defenses, and banks were situated there, as well as heavy industrial districts. Part of the borderland was occupied and annexed by Poland.
Munich Agreement
After the summit, the British prime minister Chamberlain returned to the UK where he declared that the Munich agreement meant “peace for our time”

wiki/Munich_Agreement
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Today in History 06/07/17

Painting of 'The Siege of Jerusalem, 1099,' by William of Tyre, 1460s (© Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)(1099) The First Crusade’s push to capture Jerusalem begins
Western European Christian forces arrive at Muslim-ruled Jerusalem and begin to lay siege to a city that both they and Muslims deem sacred. This climactic battle of the First Crusade will defeat the Fatimid Caliphate and see the return of Christian rule to Jerusalem after some 400 years.
The Siege of Jerusalem took place from June 7 to July 15, 1099, during the First Crusade. The climax of the First Crusade, the successful siege saw the Crusaders seize Jerusalem from the Fatimid Caliphate and laid the foundations for the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
Start date: Jun 07, 1099
End date: Jul 15, 1099

wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(1099)
Chinese peasants, routed from their homes during the great flood of the Yellow River, receive relief money at Chengchow, China on July 19, 1938 (© AP )(1938) Act of environmental warfare kills at least half a million
The Chinese government, hoping to halt a rapid Japanese army advance during the Second Sino-Japanese War, destroys dikes on the Yellow River near Zhengzhou. The resulting catastrophic flood two days later will temporarily stop the Japanese, but also kill 500,000 Chinese and leave 3 million homeless.
The 1938 Yellow River flood was a flood created by the Nationalist Government in central China during the early stage of the Second Sino-Japanese War in an attempt to halt the rapid advance of Japanese forces. It has been called the “largest act of environmental warfare in history.”
Start date: Jun 09, 1938
End date: 1938

wiki/1938_Yellow_River_flood
Smoke burns from the USS Yorktown after a Japanese bomber hit the aircraft carrier in the Battle of Midway near Midway Islands in June 1942 (© U.S. Navy/AP )(1942) Major defeat in the Pacific for the Japanese navy
A ferocious three-day battle a thousand miles west of Hawaii ends in a rout of the Japanese navy by an underestimated American defense. Pearl Harbor is partly avenged on its six-month anniversary, and the Battle of Midway turns the tide towards Allied victory in the Pacific.
The Battle of Midway was a decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy under Admirals Chester Nimitz, Frank Jack Fletcher, and Raymond A. Spruance decisively defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, and Nobutake Kondo near Midway Atoll, inflicting devastating damage on the Japanese fleet that proved irreparable. Military historian John Keegan called it “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare.”
Start date: Jun 04, 1942
End date: Jun 07, 1942

wiki/Battle_of_Midway
Kansas City Royals outfielder Bo Jackson in March 1987 (© AP)(1986) Kansas City Royals draft Bo Jackson
The Royals draft Jackson, who had played college baseball and football at Auburn University, but decided to play professional baseball after a dispute with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jackson will go on to star in both sports, playing eight MLB seasons and four for the Los Angeles Raiders.
Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson is a former baseball and American football player. He is one of the few athletes to be named an All-Star in two major sports, and the only one to do so in both baseball and football. He is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. While at Auburn University, Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy, annually awarded to the outstanding collegiate football player in the United States.
Born: Nov 30, 1962 (age 54) · Bessemer, AL
Height: 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
Net worth: $16 million USD (2017)
Spouse: Linda Jackson (m. 1987)
Education: McAdory High School · Auburn University (1982 – 1985)
Children: Nicholas Jackson (Son) · Garrett Jackson (Son) · Morgan Jackson (Daughter)
Highlights
  • 1982: In 1982, Jackson’s freshman year, Auburn played Boston College in the Tangerine Bowl, where Jackson made a one-handed grab on an option pitch.

  • 1985: For his performance in 1985, Jackson was awarded the Heisman Trophy in what was considered the closest margin of victory ever in the history of the award, winning over University of Iowa quarterback Chuck Long.

  • 1987: Bo Jackson married Linda Jackson on September 05, 1987.

  • 1989: Called “the greatest athlete in video game history”, Jackson’s digital counterpart was nicknamed by fans as “Tecmo Bo” since being featured in the 1989 video game Tecmo Bowl for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

  • 1995: In 1995, Jackson completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Child Development at Auburn to fulfill the promise he made to his mother.

  • 2009: On May 9, 2009, Jackson delivered the commencement speech at Auburn University’s graduation ceremony.

wiki/Bo_Jackson
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Today in History 05/13/17

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, the U.S.–Mexican War, the U.S.–Mexico War or the Invasion of 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 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory in spite of its de facto secession in the 1836 Texas Revolution.
Start date: Apr 25, 1846
End date: Feb 03, 1848
Mexican–American War (without Scott's Campaign)

wiki/Mexican–American_War
Pope John Paul II lies wounded after being shot in St. Peter's Square Wednesday, May 13, 1981, by Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Agca (© AP)(1981) Pope John Paul II shot in assassination attempt
Four bullets hit Pope John Paul II as he enters Rome’s St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. While the Pope is rushed to the hospital, police capture Mehmet Ali Ağca, of Turkey. The Pope will later forgive his would-be assassin, asking for his crime to be pardoned, and meeting with him in prison.
The first attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II took place on Wednesday, 13 May 1981, in St. Peter’s Square at Vatican City. The Pope was shot and wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca while he was entering the square. The Pope was struck four times, and suffered severe blood loss. Ağca was apprehended immediately, and later sentenced to life in prison by an Italian court. The Pope later forgave Ağca for the assassination attempt. He was pardoned by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the Pope’s request and was deported to Turkey in June 2000.
Date: May 13, 1981

wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II_assassination_attempt
File photo of British mountaineer Alison Hargreaves in 1993 (Chris Bacon/AP)(1995) Everest summited by unassisted female climber
Accomplished mountaineer, and 33-year-old mother of two, Alison Hargreaves makes history as the first woman to conquer Mt. Everest without the help of Sherpa guides or bottled oxygen. Sadly, she will perish after summiting another Himalayan giant, K2, exactly three months later.
Alison Jane Hargreaves was a British mountain climber. Her accomplishments included scaling Mount Everest alone, without supplementary oxygen or support from a Sherpa team, in 1995. She soloed all the great north faces of the Alps in a single season—a first for any climber. This feat included climbing the difficult north face of the Eiger in the Alps, in 1988. Hargreaves also climbed 6,812-metre Ama Dablam in Nepal.
Born: Feb 17, 1962 · Derbyshire, England
Died: Aug 13, 1995 · K2, Pakistan

wiki/Alison_Hargreaves
Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet (© Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)(1938) Armstrong records ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’
Jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong records the traditional gospel hymn in a Dixieland-jazz style. Though it isn’t the first jazz version of the song, Armstrong’s recording will turn it into a jazz standard that will be covered by hundreds of artists and find a place in pop culture and sports.
“When the Saints Go Marching In”, often referred to as “The Saints”, is an American gospel hymn. Though it originated as a Christian hymn, it is often played by jazz bands. This song was famously recorded on May 13, 1938 by Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra. The song is sometimes confused with a similarly titled composition “When the Saints are Marching In” from 1896 by Katharine Purvis and James Milton Black.
Album: Hello Louis – The Hit Years (1963-1969)
Artists: Louis Armstrong · Fats Domino · Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra · Louis Armstrong & His All-Stars
Release year: 1939
Duration: 2:45
Genre: Jazz, Contemporary Jazz

wiki/When_the_Saints_Go_Marching_In
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Today in History 03/12/17

Mahatma Gandhi at the start of the salt march in India (© AP)(1930) Gandhi begins 240-mile ‘Salt March’
With 80 of his followers, Mahatma Gandhi, leader of a nonviolent civil disobedience movement in India, begins a march to the coast to gather sea salt in defiance of British colonial rule. The action will prove a turning point in the Indian independence movement and influence civil rights activists around the world.
The Salt March, also known as the Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India initiated by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to produce salt from the seawater in the coastal village of Dandi, as was the practice of the local populace until British officials introduced taxation on salt production, deemed their sea-salt reclamation activities illegal, and then repeatedly used force to stop it. The 24-day march began from 12 March 1930 and continued till 5 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly, and it gained worldwide attention which gave impetus to the Indian independence movement and started the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement.
Start date: Mar 12, 1930
End date: Apr 06, 1930

wiki/Salt_March
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, moments before he began his historic fireside chat to the American people on March 12, 1933 (© AP)(1933) FDR gives his first ‘fireside chat’ to American public
After being elected in the midst of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt makes the first in what will be a series of radio broadcast to inform, warn, and encourage his fellow citizens.

Fireside chats is the term used to describe a series of 30 evening radio conversations (chats) given by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944. Roosevelt spoke with familiarity to millions of Americans about the promulgation of the Emergency Banking Act in response to the banking crisis, the recession, New Deal initiatives, and the course of World War II. On radio, he was able to quell rumors and explain his policies. His tone and demeanor communicated self-assurance during times of despair and uncertainty. Roosevelt was a great communicator on radio, and the fireside chats kept him in high public regard throughout his presidency.

The series of fireside chats was among the first 50 recordings made part of the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, which noted it as “an influential series of radio broadcasts in which Roosevelt utilized the media to present his programs and ideas directly to the public and thereby redefined the relationship between President Roosevelt and the American people in 1933.”


wiki/Fireside_chats
Hitler takes the salute of Austrian National Socialists at Linz, Austria, March 1938 (© Heinrich Hoffmann/ullstein bild/Getty Images)(1938) Hitler absorbs his homeland, Austria, into Germany
The nation of Austria is no more, as the Third Reich annexes it into Germany and Wehrmacht troops dismantle border crossings. The invasion and forced incorporation violates the Treaty of Versailles, but most criticism will be mild.
Anschluss is the term used to describe the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in March 1938. German spelling, until the German orthography reform of 1996, was Anschluß and it was also known as the Anschluss Österreichs.
Date: Mar 12, 1938

wiki/Anschluss
Women deacons in high spirits as they arrive at Bristol Cathedral on March 12, 1994, before their ordination into priesthood (© Gerry Penny/AFP/Getty Images)(1994) Church of England ordains their first women priests
For the first time in its 460-year existence, the Church of England allows females to enter into the priesthood, ordaining 32 women in Bristol Cathedral in Bristol, England. Six years later the church will pass another milestone, as more women than men will be ordained as priests.
The Church of England is the Anglican Christian state church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior cleric, although the monarch is the supreme governor. The Church of England is also the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. Its formal establishment as a national church is dated to the 6th-century Gregorian mission in Kent led by Augustine of Canterbury, with considerable features introduced and established during and following the English Reformation in the 16th century.
Website: www.churchofengland.org

wiki/Church_of_England
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