1957

Today in History 09/05 (Reign of Terror)

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Execution in 1794 of Robespierre, French revolutionary, who was declared an outlaw by the Convention and he was sent to the guillotine with his supporters (© Art Media/Print Collector/Getty Images)(1793) After the revolution a bloody power struggle takes its toll
In France, a Committee of Public Safety is set up to deal with government enemies in the wake of the monarchy’s overthrow. But safety will not be maintained as in-fighting reaches epic proportions, leaving tens of thousands dead, many by the “National Razor” (guillotine), during the 11-month Reign of Terror.
The Reign of Terror, or The Terror, is the label given by most historians to a period during the French Revolution after the First French Republic was established. Several historians consider the “reign of terror” to have begun in 1793, placing the starting date at either 5 September, June or March, while some consider it to have begun in September 1792, or even July 1789, but there is a consensus that it ended with the fall of Maximilien Robespierre in July 1794.
Start date: Sep 05, 1793
End date: Jul 28, 1794

Execution of the Girondins
The execution of the Girondins
wiki/Reign_of_Terror
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(1793) After the revolution a bloody power struggle takes its toll.
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1914 | Military might turns the tide on the Marne
World War I’s Allied forces take the upper hand for the first time as more than a million French and British soldiers begin to drive back hundreds of thousands of German fighters advancing on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne. The three-day clash will see roughly 500,000 killed or wounded.
1957 | Sal and Dean hit the road in a bold Beat manifesto as ‘On the Road’ published
Reading more like a prose poem than a novel, the 320-page semiautobiographical work published today journeys across sunbaked tarmacs to define the ethos of the Beat Generation. The rambling, stream-of-consciousness travelogue, ‘On the Road,’ will also launch author Jack Kerouac into the literary stratosphere.
1972 | ‘Black September’ terrorists take Israeli athletes hostage during Munich Olympics
Munich’s Olympic Games are plunged into panic after Palestinian terrorists storm the Olympic Village rooms housing Israeli athletes and staff, killing two, and taking dozens hostage. A rescue attempt by German authorities at the Munich airport will be botched, resulting in the deaths of nine Israelis, five terrorists, and a West German police officer.

Today in History 09/05/17

French infantry in action during WWI (Bibliothèque nationale de France/Public Domain)(1914) Military might turns the tide on the Marne
World War I's Allied forces take the upper hand for the first time as more than a million French and British soldiers begin to drive back hundreds of thousands of German fighters advancing on Paris at the First Battle of the Marne. The three-day clash will see roughly 500,000 killed or wounded.
The Battle of the Marne was a World War I battle fought from 6–10 September 1914. It resulted in an Allied victory against the German armies in the west. The battle was the culmination of the German advance into France and pursuit of the Allied armies which followed the Battle of the Frontiers in August and had reached the eastern outskirts of Paris. A counter-attack by six French armies and the British Expeditionary Force along the Marne River forced the Imperial German Army to retreat north-west, leading to the First Battle of the Aisne and the Race to the Sea. The battle was a victory for the Allies but led to four years of trench warfare stalemate on the Western Front.
Start date: Sep 06, 1914
End date: Sep 10, 1914
German and Allied positions, 23 August - 5 September 1914
German and Allied positions, 23 August – 5 September 1914

wiki/First_Battle_of_the_Marne
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Today in History 09/04 (Geronimo)

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Photograph of Geronimo by A. F. Randall, 1886 (© Apic/Getty Images)(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.
Geronimo was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Apache tribe. From 1850 to 1886 Geronimo joined with members of three other Chiricahua Apache bands—the Tchihende, the Tsokanende 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–United States conflict, which started with American settlement in Apache lands following the end of the war with Mexico in 1848.
Lived: Jun 16, 1829 – Feb 17, 1909 (age 79)
Nationality: American
Spouse: Ta-ayz-slath
Children: Eva Godeley (Daughter) · Chappo Geronimo (Son) · Lulu Dohn-Zay Geronimo (Daughter) · Fenton Geronimo (Son) · Little Robe Geronimo (Son)
Related movies: Geronimo: An American Legend
Parents: Tablishim “The Gray One” Goy… (Father) · Juana (Mother) · Tablishim “The Gray One” Goyaale
Highlights
  • 1851: On March 5, 1851, when Geronimo was in his 20’s, a force of Mexican militia from Sonora under Colonel Jose Maria Carrasco attacked and surprised an Apache camp outside of Janos, Chihuahua, slaughtering the inhabitants, including Geronimo’s family.

  • 1886: In 1886, General Miles selected Captain Henry Lawton to command B Troop, 4th Cavalry, at Fort Huachuca, and First Lieutenant Charles B. Gatewood, to lead the expedition that brought Geronimo and his followers back to the reservation system for a final time.

  • 1886: According to National Geographic, “the governor of Sonora claimed in 1886 that in the last five months of Geronimo’s wild career, his band of 16 warriors slaughtered some 500 to 600 Mexicans.”

  • 1894: After 1/4 of the population died of tuberculosis, the Chiricahuas, including Geronimo, were relocated to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1894; they built villages scattered around the post based on kindred groups.

  • 1898: In 1898 Geronimo was part of a Chiricahua delegation from Fort Sill to the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska.

  • 1909: He died of pneumonia on February 17, 1909, as a prisoner of the United States at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Portrait of Geronimo (Guiyatle), Apache
Geronimo, Chiricahua Apache leader. Photograph by Frank A. Rinehart, 1898
wiki/Geronimo
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(1886) Geronimo lays down arms after 30 years of fighting.
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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.
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.
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.

Today in History 09/04/17

American swimmer champion Mark Spitz shows five of his seven Olympic gold medals, Aug 31, 1972 in Munich (© STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)(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 7 events. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich West Germany, 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. Spitz holds more medals than any other Jewish athlete in the history of the Olympics.
Born: Feb 10, 1950 (age 67) · Modesto, CA
Height: 6' 0" (1.83 m)
Spouse: Suzy Weiner (m. 1973)
Children: Justin Spitz (Son) · Matthew Spitz (Son)
Movies and TV shows: Freedom's Fury · Emergency! · Challenge of a Lifetime
Education: Santa Clara High School
Highlights
  • 1965: At age 15 in Tel Aviv, Spitz won four gold medals and was named the most outstanding athlete.

  • 1972: During the Munich Massacre by Palestinian terrorists in the 1972 Olympics, Israeli racewalker Shaul Ladany awakened and alerted American track coach Bill Bowerman, who called for the U.S. Marines to come and protect American Jewish Olympians swimmer Spitz and javelin thrower Bill Schmidt.

  • 1973: Mark Spitz married Suzy Weiner on May 06, 1973.

  • 1985: In 1985, Spitz lit a torch to open the Maccabiah Games.

  • 2005: In 2005, he was a member of the U.S. delegation at the 17th Maccabiah Games.

  • 2007: He won five gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games, setting a record that lasted until 2007 when Brazilian swimmer, Thiago Pereira, won six golds at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

wiki/Mark_Spitz
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Today in History 08/05 (Cowra Breakout)

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Cowra Prisoner of War Compound site in New South Wales, Australia (© Claver Carroll/Getty Images)(1944) More than 1,000 POWs attempt largest WWII escape
A prisoner of war camp near Cowra, Australia, is plunged into chaos as 1,100 Japanese POWs storm barbed wire fences, set fires, and attack guards. Four Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese will be killed, while some 359 POWs manage to flee before later being caught.
The Cowra breakout occurred on 5 August 1944, when at least 1,104 Japanese prisoners of war attempted to escape from a prisoner of war camp near Cowra, in New South Wales, Australia. It was the largest prison escape of World War II, as well as one of the bloodiest. During the escape and ensuing manhunt, four Australian soldiers and 231 Japanese soldiers were killed. The remaining escapees were captured and imprisoned.
Date: Aug 05, 1944

Cowra POW camp
Sourced from: http://www.awm.gov.au/database/collection.asp Copyright: The AWM record for this photo states that the copyright status is ‘clear’. The photo was taken on 1944-07-01. The AWM requests that you assist their record keeping by keeping the image number and watermark intact. Given that this image is in the public domain, it is not clear that the AWM has any legal basis to enforce their request. AWM Caption: Cowra, NSW. 1944-07-01. Japanese prisoners of war practising baseball on their sports ground near their quarters, at the 12th prisoner of war camp. These photographs were taken for the far east liaison office as a basis for propaganda leaflets to be dropped over Japnanese held islands and the Japanese mainland. No. 12 Prisoner of War Camp, Cowra, Australia. 1 July, 1944. Japanese prisoners of war practice baseball on the sportsground near their quarters, several weeks before the Cowra breakout. This photograph was taken for the Allied Far Eastern Liaison Office, with the intention of using it in propaganda leaflets, to be dropped over Japanese held islands and Japan itself. (The copyright was owned by the Australian War Memorial.
wiki/Cowra_breakout
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(1944) More than 1,000 POWs attempt largest WWII escape.
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1926 | A master magician, Houdini, defies death and debunks fraud
Magician Harry Houdini beats rival Rahman Bey today by remaining in a sealed casket at the bottom of a swimming pool for 91 minutes, with honest Houdini admitting the amazing feat was not accomplished with magical powers but instead his own concentration and controlled breathing.
1957 | Philadelphia’s dance show, American Bandstand, debuts on nationwide TV
A low-budget show featuring dancing teens and lip-syncing musical acts is a hit on local Philadelphia stations, and now ‘American Bandstand’ makes its US network debut on ABC. The show, with its host Dick Clark, will prove popular and enduring, lasting another 32 years.
1984 | Women’s marathon makes dramatic Olympic debut
Female runners get their ultimate test of endurance at the first Olympic women’s marathon in Los Angeles. The field includes Joan Benoit of the US, who wins the gold medal with a time of 2:24:52, and Switzerland’s Gabriela Andersen-Schiess, who completes the course despite suffering from heat stroke.

Today in History 08/05/17

Joan Benoit breaks away from the pack of women marathoners during the summer Olympics in Los Angeles on Aug 5, 1984 (© Ron Heflin/International Olympic Photography Pool/AP)(1984) Women's marathon makes dramatic Olympic debut
Female runners get their ultimate test of endurance at the first Olympic women's marathon in Los Angeles. The field includes Joan Benoit of the US, who wins the gold medal with a time of 2:24:52, and Switzerland's Gabriela Andersen-Schiess, who completes the course despite suffering from heat stroke.
The Women's Marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California was held on August 5, 1984. It was the first time a women's marathon had been held at the Olympic Games. The 50 competitors came from 28 countries. 44 finished the race. The world record holder Joan Benoit of the United States won the gold medal, with the silver medal going to the 1983 World champion Grete Waitz of Norway, and bronze to Rosa Mota of Portugal.
Date: Aug 05, 1984
Olympic Athletics

wiki/Athletics_at_the_1984_Summer_Olympics_–_Women's_marathon
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Today in History 03/25/18

Allen Ginsberg circa 1957 (© CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)(1957) US Customs Office seizes ‘Howl’
As 520 copies of Allen Ginsberg’s poem ‘Howl’ arrive in the US from a London publisher, customs officials seize the books on charges of obscenity. Ginsberg and his publisher, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, will fight those charges and win, the trial a publicity bonanza for ‘Howl’ and the cause of free speech.
“Howl”, also known as “Howl for Carl Solomon”, is a poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1954–1955 and published in his 1956 collection Howl and Other Poems. The poem is dedicated to Carl Solomon. Ginsberg began work on “Howl” in 1954. In the Paul Blackburn Tape Archive at the University of California, San Diego, Ginsberg can be heard reading early drafts of his poem to his fellow writing associates. “Howl” is considered to be one of the great works of American literature. It came to be associated with the group of writers known as the Beat Generation.
Author: Allen Ginsberg
Written: 1955
Movements: Beat Generation
Original language: English

Howl and other Poems Cover
Howl and Other Poems was published in the fall of 1956 as number four in the Pocket Poets Series from City Lights Books.
wiki/Howl
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Today in History 12/18/17

A technician is suspended on a wooden platform in the reactor pressure vessel at the Shippingport Atomic Power Station, Shippingport, Pennsylvania, 1958 (© PhotoQuest/Getty Images)(1957) First civilian nuclear power plant goes online
The Shippingport Atomic Power Station, in Pennsylvania, is up and running, generating electricity for the first time. The $72 million plant, which is the world’s first large-scale nuclear power facility, will supply power to the Pittsburgh area for 25 years until it’s retired in 1982.
The Shippingport Atomic Power Station was the world’s first full-scale atomic electric power plant devoted exclusively to peacetime uses. It was located near the present-day Beaver Valley Nuclear Generating Station on the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, about 25 miles from Pittsburgh.
Opened: 1957

Shippingport Reactor
Photograph of the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, the first full-scale nuclear power generating station in the United States which began operating in 1957.

wiki/Shippingport_Atomic_Power_Station
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