Today in History ^11/16 (UNESCO’s World Heritage)

November 16, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

UNESCO world heritage site Easter Island, or Hanga Roa (© Andia/UIG/Getty Images)

(1972) UNESCO’s World Heritage program created

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) creates its World Heritage program to protect cultural, historic, scientific, and natural heritage sites. The program will grow to include more than 1,000 areas around the world.

A World Heritage site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.

UNESCO World Heritage sites
wiki/World_Heritage_Site

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(1972) UNESCO’s World Heritage program created.
Also on this day,

1933 | FDR reaches out to the Soviets as United States opens diplomacy with Soviet Union

US President Franklin Roosevelt tells Soviet senior diplomat Maxim Litvinov in a telegram that he hopes the two countries will “forever remain normal and friendly.” This simple note establishes diplomatic relations between the nations. The US had broken off Soviet relations after the 1917 Russian Revolution.

1959 | A stage on Broadway is alive with the ‘Sound of Music’

A governess, the children she teaches, and their father whom she’s come to love are forced to flee the Nazi occupation of Austria in the latest musical by Rogers and Hammerstein that opens on this day. Based on the story of the Von Trapp family, many of the show’s songs will become standards, particularly after the release of a popular 1965 film adaptation.

1966 | Dr. Sam Sheppard acquitted of murder in second trial

A jury acquits Sheppard for the 1954 murder of his pregnant wife. The US Supreme Court had thrown out his earlier conviction for, among other things, the “carnival atmosphere” of that trial. The notoriety of the case will spur TV shows, movies, books, and the career of lawyer F. Lee Bailey.

Today in History ^11/16/17

Russian diplomat Maxim Litvinov, circa 1935 (© Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

(1933) United States opens diplomacy with Soviet Union

US President Franklin Roosevelt tells Soviet senior diplomat Maxim Litvinov in a telegram that he hopes the two countries will "forever remain normal and friendly." This simple note establishes diplomatic relations between the nations. The US had broken off Soviet relations after the 1917 Russian Revolution.

The relations between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991) succeeded the previous relations from 1776 to 1917 and predate today's relations that began in 1992. Full diplomatic relations between the two countries were established late due to mutual hostility. During World War II, the two countries were briefly allies. At the end of the war, the first signs of post-war mistrust and hostility began to appear between the two countries, escalating into the Cold War; a period of tense hostile relations, with periods of détente.

Map indicating locations of United States and Soviet Union (including spheres of influence relations)

wiki/Soviet_Union–United_States_relations

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Today in History ^11/02 (Hughes H-4 Hercules)

November 2, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

Howard Hughes' flying boat, nicknamed the 'Spruce Goose,' glides over the water on November 2, 1947, in Long Beach, California (© AP)

(1947) Howard Hughes flies the ‘Spruce Goose’

Howard Hughes pilots his huge, multimillion dollar wooden plane, the ‘Spruce Goose,’ in California. Designed to transport troops during WWII, the aircraft is completed two years late, after the war has ended. This short test flight is the only time the Goose will fly.

The Hughes H-4 Hercules is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, it was nicknamed by critics the Spruce Goose, although it was made almost entirely of birch. The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and it has the largest wingspan of any aircraft that has ever flown. The aircraft remains in good condition. After being displayed to the public for almost 11 years in Long Beach, California from 1980 to 1991, it is now displayed at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, United States.

Range: 2,983 miles
Maiden flight: Nov 02, 1947
Length: 219 feet
Wingspan: 320 feet
Passengers: 3
Retired: Apr 05, 1976

H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”
wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules

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(1947) Howard Hughes flies the ‘Spruce Goose’.
Also on this day,

1948 | President Harry Truman defeats Thomas Dewey

By a narrow margin, President Harry Truman wins an upset victory over Republican challenger Thomas Dewey, the governor of New York in the race for the US presidency. Truman’s win will be considered the greatest upset in the history of US presidential elections.

1959 | Quiz show scandal as Charles Van Doren admits role in TV quiz show scandal

American intellectual Charles Van Doren confesses to a US House subcommittee that he’d been given answers prior to his appearances on TV’s game show ‘Twenty-One.’ During Van Doren’s so-called winning streak, he’d found fame, fortune, and made the cover of ‘Time.’

1963 | Coup in Vietnam as a presidential assassination sends Vietnam into chaos

Ngo Dinh Diem had been president of South Vietnam since 1955 and enjoyed US support until his strong-armed tactics, particularly against Buddhists, soured the relationship, and now a US-backed coup has brought him down. Vietnam will erupt into civil war following his assassination.

Today in History ^11/02/17

(1963) A presidential assassination sends Vietnam into chaos

Ngo Dinh Diem had been president of South Vietnam since 1955 and enjoyed US support until his strong-armed tactics, particularly against Buddhists, soured the relationship, and now a US-backed coup has brought him down. Vietnam will erupt into civil war following his assassination.

The arrest and assassination of Ngô Đình Diệm, the president of South Vietnam, marked the culmination of a successful CIA-backed coup d'état led by General Dương Văn Minh in November 1963. On 2 November 1963, Diệm and his adviser, his younger brother Ngô Đình Nhu, were arrested after the Army of the Republic of Vietnam had been successful in a bloody overnight siege on Gia Long Palace in Saigon. The coup was the culmination of nine years of autocratic and nepotistic family rule in South Vietnam. Discontent with the Diệm regime had been simmering below the surface, and exploded with mass Buddhist protests against long-standing religious discrimination after the government shooting of protesters who defied a ban on the flying of the Buddhist flag.

The corpse of Ngô Đình Diệm in the back of the APC, having been executed on the way to military headquarters

wiki/Arrest_and_assassination_of_Ngo_Dinh_Diem

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Today in History ^10/02 (North Cascades National Park)

October 2, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

A ceremony at The White House on Oct. 2, 1968 (© Charles Tasnadi/AP)

(1968) North Cascades National Park established

After years of debate over whether the region should be controlled by the Forest Service or National Park Service, the North Cascades National Park Act is signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. The park will include the North Cascades Range mountains as well as more than 300 glaciers.

North Cascades National Park is a United States national park in the state of Washington. At more than 500,000 acres, North Cascades National Park is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Park consists of a northern and southern section, bisected by the Skagit River that flows through Ross Lake National Recreation Area. Lake Chelan National Recreation Area lies on the southern border of the south unit of the park. In addition to the two national recreation areas, other protected lands including several national forests and wilderness areas, as well as Canadian provincial parks in British Columbia nearly surround the park. North Cascades National Park features the rugged mountain peaks of the North Cascades Range, the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States, the headwaters of numerous waterways, and vast forests with the highest degree of flora biodiversity of any US national park.

Website: www.nps.gov/noca/
Address: 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284
Phone: (360) 854-7200
Annual visitors: 30,326 (2017)
Travel tip: The least visited national park in Washington, it has a great deal to offer including a spectacular rain forest. @tripadvisor
Nearest city: Mount Vernon

Stephen Mather, (seated at center) the first Director of the National Park Service, is the namesake for the vast wilderness area that now encompasses almost all of the park.
wiki/North_Cascades_National_Park

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(1968) North Cascades National Park established.
Also on this day,

1919 | President Wilson is felled by a stroke

Less than a year after the close of the First World War, and just weeks after collapsing during a hectic speaking tour in support of the Treaty of Versailles, the 28th US president suffers a catastrophic stroke. Woodrow Wilson is partially paralyzed and will never completely recover.

1959 | TV’s next stop is a show of shadow and substance as ‘Twilight Zone’ premieres

‘The place is here, the time is now, and the journey into the shadows that we’re about to watch could be our journey.’ So intones Rod Serling as his new anthology series, ‘The Twilight Zone,’ premieres on CBS. The science-fiction-fantasy show will develop a cult following with this and its 155 additional episodes.

1995 | Alanis Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ reaches No. 1 on Billboard

Three months after releasing her third album, Alanis Morissette becomes the first Canadian woman to sit atop the Billboard 200 album chart. Billboard will later name ‘Jagged Little Pill’ the No. 1 album of the 90s.

Today in History ^10/02/17

Illustration of the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution (© Kean Collection/Getty Images)

(1835) A Texas revolt pits provincials against Mexico's army

The town of Gonzales, Mexico sees its mostly Texian citizens erupt in an armed revolt when the Mexican military tries to seize their weapons. The Battle of Gonzales will be the first salvo in the Texas Revolution, a struggle that sees Santa Ana's troops fight Sam Houston's soldiers.

The Battle of Gonzales was the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was fought near Gonzales, Texas, on October 2, 1835, between rebellious Texian settlers and a detachment of Mexican army soldiers.

Date: Oct 02, 1835

Texas Flag—Come and Take It. This flag was raised by Texas settlers at the Battle of Gonzales in October 1835 after Mexico attempted to retrieve a cannon which had been granted to the town of Gonzales for protection against raids by native tribes.

wiki/Battle_of_Gonzales

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Today in History ^09/14 (Luna 2)

September 14, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

Luna 2 Soviet moon probe, 1959 (© Sovfoto/UIG via Getty Images)

(1959) Spacecraft lands on the moon

Two days after launching, the Soviet Union’s space probe ‘Luna 2’ crash-lands on the moon’s surface near Mare Imbrium in the Palus Putredinis region. The spherical spacecraft becomes the first man-made object to reach another celestial body, and the first of many future moon visitors.

Luna 2 or Lunik 2 was the second of the Soviet Union’s Luna programme spacecraft launched to the Moon. It was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of the Moon, and the first man-made object to land on another celestial body. On September 13, 1959, it hit the Moon’s surface east of Mare Imbrium near the craters Aristides, Archimedes, and Autolycus.

Date: Sep 12, 1959

Luna 2 Soviet moon probe.

Luna 2 site is near the right of the image, close to the Apollo 15 landing site
wiki/Luna_2

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(1959) Spacecraft lands on the moon.
Also on this day,

1812 | Napoleon enters Moscow as retreating Russians lead him to his downfall

Napoleon Bonaparte and his troops enter Moscow as conquerors only to find the huge Russian city virtually abandoned. Almost all have fled ahead of the French forces, and fires begin to break out that will burn almost the entire city, dooming Napoleon to a disastrous retreat from Russia.

1901 | VP Roosevelt becomes US president after McKinley’s assassination

President William McKinley dies eight days after being shot by an assassin, and Vice President Theodore Roosevelt is sworn in as the 26th president of the United States. At 42, Teddy is the youngest US president, and will go on to be reelected in 1904 in a landslide victory.

1984 | MTV starts its own VMAs awards show

Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler host the first MTV Video Music Awards at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. The Cars take home Video of the Year for ‘You Might Think,’ but Madonna takes the cake with her performance of ‘Like a Virgin.’

Today in History ^09/14/17

President Theodore Roosevelt pictured in the White House in 1908 (© AP)

(1901) Roosevelt becomes US president after McKinley's assassination

President William McKinley dies eight days after being shot by an assassin, and Vice President Theodore Roosevelt is sworn in as the 26th president of the United States. At 42, Teddy is the youngest US president, and will go on to be reelected in 1904 in a landslide victory.

The first inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt as the 26th President of the United States, took place on Saturday, September 14, 1901 at the Ansley Wilcox House, at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York, following the death of President William McKinley earlier that day. The inauguration marked the commencement of the first term of Theodore Roosevelt as President. John R. Hazel, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of New York, administered the Oath of office.

Date: Sep 14, 1901

wiki/First_inauguration_of_Theodore_Roosevelt

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Today in History ^08/26 (Battle of Crécy)

August 26, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ

Drawing of cannon used at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 (© Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

(1346) Outnumbered English win at Crécy

As King Philip VI’s French forces move into position at the Battle of Crécy, they vastly outnumber the troops of England’s Edward III. But the English army makes pioneering use of the longbow rather than the more cumbersome and less effective crossbow used by the French and most other European infantries. Edward’s English forces also surprise their enemy by introducing the cannon as a battlefield weapon. This combined-arms approach secures a surprise victory against the much larger French army.

The Battle of Crécy, also spelled Cressy, was an English victory during the Edwardian phase of the Hundred Years’ War. It was the first of three famous English successes during the conflict, followed by Poitiers in 1356 and Agincourt in 1415.

Date: Aug 26, 1346

Map of the Battle of Crécy
wiki/Battle_of_Crécy

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(1346) Outnumbered English win at Crécy.
Also on this day,

1533 | Conquistadors execute the Inca’s last leader

Three centuries of an advanced and flourishing empire in the highlands of South America come to a violent end as Spanish conquistadors at the order of Francisco Pizarro execute the final sovereign emperor of the Incas, Atahualpa. Spain will call its new colony ‘Peru.’

1791 | Fitch wins a patent for his steamboat

Entrepreneur-inventor John Fitch receives a US patent for his steam-powered boat, after years of experiments result in a craft that can travel at a top speed of 8 miles per hour. It’ll take two more decades and engineer Robert Fulton’s involvement before steamboats become a profitable enterprise.

1959 | Gasoline rationing leads to a Mini marvel

The British Motor Corporation shows off its newest auto, the ‘Mini.’ Developed as an answer to fuel rationing brought on by the Suez Crisis, the car gets great mileage, and although terrifically tiny at only 10 feet long, it can still seat four adult passengers.

Today in History ^08/26/17

Drawing of Atahualpa, the last sovereign emperor of the Inca (© Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

(1533) Conquistadors execute the Inca's last leader

Three centuries of an advanced and flourishing empire in the highlands of South America come to a violent end as Spanish conquistadors at the order of Francisco Pizarro execute the final sovereign emperor of the Incas, Atahualpa. Spain will call its new colony 'Peru.'

Atahualpa, also Atahuallpa, Atabalipa or Atawallpa was the ruler of Quito for five years before conquering the Inca Empire from his brother Huascar, the 13th Inca Emperor. After defeating his brother, Atahualpa became very briefly the last Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire before the Spanish conquest. Atahualpa inherited the Kingdom of Quito from his father the Sapa Inca Huayna Capac in 1525. Before Huayna died, he made a verbal testament to the people in his empire that he intended to divide his empire into two parts. Atahualpa would become king in the Northern section of the Inca Empire and Atahualpa's older half brother Huáscar would receive the Southern section as Sapa Inca. Huayna died from an infectious disease. Atahualpa ruled as King over the Northern section named Quito peacefully for 5 years, until his brother Huáscar, the 13th Sapa Inca, attempted to conquer the Kingdom of Quito by first annexing the Cañari region. Atahualpa became Inca emperor after he defeated and imprisoned Huáscar and massacred any pretenders to the throne at the close of the civil war. Later, while imprisoned by the Spaniards, Atahualpa gave orders to kill Huáscar in Jauja, thinking Huáscar would use the Spaniards as allies to regain his throne.

Born: 1502 · Cusco, Peru
Died: Jul 26, 1533 · Cajamarca, Peru
Siblings: Huáscar (Brother) · Túpac Huallpa (Brother) · Manco Inca Yupanqui (Brother)
Parents: Huayna Capac (Father)
Highlights
1525: Atahualpa inherited the Kingdom of Quito from his father the Sapa Inca Huayna Capac in 1525.

1532: In April 1532, Quizquiz and his companions led the armies of Atahualpa to victory in the battles of Mullihambato, Chimborazo and Quipaipan.

1533: In accordance with his request, he was strangled with a garrote on 26 July 1533.

1533: Atahualpa died on July 26, 1533 in Cajamarca, Peru.

wiki/Atahualpa

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