Today in History ^07/16 (East-West Schism)

July 16, 2018 by GµårÐïåñ Leave a Comment

Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul, Turkey, site of the first conflict, in 1054, of what would become the East-West Schism (© Moment/Getty Images)

(1054) East and West in Constantinople Church clash

The conflict between the Latin West and Greek East divisions of the Christian church heats up when a Papal writ of excommunication is placed by Western Roman legates on the altar of the Hagia Sofia, the holy site of the Christian East. It’s the first major crack that will end in a total break some 100 years later.

The East–West Schism, also called the Great Schism and the Schism of 1054, was the break of communion between what are now the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox churches, which has lasted since the 11th century. The Schism was the culmination of theological and political differences between the Christian East and West which had developed over the preceding centuries, and marked the first time since the Edict of Milan that there was more than one body considered by secular authorities to constitute the Christian Church.

Date: 1053

Icon depicting the Emperor Constantine (centre) and the bishops of the First Council of Nicaea (325) holding the Niceno–Constantinopolitan Creed of 381
wiki/East–West_Schism

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(1054) East and West in Constantinople Church clash.
Also on this day,

1945 | Nuclear age begins in New Mexico with atom bomb test

Architects of the Manhattan Project, including project director J. Robert Oppenheimer, gather in shelters 10,000 yards from ‘The Gadget’s’ detonation site in New Mexico and at 5:29 AM the world’s first nuclear bomb explosion, code-named Trinity, pierces the darkness with 20 kilotons of atomic power.

1951 | Holden Caulfield is done with phonies in Salinger’s new novel, ‘Catcher in the Rye’

A teenager is expelled from school and travels to New York City to spend a few days wandering around. Out of this deceptively simple plotline, J.D. Salinger weaves an archetypal tale of teenage angst in ‘The Catcher in the Rye,’ a novel published today that will be hailed and censored in equal measure.

1988 | Wayne Gretzky weds Hollywood actress

Edmonton gets their own ‘royal wedding’ when The Great One marries American actress Janet Jones. Hockey stars Gordie Howe and Paul Coffey are in attendance, as is Gretzky’s longtime friend, actor Alan Thicke. But Jones’ elaborate wedding dress, reportedly covered in 40,000 crystals, steals the show.

Today in History ^07/16/17

This photo made by a US Army automatic newsreel camera, shows the test explosion of the world's first atomic bomb at Alamagordo, NM, on July 16, 1945 (© AP)

(1945) Nuclear age begins in New Mexico

Architects of the Manhattan Project, including project director J. Robert Oppenheimer, gather in shelters 10,000 yards from 'The Gadget's' detonation site in New Mexico and at 5:29 AM the world's first nuclear bomb explosion, code-named Trinity, pierces the darkness with 20 kilotons of atomic power.

Trinity was the code name of the first detonation of a nuclear weapon. It was conducted by the United States Army at 5:29 am on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. The test was conducted in the Jornada del Muerto desert about 35 miles southeast of Socorro, New Mexico, on what was then the USAAF Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range. The only structures originally in the vicinity were the McDonald Ranch House and its ancillary buildings, which scientists used as a laboratory for testing bomb components. A base camp was constructed, and there were 425 people present on the weekend of the test.

Date: Jul 16, 1945

wiki/Trinity_(nuclear_test)

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Today in History ^05/16/17

May 16, 2017 by GµårÐïåñ

President Andrew Johnson (© Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images))

(1868) US President Andrew Johnson escapes conviction by one vote

Having impeached Andrew Johnson three months earlier, the US Congress fails to convict the president of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ stemming from his refusal to go along with Civil War Reconstruction. A Senate trial acquits the first US president ever impeached of all charges.

Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. Johnson became president as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. A Democrat who ran with Lincoln on the National Union ticket, Johnson came to office as the Civil War concluded. The new president favored quick restoration of the seceded states to the Union. His plans did not give protection to the former slaves, and he came into conflict with the Republican-dominated Congress, culminating in his impeachment by the House of Representatives. The first American president to be impeached, he was acquitted in the Senate by one vote.

Lived: Dec 29, 1808 – Jul 31, 1875 (age 66)
Height: 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
Spouse: Eliza McCardle Johnson (m. 1827 – 1875)
Successor: David M. Key (Senator)
Parties: National Union Party · Republican Party · Democratic Party
Children: Martha Patterson (Daughter) · Mary Stover (Daughter) · Brig. Gen. Robert Johnson (USA) (Son) · Andrew “Frank” Johnson, Jr. (Son) · Charles Johnson, MD, USA (Son)
Highlights
1827: In 1827, at the age of 18, he married 16-year-old Eliza McCardle, the daughter of a local shoemaker.

1829: Johnson helped organize a mechanics’ (working men’s) ticket in the 1829 Greeneville municipal election.

1865: Johnson traveled to Washington to be sworn in, although according to Gordon-Reed, “in light of what happened on March 4, 1865, it might have been better if Johnson had stayed in Nashville.”

1868: In January 1868, the Senate disapproved of his action, and reinstated Stanton, contending the President had violated the Tenure of Office Act.

1868: Stanton refused to leave his office, and on February 24, 1868, the House impeached the President for intentionally violating the Tenure of Office Act, by a vote of 128 to 47.

1875: Returning to Tennessee after his presidency, Johnson sought political vindication, and gained it in his eyes when he was elected to the Senate again in 1875 (the only former president to serve there), just months before his death.

wiki/Andrew_Johnson

Mao Zedong, chairman of the communist party of China, 1966 (© Probst/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

(1966) Cultural Revolution begins in China

Mao Zedong, China’s Communist Party chairman, issues his ‘May 16 Notice’ condemning the growing influence of capitalist elements in the government, and he calls for a purge. The resulting ‘Cultural Revolution’ will lead to the destruction of important landmarks, torture, and murder.

The Cultural Revolution, formally the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement that took place in China from 1966 until 1976. Set into motion by Mao Zedong, then Chairman of the Communist Party of China, its stated goal was to preserve ‘true’ Communist ideology in the country by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society, and to re-impose Maoist thought as the dominant ideology within the Party. The Revolution marked the return of Mao Zedong to a position of power after the Great Leap Forward. The movement paralyzed China politically and negatively affected the country’s economy and society to a significant degree.

Start date: 1966
End date: 1976

wiki/Cultural_Revolution

The Beach Boys pose in July 1967 in Los Angeles © Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

(1966) Beach Boys release landmark album

The Beach Boys release ‘Pet Sounds,’ which showcases Brian Wilson’s elaborate production and personal approach to songwriting. The album is not an instant smash in the U.S., but will go on to influence the experimental sounds of the psychedelic-rock era and generations of musicians to come.

Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966. It initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 in the Billboard 200, a significantly lower placement than the band’s preceding albums. In the United Kingdom, the album was hailed by its music press and was an immediate commercial success, peaking at number 2 in the UK Top 40 Albums Chart and remaining among the top ten positions for six months. Pet Sounds has subsequently gathered worldwide acclaim from critics and musicians alike, and is widely considered to be one of the most influential albums in music history.

Release year: 1966
Genre: Pop music, Contemporary Pop
Label: Capitol Records
Artist: The Beach Boys

wiki/Pet_Sounds

Surgeon General C. Everett Koop fields questions during his news conference, Monday, May 16, 1988, in Washington, where he released a report on smoking (AP Photo/Barry Thumma) (© Barry Thumma/AP)

(1988) C. Everett Koop warns of nicotine’s addictive power

US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop reports on the addictive properties of nicotine, described as on par with cocaine and heroin. A dedicated campaigner against smoking, his public advocacy will be credited with helping spur declines in cigarette use during his tenure and beyond.

Charles Everett Koop, MD (October 14, 1916 – February 25, 2013) was an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and served as the 13th Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989. According to the Associated Press, “Koop was the only surgeon general to become a household name.”

Koop was known for his work to prevent tobacco use, AIDS, and abortion, and for his support of the rights of disabled children.

wiki/C._Everett_Koop

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Today in History ^01/26/17

January 26, 2017 by GµårÐïåñ

Portrait of Vicente Yáñez Pinzón (© De Agostini Picture Library/G. Dagli Orti/Getty Images)

(1500) Spain’s Pinzón is first European to land in Brazil

Captain of the ‘Nina’ during Columbus’ first New World voyage, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón’s current sail takes him to Brazil’s northeastern coast and a short exploration of the mouth of the Amazon River.

Vicente Yáñez Pinzón was a Spanish navigator, explorer, and conquistador, the youngest of the Pinzón brothers. Along with his older brother, Martín Alonso Pinzón, who captained the Pinta, he sailed with Christopher Columbus on the first voyage to the New World, in 1492, as captain of the Niña.

Born: 1462 · Palos de la Frontera, Spain
Died: 1514 · Triana, Seville, Spain
Spouse: Ana Núñez de Trujillo (m. 1509) · Teresa Rodríguez
Siblings: Martín Alonso Pinzón (Brother)
Children: Ana Rodríguez (Daughter) · Juana González (Daughter)
Parents: Martín Pinzón (Father) · Mayor Vicente (Mother)

wiki/Vicente_Yáñez_Pinzón

President Rajendra Prasad prepares to take part in the first Republic Day parade in Rajpath, New Delhi, in 1950 (Via Wikimedia Commons)

(1950) India becomes a republic

After thousands of years of monarchy, centuries of British rule, and much religious and social strife leading up to it, India adopts a constitution and becomes the world’s most populous democracy.

Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the Government of India Act as the governing document of India. The Constitution was adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, and came into effect on 26 January 1950 with a democratic government system, completing the country’s transition towards becoming an independent republic. 26 January was chosen as the Republic day because it was on this day in 1930 when Declaration of Indian Independence was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by British Regime.
wiki/Republic_Day_(India)

The Majestic Theatre in New York showing 'The Phantom of the Opera,' circa 1980s (© Tom Wargacki/WireImage/Getty Images)

(1988) ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ opens on Broadway

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit West End musical transfers to Broadway. It will go on to be Broadway’s longest-running show and cited as the most financially successful event in entertainment history.

The Phantom of the Opera is a musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Charles Hart with additions from Richard Stilgoe. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe also wrote the musical’s book together. Based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux, its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé, who becomes the obsession of a mysterious, disfigured musical genius.

Authors: Andrew Lloyd Webber · Richard Stilgoe
First performed: Oct 09, 1986
Adaptations: The Phantom of the Opera (2004) · The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)

wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera_(1986_musical)

President Bill Clinton denying improper behavior with Monica Lewinsky during a press conference on Jan. 26, 1998 (© Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News via Getty Images)

(1998) Clinton “did not have sexual relations” with Lewinsky

Under fire from accusations he had an affair with a White House intern, President Bill Clinton issues a strong denial during a televised press conference. Just seven months later he will admit involvement.

The Lewinsky scandal was an American political sex scandal that involved 49-year-old President Bill Clinton and a 22-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The sexual relationship took place between 1995 and 1996 and came to light in 1998. Clinton ended a televised speech with the statement that he did not have sexual relations with Lewinsky. Further investigation led to charges of perjury and led to the impeachment of President Clinton in 1998 by the U.S. House of Representatives and his subsequent acquittal on all impeachment charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in a 21-day Senate trial. Clinton was held in civil contempt of court by Judge Susan Webber Wright for giving misleading testimony in the Paula Jones case regarding Lewinsky, and was also fined $90,000 by Wright. His license to practice law was suspended in Arkansas for five years and later by the United States Supreme Court.
During Clinton’s first term in 1995, Lewinsky—a graduate of Lewis & Clark College—was hired to work as an intern at the White House and was later an employee of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. While Lewinsky worked at the White House, Clinton began a personal relationship with her, the details of which she later confided to Linda Tripp, her Defense Department co-worker who secretly recorded their telephone conversations.
In January 1998, Tripp discovered that Lewinsky had sworn an affidavit in the Paula Jones case, denying a relationship with Clinton. She delivered the tapes to Kenneth Starr, the Independent Counsel who was investigating Clinton on other matters, including the Whitewater scandal, the White House FBI files controversy, and the White House travel office controversy. During the grand jury testimony Clinton’s responses were carefully worded, and he argued, “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is,” with regard to the truthfulness of his statement that “there is not a sexual relationship, an improper sexual relationship or any other kind of improper relationship.”
The wide reporting of the scandal led to criticism of the press for over-coverage. The scandal is sometimes referred to as Monicagate, “Lewinskygate,” “Tailgate,” “Sexgate,” and “Zippergate,” following the “-gate” nickname construction that has been popular since the Watergate scandal.
The improper relationship between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky was confirmed, but Clinton’s marriage with his wife, Hillary Clinton, survived the scandal.
wiki/I_did_not_have_sexual_relations_with_that_woman

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Today in History ^12/21/16

December 21, 2016 by GµårÐïåñ

(1898) Pierre and Marie Curie discover the element radium

The husband-wife team discovers the existence of the radioactive element radium. The pair will win a Nobel Prize for their work with radiation, making Madame Curie the first woman to win a Nobel, and she’ll win another a few years later. Marie Curie will die from radiation exposure in 1934.
Radium is a chemical element with symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals. Pure radium is silvery-white, but it readily combines with nitrogen on exposure to air, forming a black surface layer of radium nitride. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226, which has a half-life of 1600 years and decays into radon gas. When radium decays, ionizing radiation is a product, which can excite fluorescent chemicals and cause radioluminescence. Discovered: 1898 Symbol: Ra Atomic number: 88 Electron configuration: Rn 7s2 Boiling point: 1,737 °C Melting point: 960 °C Atomic mass: 226 u Discoverers: Maria Sklodowska-Curie · Pierre Curie Chemical series: Alkaline earth metal · Metal · Period 7 element — Source: wiki/Radium
(1913) The first crossword puzzle is published

Arthur Wynne introduces a new puzzle called ‘Word-Cross’ in the New York World newspaper’s ‘Fun’ section. The diamond-shaped grid has numbered squares, clues, and simple instructions to fill the blanks. A typographical error a few weeks later will change the name to ‘Cross-Word.’ That one will stick.
Arthur Wynne was the British-born inventor of the modern crossword puzzle. Arthur Wynne was born on June 22, 1871, in Liverpool, England. He emigrated to the United States on June 6, 1891, at the age of 19, settling for a time in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Born: Jun 22, 1871 · Liverpool, England Died: Jan 14, 1945 · Clearwater, FL Inventions: Crossword Highlights 1871: Arthur Wynne was born on June 22, 1871, in Liverpool, England. 1913: He is best known for the invention of the crossword puzzle in 1913, when he was a resident of Cedar Grove, New Jersey. 1945: He died in Clearwater, Florida, on January 14, 1945. — Source: wiki/Arthur_Wynne
(1988) Bomb brings down Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland

The New York-bound flight explodes in midair over Lockerbie, killing 270 people, including 11 on the ground. Islamic terrorists will be accused of planting the bomb, hidden in a tape player in the Boeing 747’s cargo hold. In 2003, Libya will take responsibility for the bombing.
Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via London and New York. On 21 December 1988, N739PA, the aircraft operating the transatlantic leg of the route, was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew, in what became known as the Lockerbie bombing. Large sections of the aircraft crashed onto residential areas of Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 11 more people on the ground. Date: Dec 21, 1988 — Source: wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_103
(1991) Eleven of 12 former Soviet republics form commonwealth

Having previously declared independence from the USSR, 11 Soviet republics proclaim the creation of a new alliance, the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Republic of Georgia, dealing with a civil war, abstains. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev will step down a few days later and the Soviet Union will dissolve.
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization formed during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Nine out of the 15 former Soviet Republics are member states, and two are associate members. Georgia withdrew its membership in 2008, while the Baltic states refused to participate. Founded: 1991 Founders: Russia · Ukraine · Belarus Headquarters: Minsk, Belarus — Source: wiki/Commonwealth_of_Independent_States
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Today in History ^12/07/16

December 7, 2016 by GµårÐïåñ

(1941) Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii

	In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day. .
The attack on Pearl Harbor, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the Hawaii Operation or Operation AI by the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, and Operation Z during planning, was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack led to the United States’ entry into World War II. Date: Dec 07, 1941 — Source: wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
(1963) Sports fans watch it all over again for the first time

In the Army-Navy football game, TV viewers get something they’ve never seen before: an instant replay of the Army quarterback’s touchdown. Worried this programming innovation will confuse viewers, the announcer explains, “Ladies and gentlemen, Army has not scored again.”.
Instant replay is a video reproduction of something that recently occurred which was both shot and broadcast live. The video, having already been shown live, is replayed in order for viewers to see again and analyze what had just taken place. Some sports allow officiating calls to be overturned after the review of a play. Instant replay is most commonly used in sports, but is also used in other fields of live TV. While the first near-instant replay system was developed and used in Canada, the first instant replay was developed and deployed in the United States. — Source: wiki/Instant_replay
(1988) Massive earthquake wipes out parts of Armenia

	An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastates the Republic of Armenia in the USSR. Spitak, a town with about 25,000 residents, is flattened beyond repair, and the death toll throughout Armenia will reach about 45,000 people. The tragedy hits as the Soviet Union is suffering an economic decline, so aid and recovery will be slow..
The 1988 Armenian earthquake, also known as the Spitak earthquake occurred in the northern region of Armenia on December 7 at 11:41 local time. The earthquake measured 6.8 on the surface wave magnitude scale and had a maximum perceived intensity of X on the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale. The region that the earthquake occurred is vulnerable to occasional large and destructive earthquakes and is part of a larger active seismic belt that stretches from the Alps to the Himalayas. Activity in the area is associated with tectonic plate boundary interaction and the source of the event was a slip of a thrust fault just to the north of Spitak. Date: Dec 07, 1988 — Source: wiki/1988_Armenian_earthquake
(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six

Colin Ferguson pulls out a gun aboard a Long Island commuter train and begins shooting passengers as he walks down the aisle, killing six and injuring 19. Ferguson, who will represent himself at a bizarre trial, will be sentenced to six life terms without parole. .
On December 7, 1993, as a Long Island Rail Road train pulled into the Merillon Avenue station in Garden City, New York, a passenger, identified as Colin Ferguson, pulled out his gun and started firing at other passengers. He killed six and wounded nineteen before being stopped by three of the passengers: Kevin Blum, Mark McEntee, and Mike O’Connor. Ferguson’s trial was notable for a number of unusual developments, including his firing of his defense counsel and insisting on representing himself and questioning his own victims on the stand. Born: Jan 14, 1958 (age 58) · Kingston, Jamaica Spouse: Audrey Warren (m. 1986 – 1988) Parents: May Ferguson (Mother) · Von Herman Ferguson (Father) Education: Calabar High School · Nassau Community College · Adelphi University Date: Dec 07, 1993 — Source: wiki/1993_Long_Island_Rail_Road_shooting
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Today in History 07/16/17

Today in History ^07/16/17