Sunday Open Thread: March 4 is Antonio Vivaldi's Birthday, also Mama Africa's

World History this day 0852 -- The first known written mention of the Croats 1493 -- Christopher Columbus safely returned to Lisbon 1461 -- Henry VI was deposed by the eventual Edward IV. 1519 -- Cortes arrived in Mexico 1804 -- Irish convicts rebelled against British authority in New South Wales. 1848 -- The Statuto Albertino (first constitution of Italy) was signed

US History this day

1681 -- Charles II gave Pennsylvania to William Penn*** 1789 -- The first Congress met and put the Constitution into effect 1789 -- The Bill of Rights was drafted and proposed to Congress 1794 -- The 11th Amendment was passed by Congress. 1913 -- The Department of Labor is formed originally (allegedly) to help workers 1917 -- Jeannette Rankin became the first female member of the House 1933 -- Frances Perkins became the first female Cabinet member

*** Even though he had no legitimate rights, title or interest therein

Science & Technology this day

1675 -- John Flamsteed became England's first Royal Astronomer 1882 -- Britain's first electric trams

The Arts this day

Misc. this day

Birthdays of Note this day

1394 -- Henry the Navigator, explorer 1678 -- Antonio Vivaldi, violinist and composer 1745 -- Casimir Pulaski, general 1778 -- Robert Emmet, Irish nationalist commander 1822 -- Jules Antoine Lissajous, physicist and mathematician 1826 -- Theodore Judah, engineer 1904 -- George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist 1906 -- Avery Fisher, violinist, engineer, and founder of Fisher Electronics 1926 -- Don Rendell, sax, flute, and clarinet player 1932 -- Miriam Makeba, Mama Africa 1944 -- Bobby Womack, singer and songwriter 1947 -- Bob Lewis, Devo co-founder 1948 -- James Ellroy, writer 1950 -- Rick Perry, archetypal moronic dispshit

Deaths of Note this day

1193 -- Saladin, 1852 -- Nikolai Gogol, writer 1858 -- Matthew C. Perry, gunboat diplomat, imperialist 1915 -- William Willett, cursed wretch who founded British Summer Time 1944 -- Fannie Barrier Williams, educator and women's rights activist 1963 -- William Carlos Williams, poet and writer

OTHER In the US it is National Grammar Day, for which Hallmark has yet to create a line of greeting cards.

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So now some music

Antonio Vivaldi

Miriam Makeba  

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MIRIAM MAKEBA & NINA SIMONE Thulasizwe / I Shall Be Released  

And Back to Vivaldi we go

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Photo: Image from page 397 of "Encyclopédie de la musique et dictionnaire du Conservatoire .." (1913)

It's an open thread, so do your thing

Crossposted from http://caucus99percent.com