Sunday Open Thread: April 1 is April Fools' Day and Edible Book Day

Today's date is also Sweetmorn, Discord 18, 3184 YOLD (for you Discordians out there)

World History this day

1545 -- Potosi, Bolivia, was founded 1572 -- The Watergeuzen captured Brielle, gaining the future Dutch Republic a toe-hold on land 1625 -- The Portuguese began the recapture of Bahia 1918 -- The Royal Air Force was created 1924 -- Hitler got five years for the "Beer Hall Putsch" but only served nine months 1939 -- Franco announced the end of the Spanish Civil War 1979 -- Iran became an Islamic republic, officially getting rid of the Shah 2001 -- The Netherlands instituted marriage equality

US History this day

1865 -- Sheridan's troops thumped Pickett's, cutting off supplies for the Army of Northern Virginia 1891 -- The Wrigley Company was founded 1944 -- The US accidently bombed the Swiss city of Schaffhausen. 1970 -- Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act 1976 -- Apple Inc. was formed

Science & Technology this day

1826 -- Samuel Morey got a patent on a "Gas or Vapor Engine". 1960 -- The TIROS-1 satellite transmitted the first television picture from space.

The Arts this day 1854 -- Dickens' "Hard Times" began serialisation

Misc. this day

Birthdays of Note this day

1578 -- William Harvey, physician 1755 -- Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, gastronome 1776 -- Marie-Sophie Germain, mathematician, physicist, philosopher 1815 -- Otto von Bismarck, politician 1866 -- Ferruccio Busoni, pianist, composer, and conductor 1873 -- Sergei Rachmaninoff, pianist, composer, and conductor 1895 -- Alberta Hunter, singer, songwriter, and nurse 1908 -- Abraham Maslow, psychologist 1909 -- Eddy Duchin, pianist and bandleader 1910 -- Harry Carney, sax and clarinet player 1920 -- Toshiro Mifune, actor, quintessential man-bun wearer 1921 -- Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, guitarist (no shit?), fiddler, and composer 1922 -- Duke Jordan, pianist and composer 1926 -- Anne McCaffrey, author and dragon rider 1927 -- Amos Milburn, singer, songwriter and pianist 1932 -- Debbie Reynolds, actress, singer, and dancer 1942 -- Samuel R. Delany, author 1946 -- Ronnie Lane, bassist and songwriter 1948 -- Jimmy Cliff, singer and musician 1949 -- Gil Scott-Heron, singer, songwriter, and author 1954 -- Jeff Porcaro, drummer and songwriter

Deaths of Note this day

1580 -- Alonso Mudarra, guitarist and composer 1917 -- Scott Joplin, pianist and composer 1922 -- Hermann Rorschach, psychologist 1976 -- Max Ernst, painter and sculptor 1984 -- Marvin Gaye, singer and songwriter 1999 -- Jesse Stone (aka Charles Calhoun), pianist and songwriter  

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So now some music

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Eddy Duchin  

Harry Carney  

Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith  

Duke Jordan  

Ronnie Lane  

Jimmy Cliff  

Gil Scott-Heron  

Alonso Mudarra  

Scott Joplin  

Marvin Gaye  

Jesse Stone  

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Photo: Woman milking a cow with an elephants' head. April Fools' joke in magazine Het Leven, 1932.

It's an open thread, so do your thing

Crossposted from http://caucus99percent.com