On August 5, 1735 a person was acquitted of Seditious Libel against the Royal Governor of New York because he was telling the truth. Boy was that ever another world. Today we persecute such people endlessly.
On August 5, 1816, the British Admiralty decided to stick with the semaphore over the newfangled electrical telegraph. We should not mock this, given that the first transatlantic telegraph cable only worked for a week and for many decades I was lucky if I could get through a day without my internet provider crashing.
Japan, copying the earlier accomplishment of the UK, adopted a postal savings system on August 5, 1874. We'll never see that here because the commercial banks own Congress.Not outright, mind you, they share ownership with some other interests,
August 5, 1888 brought us Bertha Benz's historic first long distance automobile trip which doubled as the first long distance automobile trip by a woman.
August 5, 1964 brought us carrier based bombing attacks on North Vietnam in retaliation for alleged events in the gulf of Tonkin that never actually happened, stuff we made up, and the like. Such attacks became an ongoing feature of our war to prevent free elections in Viet Nam. It seems that the shining light upon the hill is simply a targeting beacon, and nothing more.
On August 5, 1974, the U.S. Congress placed a $1 billion limit on military aid to South Vietnam. Kind of late in the game, but admirable anyway.
On this day in history:
1735 – John Peter Zenger was acquitted of seditious libel because he told the truth 1816 – The British Admiralty rejected the electric telegraph in favor of the semaphore 1858 – The first transatlantic telegraph cable was finished, it worked for a month 1861 – The US Army abolished flogging. 1874 – Japan launched its postal savings system based on the UK's 1888 – Bertha Benz drove from Mannheim to Pforzheim and back. No steamrollers were involved. 1906 – The King of Iran, agreed to convert the government to a constitutional monarchy. 1925 – Plaid Cymru was formed 1957 – American Bandstand had its debut 1962 – Nelson Mandela was jailed. He would not be released until 1990. 1964 – Aircraft from the USS Ticonderoga and USS Constellation bombed North Vietnam 1969 – The Lonesome Cowboys police raid in Atlanta, Georgia, which led to the creation of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front. 1974 – The U.S. Congress placed a $1 billion limit on military aid to South Vietnam. 1974 – Pursuant to court orders, President Nixon released the "Smoking Gun" tape recorded on June 23, 1972, clearly revealing his complicity in the Watergate affair. 1981 – Reagan fired striking air traffic controllers
Some people who were born on this day:
The dogma of woman's complete historical subjection to men must be rated as one of the most fantastic myths ever created by the human mind.
~~ Mary Ritter Beard 1623 – Antonio Cesti, organist and composer 1681 – Vitus Bering, explorer 1802 – Niels Henrik Abel, mathematician and theorist 1850 – Guy de Maupassant, author and poet 1876 – Mary Ritter Beard, historian and activist 1904 – Kenneth V. Thimann, botanist and microbiologist, isolated auxin 1926 – Jeri Southern, jazz singer and pianist 1934 – Karl Johan Åström, engineer and theorist 1937 – Brian G. Marsden, astronomer and academic 1940 – Rick Huxley, bass player 1941 – Airto Moreira, drummer and composer 1942 – Joe Boyd, record producer 1943 – Sammi Smith, country music singer and songwriter 1946 – Rick van der Linden, keyboard player and songwriter 1947 – Rick Derringer, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer 1947 – Greg Leskiw, guitarist and songwriter 1948 – David Hungate, bass player 1959 – Pat Smear, guitarist and songwriter 1965 – Jeff Coffin, saxophonist and composer
Some people who died on this day:
The state is nothing but an instrument of opression of one class by another - no less so in a democratic republic than in a monarchy.
~~ Friedrich Engels 1729 – Thomas Newcomen, engineer, invented the Newcomen atmospheric engine 1868 – Jacques Boucher de Crèvecœur de Perthes, archaeologist and historian 1881 – Spotted Tail, Brulé Lakota tribal chief 1895 – Friedrich Engels, philosopher 1929 – Millicent Fawcett, trade union leader and activist 1955 – Carmen Miranda, singer, dancer, and actress 1959 – Edgar Guest, journalist and poet 1968 – Luther Perkins, rockabilly guitarist, the guitar behind Johnny Cash 2008 – Neil Bartlett, chemist and academic, created first noble gas compounds 2012 – Chavela Vargas, singer, songwriter, and actress 2013 – Willie Dunn, singer, songwriter, and producer 2022 – Judith Durham, singer and songwriter
Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such: International Traffic Light Day National Underwear Day
Today's Tunes
National Underwear Day
Ms. Benz's long distance round trip
Japan's postal savings system
First open bombing attacks on Vietnam
Jeri Southern
Rick Huxley
Airto Moreira
Rick van der Linden
Rick Derringer
David Hungate
Jeff Coffin
Carmen Miranda
Luther Perkins
Chavela Vargas
div align="center">- Willie Dunn
Judith Durham
Bonus - Airto and Flora:
Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. What's on your mind?
Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com Open Thread, Underwear Day, Bertha Benz, Vietnam, Plaid Cymru, Rick Huxley, Wiile Dunn, Luther Perkins, Judy Durham, Chavela Vargas