09/23 Open Thread - International Day of Sign Languages

What "sign language" I know is generally frowned upon in polite society, leaving me at a loss for words. OTOH, perhaps signal flags would fly, but they are cumbersome, and semaphore is not really good for this medium, it would look like little dancing bears if one wasn't careful.

Of course, using this medium somewhat obviates the need for sign language anyway. You'll note that the title refers to languages, plural. It seems that they have evolved all over the world throughout time. They not only facilitate communication between those who cannot speak and/or hear, but also between those speaking different languages. For instance, good old Cow Head Cabeza de Vaca noted that the indigenous populations of the North American Southwest had a fully developed sign language, presumably to communicate and possibly conduct trade between those with differing languages. Linguists, fwiw, consider sign languages to be natural languages whatever that may mean to them.

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On this day in history:

On September 23, 1338, the first naval battle of the hundred years' war, the Battle of Arnemuiden, occurred. Big whoop, but - it was the first known naval battle to involve gunpowder based artillery. Five, count 'em, five, English cogs were set upon by a huge French fleet. One English ship had 3 cannons and a hand gun, but they were merchant ships. Insofar as they were set upon by a sizable French fleet, we must assume that those were the equivalent of warships. After an entire day's combat, the French forced the English to surrender, captured the English ships and their cargo, and slaughtered all of the surviving crewmen. Total English fatalities were 1,000, to a mere 900 for the French. Nonetheless, the war continued for well over 100 years. .

1779 brought us a more famous naval battle, though not necessarily by name, the Battle of Flamborough Head. This was the famous ship to ship duel between the Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis in which John Paul Jones declared that he had not yet begun to fight and which he eventually won. Cannons were de rigeur by this time, though two of Jones' 18 pounders exploded killing those nearby and causing Jones to abandon the use of an entire battery of 6 of them. This was a classic pyrrhic victory in many ways, but Jones won the battle and fame sufficient that in his later years he was hired by none other than Catherine the Great as a rear admiral in the Black Sea.

Neptune was discovered on this day in 1846, but nobody was able to plant a flag on it so it remained unclaimed.

Puerto Rico's Grito de Lares against Spanish rule took place in 1868.

Nintendo was founded in 1889.

1911 saw the first official airmail delivery.

In 1913 the United Mine Workers of America launched a strike which eventually escalated into the Colorado Coalfield War

The first flight across the Mediterranean took place in 1913.

The unification of Saudi Arabia was finally completed in 1932.

The first public version of Mozilla Firefox was released in 2002.

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Some people who were born on this day:

If women would today would rise en masse and demand their emancipation, the men would be compelled to grant it

~~ Victoria Woodhull 1215 – Kublai Khan, emperor (and builder of Xanadu's pleasure dome.) 1791 – Johann Franz Encke, astronomer and academic 1800 – William Holmes McGuffey, author 1819 – Hippolyte Fizeau, physicist and academic 1838 – Victoria Woodhull, journalist and activist 1851 – Ellen Hayes, mathematician and astronomer who was controversial for being female, questioning the bible, wearing comfortable, utilitarian clothing, and supporting such things as suffrage, temperance, at least one labor strike, socialism, and Sacco & Vanzetti 1852 – William Stewart Halsted, physician and surgeon 1863 – Mary Church Terrell, author, and activist 1867 – John Lomax, musicologist, teacher, and folklorist 1889 – Walter Lippmann, journalist and publisher, founder of The New Republic 1907 – Tiny Bradshaw, singer, songwriter, and pianist 1907 – Anne Desclos, journalist and author 1926 – John Coltrane, saxophonist and composer 1928 – Frank Foster, saxophonist and composer 1930 – Ray Charles, singer, songwriter, pianist, and actor 1935 – Les McCann, singer and pianist 1939 – Roy Buchanan, singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1941 – George Jackson, activist and author 1941 – Norma Winstone, singer and songwriter 1943 – Julio Iglesias, singer and songwriter 1944 – Eric Bogle, singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1945 – Ron Bushy, drummer 1947 – Don Grolnick, pianist and composer 1947 – Neal Smith, drummer and songwriter 1948 – Dan Toler, guitarist 1949 – Bruce Springsteen, singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1950 – George Garzone, saxophonist and educator 1951 – Steven Springer, guitarist and songwriter 1952 – Kim Duk-soo, musician

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Some people who died on this day:

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”

~~ Pablo Neruda 0965 – Al-Mutanabbi, poet 1241 – Snorri Sturluson, historian, poet, and politician 1675 – Valentin Conrart, author, founded the Académie française 1877 – Urbain Le Verrier, mathematician and astronomer who predicted the existence and location of Neptune 1939 – Sigmund Freud, neurologist, misogynist, quack, and author 1973 – Pablo Neruda, poet and diplomat 1974 – Robbie McIntosh, drummer 2006 – Etta Baker, singer and guitarist 2013 – Ruth Patrick, botanist and immunologist 2017 – Charles Bradley, singer

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Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such: Celebrate Bisexuality Day (worldwide) International Day of Sign Languages National Great American Pot Pie Day Grito de Lares (Puerto Rico)

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