Today in History: The Navy Again?

Two days ago, I mentioned the Battle of Valcour, one of the first battles for the United States Naval Force. Today was the true beginning of an American Naval Force. Thought not yet the United States, the United Colonies of the New World establishes its Continental Navy on this day in 1775 after approval from the Continental Congress. Months before, violence between the British and colonies broke out in the Battles of Lexington and Concord, sparking what would be the American Revolution. This navy was key in the success of the revolutionaries, as they successfully attacked British merchant ships and secured several victories for the Colonies.

An image of the White House
in 1800. The mansion was much
smaller before it was rebuilt after
it was burned down during the
War of 1812

The American Revolution was obviously a success, as seventeen years later on this day in 1792, the cornerstones of the White House were laid. Originally, the executive mansion was build it a white-grey color. Though construction started on this day in 1792, it wasn't until November 1st, 1800 that Second President John Adams welcomed his wife, Abigail, and himself into the mansion. Every president since Adams lived in the White House.

Texas is one of the largest states in the United States, both by size and by population. This day in 1845 marks their date of near statehood, as the Texan state constitution was ratified. Pending approval by Congress, this would make Texas the 28th state of the United States. On December 29, 1845, Texas was granted statehood, as set off by a chain of events during the Mexican-American War.

Nearly four years into World War II, Italy declares war on Germany, one of its former allies, and joins the side of the Allies. Italy had already entered the war in June of 1940 with an invasion of France, though Italian dictator Benito Mussolini decided to make a deal with General Dwight D. Eisenhower to surrender Italy to the Allies. Allowing the Allies to land on Salerno, Italy, they were able to push the Germans back up the peninsula.

Each miner was pulled out individually
to safety through the capsule.

In more modern news, this day in 2010 was the day the last of the 33 miners trapped half a mile underground were saved. After being trapped for over two months, they were greeted by the president of Chile, Sebastian Pinera while being hounded on by media from all over the world. Throughout their entrapment, I still remember the news coverage and the videos from inside the small, confined mines and worrying for the safety of the miners. Its amazing how fast this event has already past, as each day is another day in history.

Today in History: A True Columbus Day!

A painting of Colubus and his crew
arriving in the New World

Happy Columbus Day weekend to those in the United States, or as my history teacher puts it, "Thank Columbus for Killing Many Native Americans Day." Columbus Day this year is October 14th, but this day in 1942 marks the day Italian explorer Christopher Columbus lands on the Bahamian Island of Watling in the Bahamas. Believing that he had hit the shores of East Asia or India, he named the natives "Indians." Columbus's journey to the New World began on August 3rd, 1492 in Palos, Spain, the maiden country that supported his journey. This was the first of four expeditions to the New World by Columbus, though his whole life, even after his death, he believed that the land he had found was a passageway to East Asia. In reality, Columbus unlocked the door to Spain's riches and power.

A portrait of Lee during
the Civil War

When visiting San Diego in October, advertisements for Octoberfest are everywhere. When visiting the events of history, traces of Oktoberfest begin on October 12, 1810. This day in 1810 marks the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Louis and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, where a large festival was held in front of the city gates. Horse races would always take place in front of these city gates. Many wanted to repeat this festival once a year, making Oktoberfest and annual festival known for its large alcohol consumption. More than 1 million gallons of beer are consumed annually during this festival in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.

A promotional photo
for Oktoberfest

For Civil War enthusiast, this day marks the death of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1870. Lee, age 63 at the time, died a peaceful death at his home in Lexington, Virginia. After the famed war general ended his military career with the end of the American Civil War, Lee served as president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. The school changed its name to Lee College shortly after his passing.

The Three-man crew
upon Voskhod 1

The bowels of the land outside Earth always seem to intrigue human beings in the world, though humans themselves seem to be in competition with each other to discover space. October 12th, 1964 marks the first time a multi-person crew spacecraft was sent into outer space. This two day mission abroad Voskhod 1, with the three astronauts aboard without space suits, depicted Russian's dominance in the Space Race in the 1950s and 1960s. This tide turned in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the United States began to surpass the Russians in advancements of astronomical studies.

Today in History: Inconsistency

The formation of ships in the Battle of
Valcour are depicted in the painting

My Today in History posts have been on and off in a month, inconsistency after inconsistency, even after promising to write consistent post. I truly believe this will be my last time promising that for at long time, as I start to manage my time more wisely and begin to focus blogging as more than just posting random facts of history, but also more opinionated post like my travels and thoughts on general news. Today was an interesting day to get my blog together, because it has so many events in the 20th century.

A map representing routes and general
locations of fleets in Valcour

Hold your horses! Though there was many interesting events in the 1900s, I want to pull back to the American Revolution. Today in 1776 marks what many historians may argue as the first naval battle in the American Revolution, the Battle of Valcour Island. This battle was also noted to be one of the first United States Navy battles, however resulting in large disaster in accordance to the troops sent out. Brigadier General Benedict Arnold lead a relatively small fleet of 15 ships with 500 sailors against a strong 25-ship-697-sailor-lead Sir Guy Carleton. After the Continental Army's retreat to Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown Point in June that same year, the British greatly increased their military force. Superior navally, the British were prepared. On this day in 1776, Arnold manipulated the British to work to a position to boost the Americans from winning. As the battle commenced, many American ships were lost, totaling 11 by the end of the day. Eighty Confederates were killed or wounded while 120 were captured as a result. Though still a lost in Arnold's part, he then commanded West Point. However, his command of West Point four years later resulted in his infamous bribery scandal labeling his name "Benedict Arnold" as a synonym of "traitor.

A big transition to the 20th century begins in World War I. October 11th, 1915 marks the date that Bulgaria announces its entry into the First World War. In a way, Bulgaria was a "swing country," being pursued by both sides of the war. Bulgaria's participation in World War I ended nearly three years after it joined on September 29, 1918, losing over 90,000 soldiers.

A Japanese warship was destroyed
as a result of the Battle of Cape Esperance

World War II no doubt laid an important scar in world history. This day in 1942 marks the beginning of  the two day Battle of Cape Esperance. It was a naval war, this one taken place on Guadalcanal Island in the Pacific, that resulted in an American victory over Japan. Cape Esperance allowed the U.S. naval forces to further analyze Japan's naval fighting skills, leading to an eventual Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal by the end of 1942.

I've noticed that I have not talked too intensively on the Vietnam War in my posts, except the occasional fact. Today marks the day that Viet Minh formally takes control of North Vietnam in 1954. This did not mark the beginning of the war, as that occurred a year later in 1955. Viet Minh was the Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh, or a Vietnamese Independence League to separate itself from French colonial rule that played an important factor during the war.

The astronauts of Apollo 7.
Pictured left to right:
Eisele, Schirra, Cunningham

In astronomical news, Apollo 7 launched on October 11, 1968 into space on a mission to orbit the earth. Orbiting for 11 days, the crew of Walter Schirra Jr., Donn Eisele and Walter Cunningham transmitted the first live television broadcast from orbit on this mission.

Interestingly, October 11, 1975 was a double event day. The first was the marriage of Hilary Rodham and Bill Clinton in Little Rock, Arkansas. Meeting at Yale while studying law in 1972, the two met and married on this day in 1975. Clinton later became president from 1991 to 2000, however was generally overshadowed by his famous affair scandal and became the second president to be impeached, though he was not removed from office. Both Bill and Hilary pose a strong political significance, as Hilary also rand for president in 2008, but was appointed secretary of state by Barack Obama in 2009.

A skit in the 1975 season of SNL

The second event of the same day, October 11, 1975, was the debut of Saturday Night Live. The comedy sketch feautred Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Laraine Newman, and an even bigger cast. Beginning each episode with an opening sketch resulting in one actor saying, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" Still on air today and on its 39th season, SNL is known for its mocking parodies and impersonations along with acting and performances from musical icons, famed actors, and politicians. SNL is currently the longest running and highest rating show on late night television.

Today in History: Revisited!

It's been a wild year, beginning another year of high school. Though "Today in History" has been lacking for the past month, it will be posted more consistently because I slowly learn better ways to manage my time. Without further ado, I present: October 5th Today in History!

Firstly, I have to give a shout out to my friend Clara! It's her 15TH BIRTHDAY! Happy Birthday Clara! In six months you can get your permit! :) Hope your birthday is CRAZY, but not as crazy as what happened today in history!

The destruction left on the battlefield
in Allatoona in 1864

Now today was truly an eventful day in history, especially for the city of Cupertino, but the action begins with a Union win at the Battle of Allatoona in the American Civil War. Allatoona was a relatively small battle, though it produced a high percentage of casualties (approx. 35% for the Union, 27% for the Confederacy). Confederate General John Bell Hood attacks Union General William T. Sherman, after losing the city of Atlanta, on this day on October 5th, 1864. Hood had planed to draw Sherman back to northward in September 1864, but did not have enough troops to move Sherman. This battle, where divisions of the Confederacy and Union clashed near Bartow County, Georgia, only lasted a day, though forced General Hood to retreat his army back west into Alabama.

A 1947 Ferrari 125 S

When thinking of luxurious sport cars, the Ferrari S.p.A must come to mind. On this day in 1919, ten years before the founding of the Ferrari car company, founder Enzo Ferrari makes his racing debut, finishing in fourth place. Enzo was an Italian car mechanic and engineer who passionately made cars, but was not truly a magnificent race car driver. Winning only 13 of 47 races, many speculated that Ferrari retired as he was a passive driver, afraid of ruining the engine to win a race. Ferrari retired after a short racing career in the mid 1920s, eventually designing the Ferrari 125 S that debuted in 1947, creating one of the world's greatest luxury car companies.

Today in history was a peaceful and nobel day, when referring to the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize. Isaac Bashevis Singer, author of The Family Moskat, The Manor, and The Estate, Singer won the Nobel Prize in literature, gaining popularity with the Jewish, Polish, and Americans. His stories, written in Yiddish and translated into many other languages, wrote many of his pieces about life in Poland and the United States as a Jew. The Dalai Lama is an important religious leader for those in Tibet. The current Dalai Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama, won the Nobel Peace Prize on this day in 1989 for nonviolently campaigning against Chinese domination of Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama, religiously known as Tenzin Gyatso, has reign since November 17th, 1950 at age 15, currently serving as the longest Dalai Lama.

The 14th Dalai Lama receiving the
Nobel Peace Price in 1989 

For those living in Cupertino or adjacent areas, the day of October 5th, 2011 was a wild and crazy day. From the early morning in the Permanente Quarry in the west mountains of Cupertino, Shareff Allman, a worker at the quarry, shoots and kills 3 of his coworkers while injuring 6 others in a fit of anger. Running to the parking lot of a Hewlett Packard campus 2 miles away, Allman attempts to carjack a 60-year-old women then shoots her in the leg. Schools in the Cupertino Union School District and Fremont Union High School District were placed on Code Blue, as message to parents about the status of regular school activities were not throughly transferred to everyone until after many students were dropped off. The shooter, Allman, was caught the next morning in a Sunnyvale home adjacent to the site of the Hewlett Packard carjacking.

Steve Jobs demonstrates the iPhone in a lecture

However, the anticipations ran high on that day, as the arbitrary shootings in Cupertino coincided with the death of Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs. What does the death of Steve Jobs have to do with Cupertino? Well, Apple's headquarters is based in Cupertino, where flocks of people flooded after hearing the death of "a visionary and creative genius" (Apple's corporate website). Sitting in my math class on October 19th that same year, I remember hearing the beautiful sounds of Coldplay from Apple HQ playing at the memorial of Steve Jobs. Today in history is truly one that I personally, cannot forget.

Today in History: So Much to Do!

A portrait of King George III

Today in history was really a historic one, starting with a rejection by King George of Great Britain. On July 5th, 1775, the Olive Branch Petition was created by the Continental Congress of the United States, which was sent to England three days later on July 8th. On this day in 1775, the petition had finally reached its recipient, King George. King George quickly rejected this petition that longed for compromise between the colonies and Great Britain. After the news of its rejection, the colonies quickly began to form the Declaration of Independence to formally declare its independence from King George and Great Britain.

Yesterday in History, I noted the start of the Battle of Jonesboro in the American Civil War. On this day in 1864, the battle continued to rage on, but with the important capture of Atlanta, George by the Union forces, the Union had won this two-day battle. This win for General William T. Sherman virtually secures Abraham Lincoln's reelection later that fall.

Hitler commands his army to
attack Poland, initiaing WW2

Imagine yourself in late 1930s Poland, where life is simple, no technology, but living in a small cottage with not only your immediate family, but also your aunts, uncles, and cousins. Now imagine just sleeping in a hard mat that was your bed, when suddenly in the early morning of September 1st, 1939, over 1.5 million German soldiers invade your homeland. This was true for Polish residents living by the nearby bordered Germany. With Germany's invasion of Poland, World War II had began in the still morning of 4:45am on this day in 1939. Not only invading the borders of Poland, Germany also simultaneously bombed Polish airfields, attacked Polish navel forces in the Baltic Sea, and reeked havoc throughout Poland. Not convinced by German leader Adolf Hitler's excuse of claiming this invasion was a "defensive action," both Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later, adding oil to the fire of World War II.

A modern image of the wreck
of the RSS Titanic

If you are a consistent reader of my Today in History post, you know that I am a huge baseball fan. Baseball is not only America's national pastime, but also one of Japan's most popular sports. On this day in 1964, the first Japanese baseball player makes his Major League Baseball debut. Pitcher Masanori Murakami of the San Francisco Giants tosses one scoreless inning in a 1-4 Giants loss versus the New York Mets. Murakami was the only Japanese player to play in the majors even 30 years after his debut until pitcher Hideo Nomo made his debut in 1995. Great Japanese imports to play in the majors include Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, and the recent Yu Darvish.

The Titanic, a 1997 directed by James Cameron is one of the highest grossing movies of all time, but the story of the real RSS Titanic is truly astonishing. Today in history was an advancement in the Titanic story, as the wreck of the "unsinkable" vessel was found in 1985. A U.S.-French joint expedition locates the sunken ship 400 miles off the shore of Newfoundland. I have more information about the Titanic in one of my first Today in History post here.

Today in History: Striking Out, Yet Making History

General William
T. Sherman helped
the Union capture Atlanta

I had a dream, that I would eventually be back to blogging my Today in History post. That dream began today! Starting school was very busy for me, but it will not stop be from writing my post! I can't believe I missed out writing about the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s
I Have A Dream" post on August 28! However, time has moved on and that was all history, so I digress and will explain the events on this day, August 31st, in history!

Georgia was an important state in the American Civil War. It was a large slave state, but also where General Sherman's March to the Sea, a large advancement for the Union in the war's final months, took place. We can back up a few months before Sherman's March to this day in 1864, where the decisive Battle of Jonesboro begins. Union General William T. Sherman launches this attack that would eventually lead to the capture of Atlanta, Georgia for the Union, forcing Confederate soldiers to flee the area. It did not only influence the battles of the south, but also secured Abraham Lincoln's reelection in the fall of 1864.

Charles Kayser of
the Edison lab pictured
with a Kinetograph

If I asked you what a Kinetograph (or a Kinetoscope) is at the top of your head, what would you say? I honestly did not know what it was honestly, but after researching a little bit, I found out it was a type of movie camera patent by Thomas Edison on this day in 1897. With still-photography principles surfacing society in the late 1890s, Edison used these concepts to create a movie recording device. His new device used celluloid film, a new concept in the camera industry. By 1909, Edison had left the film industry, though the kinetograph had already been another invention in his impressive resume.

Sandy Koufaxin his
historic 18-strikeout
performance

Avoiding any war for the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Neutrality Act on this day in 1935. This was the first of a series of Neutrality Acts, as this act of 1935 was set to expire 6 months after its ratification. Eventually by March of 1941, the end of the neutrality came when the Lend-Lease Act was passed to increase America's military export to Britain, which helped the English when Adolf Hitler's German forces advanced toward England.

To the end the day off with some classical, historical baseball, we must draw our attention to Sandy Koufax's dominating performance against the San Francisco Giants on this day in 1959. With his dominating performance, Koufax lead the Brooklyn Dodgers in a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. With 60,194 in attendance, Koufax allowed 2 earned runs on 7 hits in 9 innings while striking out 18, setting the National League record at that time for must strikeouts in a game. Among the 18 strikeouts, the Giants 3-4-5 hitters Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, and Orlando Cepeda, all future Hall of Famers, struck out 6 times. Koufax himself also struck out 2 times in his 3 at bats of the day.

Sincere Apoligies!

Hello readers! I sincerely apologize for the  missing Today in History posts. I have started school this week and have been very busy. This week will have limited posts because of my busy week, but I am definitely continuing the series! Starting next week, the Today in History posts will be back to a regular schedule. 

Today in History: There's A Start and An Ending

A 14th-century depiction of
Mongol leader Genghis Kahn

A reported noted that 1 in 200 of the world population are possibly related to Genghis Khan. If the report were truly accurate, that would mean that at least 1 in 200 people in this world lost at least one descendent today in 1227.  August 18th, 1227 marks the death of Mongol leader Genghis Khan, who died in a camp while campaigning against the Xi Xia kingdom in China during the Song Dynasty. Unknown of true age, historians have estimated at the time of his death, the senile Khan was over 60 and suffered from multiple injuries like falling off a horse a year before. Khan ordered the kingdom of Xi Xia to be completely destroyed on his deathbed. Following Khan's orders, the kingdoms were demolished by the Mongols. The Mongols killed anyone who laid an eye on the funeral possessions of Khan, which were making its way back to the capitol of the Mongol empire, Karakorum. Khan's resting place is currently still a mystery.

The first page of
the Jay Treaty

The Jay Treaty was a treaty proposed mainly by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and George Washington, was signed by Washington on this day in 1795. This treaty, also known as the Treaty of London of 1794, was to sooth post war tensions between the newly-formed United States of America and Great Britain. British King George III had signed this treaty nearly a year before on November 19, 1794. After much opposition to the treaty in the United States, it had been finally been approved by Congress days before on August 14th, only awaiting president approval. 

The 19th Amendment document
can be found in the US
Government archives

Women's rights have always been a problem in the world. On this day in 1920, women's rights in the United States makes a big milestone with the ratification of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote. With Tennessee ratifying the amendment, allowing the two-thirds of state majority vote on the amendment, the simple two sections described that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on the account of sex." 

An image of Bird
playing on the
Boston Celtics

Today in history marks the 21st anniversary of basketball legend, Larry Bird. On August 18th, 1992, Bird announced his retirement as a player in the NBA. Bird's jersey number 33 was retired by the Boston Celtics shortly after. Retiring from the NBA as a player did not stop him from totally disappearing from the NBA. He worked as the Celtics' front office special assistant for five years until he was hired as the Indiana Pacers head coach. In 1998, Bird continued his legacy with an induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bird also was named NBA Coach of the Year that year after leading the Pacers to a franchise record 58-24 season. Currently, Bird is the Pacers' president of basketball operations. 

Today in History: Going the Distance

Gehrig along with other Yankees legend, Babe Ruth

For any fan of baseball, Lou Gehrig was no doubt an amazing player. Today in 1933 was the day that Henry Louis Gehrig of the New York Yankees, breaks former Yankee Everett Scott's record for consecutive games played. Scott had played 1,307 consecutive games until Gehrig played in 1,308th on August 17th, 1933 versus the St. Louis Browns. Gehrig went 2-5 with an RBI. The Yankees lost 6-7 to the Browns, but Gehrig would go on to play in 2,230 consecutive games, a Major League record for over half a century until Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed him on September 6th, 1995.

Nearly a year after starting construction on August 13th, 1961, a man tries to cross the Berlin Wall, though is killed on this day in 1962. Before this man's death, he attempted to escape with another friend from East Germany to West Germany for freedom. His friend climbed over the barbed wired fence and managed a few cuts, but escaped safely to West Berlin. The man killed on this day attempted to escape, but was shot by machine guns controlled by East German soldiers. Even after being shot, the man stood up and attempted climbed across the wall, only to be shot once again. The man falls from the wall on the East German side, slowly bleeding into a painful death. Horrified West German soldiers and residents watched this man left to bleed for an hour before he finally dies. West German soldiers attempted to throw bandages at the man while angry West Berlin citizens screamed at the East German guards who seemed to be satisfied with the bleeding man. Throughout its 38 years, the Berlin Wall saw many who tried to cross the wall. Interestingly, nearly 80 peopled were killed trying to cross the wall east to west, but no one was ever shot attempting to enter into the east.

The Double Eagle II
flies through the sky

In fun and quirky events, the first balloon, the Double Eagle II, crosses the Atlantic Ocean after six days on this day in 1978. Manned by pilots Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman, the helium filled hot air balloon flew from Preque Isle, Maine, to a barley field near Paris, France. The Double Eagle II flew rather smoothly for the first few days of flight until August 16th, where atmospheric conditions caused the balloon to fly at a safer altitude of 20,000ft to the dangerous conditions of 4,000ft. As the men flew along France, their families followed them in car. Two of the men on this flight, Ben Abruzzo and Larry Newman, along with two other men, Ron Clark and Rocky Aoki, also flew on the first transpacific balloon flight in 1981.

Clinton during his
public apology on
August 17, 1998

August 17th, 1998 was quite a day for Bill Clinton. On this day in 1998, Clinton becomes the first president in office to testify to the Office of Independent Council. After four years of investigation, a testimony finally came to accused Clinton of several scandals including sexual harassment and illegal real-estate dealing. After testifying, Clinton publicly addressed the nation live via television explaining his side of the story, admitting that he did in fact have an "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was impeached by Congress, though was later acquitted, allowing him to serve his full presidential term. Polls revealed that the public did not condone of Clinton's affair, but was not a worthy action for impeachment or resignation.

Today in History: Loss of Revolutionary Men

The first two paragraphs of this post are short biographies of Babe Ruth and Elvis Presley. 

The Bambino poses for a
photography with a bat

Ruth hit more home runs
than whole teams

Though today marks the fifty-fifth birthday of pop icon, Madonna, today was a sad day for two men that have revolutionized their respective fields. Baseball saw the lost of Hall of Fame legend Babe Ruth on this day in 1948. Ruth revolutionized baseball, aiding it to become "America's sport" after the unforgivable Black Sox Scandal of 1919. "The Sultan of Swat" or the "Bambino" hit more home runs than teams would hit in one season. With amazing baseball abilities, fans began swarming the baseball diamond to see this amazing baseball "god." Today, baseball draws over 70 million fans to the ballpark every year, excluding any who visit in standing view territory (in certain ball parks).

Ruth enjoyed to smoke and drink,
even at his older age

Though Ruth aided the return to popularity for baseball, he did not live a very healthy lifestyle. In 1946, doctors warned Ruth, who was a heavy drinker and smoker, to take better care of his health by limiting his drinking and smoking and also warning against a trip to the South Pacific. After two years of suffering through malignant tumors and reported throat cancer, the Great Bambino dies in his sleep at the age of 53 on August 16th, 1948. Ruth's legendary career can be seen when visiting the New York Yankees Stadium, where his number is retired. Ruth is not only honored by being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but also honored by having his own room in the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Presley's famous
publicity photo
for Jailhouse Rock

Today was also a sad lost in 1977, when "the King" or "the King of Rock n' Roll" dies of a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 42. Shortly after the death of "the King," thousands of mourning fans visited his mansion, Graceland, in Tennessee. Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th, 1935. Shortly after birth, Presley's twin brother, Jesse, died. Presley, who lived a dirt-poor family, moved to Memphis in 1948 when he was thirteen years old. One day at age 19, he decided to visit a Memphis recording studio where he paid $4 to record a few songs for this mother. Impressed with Presley's soulful, rough voice, the studio owner, Sam Philips, invited Presley to practice with local musicians. After Presley had recorded "That's All Right (1954)," he grants Philips the permission to release the single under Sun Records label. The single topped local charts, which started Elvis Presley's legendary career. From 1956 to 1958, Elvis dominated the music charts with singles such as Love Me Tender (1956), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1957), and King Creole (1958). Elvis' dominating music ushered in the age of rock n' roll. Elvis' music career took a turn when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958, serving 18 months in West Germany. Presley's manager stockpiled on Elvis songs before his departure, with all five released singles becoming million sellers.

Presley still connected with his
passion for music while
serving in West Germany

Elvis was not only known
for music, but also
his famous dances

However, by the turn of the decade, the rock n' roll that Presley had known and have produced had undergone dramatic changes. With the change, "the King" was not seen as relevant in the eyes of American youth. He gained back some fans in a 1968 television appearance, allowing for the King's final Top 10 song, "Burning Love," in 1972. Presley's decline began in mid 1970s, starting with his divorce with wife Priscilla Beaulieu. After the divorce, Presley became addicted to prescription drugs and junk food, causing considerable weight gain. On the afternoon of August 16th, 1977, he was found unconscious in Graceland and immediately transferred to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Graceland is the final resting place of Elvis Presley, where millions of fans are attracted to view this tourist attraction of "the King of Rock n' Roll."

Today in history was rather quiet in event, though there were many small events. Perhaps one of the largest events on this day was the discovery of gold in the Yukon territory in Canada in 1896. While salmon fishing near the Klondike River, George Carmack spots gold nuggets in the creek. Years after the end of the California Gold Rush, Carmack seems to have found the final traces of valuable gold in western-North America. With the "Klondike Fever," Carmack became rich off his discovery, retrieving over $1 million worth of gold. Around 200 small gold mines are still in operation in the region today.

A news artcle from the late 1800s
reporting about the gold find
near the Klondike River

Small events are also scattered through the Vietnam War. Firstly, on this day in 1964, General Nguyen Khanh is elected as president of South Vietnam by the Military Council. Khanh ousted Duong Van Minh, who was president of the Republic in 1963. Today also marked heavy air attacks in North Vietnam by U.S. fighter bombers in 1972. With 370 air strikes, this was the highest daily total of the year.

Today in History: Planning and Building!

An image of Henry Ford with a Ford Model T
that he had designed after resigning from
Edison's Illumination Company in 1898.

When thinking of the greatest industrialist and inventors in history, Henry Ford should be on that list. When thinking of people who have revolutionized the "modernization" of society, Henry Ford should be on that list. When thinking of events that happened on this day in history, Henry Ford should also be on your mind. Today was not the day that Ford created the Ford Model T, or the day that he received any awards or recognition, but the day that he quits from his position of chief engineer at famed inventor Thomas Edison's company, the Edison Illuminating Company in 1899. At age 16, Ford had left his family farm in Dearborn, Michigan to travel about nine miles to Detroit, Michigan to work in various machine shops. In 1891, Ford began working at Thomas Edison's Illuminating Company, where he became chief engineer in 1893. Ford's main job was to keep the city's electricity flowing, forcing him to be on call 24 hours a day. Ford decided to quit this job to focus more on automobile production, where he became a legendary figure in the industry.

Opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.
The ship pictured it the U.S. vessel, the SS Ancon.

Today was an interesting day in the Panama Canal. Canals are channels of water that are mainly used as waterways to connect bodies of water or aqueducts for water supply. This day was the opening of the famous Canal that helped join the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. To inaugurate the American-built canal, the U.S. vessel Ancon, a cargo and passenger ship, passages through the waterway. With the rush of settlers who wished to venture west in the 19th century (1800s), the United States was prompted to build an artificial waterway across Central America. The right to build this artificial waterway was awarded to Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps. The canal construction began in 1881, but with arising problems such as diseased workers, inadequate planning, and financial issues, Lesseps' company was driven to bankruptcy in 1889. After three years, in 1892, a French chief engineer of canal works, Philippe-Jean Banau-Varilla, acquired Lesseps' defunct company. The United States decided to buy Banu-Varilla's company in 1902 after Congress authorizes the purchase of the company. By 1903, the United States had acquired the company from Columbia, which had administrated a Hay-Banau Varilla Treaty with the French company, exchanging U.S. teritorial usage and cash compensation. Former construction began in 1906, and finally opened to traffic on August 15th, 1914 after a near $400 million budget on the Central American canal.

The Berlin Wall began construction of a solid
concrete on this day in 1961.

On this day in 1945, Emperor Hirohito of Japan broadcasts his news of the Japanese surrender to his people. The day before, a Japanese radio station had already broadcasted about this proclamation to the Japanese public, but the Emperor's words spoke of surrender to his people.

German soldiers lining
cement slabs to
construct the Berlin Wall

The past two days have been about the Berlin Wall, though the past two days were only about the barbed wire that did not allow for people to travel through. Today in 1961 marks the day that the official wall begins its building to close off any access from East Germany to West Germany, or vice versa. More information about the Berlin Wall, check out my post from August 13th, 2013. 

Today in History: All's Fair in War and Social Security!

The hilarious Steve Martin
in the Pink Panther 

Happy Birthday to Steve Martin! Personally, my favorite Steve Martin movies has to be the Cheaper by the Dozen movies and the Pink Panther! Wow! There was so much history today! I hope everyone enjoys this read!

The check worth USD $7.2
that the United States used
to purchase the Alaska territory

Alaska was purchased by the United States from Russia on March 30th, 1867, but not formally a state until January 3rd, 1959. Today in history marks the date when Russian fur traders find the Three Saints Bay in 1784, becoming the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska. European discovery of Alaska had been established many years before in 1741, though the fur traders created the first settlement in the land. Many years later, Russia sold the land of Alaska to the United States after being interested to sell it for years as the land had little value and the financial situation in the country.

As World War I narrowly enters its fourth year, China's inactivity promptly disappears, as the nation declares war on Germany on this day in 1917. Entering the war was not only to place a bidding at the post war bargaining, but also the regain control of the the Shantung Peninsula and revive its power before Japan began to gain any more power.

FDR signing the Social Security Act in 1935

Franklin D. Roosevelt was sandwiched between the two world wars, but also found him to be the president during America's Great Depression. During the Great Depression, on this day in 1935, Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act, which guarantees income for those who are unemployed and retired. Part of Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs including the Works Progress Administration and the Civilians Conservations Corps, the Social Security Act expressed FDR's concern for young people and his fellow Americans. Social Security was initially not created to mainly focus on a safety net for retirees and the disabled, but for lowering the high unemployment rates of the Great Depression. Social Security slowly became the modern function used today, and has remained fairly unchanged since its creation in 1935.

General Korechika
Anami was a part of the
War Council. He
refused to hear the
words of surrender by
his emperor

I have reported a couple times in my past post about Japan's surrender in World War II. In the afternoon of August 14th, 1945, a Japanese radio station announced that an Imperial Proclamation would be soon made announcing the country's surrender in the war. Over 1,000 Japanese soldiers angrily stormed the Imperial Palace, trying to find the prerecorded proclamation and prevent it from allies finding out. General Anami, a member of the Japanese War Council, who was still very adamant of surrender, committed suicide later that night never wanting the hear the words of surrender come out of Emperor Hirohito's mouth. Though this was a public surrender in Japan, it was not a formal surrender until September 2nd, 1945. The exact date of the war's end was controversial, as some suggested that it had ended on this day, but other suggest that it ended with Japan's formal surrender.

Vietnam was not the only setting of the Vietnam War, though it was where the majority of the war was fought. Battles were also fought in surrounding countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. Today in 1973, one and a half years before the end of the war, was the end of heavy and intense bombings in Cambodia by the United States.

Today in History: Destruction, Lost, and Separation

Happy Birthday to Alfred Hitchcock! For those who do not know who Hitchcock is, he is a famed movie director with much innovation and creativity that has revolutionized the film industry! Now it's time for history!

Hernán Cortés ends the Aztec empire on this day in 1512,
where he holds Cuauhtémoc hostage and forces him
to surrender Tenochtitlaán to the Spanish

The Aztecs were a large empire that ruled the lands in present-day Central America. Today in 1521 marks the fall of the empire, when last Aztec emperor, Cuauhtémoc surrenders to Spanish Conquistador, Hernán Cortés. Cortés came to the West Indies in 1504, but found Veracruz, a city in present-day Mexico in 1519, where he was elected general of the colony. When Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capitol, Montezuma II, leader of the Aztecs at the time believed that Cortés was a divine form of the Aztec god, Quetzalcatl. With a great Spanish force pulling in by 1520, the Spaniards and the Aztec battled. The Spaniards were forced to pull back after lack of food and being under pressure. Subsequently, Montezuma died in this battle. Cortés returned to Tenochtitlán again in 1521, where he forced emperor Cuauhtémoc surrendered the empire to the Spanish.

German Aircrafts in the Battle of Britain

Following a series of relatively short battles in my past few post, one of the Battle of Britain's largest events escalated on this day in 1940 as part of World War II. This was "the Day of the Eagle" according to Germans, as the Luftwaffe's begin their mission to destroy the British Royal Air Force's advanced radar stations, the Germans began bombing southern England. Though this battle lasted only three months and three weeks from July 10th, 1940 to October 31st, 1940, it was a decisive battle for Great Britain, and a turning point for World War II. Germans sought to take out the over-powering British radars on this day, though the Luftwaffe only managed to take down one radar and damaging five after sending out over 1,500 aircrafts on the first day. Believing that he had put out too many forces into this task, leader of the Luftwaffe, Herman Goering, decided to stale further bombing on the British. Many historians agree that this was a mistake for the Germans. If the Luftwaffe's had continued to destroy British radar stations, British communication could have been cut off, unknowingly when German bombers would strike. By the end, the Royal Air Force would not be defeated, as Britain won one of the most decisive wars in the Second World War.

The Berlin Wall being built by East Germans.
The wall was not formally built until August 15th, 1961. 

Yesterday, I mentioned the beginning of the Berlin Wall. Berlin had been separated by this wall by this day in 1961, as soldiers began laying out barbed wire and bricks in the early hours. East Germany was mostly taken by Soviets, causing nearly 3 millions of East German residents moved to West Germany to find better opportunity. As many residents in Berlin woke up this morning, some were separated from friends and family due to this wall. However, why was this wall built? It was built to separate the Soviet Zones in Germany when the other zones of the United States, France, and Germany began to merge. The Berlin Wall is perhaps the most famed symbol during the Cold War. On November 9th, 1989, this barrier between Berlin saw its demise when East Germany began to be a subject of liberal reform. West Germans and East Germans alike gathered at the wall and began to dismantle it. East and West Germany became one again.


Today was a sad day for baseball fans, as the Yankees great, Mickey Mantle dies of liver cancer in Dallas, Texas at the age of 63. Mantle is considered one of the greatest switch-hitters in Major League history. His #7 jersey number is retired by the Yankees, hanging up there proudly with Babe Ruth's #3, Lou Gehrig's #4, and Joe DiMaggio's #5. Mantle was a twenty-time-All-Star along with a seven time World Series champion, and three time American League MVP. At the time of his death, he held many World Series records, including most home runs (18), most RBIs (40), and most runs (42).

                                          Mickey Mantle poses for a photograph ->

Today in History: A Short Note and Blog Update!

Poster for the Wizard of Oz

Today's post will be slightly short and vague, as school is starting soon and I am preparing for it. Though my school is starting, I will be sure to post everyday and continue to write my more exiting articles like My Passport Experiences and Movie Reviews.

The Spanish-American War was very brief and also very one sided. Compared to many other major battles, this war was a short, 3 month war. Today in 1898 marked the end to the war, resulting in the decline of the Spanish Empire, 1898 Treaty of Paris, and an outbreak of the Philippine-American War. The aftermath of this war ultimately ended with Spain ceding Cuba to the United States.

Have you ever wanted to follow the yellow brick road? If you do not know where this reference is from, it's from the classic book and movie, The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz movie premiered on this day in 1939 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Even for many who have not seen the movie, they may recognize its signature song, "Over The Rainbow," which won an Oscar for Best song in 1940.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a big event in the Cold War. Many have heard about the fall of the wall, but what about its construction? East Germany begins its construction officially the next day on August 13th, 1961, but on the night of August 12th the same year, the East German government sealed off sections of Berlin to begin construction on the wall. More information on the wall will come out on tomorrow's post, the day construction of the wall began!

Sue the tyrannosaurus rex displayed
in Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois

Today is an important day for paleontologist and dinosaur enthusiast, as a skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex is found in 1990. Paleontologist Susan Hendrickson discovered the bones hanging on the side of a cliff near Faith, South Dakota. These three bones jutting from the side of the cliff turned out to be the skeleton of the largest t-rex skeleton ever discovered. The skeleton was named "Sue" after Hendrickson, where it has been displayed at Field Museum in 2000. With this important discovery, scientist have learned much more about the tyrannosaurus rex with Sue's well-preserved bones. Though using Sue, scientist determined that the t-rex had an incredible sense of smell, they still could not determine its gender.