Today in History: Gone with the Tightrope!

Movie poster of Gone with the Wind

A week ago, on June 23rd, 2013, American acrobat, Nik Wallenda, walked on a right rope across the Grand Canyon. However, on this day in 1859, a Frenchman named Jean-Francois Fravelet, professionally known as Emile Blondin, becomes the first to walk across Niagara Falls on tightrope. 5,000 spectators held their breath in anticipation as Blondin croseed the 1,100 ft rope 160 feet about the ground.

Gone with the Wind, if you adjust the price for inflation, is actually the world's most highly grossed movie of all time. Today in history, the book, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, was published in 1936. Mitchell wrote this book with much time on her hands after serious injury. At first it gained in popularity in Atlanta, where Mitchell lived, but soon spread out to become an award winning novel.

Image from Sandy Koufax's first no-hitter

Another quick event today in history was Sandy Koufax's first no-hitter in 1962. Koufax struck out 13 batters, but walked five for a Brooklyn Dodgers 5-0 victory over the New York Mets. He also threw three more no-hitters in his career, including Major League Baseball's eighth perfect game.

My Passport Experiences: Cambodia

Cambodia may be an underveloped country (a little like Vietnam), but it is a very sacred, very beautiful land full of wonders to see. I was in Cambodia for only about three days and only visited Siem Reap, but my mind was blown by the amazing temples and hospitality that many of the locals had.
Note: This post is longer than my Vietnam post, as I just have so much to say about Cambodia!

CAMBODIAN FOOD!!!!!

The Cambodian dancers from the buffet perform

I love to eat Cambodian noodles (a.k.a Phnom Penh noodles in Chinese), and going to Cambodia, I was not going to let me miss out on eating authentic Cambodian food! I've tried Cambodian noodles in Vietnam that was delicious, but I wanted the real thing. My first experience was at a Cambodian buffet dinner restaurant with Cambodian dancers. I noticed many of the dishes at the buffet were also Vietnamese or Chinese, but those dishes were very good too! I ventured out to find the noodles, but my mother and aunt had already picked some up. I tried some of their noodles, and they were amazing! The authentic Cambodian noodle taste was different from the Vietnamese-Cambodian noodle taste, as I expected, but was still a wonderful dish that I would love to try again. Though I sought the noodles primarily, I still tried other things at the buffet. There were many good food items like spring rolls, soup, and dessert. The dessert was wonderful, as I kept wanting more and more of it as I grabbed myself another dish. The dessert was similar to a Vietnamese milk based pudding-like dessert called Chè. The fruit was also very sweet and very fresh, as if the chefs had literally just went to the front to pick them just for me.

The next morning, we ate at the buffet in the hotel we stayed in, the Sokhalay Angkor. The food was like standard hotel food, it was decent, but not great. Next to the omelette table, there was also Cambodian noodles. I was so exited! However, the noodles were quite salty and not as good as the one at the restaurant. I found myself eating the Chinese congee the most because they had an abundance of my favorite congee topping: fermented bean curd.

The ice cream was not a Cambodian
specialty, but it was cute!

We also ate at a Chinese-Cambodian restaurant one day, but the food was only average. This was only a quick stop for us though because it was in the middle of our expedition. There was one final restaurant that we ate at that was delicious! I loved the Cambodian soup and the short ribs that they served. The sauce used for the short ribs had an interesting Cambodian flair to it. I didn't have Cambodian noodles in this restaurant, but it introduced me to different Cambodian foods that I have never even heard of. After we finished, my family and I were ready to head to the airport. However, we weren't done yet, we stopped by a Swensen's ice cream shop. Swensen's always has good ice cream, and Swensen's in Cambodia was no different. We left Cambodia on a sweet note. :)

LANDMARKS/TEMPLES 

Each side of this massive stucture
has a face facing all four directions

Looking at the Cambodian flag already gives you a preview of the magnificent temples in Siem Reap, as one of the largest temples, Angkor Wat, is on it. The Cambodian flag, along with the Afghan flag, are the only two country flags with a building on it.

Honestly, before I went to Cambodia, I had no idea what would be in it. Even though I love geography and history, I was next to clueless about what was in Cambodia (other than the noodles). However, on the second day there, we visited some of the more famous temples, as there are over 200 temples in Siem Reap. One of the first places I visited was Angkor Thom. It was a large city with one of the more famous temples, Bayon. Entering it, there was a massive "gateway" like structure built thousands of years ago. On the right, the bridge leading to it had warriors, each with a different face, holding a long snake with seven heads. On the left was evil that also head a long snake with seven heads.

Three faces seen at an
angle at Bayon temple

Carvings in
Bayon temple

As my group heads inside, we walk around to wait for our car to drive us to Bayon. Walking into Bayon was so overwhelming, as I was a tiny person in an establishment built thousands of years ago. It was unbelievable how detailed the carvings on the wall were, as seen on the picture. It was hot as we walked along in the temple, but I was more impressed every step. There were a few buildings that smelled terrible as a result of it being a bat nest.While we took pictures and sight saw, I was got more and more exited, but our tour guide directed us out so that we could see the famous Ta Prohm.

The sun shines on the tree in Ta Prohm temple

Ta Prohm was shaded by the forest that had massive, beautiful trees. It is unbelievable looking at pictures of Ta Prohm because of the large trees that are wedged in the temple, but when it is right in front of you, your heart can really skip a beat. It was very interesting how the trees did not destroy the temple, nor did the temple obstruct the trees. My tour guide explained that many Cambodians believe that the temple and the trees support each other as they grow.

A different angle of Angkor Wat, from the right

For the "finale" of the temples, we simply had to visit the main attraction of Siem Reap: Angkor Wat. The sun was starting to set, but the adventure still felt like it was only the beginning. It felt like the walk along the bridge to the temple took a very long time, but was definitely worth it. Besides, Angkor Wat is the largest temple. We took the right side path to enter the building and soon found ourselves looking up to a very large tower. I went up the tower, but honestly, was just a higher view from inside Angkor Wat. Heading down and out, I was tired, but definitely not disappointed by the amazing wonder in these temples.




Overall/ Final Thought

Traveling to Cambodia is definitely a unique adventure that can blow your mind. Many Cambodians that I have met spoke English very well! Though it is a country that I need a guide in because of many dangers outside tourist areas, Cambodia is a place that I surely want to visit again. Eating some authentic food and walking around the sacred temples of Cambodia is a thrill for those who seek culture, history, and adventure.
Note: All photos used in this post were taken by either my mom, aunt, or I. 

The beautiful flower outside my hotel room in Sokhalay Hotel

Today in History: Corvettes!

A 1953 Corvette

On June 28th, 1953, the first Corvette was assembled at a Chevrolet factory in Flint Michigan. The completed car came off the production line just two days later, being the first of the 300 made in 1953. Today, the Corvette is known as an American icon. After six Corvette generations and over 60 years, Chevrolet introduced that the Corvette C7 (seventh generation) will be released in 2014. 

Yucca Lanes Bowling Center was heavily damaged
by the quake

On this day in 1972, addressing the Vietnam War, United States President Richard Nixon announces that he will pull 10,000 troops from Vietnam, leaving 39,000 in the country. Nixon also announced that draftees would not be sent to Vietnam unless they volunteer to do so. 

In 1992, nearly three years after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in Northern California, two of the strongest California earthquakes ever struck a desert area near Los Angeles. One 7.3 magnitue quake shook Landers, California, in the early Sunday morning, just before 5 am. Damage was relatively minor, as the population in Landers was sparse, but the shock could be felt as far as Boise, Idaho. 

Shortly later that day near Big Bear, California, a 6.3 magnitude quake struck. The quake, costing $92 million in damage, inured 400 people and killed 3. This quake also resulted in the largest landslide in California since the large 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Today in History: The United States in the Korean War

Upon the start of the Korean War in 1950, the United States Army and Air Force enters the battle on president Harry Truman's authorization. The military Truman sends was lead by General Douglas MacArthur, who was a key leader to push North Korea deep back into their territory. (Note: I accidentally placed this event yesterday)

A "Historic Route 66"
Marker

Route 66 was a famous direct road between Los Angeles and Chicago that ran about 2,200 miles (3,540 kilometers) in its heyday from November 11th, 1926 to June 27th, 1985. Today in history was the day that this original road had been decertified. The road was becoming abandoned as newer, faster highways were being developed. Route 66 had become an old, obsolete road. After decertification, much of the road had become smaller roads in towns or completely abandoned. Shortly after, organizations in Arizona and Missouri formed to preserve portions of the road. In 1990, Missouri adopted the Missouri section of Route 66 a "State Historical Route," where the first Historic Route 66 sign was displayed. Slowly, other states also began to preserve Route 66, but also went to national attention when Bill Clinton signed the National Route 66 Preservation Bill. This provided $10 million in funds to preserve and restore historical features along the route.

Wigwam Hotels that inspired

the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars

Route 66 runs through eight states, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. It was the main road that cut through the small town of Radiator Springs in the 2006 Disney Pixar movie, Cars. The creators of Cars actually took bits and pieces of Route 66's history and attraction and included it in the movie. For example, the Cozy Cone Motel is based off of Wigwam Motels in Arizona and California along the road.  Today, many tourist, like the creators of Cars, travel down and reminisce the beautiful and classical historical wonder that is Route 66.

Today in History: Little Snippets of History!

Cher on the left and Sonny on the righ

In 1960, Madagascar (the country, not the awesome Dreamworks movie) declares its independence from France. Many parties were created preceding its independence. The Malgasy Republic, a smaller state government was proclaimed on October 14th, 1958. Many of these smaller governments adopted a constitution in 1959, eventually declaring their independence from France on this day in 1960.

Sonny and Cher, the husband and wife with a string of hits in the mid 1960s, finalized their divorce on this day in 1975. After their divorce, Cher went on to become a Grammy winning solo artist, and Sonny became a Republican U.S. House of Representative for California.

Today in History: The Korean War and Michael Jackson

Photos from the Korean War

Shortly after the conclusion of World War II, the People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and Republic of Korea (South Korea), broke out into war after North Korean troops cross the 38th parallel (a latitude that was said to be the dividing line between North and South Korea). The United States and United Nations supported South Korea while China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea. As Americans try to find compromise with North Korea, they fear the alternative may cause further battle with Russia and China, perhaps creating World War III. After 3 years, 1 month, and 2 days of battle, the war ended on July 27th, 1953 with a negotiated cease-fire.

Also, today in history was a sad day for the music industry, as the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson died on his bed in 2009. Moments after his death was reported, many online search engines, news sites, and social media such as Google, the Los Angeles Times, and Twitter, slowed down and crashed. Many grieved and gave tributes to him by placing flowers around his Hollywood Walk of Fame and other significant locations. Many celebrities gave tribute to Michael on their tours, where they perform many of his famous dance moves. 

Michael Jackson's famous
Smooth Criminal lean

Michael Jackson's This Is It, a documentary about Jackson, was due to premiere July 13th, 2009 , but was delayed due to his death eighteen days prior. After it finally premiered on October 28th, 2009, it became the most highly grossed documentary in film history. 

I had the opportunity to watch Michael Jackson One in Las Vegas, a Cirque du Soleil dedicated for Michael. With his top hits playing and dances that were performed, it was an amazing tribute and defiantly a reminiscence of Michael Jackson's legacy. Michael Jackson was truly a Smooth Criminal that revolutionized music and dance, and will forever be remembered as the King of Pop. 

Today in History: Random News!

Today in History, there were not many exiting events. However, there were many little random events.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln mets Civil War general Winfield Scott after learning that Scott's troops have been defeated by the Confederate Army at Manassas. Scott assumed responsibility for the loss, but Lincoln still sought out advice from him on whether to reinforce General McClellan's troops by pulling some from Washington.

In 1952, John F. Kennedy, then Massachusetts Senator, announces his engagement with Jacqueline Bouvier. Jacqueline becomes one of the most favored first ladies when Kennedy was elected president in 1961.

New York adopts same sex marriage as a state law on this day in 2011. New York becomes the 6th state to legalize same sex marriage. Today, twelve states, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington legalize same sex marriage.

My Passport Experiences: Vietnam

Hello viewers of my blog! I have a new blog series I am doing called "My Passport Experiences." In these post, I will talk about my experiences in other countries. First off, I'm starting with Vietnam! I separate the sections into food and the beaches.

Though Vietnam is still an underdeveloped country, it holds a certain natural beauty to it. The cities are polluted with thousands of motorist on a single street and many mosquitos swarm me like I'm Justin Bieber, but I always love to go back to Vietnam visit my family. I have many uncles living in different parts of Saigon, and many nights, my family would gather together, have a drink, sing karaoke, and have fun. The originally white tables would become green with all the Heineken bottles on the table. While everyone is gathering downstairs, I am surfing the web upstairs to catch up with my friends. They are just waking up in the morning in America while I am just about getting ready to sleep. Vietnam is ahead 14 to 15 hours depending on day light savings time!

A little about the food:

Jackfruit grown right off a tree. It looks like
durian (which can also be found in Vietnam),
but is larger and has a sweet, cotton candy
like taste.

With $50 USD converted into Vietnam Dong, you can call yourself a millionaire, in Vietnam at least. Street food may vary, but you can always find affordable, delicious, and authentic (of course!) Vietnamese food around the corner. My personal favorite street vendor is right in front of my fifth uncle's house in District 8 (it's like the Hunger Games!...not really) that sells Vietnamese beef stew called Bo Khò. The famous Vietnamese noodle soup, Phở, is of course very good in Vietnam. It does taste slightly different from Phở in America because it has a stronger flavor and slightly different ingredients. Even the Chinese food is different in Vietnam! There are many Chinese people who live in Vietnam, but have adapted their cuisine to cater to a more Vietnamese taste. Even Kentucky Fried Chicken tastes different because of the chicken that is grown in Vietnam. Even though it is odd to eat American fast food in foreign countries, its good to try it once in a while to sample the different flavors on your favorite dish.

There are also many exotic fruits! Fruits such as durian, rambutan, jackfruit, and dragon-fruit are everywhere in markets. There are also the typical tropical fruits like bananas, longan, and coconuts. 

Coconuts grown from my
uncle's property

A banana cart. 

Vietnam also has many nice beaches!

On the day I went to Da Nang, the weather was gloomy, but
the beach was still very fine and the water was warm.

Although in the cities, motorcycles and smoke pollute the city, going to the beautiful beaches of Nha Thrang, Da Nang, and Phan Thiết expose warm, relaxing waters. You can do many things on these beaches! I like to simply grab a lawn chair, an oversized umbrella, and some sunscreen to relax to the sound of the ocean. After a nice break, I step into the fine sand that is finer than Morton Salt, and whiter than any sand I have ever seen. Every beach that I have been to in Vietnam was different though. Nha Trang has many small resort islands with its own individual specialty. Vinpearl Land for example was a small theme park in an island resort of the same name. The Fusion Hotel in Da Nang housed 50 individual bungalows, each with its own 10 x 20 pool. Phan Thiết has some of the freshest seafood that I have ever eaten. Phan Thiết is also near large sand dunes with golden-rustic sand that seems nearly untouched.

The sand dunes in Phan Thiết are absolutely massive! For about $2 you can slide down the massive dunes with a sled! If you do sled down these dunes, be prepared to find a lot of sand in your pockets when you are done!

The golden rustic look of the sand dunes in Phan Thiết.

Overall, Vietnam is a wonderful place to visit. Visiting Vietnam is not like any other country. It may seem like a havoc visiting it initially, but when you dig up its wonderful food and bountiful nature, it is definitely a unique country that one has to visit to feel its true experience.

Note: All photos used in this post were taken by either my mom or I. 

Today in History: Batman!

When we think of director Tim Burton, we may think about weirder, darker movies. Burton did not direct the latest Batman films, The Dark Knight, or The Dark Knight Rises, but both are considerably darker versions of Batman. On this day, June 23rd, 1989, Tim Burton's rendition of Batman, staring Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton, released. Many critics criticized Burton's focus more on the Joker than Batman. Some comic book fans did not like the inconsistency with the movie and the original comics.  Through some criticism, Tim Burton's Batman  received 70% "freshness" on Rotten Tomatoes. With a budget of $48 million, it charted the box office at $411,348, 924. It also won and Academy Award for Best Art Direction. Success of this movie allowed Warner Brothers to produce an animated Batman series.

Today in History: The US Constitution Ratification

Today in history, on June 21st, 1788, the United States Constitution was ratified after New Hampshire approved of the Constitution. 

When weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became apparent, Congress began to draft a new constitution. Initially, five states, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut  and Delaware, quickly ratified the new constitution, however, other states found flaws and disagreed with it. In February, 1788, compromise was met, allowing Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina to ratify it. Because New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify it, the Constitution was to come to effect on March 4th the next year. 

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Players on both Italy and Brazil line up before the game.

In sporting news, the Pele-lead Brazil beat Italy in the FIFA World Cup. This was Brazil's third World Cup title as they beat Italy 4-1 in Aztec Stadium, New Mexico. For the first time in World Cup history, two previous champions faced off, with Italy winning titles in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil winning in 1958 and 1962. The first goal of the night was scored eighteen minutes into the game by Pele, who headed the ball into the goal after jumping over a defender's head. A minute later, Italian midfielder Roberto Boninsegna scored to tie the game 1-1. 

Brazil dictated most of the game after the second half. Brazilian midfielder Gerson scored the next Brazilian goal on an assist by Pele. Six minutes later, Brazilian striker Jair Ventura gives his team a 3-1 lead on another assist by Pele. Accumilating his fourth assist of the game, Pele surprisingly passes the ball to defender Carlos Alberto, who shot a 30 foot goal for a 4-1 Brazilian lead. In this game, Pele did not only have three assist, but his third World Cup title, and a third championship for Brazil. 

Today in History: Many Random Things!

This is a Yesterday in History! I am doing many small snippets of history! Though there are not huge historical events like the signing of the Declaration of Independence or the first time mankind landed on the moon, there are many interesting milestones that have etched its mark on history.


Does this look familiar?

It's the United States Seal! We can see the seal on United States passports, presidential seal, and on United States Dollars. On June 20st, 1782, Congress adopted the seal. Congress took six years, from 1776 to 1782, to decide on this seal. The seal includes a bald eagle, America's national bird and animal, holding and olive branch and thirteen arrows. Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, explained that, "the Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace and wart which is exclusivelly vested in Congress."

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The American Civil War was a bloody, violent time in the United State's relatively young history. As people began to separate, so did the states. West Virginia decides to join the union on June 20th, 1863. When Virginia decided to secede, many in Virginia who lived to the west did not, therefor deciding to secede and join the Union.

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You probably know this theme song. (Well, it does say the song title on the link)

A particular movie directed by Steven Spielberg premiered in the summer of 1975, and it became the summer blockbuster of that year. On June 20th, 1975, Jaws, the Academy Award winning film, was released. This movie is considered Spielberg's breakout movie. Spielberg went on to direct many more notable films including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones.

Though Jaws took $12 million to produce, it net $430,653,000 in box office sales. Adjusted for inflation today, it would rank 9th in the highest grossing movies of all time.

Oh No!

I'm sorry I didn't get to post a today in history yesterday! Today I'll catch up on that and post a Yesterday in History and Today in History.

Today in History: Happy Father's Day (in 1910)

Yesterday on my mini post I accidentally blogged about Abraham Lincoln abolishing slavery. However it really happened today, on June 19th. In 1865, about a month since the American Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln sign a measure to abolish slavery in all US territories. Other things that have happened today:

Sonora Smart Dodd

Abraham Lincoln

It is past Father's Day in this 2013, but 103 years ago, on June 19th, 1910, was the first Father's Day celebration. Father's Day was celebrated to commemorate Mother's Day. It was founded in Spokane, Washington in a local YMCA by Sonora Smart Dodd. Initially, Father's Day did not have great success, but now, many people around the world celebrate it with their loving fathers.
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Also happening today, was the approval of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the Senate. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlaws racial, national, ethnic, religious, and gender discrimination. It is one of the many Civil Rights Acts throughout American history.

There were not many very interesting events today, but there are many interesting events that happen tomorrow!

Les Misérables Review

Les Misérables is perhaps my most favorite film I have ever seen (probably a spoiler to my applaud or veto section). The summary is very, very, long, so if you like to skip to the review, that is alright.

~SPOILERS ALERT! (this is a summary of the whole movie!)~

Les Misérable is a musical based on French author, Victor Hugo's, historical novel. All dialogue in this film is sung, except occasional speech. Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe oppose each other in this epic story of forgiveness, love, and betrayal.

In 1815, prison guard Javert (Crowe) releases convict Jean Valjean (Jackman) on parole after a nineteen year sentence for stealing bread and attempting to escape. Valjean faces adversity after returning to society, as his paroled status excludes him from every town. The Bishop of Digne (Colm Wilkinson) is the only one who offers Valjean food and shelter, however, Valjean attempts to steal his silverware and flee into the night. Authorities catch him as he flees and brings him back to the Bishop. Surprisingly, the Bishop does not punish Valjean, as he explains to the authorities that the silverware was given to him as a gift and gives Valjean even more. The Bishop's action touch Valjean, leading him to break his parole and start a new, honest life.

In 1823, eight years later, Valjean becomes a factory owner and mayor of the town Montreuil-sur-Mer. One day in his factory, Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is dismissed when one foreman discovers that she is sending money to her daughter, Cosette (Isabelle Allen). To continue to support Cosette, Fantine desperately sells her teeth and hair, and becomes a prostitute. Continue to struggle for money, she is arrested by Javert while attacking a hostile customer. Valjean reliefs Fantine and brings her to a hospital.

Later, Valjean learns that a man accused of being him is caught, but reveals his true identity to the court because an innocent man is accused. Valjean runs to Fantine, where he vows to the dying Fantine that he will look after Cosette. Valjean runs into a river to escape Javert, who arrives to arrest him. Valjean flees to the Thénardiers (Helena Carter and Sacha Cohen) household where Cosette lives as a servant. Cosette escapes out of town with Valjean after he buys her from the Thénardiers.

The Japanese Les Misérables
promotional poster

Nine years later, in 1832, many young, revolutionary students (Friends of the ABC) rise in revolt against the French monarchy when General Jean Maximilien Lamarque,  the only official who cares for the lower class, nears his death. One leader of the Friends of the ABC, Marius (Eddie Redmayne), catches a glimpse of Cosette, who grows into a beautiful young woman and falls in love with her. At home, Cosette wishes to learn more about her mother and Valjean's past, but he refuses. Cosette runs out into the garden, where Marius stands at the gate seeking her. Marius professes his love to Cosette.
Éponine, Marius' friend and daughter of the Thénardiers, sadly realizes her secret lover, Marius, loves Cosette more than he will ever love herself. She does however, join Marius in the revolution.

The Thénardiers attempt to catch Valjean for ransoms to Javert, however, Éponine screams to warn them. Valjean realizes that he must flee, unknowledgeable that Marius loves Cosette. Marius sends a farewell letter to Cosette as she and her father flee.

The next day, the Friends of the ABC rise in revolt, clearing a street and building a barricade. Javert attempts to penetrate their forces by posing a rebel, however, is exposed by Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone),a young boy in the revolution. During one gun battle, Éponine saves Marius by sacrificing her own life. As Valjean receives the love letter sent by Marius, he returns to aid in the revolution. Gavroche recognizes him, and Valjean is allowed to execute Javert. Valjean instead chooses to spare his life and fakes a pistol shot at the wall to convince the students that he had killed Javert.

After a long battle, everyone in the Friends of ABC is killed except Marius, who survives because Valjean drags his unconscious body into the sewers. The Thénardiers, scavenging the sewers, steals Marius' ring, assuming that he was dead. After Valjean carries Marius out of the sewer, he confronts Javert waiting at the exit. Vajean begs Javert to spare him one hour to save Marius, but Javert refuses at first. Valjean leaves to save Marius anyway, while Javert is left with an empty heart indecisive of what to do. Javert, caught up in what is civilly right and what is morally right, jumps to his death of a bridge into the Seine.

Later we see that Marius is healthy and is comforted by Cosette, but still mourning the loss of his friends. Valjean reveals his true identity to Marius, telling Marius that he must leave because his presence will endanger Cosette. Marius accepts and promises that he will not tell Valjean's truth to Cosette. The Thénardiers crash Marius and Cosette's wedding. Marius realizes that the Thénardiers stole his ring, and demands them to tell him the location of Valjean. He and Cosette set off to look for Valjean after knowing the location told by the Thénardiers. Marius and Cosette catch Valjean sitting in a nearby convent, where he is dying and sees Fantine's spirit arriving to taking him to heaven. As Cosette and Marius say their final farewells, Valjean hands Cosette his confessions of the past that he has hid from her for all her life. Valjean then joins the spirits of those who have all died in a new, bright heaven.


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Applaud or Veto? 

This is a definite applaud from me! It was an emotional movie that does not only tell a story, but contains so much symbolism, that I can write a whole essay about. Makeup and costume contribute to this movie's success, as it very much enhances the mood and little details that make this movie great. When I first watched it, it felt very long and I was unaware that the movie was all in musical, but it turned out that I did not hate it. In fact, Les Misérables would not be the same without it! This is definitely a movie pouring with emotion and action that is worth watching. There are some moments that seem to make you scratch your head, but is a wonderful movie no doubt. If you have 2 hours and 48 minutes to spare, Les Misérables is definitely something you can squeeze in at that time slot.

No Today in History Today, Sorry :(

There will be no full Today in History post today, sorry. :( I didn't have time to research and type up a blog in time today. I do have a few quick nit-picks that happened today:

In 1865, about a month since the American Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln signs a measure to abolish slavery in all US territories. This actually happened on June 19th, sorry for the misinformation.

And just to make time seems like it flies so fast, Toy Story 3, where Andy moves out to college, came out 3 years ago on this day. (June 18th, 2010)


There's just a few quick notes, but I've been working on my Les Misérables review that was supposed to come out yesterday, but took me so much longer for such a long, complex movie. Hope you have a great day!

Today in History: A Lovely Green Lady?

The Battle of Bunker Hill

In modern society, a 15 year old is usually either nonchalantly surfing the web or working passionately on making them an individual. A 15 year old boy in 1775 on this day may be fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill. This battle was one of the major the American Revolutionary War.

In the Charlestown Peninsula, near Boston Harbor  General William Howe of Great Britain and Generals Israel Putnam and Artemas Ward fought a continuation of Lexington and Concord. Colnel William Prescott gave his famous order, "don't fire until you see the white of their eyes," on that day at Bunker Hill. Though Great Britain outmatched the Americans, it was a bittersweet victory with over 2000 British casualties alone. The Battle of Bunker Hill is considered to be one of of bloodiest in the whole duration of the Revolutionary War,

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Imagine. 1885. You are an immigrant coming from another country on a boat, and you want to make the United States of America your home. There's a massive ship heading to a particular island that seems to "welcome" you.

The Statue of Liberty is a famed landmark today

Well as a matter of fact, that ship was holding 350 parts of the famed landmark, the Statue of Liberty. On this day in 1885, a ship from France brought the Statue of Liberty to commemorate the friendship between America and France. The statue was completed in France in the summer of 1884, though it was supposed to be completed in 1876 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of America's Declaration of Independence. After completion of construction in the United States , it was formally dedicated on October 26th, 1886.

Today the Statue of Liberty is a welcoming landmark and symbol for those who visit New York City.

Today In History: A House That Can't Stand on a Roller Coaster?

Illinois House of Representatives chamber

On this day in 1858, before he had been elected the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous "House Divided" speech in the Illinois House of Representatives chamber in Springfield, Illinois. In attendance was over 1,000 Republican delegates and then-president Buchanan. Lincoln believed that Democrats had been forming a conspiracy after the Dred Scott case to make all states a slave state. He mentions, "what Dred's Scott's master might lawfully do with Dred Scott, in the free state of Illinois, every other master may lawfully do with any other one, or one thousand slaves, in Illinois, or in any other free state." From the quote which this famed speech is named, Lincoln also describes that, "A house divided against itself cannot stand," which describes the division between free states and slave states. Lincoln soon after this speech in 1860 became president of the United State and lead the Union to victory in the American Civil War.

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The Original Switchback Railway is Closed Today

June 13th, 1884, crews finished the construction of Switchback Railway in Coney Island. It was the first roller coaster designed for amusement parks. 3 days later, on June 16th, the ride was open to the public to ride. It was a six-mile-per-hour roller coaster that cost a nickel to ride. It pulled riders 600 feet along the tracks and lasted about a minute. The coaster was gravity pulled and catered to about 1600 passengers per an hour. Unfortunately, Switchback Railway was torn down and it is unknown how long the coaster stood and where its location was.

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Tom Seaver on the Cincinnati Reds

Tom Hughes

More no hitters were thrown on this day too! Tom Hughes of the Boston Braves no-hit the Pittsburg Pirates 2-0 in 1916. Tom Seaver of the Cincinnati Reds no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in 1978.

Tom Hughes pitched in the Dead Ball Era, where home-runs were scarce and low-scoring games were plentiful. Hughes allowed seven baserunners, the most in Braves franchise history to date. Hughes walked two, but one reached on an error and the other four baserunners are unknown (possibly a strikeout that the runner has reached base).

With a Hall of Fame Career with the New York Mets, Tom Seaver continued his strong career with the Cincinnati Reds and pitched his no-hitter in 1978. Seaver walked four and struck out four. Seaver finally pitched a no-hitter after two failed attempts broken up in the 9th inning, one of which would have been a perfect game.

Today In History: The Magna Carta and No Hitting!

The Magna Carta, perhaps one of the most important documents that has influenced the English Constitution, United States Constitution, and many other modern governments, was signed by King John of England on June 15th, 1215 in Runnymede, South England.

King John signing the Magna Carta

The Magna Carta was a written agreement between King John and his subjects. It stated that the king and his people were subject to fair feudal laws. There were twenty-five barons (a title of nobility slightly higher than the knight) that enforced that the king would enforce these laws.

One of Four Exemplifications of the Magna Carta

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Also, another event that happened on this day, was Juan Marichal's no-hitter versus the then Houston Colt 45s in 1963. Final line:

The 25 year old Marichal struck out five, but also allowed two base runners on two walks, Al Spangler in the 5th, and Bob Aspromonte in the 7th. This was a quiet game for both teams, as the Giants only muscled 3 hits, finally scoring one run in the 8th by Chuck Hillers double. Giants future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Orlando Cepeda went 1-3, 0-2, 0-3, respectively.

Though Marichal was the star of this game, Dick Drott, starting pitcher for the Colts, went 8 innings, striking out seven, walking three, and yielding 3 hits, allowing the only run of the game.

Dick Drott

Juan Marichal Pitching

I'm Back!

Wow! It has been nearly a year since I have last blogged! I'm starting up my blog once again, and have already started to plan out my next blog! I still need ideas for more blogs, so definitely suggest some for me to simply blog about! This is just a short little note for any viewers to look out for upcoming blogs!