Today in History: Joking About a Strike

A view of Alcatraz during its 29 year tenure

Alcatraz, also known as "The Rock," was known to the planet as a military prison in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. On October 12th, 1933, the United States Department of Justice acquired Alcatraz from the United States Disciplinary Barracks. On 9:40 am of August 11th, 1934, a first batch of 137 prisoners arrived on the island, becoming the first prisoners to reside on Alcatraz as a new high-security penitentiary.  One of these 137 sent to Alcatraz was the famous mobster, Al Caopne. Famous prisoners of Alcatraz included Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, and  Richard "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stoud. While housing over 1,500 prisoners in its 29 year tenure, the prison claimed that no prisoner has successfully escaped. Thirty-six prisoners took fourteen attempts to escape, including two men who tried twice. Of these thirty-six who attempted to escape, 23 were caught, six were shot and killed, while two drowned. The other five are considered "missing and presumed drowned," though many consider Frank Morris to have escaped in one of the most violent escape attempts by Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin on June 11th, 1962. Today, Alcatraz is one of the most famed and a popular landmark for tourist in the Bay Area since its opening as a museum in 1971.

The Father of Hip Hop, DJ Kool Merc

Hip Hop fans should be grateful of this day in 1973, as the genre was born in the Bronx, New York. It is indeed hip hop's 40th birthday today! In the summer of 1973, DJ Kool Herc refined his style of "break-beat" and used it on his sister's party on August 11th 1973. For DJ Kool Herc, he performed among his largest crowd ever using the most powerful sound system he had worked. The success of the party was a base to a new genre that became the household term "hip hop."

Joking about bombing another country is often not taken very much like a joke, especially if you were the President of the United States. On this day in 1984, 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, jokes about bombing Russia while testing his microphone. Reagan said, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." Though many realized this was a joke instantaneously, others did find this joke to be a distasteful political gaffe by Reagan. The Soviet leaders' reaction are unknown, though Reagan's approval rating dropped after this incident. This incident was not a major factor in Reagan's second presidential race, as he recovered and beat Democrat Walter Mondale for his second term in office.

Fans pleading not to strike and
continue the 1994 MLB season

Finally, today was a big day for Major League Baseball in 1994.

A fan's sign during the
1994 MLB strike

Baseball fans may have a negative connotation to the 1994 season, as this day marked the longest work stoppage in MLB history. For the first time in 89 years, baseball did not crown a World Champion. There was not World Series due to the strike. The negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement during the 1994 season had risen tensions between owners and players. Players did not wish to put a cap on their salaries at the owners desires. Baseball fans were furious and showed their vexation the next season, when the players began to work again on April 2nd, 1995. Attendance was at its lowest in 1995, dropping from an average of 31,000 fans to 25,000 fans. The collective bargaining agreement was renewed in 1996 and expired in 2002, where players and owners quickly ratified a new deal after realizing how unforgiving fans were in the 1995 season.