Thursday, July 18, 2013

Today in History: Whoops!

I'm back for Today in History! For readers, this will be posted on July 19th, though the date is noted as July 18th. I was looking for events on July 19th, but accidentally typed a few paragraphs for events that occurred on July 18th! Instead of deleting it all, I just kept it for a published Today in History. To clarify, this is Today in Hiostry: July 18th. 
A portrait of 32nd United States
President, Franklin D. Roosevelt


As stated in the Twenty-Second Amendment of the United States Constitution,"Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once." Though this Amendment is currently in effect, there was one president who was elected for a third term, Franklin D. Roosevelt. On this day in 1940, FDR was nominated for his third term. Controversy surfaced when many found out that Roosevelt was running for a third term, as it was an unwritten rule for presidents not the run for a third term (mainly due to George Washington stepping down after being nominated for a third term). Even through controversy, considered on of the best presidents in the history of the United States, Roosevelt defeated Republican corporate lawyer Wendell L. Willkie in a landslide nearly a year later in the 1941 election.

David Cone celebrating after he throws the
16th perfect game in Major League history
A few post ago on July 7th, I noted that China has agreed to award Hanoi economic aid for the Vietnam War in 1955. Twelve days later, today in 1955, the Soviet Union, known as Russia now, grants Hanoi 400 million rubles (approx. $100 million at the time) in economic aid. These grants from both China and the Soviet Union allowed for industrialization programs to initiate in Hanoi, creating items South Vietnam did not have within ten years. North Vietnam saw victory of this war after twenty years in the Fall of Saigon on April 30th, 1975.

As an avid San Francisco Giants fan, it felt amazing when I saw Matt Cain threw a perfect game and Tim Lincecum no hitting the San Diego Padres. On this day in 1999, former MLB pitcher, David Cone, threw the 16th perfect game in Major League history. Cone retired 27 straight Montreal Expo hitters, 10 down on strikes, to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 win. Cone only threw 88 pitches, the second least in a perfect game behind Addie Joss' 74 pitches in his 1908 perfect game.

One thing I couldn't resist omitting was an event that occurred today in 2008, the release of the Dark Knight. The Dark Knight was the highest-grossing movie for three years before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiered on July 15th, 2011. With a $158,411,483 box office opening weekend, The Dark Knight surpassed previous leader, Spider-Man 3, which raked in $151,116,516. Currently, the Dark Knight is the 16th most highest-grossing movie all time at $1,004,558,444. The Dark Knight virtually crushed its predecessor, Batman Begins. Its sequel, The Dark Knight Rises, however, surpassed it in not only opening weekend box office, but also all time highest-grossing movie, currently at ninth.

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