Ridley's Believe It Or Not--This Day In History: February 2016

Monday, February 29, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 29, 2016 Leap Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 29, 2016. Unfortunately in this leap year, still 326 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 5 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater today as the Reds and Blues gear up for Super Tuesday and the Reds frantically try to figure out a way to derail Trump in a primary that is getting uglier and uglier each day. I trust your Monday is proving to be a great one; and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Debbie Gibson, factoids of interest, an anonymous relevant quote while looking forward to enjoying a an appropriate surf and turf combo like steak and lobster, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. Bachelor’s Day—observing a day if a bachelor in Ireland and wanting to stay that way that one might want to avoid single women bent on marriage since this the day that women can ask men to marry them.

2. Leap Day—celebrating an employer’s best gift, an extra day of work without an extra day of pay.

3. 1989 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1989 on a run of three weeks in that position Lost In Your Eyes by Debbie Gibson. Here is a link to Debbie Gibson performing with her trademark Liberace grand piano Lost In Your Eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ms3mJFkSeg

4. National Surf and Turf Day—celebrating a really great way to go off the diet and ramp up the cholesterol—steak and lobster or steak and shrimp in both cases with copious amounts of garlic so no one will get close enough to lecture you.

5. It Takes Heart—celebrating the birthday on leap day in 1972 of the lead singer for the Drowning Pool metal band, Dave Williams, who sadly died from an undiagnosed heart disease at the way too early age of 30.

On this day in:

a. 1796 the Jay Treaty which facilitated trade between the United States and Great Britain for the next ten years came into effect.

b. 1916 in a win for children, the minimum age in South Carolina to work in factories, mills and mines was raised from 12 to 14.

c. 1940 although the Oscars last night lacked any color diversity, Hattie McDaniel for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind became the first African American to win an Oscar.

d. 1940 due to the war in Europe Ernest Lawrence received the Nobel Prize for physics in Berkeley as opposed to Oslo.

e. 2008 in a royalty does have benefits even if you were born second moment the British Ministry of Defense pulled Prince harry out of Afghanistan after his deployment there had been leaked by the media. .

Reflections on Leap Day: “Happy Leap Day! Enjoy it while it's here...because like a Kobe Bryant pass, it only occurs once every four years." —Anon Now that he is retiring at the end of this season, the day will be even rarer.

Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 28, 2016 Rare Disease Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 28, 2016. Unfortunately, still 327 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 6 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater today as the Reds and Blues gear up for Super Tuesday and the Reds frantically try to figure out a way to derail Trump. I trust your Sunday is proving to be a great one; and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to George Michael, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by Julie Flygare looking forward to enjoying a bowl of chili, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. World Tailors Day—observed to honor those artisans with needle and thread that create the suits, dresses and fine clothes that even in a world of business casual we often like to wear and without the tailors would not be able to buy off the rack without their alteration skills.

2. Rare Disease Day—no one ever wants to be informed he or she has a life threatening illness but a special woe to those who have a rare disease that does not affect enough people to attract research into potential life saving drugs and treatment. This is an observance observed since 2009.

3. 1988 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1988 on a run of two weeks in that position Father Figure by George Michael. Here is a link to George Michael performing Father Figure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_9hfHvQSNo

4. National Chili Day—celebrating a really great way to beat the cold especially if you do not go easy with the jalapeno peppers in your recipe. Great day to get out the crock pot and experiment with creating a signature chili.

5. Shoot the Three While Dunking the Sheepskin—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1931 of a coaching legend at UNC, Dean Smith who coached 2 NCAA championship teams and went to the Final Four 11 times but more importantly should be honored for the fact that almost 97% of his players graduated.

On this day in:

a. 1784 John Wesley founded the Methodist Church.

b. 1849 in what can only be described as snail sail, steamboat service between the east and west coasts is completed with passengers landing in San Francisco after leaving New York City four months and 21 days earlier. No wonder with times like that the U.S. was motivated to build the Panama Canal.

c. 1940 college basketball is televised for the first time in a game played at Madison Square Garden between Fordham and the University of Pittsburgh—thank God for the precedent as we are all anxiously awaiting March Madness.

d. 1953 James Watson and Francis Crick announced to friends that they had determined the chemical structure of DNA which was revealed to the public in the April issue of Nature that year.

e. 1983 the final episode of the award winning series M*A*S*H aired with a record setting viewing audience of 103 million, the largest number ever to watch the final episode of a TV series.

Reflections on rare diseases: “Rare diseases are the underdogs, so how is it that our community is at the FOREFRONT of patient engagement and health policy efforts? It’s because we’ve got ROAR. We’ve been pushed down and overlooked… which has sparked a great passion to stand back up again, united and stronger than ever, to tell the world WE ARE RARE & WE MATTER.” Julie Flygare, author and spokesperson for the National Narcolepsy Association
Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 27, 2016 International Polar Bear Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 27, 2016. Unfortunately, still 328 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 7 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater today as the Blues vote in South Carolina in which due to support of African American votes Hillary is expected to win and on the Red side former inept and reluctant Mexican President Vicente Fox lashed out at Trump and his proposed wall using the f word. I trust your Saturday is off to a great start and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Bon Jovi, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by John Steinbeck looking forward to enjoying a bowl of strawberries, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. International Polar Bear Day—observed to create awareness of the issues facing polar bears as their icy habitat may be shrinking due to climate change melting the arctic ice caps.

2. International Sword Swallowers Day--celebrating the rare art of swallowing a sword without gagging or slicing one’s esophagus or stomach in the process. Definitely and observance to watch but not try.

3. 1987 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1987 on a run of four weeks in that position Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi. Here is a link to Bon Jovi performing Livin’ On A Prayer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDK9QqIzhwk

4. National Strawberry Day—celebrating a really tasty berry that goes great with ice cream, cereal, pancakes and just about everything.

5. Smokes of Wrath—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1902 of Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck whose novels include the Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. Sadly like many lifetime smokers he died way too early with many more books left unwritten at the age of 66.

On this day in:

a. 1922 the SCOTUS in Leser v. Garnett upheld the ratification of the 19^th Amendment which granted women the right to vote.

b. 1951 the 22^nd Amendment limiting a president to two terms was ratified to the future dismay of our current president who touts that he would easily win if he were allowed to run.

c. 1964 Italy requested assistance to keep the leaning tower of Pisa from toppling over. Decades of stabilization studies and efforts followed culminating in the closure of the tower in 1989, followed by more studies and work and its reopening in 2001. In 2008 engineers announced that the tower had stopped moving for the first time in its history.

d. 1986 the U.S. Senate allowed television to cover its debates for the first time. Given the gridlock we have today a safe bet would be that the ratings are almost zero.

e. 2004 in one of the Catholic Church’s nightmare moments, the initial version of the John Jay Report, detailing the sexual predations of priests on boys was released. Reflections on the duty of a writer from Steinbeck’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech: “the writer is delegated to declare and to celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit—for gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of hope and of emulation. I hold that a writer who does not believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature.”

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 26, 2016 International Stand Up To Bullying Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 26, 2016. Unfortunately, still 329 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 8 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater at last night’s Red debate with the troika going at each other nonstop while Kasich and Carson put positive spins of their plans and on the Blue race Hillary is pulling out as many race cards as she can and lambasting Obama’s early pick for Supreme Court Justice who wisely wanted no part of what will be polarized process. I trust your Friday is off to a great start and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Mr. Mister, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by Henry Ford looking forward to enjoying a handful of pistachios, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. International Stand Up To Bullying Day—observed on the last Friday in February since 2008 to protest bullying in our schools although given the bullying personality of Donald Trump evidenced last night, the other candidates and members of audience should have worn the symbol of those who protest bullying, a pink shirt.

2. Levi Strauss Day- celebrating the birthday on this day of Levi Strauss, born at Buttenheim, Bavaria, Germany on February 26, 1829 who immigrated to the United States and created the world’s first jeans, complete with metal rivets for California gold miners in 1850.

3. 1986 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1986 on a run of two weeks in that position Kyrie by Mr. Mister. Here is a link to Mr. Mister performing Kyrie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NDjt4FzFWY

4. National Pistachio Day—celebrating a tasty delicious nut, especially when it already has been shelled.

5. Honeymoon Cut Short By the Big C—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1916 of Jackie Gleason, that overweight four packs a day smoker noted for the iconic TV Series The Honeymooners and such movies as the Hustler of cancer at the age of 71.

On this day in:

a. 1616 Galileo Galilei was formally banned by the Roman Catholic Church from teaching that the Earth revolved around the Sun as opposed to vice versa.

b. 1917 the first jazz records, Dixie Jazz Band One Step and the Livery Stable Blue, were recorded by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company.

c. 1971 Secretary General for the UN U Thant issues a proclamation designating the vernal equinox as Earth Day.

d. 1993 in a chilling precursor to 9/11 jihadists parked a van loaded with explosives in the parking garage of the North Tower of the World Trade Center which detonated, killing 6 and wounding over a 1,000 but failed as planned to topple the North Tower into the South Tower and bring both crashing to the ground.

e. 1995 Barings Bank, the U.K.’s oldest investment banking institution collapsed after securities trader Nick Lesson lost $1.4 billion in speculating in futures on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange.

Reflections on why Nick Lesson should have read more writings of Henry Ford: “Speculation is only a word covering the making of money out of the manipulation of prices, instead of supplying goods and services.” Henry Ford
Please enjoy the poems on events of interest on my twitter account below (if you like them, retweet and follow me) and follow my blogs. Always good, incisive and entertaining poems on my blogs—click on the links below. Go to www.alaskanpoet.blogspot.com for Ridley’s Believe It Or Not—This Day In History, poems to inspire, touch, emote, elate and enjoy and poems on breaking news items of importance or go to Ridley's Believe It Or Not for just This Day In History.

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 25, 2016 Quiet Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 25, 2016. Unfortunately, still 330 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 9 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater on the Red race as Governor Romney has suggested that past tax returns that Trump still has not released may contain “bombshells” and on the Blue race, the federal court judge appointed by Bill Clinton indicated the need for subpoenas of Hillary and her top aides as this scandal will not go away. I trust your Thursday is off to a great start and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Wham!, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by John Burroughs looking forward to enjoying a bowl of clam chowder, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. Pistol Patent Day—honoring the issuance of a patent for a revolver with chambers for six bullets to Samuel Colt on this day in 1836.

2. Quiet Day—another observance that should be observed daily as opposed to once a year especially if observed by 20 minutes of meditation which will lower stress, blood pressure and bathe the participant with large amounts of serenity and tranquility.

3. 1985 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1985 on a run of three weeks in that position Careless Whisper by Wham! Here is a link to Wham! performing Careless Whisper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDKn5BGTGMM

4. National Clam Chowder Day—celebrating a great way to enjoy those tasty mollusks whether in be in Manhattan form (red) or New England form (white) but whatever you do, do not skimp on the clams and if white don’t forget the bacon and go easy on the potatoes.

5. X Marks the Spot—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1954 of singer, songwriter, actor and poet who founded the punk rock band X who is still performing at the ripe age of 61.

On this day in:

a. 1862 paper currency was introduced in the United States by President Abraham Lincoln.

b. 1919 Oregon became the first state to place a sales tax on the sale of gasoline at the rate of one cent per gallon.

c. 1928 Charles Jenkins Laboratories was granted by the Federal Radio Commission (precursor to the FCC) the first television commercial broadcast for Station W3XK which operated for six years, going out of business with the death of Charles Jenkins.

d. 1987 SMU’s football team received the death penalty from the NCAA for maintaining a slush fund to funnel booster contributions to SMU football players and was banned from playing any games in the 1987.

e. 1991 the Warsaw Pact, a counterpart to NATO was disbanded. Reflections on the currency which has and retains value: “For anything worth having one must pay the price; and the price is always work, patience, love, self-sacrifice - no paper currency, no promises to pay, but the gold of real service.” John Burroughs, noted 19^th Century American essayist and pioneer in the conservation movement.

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 24, 2016 National Bartenders Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 24, 2016. Unfortunately, still 331 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 10 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater in Nevada for the Reds with Trump winning his third state in a row and Hillary refusing to release the transcript of her $650,000 speech before Goldman Sachs—so much for transparency. I trust your Wednesday is off to a great start and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to Van Halen, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by Amy Bloom looking forward to munching some tortilla chips, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. National Bartenders Day—honoring that time honored and somewhat at times stressful profession of serving drinks and therapy to patrons, some of whom may have had one drink too many.

2. Dragobete (Romania)—celebrated in Romania to announce the coming of spring, coinciding with the time that birds start constructing their nests and mating and for the youth to give their targets of affection spring flowers that have come through the snow cover.

3. 1984 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1984 on a run of five weeks in that position Jump by Van Halen. Here is a link to Van Halen performing Jump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN7mTi6HM

4. National Tortilla Chip Day—celebrating a great way to scoop up salsa or guacamole while watching a sporting event on TV.

5. An Apple a Day Makes a Man Wealthy and Wise—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1955 of an entrepreneur who spent one summer picking Macintosh apples and went on to cofound Apple Corporation, one of the iconic technology companies in the world and who died way too soon in 2011 from cancer.

On this day in:

a. 1803 the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Marbury v. Madison ruled that it had the power to determine the constitutionality of legislation and executive actions.

b. 1903 the U.S. entered into a lease “in perpetuity” with Cuba to lease Guantanamo Bay for a naval base and which has now become a center of controversy over President Obama’s plan to close the detention facility there and transfer the detainees to federal prisons or military facilities here in the U.S.

c. 1938 the first toothbrush with nylon bristles was introduced to the American consumer; it was the first product to have commercialized nylon yarn.

d. 1988 the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Hustler Magazine v. Falwell ruled 8-0 that the First Amendment barred the awarding of damages to public figures who had suffered emotional distress due to attacks by the press and overturned a $200,000 award against Hustler Magazine.

e. 1997 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved six brands of “morning after” pills as a safe and effective way to prevent contraception. Reflections on the melding of psychotherapy and bartending: “I spent a lot of time listening to people. But it's also true that I liked details and listening to people when I was a bartender and when I was a waitress and probably when I was a babysitter as well. I suspect that's part of what drew me to psychotherapy rather than the other way around.” Amy Bloom, noted American writer and psychotherapist

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Not For February 23, 2016 World Spay Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 23 2016. Unfortunately, still 332 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 11 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting theater in Nevada for the Reds and in South Carolina for the Blues today. I trust your Tuesday is off to a great start and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to James Ingram and Patty Austin, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by Johannes Gutenberg looking forward to enjoying a slice or two of banana bread, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. World Spay Day—although dogs may regret this day, important to keep the population down to reduce the number of dogs abandoned and put to death in the animal pounds across this country.

2. World Understanding and Peace Day—promoted by the Rotary Club International to advance understanding and acceptance of the various nationalities that we may find in out communities.

3. 1983 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1983 on a run of two weeks in that position Baby Come to Me by James Ingram and Patty Austin. Here is a link to James Ingram and Patty Austin performing Baby Come to Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVo1KZg1xQg

4. National Banana Bread Day—celebrating a great way to use those bananas that one should have eaten several days ago, especially if you add some nuts to the dough before baking.

5. Like Father Like Son—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1940 of Peter Fonda best noted for his role in the movie Easy Rider and the brother of Hanoi Jane.

On this day in:

a. 1456 in a literacy expanding moment Guttenberg published the Bible, the first book printed with moveable type.

b. 1874 Major Walter Clopton Winfield patented a game he called sphairistike which became more commonly known as lawn tennis.

c. 1896 to the joy of candy lovers everywhere the Tootsie Roll was invented.

d. 1904 Cuba leased to the United States Guantanamo Bay “in perpetuity” although knowing Obama a good chance he would like us to default on the lease so he could deed the property back to Castro.

e. 1998 in an all out war of radical Islam against the civilized world, Osama bin Laden published a fatwa calling for the death of all Jews and Crusaders.

Reflections on the Gutenbery Bible: “Yes, it is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall flow in inexhaustible streams, the most abundant and most marvelous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of men! Through it, God will spread His Word. A spring of truth shall flow from it: like a new star it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine amongst men.” Johannes Gutenbery Can you even imagine what the world would be like if to read we would be dependent on monks to copy by hand books.

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare
The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift

Monday, February 22, 2016

Ridley's Believe It Or Not For February 22, 2016, Founders' Day

Ridley’s Believe It Or Not For February 22, 2016. Unfortunately, still 333 days to go in President Obama’s pathetic lame duck term but fortunately only 12 days until the start of and my daily updates on the Iditarod, the Last Great Race on Earth. Interesting Daytona 500 yesterday with the winner in a photo finish winning by less than six inches. I trust your weekend was a great one and your Monday is off to a great start and as always, I hope you enjoy today’s holidays and observances, a music link to the J. Geils Band, factoids of interest, a relevant quote by Herb Brooks looking forward to enjoying your favorite margarita, blessed with a positive attitude and secure in the knowledge that if you want to find a gift for any memorable events like birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, you know that the Alaskanpoet can provide you with a unique customized poem at a great price tailored to the event and the recipient. You need only contact me for details.

1. Founders’ Day—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1857 of Baron Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts and the birthday on this day in 1889 of his wife Lady Baden Powell, founder of Girl Guide, the precursor to the Girl Scouts.

2. Celebrity Day—commemorating if a practicing member of Scientology like Tom Cruise, the contributions of members of the faith to the culture through art.

3. 1982 Number One Song—celebrating the number one song in 1982 on a run of six weeks in that position Centerfold by the J. Geils Band. Here is a link to the J. Geils Band performing Centerfold: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqDjMZKf-wg

4. National Margarita Day—celebrating a holiday that really should be celebrated on Cinco de Mayo where copious amounts of margaritas are consumed while being serenaded with mariachi bands.

5. Moderation in Height Is the Key to Longevity—celebrating the birthday on this day in 1918 of Robert Wadlow whose pituitary gland must have been operating at warp speed as he attained a height of 8’11” and coupled with his weight of 400 pounds was more than his heart could bear and died at the age of 22.

On this day in:

a. 1856 the Republican Party held its first annual meeting; I suspect those in attendance must be rolling in their graves over what is going on in the Republican race for president today.

b. 1879 Frank W. Woolworth in Utica, New York opened his first five and dime Woolworth’s store which grew to one of the largest retailers in the 20^th Century only to close its door in July of 1997.

c. 1924 President Calvin Coolidge became the first president to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House.

d. 1974 in a chilling precursor to 9/11 and the failed attempt to crash a hijacked plane into the White House to kill President Nixon, Samuel Byck attempted to hijack a plane out of Baltimore but after killing a police officer and one the pilots was wounded and committed suicide.

e. 1980 in what has become known as the Miracle on Ice, in the semifinals at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, the U.S. Ice Hockey team upset the highly favored Soviets 4-3 and went on to the finals to win the gold medal. Reflections on the Miracle on Ice from the coach of the U.S. Ice Hockey Olympic Team: “We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.” Herb Brooks. Sadly for the last seven years, we have had little if any dreams, only nightmares.

Poet Extraordinaire Beyond Compare

The Perfect Gift, All Recipients to Receive a Lasting Lift