Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 Los Angeles Times 1945

What works in community news? ‘There is no one answer’ - Poynter

Beyond subscriptions: Where next for paywalled publishers? - Media Makers Meet

After LA Times layoffs, questions about diversity and seniority swirl - Nieman Lab

Thomson Reuters acquires B2B insurance-focused World Business Media - Press Gazette

A Boston Globe columnist crossed journalistic lines. Should the Globe still have run his story? - Poynter

Today in Labor History January 31st, 2024

 

Ida M Fuller

12,000 pecan shellers in San Antonio, Texas, walked off their jobs at 400 factories in what would become a three-month strike against wage cuts. The pecan-shelling industry was among the lowest paid in the country; workers made between $2-$3 a week. – 1938

Ida M. Fuller was the first retiree to receive an old-age monthly benefit check under the new Social Security law. She paid in $24.75 between 1937 and 1939 on an income of $2,484; her first check was for $22.54. – 1940

After scoring successes with representation elections conducted under the protective oversight of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the United Farm Workers of America officially ended its historic table grape, lettuce and wine boycotts. – 1978

160 gravediggers represented by SEIU Local 106 were locked out after they went on strike against the Cemeteries Association of Greater Chicago over wages and benefits. They reached a contract agreement after 43 days. – 1992

Union and student pressure forced Harvard University to adopt new labor policies raising wages for the lowest-paid workers. – 2002

Five months after Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans school board fired every teacher in the district in what the United Teachers of New Orleans saw as an effort to break the union and privatize the school system. – 2005

Important Events From This day in History January 31

 

1961 Chimp in Space

1961 : A chimpanzee named Ham sent into space by the United States has been recovered alive and well. The test was one of many planned to ensure that a human being could survive space flight, think clearly and perform useful functions outside the Earth's atmosphere.

2000 Dr Harold Shipman

Family GP Dr Harold Shipman is jailed for life for murdering 15 of his patients, he was also suspected of killing more than 100 other patients but did not confess to them. Dr Harold Shipman is now Britain's most prolific convicted serial killer

1953 Europe The Great Storm

A major storm with winds in excess of 100 MPH caused flooding in 3 countries with North Sea coastal areas killing a total of more than 2,000 people in the Netherlands Great Britain and Belgium.

1917 Submarine Warfare

Germany restarts unlimited submarine warfare in the Atlantic, and German torpedo armed submarines announce they will attack any and all ships, including civilian passenger ships.

1929 - Sunday Sports

1929 : Sunday sports were to be permitted in Boston as of this day. Therefore, the Boston Braves and the Boston Red Sox were allowed to play on Sundays after Mayor Malcolm E. Nichols had signed an ordinance regarding this matter.

This permission did not come without cost, however. The Braves were to be required to pay $2,500 for a permit and the Red Sox were required to pay $1,000.

The reason why they were required to pay different rates was because of the difference in renting capacity of the parks each of these two teams would play in. Apparently the Braves playing field was bigger than the Red Sox playing field.

1942 Car Production Stops

No longer were civilian vehicles made as of this date by companies such as Chevrolet or DeSoto. From this time on until the end of the war only military vehicles were produced.

1945 World War II Burma Route Opened

A main route was created from India to China for the purpose of transporting Allied military troops (troops opposing Hitler and his army). This path was established via the country of Burma, which provided the link from the two above-mentioned countries. The Bridge on the River Kwai was part of that route.

1945 Private Eddie Slovik

Private Eddie Slovik is executed by firing squad near the village of Ste-Marie aux Mines, France after being court martial for desertion to avoid hazardous duty and became the only U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion.

1949 These Are My Children

1949 : The first daytime soap opera "These Are My Children," was broadcast by the NBC station in Chicago Soap Operas got the name because they were targeted at mothers and the soap manufacturers such as Procter and Gamble, were major sponsors ( Advertisers ) .

1950 Hydrogen Bomb

President Truman approved U.S. construction of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon potentially 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb

1953 Princess Victoria car ferry Sinks

The British Railways, Princess Victoria car ferry has sunk in the Irish Sea in one of the worst gales in living memory claiming the lives of more than 130 passengers and crew.

1957 Plane Crash

A Jet and a Douglas DC-7B transport plane collide before the wreckage dropped onto three schools in California killing 3 children in the playground at Pacoima Junior High School.

1961 Americans Jailed for Bringing Arms

Six Americans were sentenced to prison for 30 years in Cuba. These prisoners were serving a sentence after being charge with bringing arms to anti-Castro "guerrillas."

The Americans that were arrested and tried guilty said they had stolen a boat to use to defend the Castro revolution. Minister Fidel Castro himself was said to have taken up this case.

1968 Viet Cong Suicide Squad

A 19 man Viet Cong suicide squad seized the U.S. Embassy in Saigon and held it for six hours until an assault force of U.S. paratroopers landed by helicopter on the building's roof and took back control. This signaled the beginning of the Offensive began by Viet Cong forces.

1971 Apollo 14

1971 : Apollo 14, is launched and piloted by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa, on a manned mission to the moon

1972 Argentina Robbery

On this date, the police hunted for terrorist robbery suspects to no avail. A total of 14 armed terrorists had held up the National Development Bank for over a period of eight hours on the weekend prior to this hunt.

The group that admitted to the terrorist crime described above was the Trotskyite People's Revolutionary Army. According to the press, it is also documented that the Trotskyite Army also confessed to having run off with $450,000 dollars for the purpose of furthering their revolution.

The robbery guerrillas also seemingly bragged about the fact that they stole documents which prove that bourgeois sectors have committed fraud.

1983 New Seatbelt Law

The new seatbelt law comes into force meaning drivers and front seat passengers must wear seat belts at all times, the law has been bought in to improve road safety hoping the compulsory wearing of front seat belts will save 1,000 lives a year.

1990 Mc Donald's in Moscow

On this day in history the first Mc Donald's was opened in Russia, in the city of Moscow. This restaurant had served at least 30,000 people in its first day

1995 US Loans $20 Billion Mexico

Following the devaluation of the Mexican to an all-time low, President Clinton exercised his executive power to authorize the Treasury Department to issue a $20 billion loan through the Exchange Stabilization Fund. This was the first time the fund had been used to help stabilize a foreign currency.

1996 Sri Lanka Terrorist Bombs

Fifty dead in Sri Lanka suicide bombing by Tamil Tigers after a truck loaded with explosives is crashed into the central bank in the heart of Colombo's financial district.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/february1st.html

LA County CARES: Cafe Wang

 

Today in Labor History January 30th, 2024

 

Saul Alinsky

Organizer Saul Alinsky was born on this date in Chicago, Illinois. – 1909

The Paris Peace Conference established the Commission on International Labour Legislation to draft the constitution of a permanent international labor organization, founding the International Labour Organization (ILO).  Today, as part of the United Nations, the ILO is charged with drafting and overseeing international labor standards. – 1919

Important Events From This day in History January 30

 

1969 Beatles last public performance

1969 : The Beatles make their last public performance giving an impromptu concert on the roof of the London recording studio. In April of the following year Paul McCartney formally announced the group's breakup.

1943 Nat King Cole Trio

The Nat King Cole Trio reaches the top of the charts with the song "That Ain't Right." It stays there for one week before dropping off the top spot.

Check Out Our History of Popular Music Page

1962 The Flying Wallendas

While performing their seven-person chair pyramid on a high wire 35 feet in the air at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit the pyramid collapsed and after falling to the ground Richard Faughnan, Wallenda's son-in-law, and nephew Dieter Schepp are killed and adopted son, Mario, is paralyzed from the waist down.

1848 California Gold Rush

James Marshall finds the first gold nugget in 1848 at Coloma, California leading to more than half a million people rushing to California to find Gold

1933 - Adolf Hitler

1933 : Adolf Hitler the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), becomes chancellor of Germany

1948 Mahatma Gandhi assassinated

After angering Hindu extremeists with his effort to bring peace to his beloved India by going on hunger strike to stop the fighting by his own countrymen and nearly dying from his fast Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi by a terrorist sponsored by a right-wing Hindu militia group.

1977 Roots TV Mini Series

The Roots Part VIII finale episode is aired on ABC and is listed in the Top 3 network primetime telecasts of all time in Percent of Households with 51.1%

1. 1983 --- M*A*S*H series finale: "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" 60.2%

2. 1980 --- Dallas episode: "Who Done It?" aka "Who Shot J.R.?" 53.3%

3. 1977 --- Roots Part VIII (finale) 51.1%

1924 Northern Ireland Civil Rights Demonstrators

Northern Ireland Civil Rights demonstrators were gunned down on this day in 1924. They were shot by British Army Paratroopers.

There were 13 demonstrators in all that last their lives for the Catholic cause in this locality (Northern Ireland). The marchers were in protest of certain British policies concerning the internment (holding) of alleged Irish nationalists. (Nationalists are citizens of a country fighting for independence.)

This was one event of many that happened during the time of this Northern Ireland crisis. This particular conflict had continued for a few decades after this. The climax of this particular Irish crisis occurred in 1969, which was when British troops were sent to this location (Ireland) in an attempt to squelch the nationalist movement.

Peace agreements between the British and Northern Ireland did not actually occurred until the late 1990s. Part of the peace agreement included the dissolution (discontinuation) of the IRA.

1929 Gambling

A newspaper report dated this date and year indicated that a total sum of $5,000 dollars was raised for families of convicted gamblers. This money was also raised by Washington support circles as an extra incentive to the gambling convicts to reveal ring leaders' names in exchange for clemency (pardon).

The reason that the money was raised was because the guilty gamblers had turned down the first request for clemency. Gambling was considered a very controversial topic during this time-even more so than today.

1930 Route 80

Route 80 is expected to be paved as of this year from East Moline to Port Byron. After this project was to be completed, this road would extend to the Wisconsin state line.

1930 Federal Grant

1930 : This was the first day that a play put on was supported by a federal grant. The name of the play that was produced was called The Family Upstairs, and it was created by the Civil Works Administration.

This first government intervention in the theatrical world opened a whole new door for future movie producers. Within three months 17 more plays were shown, and seen by hundreds of thousands of people.

1952 Korea Truce Talks

After many weeks truce talks aimed at ending the fighting in the Korean War between North and South Korea remain unresolved. ( A truce is agreed eventualy in July 1953 )

1961 State of The Union

JFK's State of the Union Address was very somber this year. It included a recount of the collapsing economy that had been happening for several months by this time.

1968 Vietnam Tet Offensive

The Viet Cong launched surprise attacks in South Vietnam , beginning the Tet Offensive. The Communist offensive is one of the bloodiest of the war with thousands of Viet Cong suicide squads sent to certain death in an effort to humiliate the Americans and Vietnamese.

1972 Northern Ireland Civil Rights Demonstrators

In Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 13 unarmed civil rights demonstrators are shot dead by British Army paras that becomes known as Bloody Sunday. British authorities had ordered the march banned, and sent troops to confront the demonstrators when it went ahead. The soldiers fired indiscriminately into the crowd of protesters, killing 13 and wounding 17.

1991 Saudi Arabia Desert Storm

1991 : Iraqi troops have seize control of a Al Khafji inside the Saudi Arabian border after a fierce battle in which both sides suffer casualties. This is now the 14th day of Desert Storm and shows the Iraqis are not beaten yet.

1996 Magic Johnson

Four years after retiring from professional basketball, NBA player Magic Johnson returned to the Los Angles Lakers including origins, star players, growth, and the modern game.

2000 Kenya Plane Crash

A plan crashed after takeoff on this day. This plane was just leaving Kenya Airways, and only 10 people of the 179 people on board survived. This accident had just happened so fast that no one even was able to take the time to put on life support.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/january31st.html

Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

Journalism and media awards in 2024 - Journalism UK

New Italian owner to close on Duluth paper mill - Duluth News Tribune

Los Angeles Times owner clashed with top editor over unpublished article - NYT

Listening to the community drives Forum Communications to start a print product - E&P

Breaking down the complicated dispute over Sports Illustrated and what could happen next - Poynter

Today in Labor History January 29th, 2024

 

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal workers rioted on this date, prompting President Jackson to send in troops. This was the first time American troops were used to suppress a domestic labor dispute. Workers were rebelling because of terrible working conditions and low pay. The canal project had been designed by George Washington and was intended to facilitate transportation of goods from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River Valley. Construction teams were made up mostly of Irish, German, Dutch and black workers who toiled long hours for low wages in dangerous conditions. The use of federal troops set a dangerous precedent that gave business leaders the confidence that they could count on the federal government to quash labor unrest in the future. – 1834

6,000 railway workers struck to demand union recognition and an end to 18-hour workdays. Police and militia busted the strike. – 1889

After Firestone Tire & Rubber in Akron, Ohio arbitrarily fired a worker, workers staged a fifty-five-hour sit-down occupation of the plant. It was one of three occupations of the largest tire companies that happened in January.  The companies refused to recognize the United Rubber Workers of America union and ignored demands for fair work rules. – 1936

American Train Dispatchers Department were granted a charter by the AFL-CIO. – 1957

Dolly Parton hit number one on the record charts with the song 9 to 5, her anthem to the daily grind. – 1981

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was the first bill signed into law by President Barack Obama, restoring the protection against pay discrimination that was stripped away by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. The gender wage gap continued. – 2009

Important Events From This day in History January 29

 

1959 Sleeping Beauty

1959 : Disney releases the animated film Sleeping Beauty to theatres

1937 Tommy Dorsey

1937 : Tommy Dorsey and his famous orchestra records "Song of India" - a popular standard of the era that later became a big hit.

1995 Super Bowl

The 49ers became the first team to win five Super Bowl titles

1981 Dolly Parton "9 to 5"

Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" tops the Charts as many identify with the song and the movie .

1795 - United States Naturalization Act

The United States Naturalization Act of 1795 repealed and replaced the earlier Act of 1790 changes included increasing the period of required residence from two to five years and The Act specified that naturalized citizenship was reserved only for "free white person[s]."

1886 Patent for Benz

1886 : A patent was given to Karl Benz who had created the first Mercedes-Benz. This first Benz model of car was known as the "Motorwagon". This motorized wagon had three wheels and was run by an internal combustion engine very similar to the more modern-day autos created in the present day.

In 1893, Benz had created his first four-wheel Mercedes vehicle. In 1926 the established Mercedes-Benz company had merged with another European car operation.

1944 USS Missouri

USS Missouri was launched at the New York Navy Yard on this day. This vessel weighed at least 45,000 tons

1958 Paul Newman

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodword were wed on this day. They are known to be one of the longest-lasting Hollywood couples in recent history. He has had so far a very successful career in both acting and politics.

He also has created his share of food products and staples. Some of the most popular of his food line include his salad dressings and pasta sauces

1959 England Fog Causes Major Chaos on Roads

Dense fog brings road, rail and air transport in many parts of England and Wales to a virtual standstill.

1963 Liquor bill no. 26

1963 : Liquor bill no. 26 was rescheduled for this date. The reason for the postponement was because further consideration needed to be done regarding liquor bill no. 25 as well.

If Senate Bill no. 25 regarding the sale of liquor would be passed, minimum price markup levels of wholesale liquor would be done away with at this time. Bill no. 26 was meant for the purpose of allowing motels, hotels, and restaurants to receive liquor licenses under strict regulation, but not in regards to population ratio.

1963 Robert Frost

This was the date of Robert Frost's Death. He had accomplished much in his lifetime, such as winning the Pulitzer Prize four times, and also reciting a poem during JFK's inauguration ceremony.

1976 Terrorist Bombs London

1976 : Twelve bomb have been exploded in London's West End during the night, most of Oxford Street is closed for the rest of the day while searches by the bomb squad continue for more bombs. The IRA later admitted it had planted the bombs as part of it's campaign against the British government.

1979 Mondays

Brenda Spencer only 16 years old at the time kills two men and wounds nine children as they enter the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego.

According to one source, Spencer had blamed the killings she had done on the fact that it was Monday, and that she did not like Mondays. She was known for other violent behavior as well, such as repeatedly shooting BB guns at the windows of this school (Grover Cleveland elementary school).

She was sentenced to 25 years in prison for her crime, and she was denied parole four times. This violent incident brought upon by Monday blues was recounted in a song called "I Don't Like Mondays" by a group called "The Boomtown Rats".

1985 Margaret Thatcher

Oxford University delivers snub to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher by refusing her an honorary degree. ( Becoming the first Oxford educated prime minister since the war to be denied the honour. )

1987 Philippines Rebel Uprising

Rebels to the Aquino government take control the Channel 7 building in Manila and the President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino orders troops to fire tear gas into the building on the rebels who have occupied the building for the last two days. They quickly surrender with no shots fired.

1989 Yugo

1989 : The maker of the Yugo automobile had gone out of business and file for bankruptcy. The Yugo was a car that was very popular for awhile in the 1980's because of its very low price. However, apparently quite a bit of customers "got what they paid for". The Yugo was a failure because it was so poorly-designed. It was even said that the body was pierce-able with a wooden pencil.

1996 France Stops Nuclear Testing

French President, Jacques Chirac has announced France will no longer test nuclear weapons after exploding its sixth and biggest nuclear device in the South Pacific.

1998 Legalize Abortions

A bomb exploded at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama just days after the 25th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision to legalize abortions within the United States.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/january30th.html

Today in labor history January 28th, 2024

 

[Photo: Mexican laborers being fumigated with the pesticide DDT 

in Hidalgo, Texas, in 1956.

Today in labor history, January 28, 17-year old house cleaner Carmelita Torres leads what will become known as the “Bath Riots” at the Juarez/El Paso border, refusing the gasoline and chemical “bath” imposed on Mexican workers crossing the border into the U.S. Torres and 30 other women resisted and several hundred people quickly joined in the demonstration. Troops eventually quelled the riot and Torres was arrested. The practice continued for decades. 

The first national coal miners’ union, the American Miners’ Association, was formed. – 1861

Important Events From This day in History January 27

 

1967 Apollo 1

1967 : Three astronauts aboard Apollo 1 ( Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee ) die while still on the launch pad as they are practicing for a two-week mission in space.

1967 Outer Space Treaty

1967 : The Outer Space Treaty which banned the placing of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth is signed by 60 countries of the world including the two most important superpowers at the time The Soviet Union and The United States Of America who both had large Space Exploration programmes and Large Nuclear programmes. This was an important treaty because if any country was to place Nuclear Weapons or other Weapons of Mass Destruction in Orbit no country in the world would be safe.

1984 Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson receives serious burns to his head after his hair caught light while singing his hit "Billie Jean" for a Pepsi Cola commercial in Los Angeles when the special effects went wrong.

1888 The National Geographic Society

1888 in Washington D.C., the National Geographic Society has gone on to become the world's largest scientific and geographical distribution organization. Its original premise was 'for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge.'

1926 - Birth of Television

John Logie Baird, gives the first public demonstration of a television system in London.

The BBC started the first public broadcasts in London in 1936.

Regular television broadcasts began in the United States in 1939.

1938 Honeymoon Bridge Collapses

1938 : The Honeymoon Bridge across Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada collapses after a severe ice storm causes the lower river to flood with ice and place undue stress on the abutments causing the bridge to collapse.

1944 Siege of Leningrad

After 872 days of the siege of Leningrad by German forces allowing no food or medical supplies to enter which caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Russian lives, The Siege was finally broken

1945 Poland Auschwitz

The Red Army liberates the Nazi's biggest concentration camp at Auschwitz in southern Poland. During the concentration camps existence it is believed up to 1 million Jews were murdered ,75,000 Poles, 21,000 Gypsies, and 15,000 Soviet POWs.

1951 Nuclear Bomb Tests

The US government detonates the first of a series of nuclear bombs at its new Nevada test site.

1961 Tax Fraud

1961 : A district attorney and his staff were soon to be investigated for tax fraud. They had been asked to be disqualified from office as of this date as well. This petition was drawn up by lawyer Dave Cargo.

An investigation was started after explanations were sought pertaining to the fact that large numbers of homes and commercial property were not taxed the same as other properties. One reason was because the county assessor (Armando Gianini) would list products much lower than the current selling prices.

Additionally, Armando Gianini did not asses all the homes on which property taxes were owed. Some of the homes were not even on the record come 1960 tax season.

1968 Communist and Defence Industry

One of the biggest issues discussed during this time period was that of whether or not to allow representatives of the Communist Party to be allowed to work in defense facilities. In fact, the 1950 Internal Security Act was passed prohibiting the communist party from doing so.

On this day in 1968, the U.S. Senate examined the issue of subversive (i.e. rebellious, insubordinate) activity as related to possible opposition of the internal security laws, which already passed nearly 10 years ago. Furthermore, the U.S. Senate was discussing the possibility of "cracking down" on Senate subcommittee members w ho discount or invalidate decisions made by the Senate and/or the Supreme Court.

However, subcommittees defend themselves by saying they have no intention of challenging the Supreme Court. Certain subcommittees also have mentioned that they had no intention of reversing any decisions made by the Court.

1968 3,500 more air troops were sent to Sahn, in Vietnam

It is reported on this day that 3,500 more air troops were sent to Sahn, in Vietnam. They were sent to help fight against North Vietnam, who had just launched new shell attacks.

1972 Howard Hughes

Author Clifford Irving attested to the fact that he indeed had given Howard Hughes a check for $275,000. This payment was for the rights to Howard Hughes name and history for the creation of a biography.

Due to laryngitis, Irving's lawyer did most of the talking for him during a news conference that took place on the premises of the Kennedy airport. Irving's lawyer reassured the public that the book will be coming out and that it will be a successful book, and authentic.

In all, Howard Hughes was to receive a total of $650,000 for the book. He said that the publishing company was supposed to give him this money, and never did.

It turned out some time later that a woman known to the public as H.R. Hughes had taken the three checks and had deposited them into a Swiss Bank account. The paper that issued this report also mentioned that the Swiss police were looking for a woman, and the whereabouts of Hughes' wife was to be confirmed as well.

1973 The Vietnam war formally ended

The Vietnam war formally ended when ministers from the United States, North and South Vietnam and the Viet Cong signed an agreement in Paris

1974 Brisbane River Floods

1974 : The Brisbane River Floods causing much of the city to suffer because the river banks in many areas are higher than the surrounding plains and the floods spread over wide areas of the city of Brisbane.

1980 Robert Mugabe

The Rhodesian black nationalist leader Robert Mugabe returns to Rhodesia after five years in exile. Cheering crowds greeted Mr Mugabe's arrival in the capital, Salisbury, from Mozambique where he has been gathering support for his Zimbabwe African National Union (Patriotic Front) or Zanu (PF) party.

1985 Coca Cola

Coca Cola starts distribution in the Soviet Union 12 years after Pepsi

1993 Andre the Giant

The wrestler Andre the Giant ( 7ft4in and 520 LBS ) , dies of a heart attack after attending his fathers funeral in France.

1995 Eric Cantona

Eric Cantona has been fined £20,000 and banned from playing football over his kung fu-style attack on a fan, and Manchester United have relegated him to the bench for nine months. He has also lost the captaincy and his place on the team of the French National Team.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/january28th.html

Friday Afternoon in the Blogosphere

 

Dozens of Texas Tribune employees look to unionize - KVUE

Media company amplifies Black voices - The Philadelphia Tribune

Rockford Register Star transitioning to postal delivery - Rockford Register Star

Local news is in a sorry state nationwide — but there is hope - David Greising

How to Share Bad News with a Newsroom (and How Not to) - Second Rough Draft

Today in Labor History January 26, 2024

 

In what could be considered the first workers’ compensation agreement in America, pirate Henry Morgan pledges his underlings 600 pieces of eight or six slaves to compensate for a lost arm or leg. Also part of the pirate’s code, reports Roger Newell: shares of the booty were equal regardless of race or sex, and shipboard decisions were made collectively - 1695

Samuel Gompers, first AFL president, born in London, England. He emigrated to the U.S. as a youth - 1850
 
The Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America is chartered by the American Federation of Labor to organize "every wage earner from the man who takes the bullock at the house until it goes into the hands of the consumer." - 1897
 
Workers win a two-day sit-down strike at the Brooklyn electric plant that powers the city's entire subway system - 1937
 
A handful of American companies announce nearly 60,000 layoffs today, as the recession that began during the George W. Bush presidency charges full-tilt toward what became known as the Great Recession - 2009

Important Events From This day in History January 26

 

1988 The Phantom of the Opera

1988 : Andrew Lloyd Webber's Musical The Phantom of the Opera ( Based on the French novel Le Fantome de lOpera 1909 by Gaston Leroux ) has its first performance on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre in New York and is now the longest running Broadway show in history.

2006 Telegram Ends

2006 : Western Union announces the end of Telegram Services from January 31st 2006 the last telegram is sent the next day. The Telegram service more than any other is superceded by the use of E-Mail with the dawning of the Internet age but still exists in some form or other around the world but not as the primary force of fast communication it was at it's beginnings when the Telephone still only had limited numbers. Today when it is used it is for such things as weddings, births, funerals and graduations and even as a secure form of communication ( due to perceptions of the Internet as an insecure medium.

2005 Glendale Train Crash

A Metrolink commuter train collides with a SUV abandoned on the track causing two trains to derail killing 11 and injuring 200 in Glendale, California, near Los Angeles. The orinal plan of the SUV owner was to commit suicide but he lost his nerve at the last moment he was later arrested and charged and found guilty of 11 counts of murder with "special circumstances."

1945 Auschwitz

Soviet troops enter Auschwitz, Poland, freeing 7,000 starving camp survivors from the network of concentration camps revealing to the world the depth of the horrors perpetrated there.

Following the repudiation of oil concessions to the Anglo Persian Oil company by the Persian Government in October last year Persia has gone to the league of nations telling of British threats to Persian Sovereignty. The British government is the major shareholder in the Anglo Persian Oil Company and denies claims by Persia that they are giving back the 10% of profits agreed in the 1901 agreement between the two countries and that profits have declined due to economic circumstances.

1939 Nationalists enters Barcelona

Barcelona, the Republican capital of Spain, falls to the Nationalist forces of General Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War .

1950 India Independence

India Formally becomes a republic no longer under British rule. The new President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, takes the oath of office. Dr Prasad was a key campaigner in the nationalist movement of Mahatma Gandhi, along with India's interim Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

1952 Anti British Riots

Anti British riots in the capital of Egypt Cairo have left 17 British residents murdered or burnt to death during the trouble. King Farouk has declared martial law and A dawn to dusk curfew has been imposed and police have been given orders to shoot on sight.

1964 JFK Dallas Police Officer

A report in a newspaper dated today had revealed that the funds raised for the family of an assassination victim had reached over $700,000 dollars. The victim of this murder crime was a J.D. Tibbit, a Dallas police officer, who was believed to have been shot by the same man who was suspected to have killed John F. Kennedy.

Governor John Connally was nearly killed as well on the same day as JFK. He was admitted into the hospital in critical condition shortly after the assassination shootings took place.

On this day 1964), Nellie Connally, Governor Connally's wife is seen in great distress on the day of a 16-gun solute that took place at Bergstrom Air Force Base. This was the first day that she had heard a gunshot since the near-death of her husband, and had symptoms of post-traumatic stress, such as severe shivering and crying.

1965 India Hindi

Hindi becomes the official language of India.

1968 Switzerland Avalanche

1968 : Millions of tons of ice and wet snow tumbled rapidly down from the peaks of Swiss Alps. Casualties and damage occurred in an area of over 120 miles right in the midst of central Europe. At least 15 people had died as a result, as reported two days later, and at least 13 more people were yet to be found.

The fear as of this report was that there were actually hundreds more that were dead or missing than those confirmed. Roads and railways were blocked, and it was speculated that thousands of visitors and tourists were isolated in villages and resorts.

1969 Czechoslovakia Student Unrest

Violence erupts after police using truncheons and tear gas to disperse crowds gathered at the foot of the Wenceslas Statue, to pay tribute to Jan Palach, the student who burned himself to death in protest at the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia.

1972 Vietnam War

A recap was printed in a U.S. newspaper which revealed a summary of Nixon's Eight-Point plan to end the Vietnam War. One of the actions revealed in this recount of Nixon's plan was that of an action proposed eight months prior to this time.

The plan presented eight months prior was a plea for the release of all prisoners of war in exchange for U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. In addition to U.S. withdrawal, this plan also included an agreement that South Vietnam's Nguyen would step down come time for a new election.

It was also recorded in print on this day that Nixon had dispatched Henry Kissinger, his security advisor, to Paris at least a dozen times since August 4 , 1969. The reason for these attempted contacts was to make negotiations with North Vietnam.

In one news source, a quote by Nixon revealed what Nixon has said was the original withdrawal date from Vietnam-May 31, 1971. This plan was rejected by North Vietnam at the next private meeting which had taken plan on June 26th , only less than a month later.

Instead, North Vietnam made a counter nine-point offer that insisted that the U.S. overthrow the government of North Vietnam. If North Vietnam had accepted the United State's original

eight-point plan presented by Nixon, the U.S. troops would have withdrawn within six months and Indo-China cease-fire would have taken place.

1974 Australia Cyclone Wanda

Following unusualy high amounts of Rainfall in Queensland Australia causing rivers to be at maximum, and when Cyclone Wanda came ashore bringing even more rain significant portions of Brisbane covered by two feet of water.

1982 England Unemployment

Unemployment in the UK has risen above three million for the first time since the Thirties.

1995 Norway Missile Launch

Unexpected missile launch was detected near Norway by Russians early-warning defense radar system. This sudden missile launch occurred must a few minutes away from Moscow.

As it turns out, the missile was launched in Spitzbergen, Norway. The purpose of this launch was to carry out scientific measurements. Norway had actually notified 35 countries including Russia of this launch, but the Russian Defense Ministry had failed to report that information to early-warning defense personnel.

1998 Clinton / Lewinsky

1998: President Bill Clinton appears on American Television and denies having "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky

2001 India Earthquake

An earthquake that registered 7.9 on the Richter scale destroyed the city of Bhuj, India claiming the lives of 20,000 people and could be felt as far away as 1,200 miles from the epicenter.

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Today in Labor History January 25, 2024

 

Two hundred miners are killed

Sojourner Truth addresses first Black Women’s Rights convention - 1851

The Sheet Metal Workers Int'l Association (SMWIA) is founded in Toledo, Ohio, as the Tin, Sheet Iron and Cornice Workers’ Int’l Association - 1888
 
Two hundred miners are killed in a horrific explosion at the Harwick mine in Cheswick, Pa., Allegheny County. Many of the dead lie entombed in the sealed mine to this day - 1904

(The novel Sixteen Tons carries the reader down into the dark and dangerous coal mines of the early 1900s, as Italian immigrant Antonio Vacca and his sons encounter cave-ins and fires deep below the earth’s surface. Above ground, miners battle gun thugs and corrupt sheriffs at Virden, Matewan and Ludlow in an epic struggle to form a union and make the mines a safer place to work. Historian Kevin Corley’s depiction of miners’ lives is based on his own interviews with mining families.)
 
The Supreme Court upholds “Yellow Dog” employment contracts, which forbid membership in labor unions. Yellow Dog contracts remained legal until 1932 - 1915
 
Some 16,000 textile workers strike in Passaic, N.J. – 1926

The federal minimum wage rate rises to 75 cents an hour - 1950

Important Events From This day in History January 25

 

1964 The Beatles "I Want To Hold Your Hand"

1964: The Beatles get their first number one with "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Check Out our 1960's Music Page

1933 New Rate 35 cents per hour

1933 : Many state emergency work relief bureau are cutting the hourly rate for laborers from 40 cents per hour to 35 cents per hour and implementing a five day week . These changes will affect workers pay down from $19.00 per week to $14.00 per week in line with the changing economic trends throughout the country and should help to provide more work for those seeking jobs.

1990 UK Hurricane Force Winds

Hurricane Force winds with sustained winds of 75 mph and wind gusts of 104 mph part of the "Burns' Day Storm" have forced many ports and airports to close in one of the worst storms seen in the UK since 1987, causing overturned lorries blocking motorways, buildings collapsing and power and telecommunications lines blown down, at least half a million homes are without electricity. Current estimates put the loss of life over 90 making this storm the worst for casualties since the East Coast Flood disaster in 1953.

1995 Norway Cold War Jitters

Russia prepares to launch a nuclear attack following a Norwegian launch of a Black Brant XII four-stage sounding rocket to study the aurora borealis over Svalbard ( Which the Russians mistook for a Trident missile ) the rocket landed near Spitsbergen 24 minutes after launch and the Russians decided it was not an attack . To understand this you must also understand the great mistrust by both sides during the Cold War years when both believed the other would launch an attack without notification to gain an upper hand

2005 - Mandher Devi Temple Stampede

Over 300 die in a stampede at the Mandher Devi Temple in India during the annual Kalubai Jatra pilgrimage the first full moon day in January when animal sacrifices to the goddess Kalubai are made. The yearly pilgrimage attracts more than 350,000 Hindu's every year

1960 Payola Scandal

The National Association of Broadcasters reacts to the Payola scandal ( The Payola scandal was about bribes being paid to Disc Jockeys to play specific songs to increase music sales without informing the public they were being paid for ) by threatening fines for any disc jockeys who accepted money for playing particular records.

1924 Winter Olympics

The first Winter Olympics games took place in the French Alps on this day. Two of the primary Sports that took place on this mountain were bob sled and ski jump competitions. In all, 12 events featuring the play of six different sports were scheduled.

1942 Thailand declared war

Thailand declared war against the United States, England, and other World War II allied forces on this day. Thailand was very much controlled by Japan at that time, and Thailand was considered one of Japan's "puppets".

1945 Vaughn Moore

Singer Vaughn Moore makes it to the top of the Billboard Pop Chart with his hit, "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" The song is still one of the most popular holiday songs to this day.

1947 Al Capone

1947 : Al Capone dies of pneumonia and heart failure after fearing all his life he would suffer a gangsters death.

1949 Israel Election

1949 : Israel holds it's first election

1949 Emmy Awards

The first Emmy Awards ( Televisions equivalent of the Oscars ) are presented At the Hollywood Athletic Club ( they were not really a National award more to do with local Television in Los Angeles ) but grew over the years from that point to include national and international television.

1957 Algiers French Troops Sent In

Following a series of guerrilla warfare attacks by the Algerian National Liberation Front who were seeking independence from France on French Police, the French Army is deployed in Algiers to suppress the FLN organisation.

1959 First Boeing 707 Internal US Flight

American airlines begins first use of Jets for internal US flights from Los Angeles to New York on a Boeing 707 one way ticket costing $300

1964 Echo 2

1964 : A new man-made star that was launched into space was noticed in the sky on this day. This 13-story unit known as Echo 2 was traveling about 800 miles above South Africa on this day. Echo 2 was the second busiest and the heaviest of all satellites created up until this time.

It was constructed of mostly plastic with an aluminum foil skin and weight about 535 pounds. Echo 2 would be spotted every so often, as announced by NASA, who encouraged people to look out for it.

1964 Kennedy

Robert F. Kennedy paid tribute to his sister who was buried in Northern England. However, RFK was in England for another reason as well. He had met with British leaders to discuss details of his "Malaysian peace mission".

1964 Homeland Security

Robert Baker's Home did go very easily. As of this date in 1964, there were not many that were interested in it. It was believed that part of the reason his home did not sell very fast is because of the French wallpaper and lavender carpeting, which were apparently not very popular at this time.

It could have been for other reasons as well-one possibly being the fact that Robert Baker was no longer a Senate employee. He resigned under pressure the previous October.

1968 Greenland H-bomb Found

Remains of a hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) was found near Thule Air Base in Greenland. An explosion of this bomb had occurred after a B-52 had crashed (and burned) into thick Arctic ice. These bomb remains were recovered by the U.S. Air Force.

The remains of four more bombs were still missing at this time. These bombers were stored aboard a large Strategic Air Command.

1969 Peace Talks Vietnam

1969 : The first formal sessions of peace talks took place in Paris on this day. Henry Cabot Lodge, Chief peace negotiator proposed that a true DMZ (demilitarized zone) would be the first step towards peace.

1971 General Idi Amin

General Idi Amin seizes power in Uganda while President Milton Obote is away on a foreign visit troops seal off Entebbe airport.

 

1971 Charles Manson

Charles Manson is convicted, along with his Cult followers Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkle, of the brutal 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others

1972 Bangladesh Recognized

It was reported that the Russians and the Czechs both recognized Bangladesh as a nation on this day. This announcement was made by the Soviet consul-general to Prime Minister Mujibar Rahman in Tangal, which is located in Central Bangladesh.

1972 Presidential Candidates

Plans were made to send bodyguards to protect presidential candidates within the next month. As reported on this day, Congress had formed a committee from members of both the House and the Senate to discuss who exactly should receive this protection.

As of this day, it a general consensus had been made that the primary candidates for president and vice-presidents would receive protection. This protection-at least in eight of the cases-bodyguards from the Federal Secret Service would be assigned these protective duties.

1972

1972 : On this day, there was talk of re-designating Congressional district counties, which would cause Oklahoma County to be split up in three ways. The biggest concern regarding this possible change is that it could affect which district current candidates would run in-especially if they had been in office before in a different district.

1981 England New SDP Party

Four senior Labour MP'S ( Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins, William Rodgers and David Owen ) have announced they will breakaway from Labour Party and set up their own political party. In March they formed the Social Democratic Party SDP under the leadership of Roy Jenkins.

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