Thursday, May 16, 2024
Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere
Today in Labor History May 16, 2024
Important Events From This day in History May 16
16 May, 1969 U.S.A. Protest and Rioting
1969 : Rioting and protests against the war in Vietnam continue on campuses throughout California with local National Guardsman patrolling Berkeley campus of the University of California area with fixed bayonets to keep peace and order.
16 May, 1929 U.S.A. First Academy Awards
1929 : The First ever Academy Awards of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards were handed out at a banquet held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
16 May, 1918 U.S.A. Sedition Act
1918 : The Sedition Act is passed by the U.S. Congress, creating more harsh penalties aimed at people who were against American participation in World War I. The law punished dissenters including anyone who was found to be insulting the government. The Sedition Act is considered by many law scholars to be in direct conflict with the First Amendment right to free speech. Palmer Raids Timeline
16 May, 1943 Poland Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
1943 : Resistance in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw has ended as SS Police and Wehrmacht units using tanks and other armored vehicles take back control of the ghetto crushing resistance after 1 month of fighting.
16 May, 1927 U.S.A. Floods in Louisiana
1927 : Following the floods in Louisiana rescue workers have so far found over 20 people dead with more coming as they continue to check homes flooded due to the flooding.
16 May, 1944 Italy World War II
1944 : Many believe the end of the World War is getting closer as allied forces push the Nazis back an all fronts including Italy and from the Eastern Front by Russia, at the same time significant gains are being made in the Pacific.
1946 U.S.A. "Annie Get Your Gun"
1946 : The Irving Berlin musical, "Annie Get Your Gun," opened at New York’s Imperial Theatre for its debut performance. It went on to do 1,146 more performances to become one of the most popular musicals in theater history.
1960 France U2 Spy Plane
1960 : The leaders of the most powerful nations on earth came to verbal blows in Paris over the U2 Spy Plane which flew over the Soviet Union. President Nikita Khrushchev and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower are at odds over the issue.
1968 England Block Of Flats in Newham Collapses
1968 : A block of Flats in Newham in the heart of docklands area in London's East End collapses following a gas explosion on the 18th floor leaving at least 3 dead and 80 families fleeing the tower block.
1974 Lebanon Israeli Bombing
1974 : Israeli planes bomb 7 Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon killing at least 27 people and leaving 138 injured.
1976 Lebanon Muslims and Christians Fighting
1976 : Muslims and Christians in Lebanon are fighting a fierce battle using rocket artillery and the death toll has reached over 220 with fighting still continuing , food shortages are now affecting most of the population and nether side wish to attend peace talks.
Born This Day In History 16th May
Celebrating Birthday Today
Pierce Brosnan
Born: May 16th 1953 , Drogheda, Ireland
Known For : He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films (GoldenEye 1995, Tomorrow Never Dies 1997, The World Is Not Enough 1999, and Die Another Day 2002). His early breakthrough came with the television series Remington Steele (1982–1987). Other movies include The Fourth Protocol (1987) and the comedy Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and the remake of the heist film The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Today in Labor History May 15
Important Events From This day in History May 15
15 May, 1941 UK Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 Jet aircraft
1941 : The Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 Jet aircraft flies successfully over Cranwell, England, The aircraft's jet engine, was devised by Frank Whittle, an Britiah aviation engineer and pilot generally regarded as the inventor of the jet engine. Although Frank Whittle is considered the inventor of the Jet Engine Concept which he patented in 1930 the Gloster-Whittle E 28/39 Jet aircraft was not the first Jet aircraft to fly successfully. The first was the German Heinkel He 178, designed by Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain, on August 27th, 1939.
15 May, 1918 U.S.A. Airmail Service
1918 : The first flights for the new U.S. airmail service begins between Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
15 May, 1939 U.S.A. Food Aid
1939 : A new plan is to be tested in Rochester New York for providing food aid to the 14,000 families on relief , A number of foods are designated in surplus will be provided with the blue food stamps issued by the government these include Butter, White Flour, Fresh Oranges and Eggs. They are hoping that this will help to distribute surplus foods to the needy if this works it will be integrated into the New Deal Program.
15 May, 1940 U.S.A. Nylon Stockings
1940 : Nylon stockings from DuPont (Nylon invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers) went on general sale for the first time in the United States.
15 May, 1948 Israel Independence
1948 : Israel declares independence on May 14, 1948 and one day later the new state of Israel is attacked by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq which lasted almost a year, a cease fire was declared and temporary borders, known as the Green Line, were instituted. The creation of Israel as an independent state had been rejected by The Arab League from the very beginning.
15 May, 1949 U.S.A. Tornado Amarillo
1949 : A major Tornado strikes Amarillo Texas causing 6 deaths and many injuries and over 50 homes completely destroyed.
1954 U.S.A. Marilyn Monroe
1954 : After several weeks Marilyn Monroe is back at work on dance rehearsals for the new film "There's No Business Like Show Business."
1957 Britain H Bomb Testing
1957 : Britain tests first hydrogen bomb on the Christmas Island area in the Pacific Ocean, the arms race between countries continues to escalate as each country tests bigger and more destructive nuclear devices.
1970 U.S.A. Jackson State University
1970 : During a student protest at Jackson State University in Mississippi police opened fire, killing two students and injuring twelve others.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Today in Labor History May 14
“We Want Beer” marches were held throughout the United States. 15,000 unionized workers demonstrated in Detroit. Prohibition was repealed within a year. – 1932
Milwaukee brewery workers began a 10-week strike, demanding contracts comparable to East and West coast workers. The strike was won because Blatz Brewery accepted their demands, but Blatz was ousted from the Brewers Association for “unethical” business methods. – 1953
Important Events From This day in History May 14
14 May, 1991 South Africa Winnie Mandela
1991 : Winnie Mandela, the wife of Nelson Mandela, is given a six-year prison sentence for her part in the kidnap of four youths suspected of being police informers, one of the kidnapped boys later died of his injuries. Mrs Mandela's is believed to be behind the activities of her bodyguards - known as the "Mandela Football Club" who are involved in violence in the Soweto township including the notorious "necklace killings" which involved putting a tyre around a victim's neck and setting fire to it.
14 May, 1804 U.S.A. The Lewis and Clark Expedition
1804 : The Lewis and Clark expedition started from Camp Dubois, near present day Hartford, Illinois on this day in 1804. They reached the Pacific Ocean on November 20th, 1805. They arrived back to St. Louis, Missouri on September 23rd 1806.
14 May, 1920 U.S.A. Airmail Service
1920 : The airmail service continues to grow with a new service from Chicago to Omaha carrying 500 lbs of mail daily except Sundays and Holidays , the service will take about 5 1/2 hrs. The 1920s was a major growth period for Mail Delivery both domestic and later world wide.
14 May, 1948 Israel Independent State
1948 : The independent state of Israel is proclaimed as British rule in Palestine came to an end. It has taken Israel 2000 years to gain nationhood status.
14 May, 1931 India Mahatma Gandhi
1931 : Mahatma Gandhi the leader of the Indian Nationalist movement has agreed to talks with Britain in London to discuss more independence from Britain in return for stopping the current boycott on foreign goods in India.
14 May, 1940 England The Home Guard
1940 : The British Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden announced the creation of the Local Defense Volunteers (LDV) name changed in July of 1940 to "The Home Guard". The creation of the LDV was a direct result of Germany's conquest of Norway so quickly and the beginning of the invasion of France by German forces. Anthony Eden announced during the radio broadcast .
Radio Broadcast Requesting Volunteers for The Home Guard:
The government had expected 150,000 men to volunteer in total, but by the end of the first month 750,000 men had volunteered. By the end of June 1940, there were nearly 1.5 million volunteers.
1942 U.S.A. Air Travel
1942 : FDR has stated that all domestic air travel will be placed on a full wartime basis with the army operating or controlling the nations fleet of over 500 transport planes to help in the war effort.
1955 Poland Warsaw Pact Signed
1955 : The Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc allies including USSR, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania sign a security pact in the Polish capital, Warsaw, after a three-day conference. The Warsaw Pact will provide close integration of military, economic and cultural policy between the eight Communist nations.
Monday, May 13, 2024
Monday Morning in the Blogosphere
Today in Labor History May 13, 2024
Important Events From This day in History May 13
13 May,1938 U.S.A. "When the Saints Go Marching In"
1938 : "When the Saints Go Marching In" was recorded by Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra. Though the song was first written to be a spiritual song, many jazz and folk artists have adopted it and made it very popular throughout the years.
13 May,1985 U.S.A. MOVE Philadelphia
1985 : Philadelphia Police Department drop a bomb containing C-4 and Tovex from a helicopter onto MOVE's residence part of a row of tenements on Osage Avenue, the explosion started an uncontrolled fire and as a result, 53 houses burned and 240 people were left homeless. John Africa, six other adults and four children, who were living in the MOVE Cult Home died in the resulting fire. Police were attempting to enforce outstanding arrest warrants for four members of the group by blowing up tactical bunkers constructed by MOVE on the roof and had evacuated people from their Osage Avenue homes in order to prepare for an operation against MOVE. MOVE was a mostly black group whose members all adopted the surname Africa, advocated a 'back-to-nature' lifestyle and preached against technology.
13 May,1981 Vatican Pope John Paul II Shot
1981 : Pope John Paul II, is shot in St Peter's Square in Rome in front of 20,000 worshipers. Police in the square apprehended Turkish citizen Mehmet Ali Agca after the shooting.
13 May,1939 Italy Benito Mussolini
1939 : The Italian leader Benito Mussolini and German Leader Adolf Hitler are planning tours of borders with France and the border between Tunisia and Libya together with Poland. The Italian Leader is expected to give an anti-french speech in the next 2 days over the disputed areas Italy believes should be Italian and not French controlled offering a last chance for France to come to a peaceful settlement over Italian territorial claims.
13 May,1940 England Queen Wilhelmina
1940 : Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands safely arrived in England as a refuge from the invading Nazi Germany.
13 May,1940 Churchill First Speech as UK Prime Minister
1940 : Following Winston Churchill becoming leader of the British Coalition Government in his first speech as prime minister he told the British House of Commons "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."
1947 Germany Severe Food Shortages
1947 : In Germany calls have been made for urgent assistance in the American Zone and the British Zone as residents in both areas are now suffering with severe shortages of food which is causing mass starvation, this is in turn causing antagonism and resentment to America and England.
13 May,1960 France Cold War Summit
1960 : A Summit scheduled for tomorrow with the 4 most powerful leaders who have a vested interest in the future of Germany is focused on how to proceed in Germany , the Russians want recognition of East Germany and an end to the cold war and disarmament. The 4 leaders who will be attending are Eisenhower, Macmillan, Khrushchev and de Gaulle. This is also seen by many as a showdown between Eisenhower and Khrushchev over the American U2 spy plane shot down in Russian Airspace on the May 1. Each of these leaders is expressing the same desires to end the Cold War, nuclear disarmament and an end to the build up military forces.
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Sunday Morning in the Blogosphere
Today in Labor History May 12
Important Events From This day in History May 12
12 May,1937 England King George VI
1937 : King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey. King George was second in line to the throne but following his younger brother Edward who abdicated so he could marry American socialite Wallis Simpson he became King. King George's wife was the much loved Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon much better known as "Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother", who died at the grand old age of 102 on March 30th 2002. Their oldest daughter Queen Elizabeth is current Queen of England.
12 May,1932 U.S.A. Lindbergh Baby Found Dead
1932 : The Baby son kidnapped from Charles Lindbergh was found dead just miles away from the Lindbergh home today.
12 May,1966 U.S.A. Draft Deferment Test
1966 : Hundreds of thousands of College and University Students are preparing to sit the Draft Deferment Test , The test is a way for them to convince the Draft Board that they would serve the nation better in the quiet of the Classrooms than in the Jungles of Vietnam.
2008 China Earthquake Magnitude 7.8
2008 : An Earthquake measuring 7.8 strikes near Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital in south western China. Early reports indicate primary school buildings collapsed in the Chongqing area leaving hundreds of children buried in the rubble. As the full scale of the destruction caused by the largest earthquake in China for many years become known, the death toll is expected to reach 60,000 and up to five million Chinese are now homeless. Video shot by students during the earthquake.
12 May,1926 England General Strike Ends
1926 : The British general strike ends with no changes for working conditions or wages for the miners.
12 May,1935 Poland Joseph Pilsudski
1935 : The Polish dictator Joseph Pilsudski has died and thousands mourn in Poland meanwhile the rest of Europe are wondering how the passing of this strong man will effect alliances in Europe.
1943 Tunisia World War II
1943 : Allied Armies completed the conquest of Tunisia in North Africa as a base for invasion of Southern Europe capturing some 150,000 prisoners, 1000 guns and 250 tanks. The two generals commanding this part of the war in North Africa General Eisenhower and General Alexander said the conquest of North Africa is now complete.
12 May,1949 Germany West Berlin Blockade
1949 : After blocking all road traffic into West Berlin for 11 months after diplomatic meetings around the world the Soviet Union has lifted the blockade of road and rail links. The Blockade of West Berlin had been broken by a U.S. / British airlift of vital supplies to West Berlin's two million citizens.
12 May,1967 England Stansted Airport
1967 : British Government has agreed to allow development of Stansted Airfield to become London's third airport, currently the airfield is used mostly for pilot training.
1971 France Mick Jagger
1971 : The Rolling Stones singer, Mick Jagger, marries Bianca Perez Morena de Macias at a civil ceremony in the local town hall in the French Mediterranean town of St Tropez.
1973 U.S.A. Pentagon Papers Trial
1973 : The Pentagon Papers trial which was focused on THE FIRST AMENDMENT and The Governments Authority to control information and the Public's access to that information has now ended and with a verdict of NOT GUILTY for the defendants Daniel Ellsburg and Anthony J Russo Jr , but many of the answers given by defendants and testimony by witnesses raise many more questions concerning the Watergate Affair. ( This eventually led to Impeachment proceedings against President Nixon ) Daniel Ellsberg was a contributor but gave most of the Pentagon Papers to New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan, with Ellsberg's friend Anthony Russo assisting in their copying.
1981 Northern Ireland IRA Hunger Striker
1981 : Following the death of Bobby Sands on May 5th a second IRA hunger striker, 25-year-old Francis Hughes, starves to death in the Maze Prison in Northern Ireland.
Friday, May 10, 2024
Friday Morning in the Blogosphere
Today in Labor History May 10, 2024
Important Events From This day in History May 10
10 May, 1994 U.S.A. John Wayne Gacy Executed
1994 : John Wayne Gacy ( The Killer Clown ) is executed in Illinois for the murders of 33 young men and boys he had raped and murdered between 1972 and his arrest in 1978.
1941 England Rudolf Hess
1941 : Adolf Hitler's deputy, Rudolf Hess, parachuted into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission, he was captured by British forces and held by the British for the remainder of the war. In 1945 Rudolf Hess was taken before the Trial of the Major War Criminals during the Nuremberg Trials where he was found guilty of (1) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of crime against peace, (2) Planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression and other crimes against peace. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and committed to Spandau Prison where he died in 1987.After 1966 for the next 20 years Hess was the sole remaining inmate of Spandau Prison, because the Soviet Union would not allow leniency. His main companion was warden Eugene K. Bird, with whom he formed a close friendship. Bird wrote a 1974 book titled "The Loneliest Man in the World" about his relationship with Hess during the 30 years of his imprisonment.
1965 Warren Buffet Gains Controlling Interest In Berkshire-Hathaway
1965 : Following three years of buying stock in Berkshire-Hathaway Warren Buffet gains a controlling interest in the company the shares were trading at less than $20.00 per share. Warren Buffet expands Berkshire-Hathaway into the insurance industry and other investments and as of the beginning of 2008 Class A shares were selling for over $150,000 per share making them the highest-priced shares on the New York Stock Exchange.
Current Trading Price:November 9th 2009: $95,295.00 so although took a hit during stock market crash still seems like was good investment when bought for $20.00 per share.
April 5th 2021: $395,535.00
10 May, 1924 U.S.A. J. Edgar Hoover
1924 : J. Edgar Hoover is appointed by President Calvin Coolidge to be the Sixth director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), the name is changed in 1936 and J. Edgar Hoover becomes the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and served until 1972.
10 May, 1940 Battle of France Begins
1940 : Germany and Italy begin the battle for France beginning on 10th May and ending on June 25th, at which point Germany put the non-democratic government collaborating with Germany, Vichy Government in control of the country. The battle of France was a major victory for the Axis Powers and part of the battle involved Dunkirk where British and Allied forces were separated from the main body of the French defenses by the German advance causing the evacuation of 192,226 British and 139,000 French soldiers who were rescued by a hastily assembled fleet of 860 boats which included fishing boats, pleasure craft and RNLI lifeboats.
2007 U.S.A. Santa Catalina Island
2007: A fire breaks out in the hills north and west of the city of Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California burning over 4000 acres and a number of buildings but the fire was bought under control before the city of Avalon was threatened. The fire bought back memories from the fire on the island which is only 22 miles long and eight miles wide at its greatest width in 1915 which destroyed half of the buildings on the Island including six hotels and several clubs.
10 May, 1926 Great Britain General Strike
1926 : With the general strike in England bringing the country to a standstill many believe that the bolshevists are behind the strike and have infiltrated British trade unions, the general strike is now in it's 8th day and many are hoping a compromise can be reached.
1929 U.S.A. Graf Zeppelin Airship
1929 : Following the success of the Graf Zeppelin Airship more are planned for purchase as a passenger line between Honolulu and Los Angeles at a cost of $1,000,000.
1933 Germany Book Burning
1933 : In Germany, Nazis start burning books considered to be un-German.
10 May, 1937 Great Britain King George Coronation
1937 : With the forthcoming coronation of King George in 2 days time as the King of England, the government and the royal family clash over royal representation at the forthcoming Duke of Windsors marriage to Mrs Warfield now that her decree absolute is final. The Royal family wishes to have the Duke of Kent present at the wedding but the government feels this would be unwise, some compromise will be reached or the government will be seen as dictating to the Royal family.
1940 England Winston Churchill
1940 : Winston Churchill becomes the leader of a coalition government after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain said he was stepping aside following German forces invading Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg by air and land.
1946 England United States of Europe
1946 : Winston Churchill has made a speech urging a United States of Europe including Germany as he believes this will help to create a common bond between Europeans and for future trade.
Thursday, May 09, 2024
Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere
Today in Labor History – May 9th, 2024
William “Big Bill” Haywood
Important Events From This day in History May 9
9 May, 2010 Iceland Flights Cancelled Due to Volcanic Ash
2010 : Hundreds more flights are cancelled due to volcanic ash disrupting the atmospheric conditions over Europe. Ash clouds from an Icelandic volcano forced the cancellation of many flights to and from Europe and many airports around the continent were forced to close, including sixteen airports in Spain alone.
9 May, 1974 U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen
1974 : Bruce Springsteen nicknamed "The Boss," with his E Street Band performed a concert in Cambridge, Mass., which made the well known rock critic Jon Landau write, "I saw rock and roll future and it's name is Bruce Springsteen." Bruce Springsteen most famous albums include Born to Run (1975) and Born in the U.S.A. (1984). He has sold over 65 million albums in the U.S.
9 May, 1933 US Tornadoes
1933 : 61 people have died as Tornado's strike Kentucky and Tennessee leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake, among the worst hit are areas of Louisville.
9 May, 1934 West Coast Longshoremen's Strike
1934 : The West Coast Longshoremen's Strike begins when Int’l. Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) union workers demand a 6 hr working day, more men on each gang, lighter loads and an independent union. They shut down seaports in Washington, Oregon and California for 3 months.
9 May, 1960 U.S.A. Contraceptive Pill
1960 : The Food and Drug Administration approved the first pill for contraceptive use in Birth Control, called Envoid. The pill is a mix of of an estrogenand a progestin and is now used by by more than 100 million women worldwide.
1994 Ebola Virus Outbreak
1994 : The first cases of the Ebola Virus in the latest outbreak in Gabon, are identified which cause the death of 9 of those infected with the virus.
Further Ebola Virus outbreaks occur in:
Gabon, in February 1995 (37 cases including 21 deaths)
Gabon, in July 1996 (60 cases including 45 deaths)
A Further Ebola Virus epidemic occurs in Kikwit, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1995 with 315 cases, 250 of which had fatal outcomes.
(Figures From World Health Organization)
The strain of Ebola which broke out in Zaire (Democratic Republic of the Congo) has one of the highest case fatality rates of any human pathogenic virus, at roughly 90%.
1925 U.S.A. Rum Runners
1925 : Rum runners were chased today by the Coast Guard and were forced to dump 100 cases of Liquor in the Delaware River as part of the Rum War between smugglers and Coast Guard, after dumping the booze the smugglers managed to escape the Coast Guard.
1926 U.S.A. North Pole
1926 : Commander Richard Byrd and his companion the first to fly an airplane to the North Pole ( Later Disputed ).
1944 U.S.A. War Rationing
1944 : Like most of the countries throughout the world war rationing is in effect for everything from tires to Red Meat.
1944 U.S.A. Jimmie Davis
1944 : Jimmie Davis becomes the Governor of Louisiana. He wrote the song "You Are My Sunshine." He became famous for recording secular and religious songs and also served two nonconsecutive terms as the governor. He lived to be over 100 years old and also has the distinction of living longer than any other United States governor.
1953 U.S.A. The Mob
1953 : Calls for the federal government to take on the Mob / Crime Syndicate / The System after the murder of a longshoreman. The Mob makes money from Prostitution, Gambling, Loan Shark, Narcotics and The Waterfront and calls are rising daily for federal action as they appear to be immune from the law due to local politicians protection.
1955 Germany NATO
1955 : West Germany Joins NATO.
1956 England Frogman Disappears
1956 : A British naval diver ( Commander Lionel "Buster" Crabb ) goes missing and is later found dead during a Goodwill Visit by a Soviet cruiser carrying Soviet leaders Nikita Khruschev and Marshal Nikolai Bulganin. At the time no one would admit that he was spying on the Russian Cruiser on a spying mission for MI6 and had dived under the cruiser to check out the hull and any other information he could find. And it still remains a mystery on how he died.
Wednesday, May 08, 2024
Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere
Today in Labor History May 8th
A. Philip Randolph