This Day in History

[Amnorix]

Today...

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by notorious

Wow, they kept this quiet.


If this info would have come out, the world would have broke into a frenzy.

Yes. A Russian general told the world about this in the 90s -- AFTER the fall of the old USSR. Presumably before then to mention it would've resulted in a one-way ticket to a gulag.

Found the relevant scene from Wargames.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqogv...eature=related

[Amnorix]

September 28

48 BC. Pompey the Great is assassinated in Egypt by order of King Ptolemy. His assassination, coming after his split with Caesar after teh end of the First Triumvirate, is a blow to Republican Roman and helps pave the path to its conversion to an empire.

935. Saint Wencelas is murdered by his brother.

1066. William the Bastard, due to his illegitimate birth, Duke of Normandy, leads his Normans and some allies to England, whence he will gain victory and become known by the much more flattering title of William the Conqueror.

1928. Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria killing mold growing in his laboratory, discovering what will become known as penicillin.

1939. Warsaw surrenders to Nazi Germany.

[Amnorix]

September 29.

480 BC. In the follow up to the Battle of Thermopylae (which it should be remembered was, though heroic, a defeat for Greece), the great naval Battle of Salamis is fought between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire of Xerxes. This time the Greeks win a decisive victory, sinking or capturing over 200 ships. The Persian's great advantage in numbers was offset by the tight conditions in the straits in which the battle was fought.

1829. Founding of the Metropolitan Police of London, generally regarded as the world's first professional police force.

1916. John D. Rockefeller becomes the world's first billionaire.

1966. The Chevy Camaro, originally called the Panther, is introduced for the first time.

1979. Pope John Paul II becomes the first Pope to visit Ireland.

2008. Following the bankruptcies of Washington Mutual and Lehman Brothers, the Dow Jones falls 777.68 points -- the largest one day point drop in history (though not the largest by percentage).

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

1966. The Chevy Camaro, originally called the Panther, is introduced for the first time.

[Amnorix]

September 30

1882. The world's first commercial hydroelectric plant begins operations. Raise your hand if you knew that it was Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin.

1888. Jack the Ripper claims his third and fourth victims in the Whitechapel district of London. The first, Elizabeth ("Long Liz") Stride, was found just after 1:00 a.m. with blood still flowing from her neck, indicating that she had been murdered just moments before being found by a man driving a pony and two-wheeled cart, whose horse had shied away after being driven into the Yard where the body was located. In the pitch darkness of that night, the man was unable to see much of anything, including the body, until he had lit a match. Other than her slit throat, Stride had no other wounds, and the discovery of yet another victim who had been murdered within the hour suggested that Jack the Ripper had been interrupted before he could fully slake his thirst for gore.

One witness reported that the murderer may have shouted "Lipski", to another man, which was thought to be an anti-semitic taunt derived from the name of an infamous poisoner.

At 1:45 the body of Catherine Eddowes was found within walking distance of Stride's body. Police surgeon Dr. Frederick Brown arrived shortly thereafter and described the scene.

Originally Posted by Dr. Frederick Brown

The body was on its back, the head turned to left shoulder. The arms by the side of the body as if they had fallen there. Both palms upwards, the fingers slightly bent. A thimble was lying off the finger on the right side. The clothes drawn up above the abdomen. The thighs were naked. Left leg extended in a line with the body. The abdomen was exposed. Right leg bent at the thigh and knee.

The bonnet was at the back of the head—great disfigurement of the face. The throat cut. Across below the throat was a neckerchief. ... The intestines were drawn out to a large extent and placed over the right shoulder—they were smeared over with some feculent matter. A piece of about two feet was quite detached from the body and placed between the body and the left arm, apparently by design. The lobe and auricle of the right ear were cut obliquely through. There was a quantity of clotted blood on the pavement on the left side of the neck round the shoulder and upper part of the arm, and fluid blood-coloured serum which had flowed under the neck to the right shoulder, the pavement sloping in that direction.

Body was quite warm. No death stiffening had taken place. She must have been dead most likely within the half hour. We looked for superficial bruises and saw none. No blood on the skin of the abdomen or secretion of any kind on the thighs. No spurting of blood on the bricks or pavement around. No marks of blood below the middle of the body. Several buttons were found in the clotted blood after the body was removed. There was no blood on the front of the clothes. There were no traces of recent connection.

AFter the post mortem he had the following observations.

Originally Posted by Dr. Brown

After washing the left hand carefully, a bruise the size of a sixpence, recent and red, was discovered on the back of the left hand between the thumb and first finger. A few small bruises on right shin of older date. The hands and arms were bronzed. No bruises on the scalp, the back of the body, or the elbows. ... The cause of death was haemorrhage from the left common carotid artery. The death was immediate and the mutilations were inflicted after death ... There would not be much blood on the murderer. The cut was made by someone on the right side of the body, kneeling below the middle of the body. ... The peritoneal lining was cut through on the left side and the left kidney carefully taken out and removed. ... I believe the perpetrator of the act must have had considerable knowledge of the position of the organs in the abdominal cavity and the way of removing them. The parts removed would be of no use for any professional purpose. It required a great deal of knowledge to have removed the kidney and to know where it was placed. Such a knowledge might be possessed by one in the habit of cutting up animals. I think the perpetrator of this act had sufficient time ... It would take at least five minutes. ... I believe it was the act of one person.

Other doctors and police officers, however, witnessing the gross mutiliations, opined that the murderer did not appear to have any skill whatsoever.

Originally Posted by Police Physician Dr. Thomas Bond

In each case the mutilation was inflicted by a person who had no scientific nor anatomical knowledge. In my opinion he does not even possess the technical knowledge of a butcher or horse slaughterer or any person accustomed to cut up dead animals

The double murders, the first time Jack the Ripper had struck twice in one night, and the gruesomeness of Eddowes death threw London into a panic.

1927. Babe Ruth becomes the first baseball player to hit 60 home runs in a season.

1947. The World Series is televised for the first time.

1954. The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear reactor powered vessel, is commissioned.

1955. Movie icon James Dean dies, at age 24.

1965. General Suharto rises to power in Indonesia, murdered approximately one million Indonesians believed to be Communists.

1968. The 747 is shown to the public for the first time when it is rolled out of the largest building in the world (by volume), the Everett Factory. The building is 472 million cubic feet and covers 98.3 acres.







There are about 1,300 bicycles/tricycles in the factory to help employees get around.

1982. Six people die in the Chicago area. They had consumed extra-strength Tylenol which had been laced by cyanide. Seven people would die in total. Dramatic reforms were made in the packaging of over-the-counter substances as a result. No one was ever arrested in the crime and Johnson & Johnson's $100,000 reward for the capture and conviction of the killer has never been claimed.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

1954. The USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear reactor powered vessel, is commissioned.

Talk about a game changer. Truly an amazing technological leap. I count myself lucky that I've actually been aboard her.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Donger

Talk about a game changer. Truly an amazing technological leap. I count myself lucky that I've actually been aboard her.

Yeah. Amazing how fast we went from "hope this blows up as planned" to "we can stick a modified version of this thing on board this tiny underwater sardine can where taking in fresh oxygen is a problem and make it go around the world eleventy billion times no problem".

You got to see her? When/where/how?

[Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan]

Originally Posted by Donger

Talk about a game changer. Truly an amazing technological leap. I count myself lucky that I've actually been aboard her.

Did you say "Hi" to Captain Nemo?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Yeah. Amazing how fast we went from "hope this blows up as planned" to "we can stick a modified version of this thing on board this tiny underwater sardine can where taking in fresh oxygen is a problem and make it go around the world eleventy billion times no problem".

You got to see her? When/where/how?

Not just see her. I've been aboard her, below decks. Of course, I'm nothing special: she's a museum now in Groton, CT. Considering her proximity to you...

On a side note, Admiral Rickover apparently really was as big an asshole as people say he was. Ruthless and vicious, but he got the nuke boats built.

[Amnorix]

October 1. JFC busy day.

331 BC. The Battle of Gaugamela results in the overwhelming victory of the forces of Alexander the Great over Darius III of the Persian Empire, resulting in their complete collapse. The exact location of the battle has never been precisely identified, but the most commonly accepted opinion is that it took place east of Mosul in modern day northeastern Iraq.

1800. Spain cedes Louisiana to France by treaty, which becomes key when France then transfers it to the United States pursuant to the Louisiana Purchase. This treaty will take on added importance when the United States, aggressively, somewhat absurdly, and rather comically, but successfully, argues that the treaty in fact was for much more territory than Spain had ever imagined, and that therefore the land purchased by the United States from France was also larger than either France or Spain had contemplated. The dispute was settled by the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1821.

1814. The Congress of Vienna opens, soon to redraw the maps of Europe in the wake of the defeat of Napoleon. Note, in the map below -- no Poland, no integrated Germany, Italy still splintered,



1847. Siemens is founded.

1869. Austria issues the world's first postcards.

1880. Thomas Edison opens the world's first electric lamp factory.

1888. The Central News Agency receives a postcard signed "Jack the Ripper". While generally rejected by police at the time, and modern enthusiasts, as a hoax, the letter contained enough information that the police published it in the hopes that it would lead to some actionable evidence.

Originally Posted by Jack the Ripper?

was not codding [sic] dear old Boss when I gave you the tip, you'll hear about Saucy Jacky's work tomorrow double event this time number one squealed a bit couldn't finish straight off. Had not got time to get ears off for police thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again.

Jack the Ripper

1890. Congress establishes Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks.

1903 First game of the modern World Series, between the Boston Americans (later Red Sox) and Pittsburgh Pirates.

1928. The Soviet Union introduces its first Five Year Plan. They, umm, don't work out too well in the long run.

1931. George Washington Bridge opens.

1908. The Model T goes on the market for $825.

1938. Nazi Germany annexes the Sudetenland, a western portion of then-Czechoslovakia that was largely inhabited by German speaking people. The name of this area was related to a very key feature of this land grab by Germany -- it was named after the Sudeten Mountains, but also extended beyond that. Having given up the best natural defenses to Germany without a shot, the country would be powerless to stop the Germans from taking the rest of the country, which later happened.

The ceded areas are in black.



1940. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, usually considered the first US superhighway, opens.

1946. The Nazi leaders are sentenced at the Nuremburg trials.

1949. Mao Zedong declares the People's Republic of China.

1957. First appearance of "In God We Trust" on US paper currency.

1962. First appearance of Johnny CArson as host of the Tonight Show.

1971. Walt Disney World opens.

1982. Sony launches the first commercial compact disc player.

1989. Denmark launches the world's first civil union of same-sex partners.

[Amnorix]

Originally Posted by Donger

Not just see her. I've been aboard her, below decks. Of course, I'm nothing special: she's a museum now in Groton, CT. Considering her proximity to you...

On a side note, Admiral Rickover apparently really was as big an asshole as people say he was. Ruthless and vicious, but he got the nuke boats built.

Haven't studied anything about post-WWII navy, so know nothing about Rickover except the name.

I can visit Groton. My boys and I went to Battleship Cove in Fall River this past summer -- saw the four ships anchored there -- a WWII era battleship, submarine, destroyer and a newer Russian ship. Alot of fun.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

Haven't studied anything about post-WWII navy, so know nothing about Rickover except the name.

I can visit Groton. My boys and I went to Battleship Cove in Fall River this past summer -- saw the four ships anchored there -- a WWII era battleship, submarine, destroyer and a newer Russian ship. Alot of fun.

I don't know if it's worth the long drive across three states to get there, but....

Oh, wait.

[Amnorix]

October 2

1187. After 88 years of Crusader rule, Saladin recaptures Jerusalem.

1919. After his monumental effort at the conference resulting in the Versailles Treaty and his efforts (including his battle with the Senate to ratify joining) the League of Nations, Woodrow Wilson suffers a massive stroke which leaves him partially paralyzed. His wife will screen all visitors and work for the rest of his Presidency, and his debility is hidden from the public until after his death in 1924.

1928. Opus Dei is founded. Conspiracy theorists and authors everywhere rejoice.

1950. Peanuts is first published.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Amnorix

1888. The Central News Agency receives a postcard signed "Jack the Ripper". While generally rejected by police at the time, and modern enthusiasts, as a hoax, the letter contained enough information that the police published it in the hopes that it would lead to some actionable evidence.

Originally Posted by Jack The Ripper

was not codding [sic] dear old Boss when I gave you the tip, you'll hear about Saucy Jacky's work tomorrow double event this time number one squealed a bit couldn't finish straight off. Had not got time to get ears off for police thanks for keeping last letter back till I got to work again.

Jack the Ripper

Based on handwriting analysis, I think one of our chiefsplanet members is Jack the Ripper.

[Amnorix]

October 3

52 BC. On approximately this date, Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls by proclamation, surrenders to Julius Caesar, ending the Battle of Alesia and bringing Gaul thoroughly to heel as a Roman province. The Senate, however, refuses to grant Caesar a triumph procession in Rome, in part setting of a chain of events that will eventually lead to the Roman Civil War of 49-45 BC.

42 BC. At the First Battle of Philippi, Mark Antony and Octavian fight a decisive battle against the forces of Caesar's assassins, Brutus and Cassius. A second battle, on October 23rd, results in the virtual annihilation of Brutus' forces, resulting in his suicide and the victory of the Second Triumvirate.

1795. A young general Napoleon Bonaparte first rises to national prominence when appointed to defend the national convention of the three year old Republic against counter-revolutionaries.

1849. Edgar Allan Poe is found by a passer-by to be delirius in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland. He will fail to regain coherency before his death a week later. The circumstances give rise to tremendous conjecture regarding what happened. A week earlier, he had left Richmond, Virginia to travel to New York. He failed to arrive, however, and was missing until found in Baltimore. Accounts of certain contemporaries, who labeled him drunk or overdosed on drugs, are confusing and unreliable, in part because some of them were either rivals of Poe's, or were active abolitionists who saw Poe's death as a possible means to advance their causes. The records relating to his death, including his death certificate, are now missing, if they in fact ever existed. The range of potential causes for his death are spectacular -- ranging from murder to "cooping", which was a then-somewhat common practice of kidnapping and drugging a person in order to drag them around and have them vote in multiple locations. The latest theory that has gained prominence is that he may have been bitten and died from rabies.

More, if you want it, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Edgar_Allan_Poe

1908. Pravda (ironically, "Truth") is founded in Vienna by Russian exiles including Leon Trotsky.

1932. Iraq gains independence from the United Kingdom. It's unlikely many in the US realized what a colossal headache this would turn out to be for us in the long run.

1951. The Shot Heard 'round the World. Bobby Thompson hits a game winning home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to give the New York Giants the pennant after being down 14 games. He leaves the 20 year old Rookie of the Year waiting on deck......some kid named Willie Mays. Sadly, however, the Yankees take the World Series in 6.

1964. Buffalo Wings are invented at the Anchor Bar, in Buffalo, New York. Sadly, this marks the apogee of the city, which is rarely heard from again.

1990. Germany reunites.

1993. The Battle of Mogadishu, memorialized in the great book and movie, Blackhawk Down. Btw, if you've seen and loved the movie, then I strongly recommend you read the book.

1995. OJ Simpson is acquitted of murdering his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. He will go on a prolonged quest to find their murderers at whichever golf course they may be hiding, and then to lose a civil case brought by the Goldman family with an award of $33 million. California law, however, protects pensions, so Simpson goes on living his usual lifestyle under his NFL pension. Many of his personal possessions, however, including his Heisman Trophy, are auctioned with the proceeds going to the Goldman family. Simpson is now serving time in the Nevada state prison system as a result of his bizarre kidnapping/robbery of sports memorabilia. He was sentenced to 33 years, and is up for parole after nine.

Originally Posted by Murdering Dickhead

Don't let nobody out of this room. Mother ****er, you think you can steal my shit and sell it?

2003. During a show at the Mirage, Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy is "attacked" by one of his tigers, Montecore, suffering serious injuries that ultimately led to the removal of 1/4th of his skull to relieve pressure. According to Roy and the owner of the Mirage, however, the tiger attack was really an effort by a confused tiger to grab Roy and drag him off to safety, just as a tiger would with a cub. (not sure I'm buying this, but figured I'd mention it). The two performers return for one last performance in 2009 -- a performance that included Montecore.

2008. President Bush signs the Emergency Economic Stabliization Act of 2008, perhaps better known as the Great Bailout.