September 13
122. Construction of Hadrian's Wall begins. A stone and timber wall built during (and obviously named after) the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian, the wall was built across the entire width of what is now Northern England, a length of 73 miles. Designed to demarcate the northern border of Roman-ruled England, the wall was among the most heavily defended borders in the entire Roman empire, and may have served to help collect custom taxes as well as serving as a military fortification. Much of the wall has disappeared, adn many of its stones were used in roadbuilding during the 18th century, but what remains is one of the most visited attractions in Northern England.
533. The great Byzantine General, Belisarius, conquers the Vandals at the Battle of Ad Decimum, near Carthage, beginning the end of the Vandals and the "reconquest" of the west by Emperor Justinian (the so-called "Great").
1788. The Philadelphia Convention sets the date for electing the first President and establishes the country's capital in New York City, at least for now.
1814. A representative of the colonies was aboard the HMS Tonnant, there to negotiate the release of an American prisoner. Having been aboard the vessel for some time, he had become familiar with the British units' strength and positions, and their intent to attack the city of Baltimore, so he was temporarily prohibited from returning to his sloop. He was therefore unable to do anything but witness the British attack on Fort McHenry, outside Baltimore. When the smoke cleared from the bombardment, he was able to see the American flag above the fort still waving, and shouted the news to the prisoners below decks. And that is the inspiring story of how Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner, which in this humble writers opinion makes for a better story than song...
1848. On this date, railroad construction foreman Phineas Gage was supervising blasting work through rock for the Rutland and Burlington Railroad, outside Cavendish, Vermont when an inadvertant explosion drives a 3 foot long iron "damping" rod through the side of his face, behind the left out, and out the top of his skull.. After passing completely through his skull, the rod reportedly landed about 80 feet away. Amazingly, within a few minutes Gage was speaking, and then walking without assistance. The first doctor to arrive was a Dr. Williams, who recorded:
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Originally Posted by Dr. Edward Williams
I first noticed the wound upon the head before I alighted from my carriage, the pulsations of the brain being very distinct. Mr. Gage, during the time I was examining this wound, was relating the manner in which he was injured to the bystanders. I did not believe Mr. Gage's statement at that time, but thought he was deceived. Mr. Gage persisted in saying that the bar went through his head....Mr. G. got up and vomited; the effort of vomiting pressed out about half a teacupful of the brain, which fell upon the floor
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Gage ends up suffering some ill-effects, as one would imagine, but survies. As a result of the accident, however, Gage undergoes a severe change in personality. The effects of his accident trigger new waves of thought, research and understanding regarding the role of the brain and the different parts of the brain. Gage is cited in various medical textbooks to this day.
The direction in which the rod traveled:
The weapon in question, held by Gage himself:
1862. On a field outside Fredericksburg, Maryland, Union soldiers find a copy of General Robert E. Lee's plans for battle for what will become known as the Battle of Antietam. The order indicated that Lee had divided his army. Stunningly, despite this gift from God, Union General McClellan will still manage to snatch not much better than stalemate against a smaller army when he should have been able to inflict a crushing defeat in detail and possibly end the war. There was no doubt by the Union regarding the document's authenticity, as a Union officer had known Lee's adjutant before the war, and recognized and confirmed his handwriting.
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Originally Posted by that Imbecile McCellan
Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home
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1899. Henry Bliss becomes the first person in America to be killed in an automobile accident.
1922. The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth -- in Al'Aziziyah, Libya -- 136 degrees Fahrenheit.
1985. Nintendo creates the game Super Mario Bros.