Thursday, August 21, 2008

On This Day

On this day in history:
  • Pueblo Indians capture Santa Fe from the Spanish in 1680.
  • The Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland in 1689.
  • James Cook formally claims eastern Australia for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales in 1770.
  • King Gustav III completes his coup d'etat by adopting a new Constitution, ending half a century of parliamentary rule in Sweden and installing himself as an enlightened despot in 1772.
  • Nat Turner leads black slaves and free blacks in a rebellion in 1831.
  • Tlingit Indians destroy Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory in 1852.
  • The American Bar Association is founded in 1878.
  • The first successful adding machine in the United States is patented by William Seward Burroughs in 1888.
  • The Mona Lisa is stolen by a Louvre employee in 1911.
  • The Battle of Stalingrad began in 1942. Also, Allied forces involved in the Guadalcanal campaign defeated an attack by Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in the Battle of the Tenaru.
  • President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union in 1959.
  • Soviet troops invade Czechoslovakia, crushing the Prague Spring in 1968.
  • Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated at the Manila International Airport in 1983.
  • Latvia declares renewal of its full independence in 1991.
  • NATO decides to send a peace-keeping force to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in 2001.
  • Hurricane Dean makes its first landfall in Costa Maya, Mexico with winds at 165 mph. Dean is the first storm since Hurricane Andrew to make landfall as a Category 5 in 2007.

Many interesting people were born on this day including Aubrey Beardsley (1872); William "Count" Basie (1904); Christopher Robin Milne, inspiration for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories (1920); Wilt Chamberlain (1936); Joe Strummer (1952); Archie Griffin, two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy (1954); Kim Cattrall (1956); Sergey Brin (1973), cofounder of Google, without which no blogger; Reuben Droughns (1978), who kept my fantasy league out of the cellar a few years back; and the new world hero and fastest man, Usain Bolt (1986).

And many died. Elizabeth Bathory (1614) the world's most prolific female serial killer; Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English writer (1762); and Leon Trotsky (1940). Okay there were more, but these were the only ones I found interesting.

Today is the blogiversary--five years!
If you comment on this post before Sunday, August 24, you will be entered to win a commemorative Quaker-inspired sewing set (fob, biscornu, and needlebook) stitched by me from the Quaker Virtues pattern by ByGone Stitches on khaki linen with a mauve, khaki, and brown Needle Necessities cotton floss and a stitch bitch t-shirt (size XL).

34 comments:

Adrienne Martini said...

It was the t-shirt that put me over the edge...

Anonymous said...

Congatulations on five years!

Miokka said...

Happy blogiversary! The t-shirt is me!
I enjoy your blog.
~~Martha!!

Anonymous said...

I am a criminal justice major and just realized that I never knew who the most prolific female serial killer was. Congrats on the five years!

Anonymous said...

I love your blog and check it regularly. I would love to be entered to win the sewing set. Thanks for your perspective. Barbie

brdstitcher at gmail dot com

Lisa V said...

I dont have a criminal justice major but I am a big reader of serial killer crimes etc, and I too had not heard of Elizabeth, although I have to admit that I prefer reading the ones from the 1900's and recent day.
I would love to go in the draw for your blogiversary prize. How exciting!!
LISA V

Anonymous said...

Happy Blogiversary!

Nic said...

Happy Blogoversary!

Blimey - five years - great commitment!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! I've enjoyed every entry.

dd

Donna said...

Congratulations! You still make me LOL.

And that must mean I'm right behind you with my 5th year anniversary in September.

Can't believe I've done this for that long.

Unknown said...

Congratulations on 5 years!!

Caroline

mainely stitching said...

I'm commenting! See me! ;) Five years ... wow. I'm up to three, but I'll never catch up. It's like Nicky and Rowen asking when they'll be as old as Max, but wanting him to stay the same age. LOL.

Hey, did you say hello to Maine for me? What did the Dude say?

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on 5 years!! I read your blog all the time.

Sara

Sharon said...

Happy Blog Anniversary! What a great idea with the day in history. I am going to check out E. Bathory-never heard of her before. Sounds really interseting.

Shelleen said...

love all the little tidbits that you posted. That was fun to read. would love the little package :-)

Jennifer said...

Happy Blogoversary!

riona said...

That was certainly a rather diverse [perhaps one can even say odd] assemblage of people ... having nothing more in common than a date. It's always interesting to see who shares a birthday with you. My husband shares one with Henry VIII and I always made it clear that I would accept a quiet divorce and that there was no need to resort to beheadings and such. I doubt it will be an issue any longer ... we'll be married 38 years next January.

Tracy M. said...

Happy Blogoversary!

Real Live Woman said...

Congratulations on your anniversary! If the shirt was any smaller, I wouldn't have entered the contest.

Monsoon said...

Happy Blogoversry. Hmmm I'll have to check but I think my 4 or 5 year blogoversary just passed. Who keeps up with these things. oh...you do...ahem. Congradulations!

Heather

Anonymous said...

On this day....and I just thought it was one more day till Friday! All the things that have taken place on this day...wow. I am fairly new to reading your blog (maybe a few months now) but I love it and am so happy you post all the time! Keep it coming! And thanks for all the cool links...like how many countries can I name in 5 minutes......name that is one thing...spell correctly...and entirely different story.

Sorry your Florida trip was so rainy. It is that time of year!

Melody said...

Happy blog anniversary! I enjoy reading your posts.

Anonymous said...

Hey -- count me in too!

Can you believe I had never heard of Elizabeth Bathory? You learn something new every day.

Keep up the good work!

Now, if I could just get back to work on my own blog...

Anonymous said...

What a lovely giveaway! Congratulations on your blogoversary! I hope you celebrate many more! Linda

Anonymous said...

Wheeeee!!! What fun! Happy Blogoversary.

Aussie Stitcher said...

Well done on your fifth Blogoversary. Love the sound of the giveaway, thanks.

Kristen said...

Happy Anniversary!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on 5 years. Keep bitching!

Anonymous said...

Happy blogiversary! Congratulations on 5 years :)

Anonymous said...

I suppose I am too late, but I have had far too much excitement lately - see my blgo for more distressing details - uugh!

Happy 5 years, anyway!

Anonymous said...

blgo - ha ha!!

glamlawlib said...

Oh poop! I think I am too late for this! Congrats on your 'versary, here's to another 5 years of bitchin' and stitchin'!

Michele said...

Happy Belated Blogiversary! I hope the next you have many more blogging days. I always enjoy my visits here.

Since it's Sunday the 24th I'm sure I'm to late to be entered, but I didn't want to miss saying Happy B :)

Michelle said...

Congrats on the blogiversary!