It’s another Monday and time to GSD. Opened a bag of FTO Blonde Espresso today. I chat about a new addition to the neighbors odd collection of yard art and the drinking water nightmare we live in. Leading off with The Perfect Cup Question “IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ONE BOOK AS A MANDATORY READ FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH BOOK WOULD YOU CHOOSE?” followed up by This Day In History prepared by Pip over at Ducktioncups.com
Grab some FTO Blonde Espresso from Food Forrest Farms Today Coupon code; Lots5
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IF YOU ENJOY THIS DAY IN HISTORY SHOW SOME LOVE OVER AT DUCKTIONCUPS.COM
Welcome to Monday, humans. It’s May 15th. Welcome to a LOTS of history stuff.
….Freakin’ figures. I think of “lots of history stuff” while I worked backwards on
the history segments for this week. (shrugs)
Anyway humans, History stuff…
- 1817 – The opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States,
the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason.
(The building is now called Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).
drawing on a belief that all persons could live a “moral, ordered existence if treated
with kindness, dignity, and respect”, despite disabilities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_Hospital
- 1836 – Francis Baily observes “Baily’s beads” during an annular eclipse.
As the Moon covers the Sun during a solar eclipse, the rugged topography of the
lunar surface allows beads of sunlight to shine through in some places while not in others.
Although Baily is often said to have discovered the cause of the feature which bears his name,
Sir Edmond Halley made the first recorded observations of Baily’s beads during the solar eclipse of 3 May 1715.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baily%27s_beads
Pip’s notes- “Baily’s beads” sounds more like a female adult toy,
not light shining through the moon mountains… just sayin’
- 1851 – The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier.
After the California Gold Rush began in 1848, many people went there from Australia,
so the New South Wales government sought approval from the British Colonial Office
for the exploitation of mineral resources, and offered rewards for finding gold.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_gold_rushes
- 1905 – The city of Las Vegas founded in Nevada, United States
the 25th-most populous city in the United States, when 110 acres of land adjacent to the
Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned in what would become the downtown area.
In 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city.
Pip’s notes- Recall when Vegas tried to do the “wholesome family city”, like a dozen years ago? (still laughs)
I’ve never been to Vegas, don’t really care to go. Anyway…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas
- 1911 – In Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court
declares Standard Oil to be an “unreasonable” monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act
and orders the company to be broken up.
By 1870, Standard Oil was producing about 10% of the United States output of refined oil.
This quickly increased to 20% through the elimination of the competitors in the Cleveland area.
Over a period of decades, the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey had bought up
virtually all of the oil refining companies in the United States. Initially, the growth of
Standard Oil was driven by superior refining technology and consistency in the
kerosene products (i.e., product standardization) that were the main use of oil in the early
decades of the company’s existence. The management of Standard Oil then reinvested
their profits in the acquisition of most of the refining capacity in the Cleveland area,
then a center of oil refining, until Standard Oil controlled the refining capacity of that key production market.
Pip’s notes- where is the line between ‘smart business model & strategy ‘ and ‘Monopoly’ ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Oil_Co._of_New_Jersey_v._United_States
- 1940 – USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus.
a US Sargo-class submarine, originally named Squalus. As the Squalus,
the submarine sank off the coast of New Hampshire during test dives on 23 May 1939.
The sinking drowned 26 crew members, but an ensuing rescue operation,
using the McCann Rescue Chamber for the first time, saved the lives of the remaining 33 aboard.
The Squalus was salvaged in late 1939 and recommissioned as Sailfish.
Recommissioned as USS Sailfish in May 1940, she conducted numerous patrols in the
Pacific War during World War II, earning nine battle stars.
Pip’s notes- I thought it was bad ju-ju to rename a ship? Dunno…
- 1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with
astronaut Gordon Cooper on board.
He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space,
and the last American to go into space alone.
During that 34-hour mission he became the first American to spend an entire day in space,
the first to sleep in space, and the last American launched on an entirely solo orbital mission.
Despite a series of severe equipment failures, he managed to successfully complete
the mission under manual control, guiding his spacecraft, which he named Faith 7,
to a splashdown just 4 miles (6.4 km) ahead of the recovery ship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Mercury
- 1988 – Soviet–Afghan War: After more than eight years of fighting,
the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet%E2%80%93Afghan_War
Pip’s notes- how long did it take for the US to go in, after USSR left? Hmm…
- 2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo
Although her voyage did not meet the distance criterion of 21,600 nautical miles (40,000 km) for a circumnavigation,
Watson was nevertheless named the 2011 Young Australian of the Year[2] and awarded
the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2012 for “…service to sailing and to youth through the achievement
of sailing solo and unassisted around the world [sic], and as a role model for young Australians”
Pip’s notes- I didn’t find how short Watson was of the required voyage, but any voyage you can walk away from….
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Watson
Happy Birthdays –
- 1856 – L. Frank Baum, American novelist (d. 1919)
American author best known for his children’s books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series.
In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels),
83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Frank_Baum
- 1895 – Prescott Bush, American captain, banker, and politician (d. 1972)
Pip’s notes- Yeah, I think I’ve heard of this guy… wasn’t he
a director and shareholder of companies
that profited from their involvement with the financial backers of Nazi Germany?
(no link here, move along)
- 1905 – Abraham Zapruder, American businessman and amateur photographer, filmed the Zapruder film (d. 1970)
Pip’s notes- This is the dude that had one of the better angles of video footage of Kennedy’s head being “exfoliated”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapruder_film
- 1952 – Chazz Palminteri, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
The Usual Suspects investigator, and a dozen other cop & mob movies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chazz_Palminteri
- 1967 – Laura Hillenbrand, American journalist and author
Her two bestselling nonfiction books, Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001)
and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010),
have sold over 13 million copies, and each was adapted for film.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Hillenbrand
Passings –
- 2003 – June Carter Cash, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress (b. 1929)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Carter_Cash
an American singer, songwriter and dancer. A five-time Grammy award-winner,
she was a member of the Carter Family and the second wife of singer Johnny Cash
Holidays –
Peace Officers Memorial Day (United States)
pays tribute to the local, state, and federal peace officers who have died,
or who have been disabled, in the line of duty.
The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Congress authorized
the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers.
John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962.
Cheers & GSD