I wrote this a week ago and the future never looked more unknown it feels like. What’s it like now? Have we lifted the lockdown? Or have more lockdown gone into place? Has leadership revolted or have the people? The kind of uncertainty felt by those that pay attention to the underpinnings of the political world has many of us in a real flight or fight mode. So, I take comfort in looking back at this day in history to see what other events, big and small, shaped the world wherein people lived and survived to another day.
The years 1146 saw Bernard of Clairvaux preach his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade. Louis VII is present, and joins the Crusade.
Picking up property wherever he goes, 1521 saw Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan take possession of Homohon, Archipelago of St Lazarus, Philippines
In praise of hospitals and their staff, 1736 saw Bellevue Hospital founded in a New York City almshouse – 1st public hospital in the US (pictured above)
Turning the lights on, 1880 was when Wabash, Indiana becomes the 1st town to claim to be completely illuminated by electric lighting
In 1889, the Eiffel Tower officially opens in Paris. Built for the Exposition Universelle, at 300m high it retains the record for the tallest man-made structure for 41 years.
A real evil began in 1918 when the 1st daylight savings time in US goes into effect
One of our best acts happened in 1948 as the US Congress passes Marshall Aid Act to rehabilitate war-torn Europe
Oh, Jimmy. 1980 sees President Jimmy Carter deregulating the banking industry
Fast-moving events in 1991 as Soviet Rep of Georgia endorsed independence; Warsaw Pact dissolves
In 2013, 2 people die from bird flu (type H7N9) in China.
We got birthdays, too! If today is your birthday, you share it with Constantius Chlorus in 250, René Descartes (1596), Johann Sebastian Bach (1685), Jack Johnson (1878), Cesar Chavez (1927), Liz Claiborne (1929), Al Gore (1948), Ewan McGregor (1971), and Maaya Sakamoto (1980).
Be excellent to each other and remember that the McSquirrell rule is always in effect! And if it gets problematic out there, grab ahold of a mod at avocadomods@gmail.com.