The present is rough for many in different ways and as I write this a week prior I’m hopeful for some slivers of good news happening amid what’s going on. 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.

Back in 529 we saw the first draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (fundamental work in jurisprudence) issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I

Higher education gets underway in 1348 with Prague University, first university in central Europe, formed by Charles IV

1788 has Ohio becoming a thing with the 1st settlement in Ohio, at Marietta

1795 began our distaste of this system as France adopts the metre as the basic measure of length. Freedom Inches!

1805 saw the start of a big expansion of the US as the Lewis and Clark Expedition leaves Fort Maden beginning their journey to the Pacific Ocean

Texas Oil Company (Texaco) forms in 1902

In 1944, World War II: General Montgomery speaks to generals at St. Paul’s School about his vision for the upcoming D-Day landings, setting quite the stage ahead.

1969! Supreme Court strikes down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material

The year is also seen as the Internet’s symbolic birth date: publication of RFC 1

US President Jimmy Carter defers production of neutron bomb in 1978

In 2003, U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein’s regime falls two days later.

We got birthdays, too! If today is your birthday, you share it with Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890), Billie Holiday (1915), Ravi Shankar (1920), James Garner (1928),  Jerry Brown (1938), Francis Ford Coppola (1939), and Jackie Chan (1954).

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.