Posted: February 20th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Of all the family stuff each of the Marx Brothers had to go through — satisfying mama, getting a word in edgewise at the dinner table, trying to be funnier than the sibling stealing your mashed potatoes, getting the mic out of Groucho’s hand, trying to play an instrument as good as Harpo, etc — imagine what it was like for poor Karl?
He never got in one of their flicks. Never even had a cute nickname.
All he had was this book he wrote that a guy named Lenin grabbed a hold of in Russia, of all agrarian places, resulting in, you know, the threat to world peace known as communism.
It was on February 21, 1848, that Karl Marx, along with homie Friedrich Engels, published a short book of moderate political impact, “The Communist Manifesto.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: February 13th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
A website dedicated to the gruesome, but hardly inconsequential number of British royal beheadings in the days of yesteryear lists seven (7) such Tower Green/ Tower of London affairs of note.
Plus a couple dozen more, some related to those mentioned above, at Tower Hill. Which I suppose was a lesser valued venue, where those with less stature than the headliners were taken to meet their maker.
Anyhow, it was on February 13, 1542 that Catherine Howard, the 18 year old wife of King Henry VIII, at the time thrice her age, was shorn of her noggin’. The King, it seems, was more than a bit overweight and generally recognized as being a most disagreeable monarch. Thus, it should come as no surprise that his comely bride slipped off for a tryst with one Thomas Culpepper, a fellow more age appropriate. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: February 6th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
You want to see discomfort? You ever been to the ballet, and sitting next to you is a smiling woman, dressed for sophistication, and thoroughly enjoying herself? But next to her is hubby, a guy in an ill-fitting suit, short sleeved dress shirt and pre-knotted tie, looking like — and knowing in his heart — he’d rather be at home in his Barcolounger, brewski in hand, watching “Storage Wars.”
The miserable fellow who hates watching women in tutus and guys with codpieces dance is looking for somebody, other than his significant other, to blame.
Here’s the culprit: Madame Francesque Hutin. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: January 30th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Do we like the Supreme Court, or don’t we?
That’s the question. The answer depends on whether you thought the decision which handed the presidency to George W. Bush over Al Gore was legit or not? Or your marker may be Roe vs. Wade. Which is to say the Court is as political as ever, though by constitutional edict, it is a separate entity from the president and congress and, with its lifetime appointments, is theoretically above the fray.
Anyway, it’s here to stay — FDR’s attempts to change its structure notwithstanding. As it has been since February 1, 1790. Chief Justice John Jay pounded the gavel at the Royal Exchange Building on Broad Street in NYC. (Isn’t that near Wall Street? Coincidence? You decide.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: January 23rd, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
England’s Henry VIII had a thing for marriages. Actually he had a thing for marriages to women named Anne, truth be told.
On January 25, 1533, he entered into a hallowed state of matrimony with Anne Boleyn. (Years later, in 1540 to be exact, he would tie the knot with Anne of Cleaves.)
For those keeping score at home, Ms. Boleyn was HVIII’s second wife. Catherine of Aragon was his first. Boleyn provided the King with an heir to the throne, who became rather famous herself, Elizabeth I.
But, as you must surmise by now, Henry VIII soon tired of Anne Boleyn, accusing her of philandering and banishing her to the Tower of London, which was not, it is reported, a bucolic vacation spot. Eventually it was off with her head. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: January 16th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
Jumping right in today. No superfluous drab gab. Right to the heart of the matter. Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts. Why waste time? Let’s get to it.
On my mark, get set, go.
Given the metamorphosis of international politics, there’s little doubt that John and Jane Q. Globalcitizen are way more interested in the ways of Islam these days than, say, a score of years ago. (That’s 20 years for you non-Lincoln scholars.)
Of note is that January 16 provided two events of Islam that should be recognized. So they are herewith.
On that date in 1956, the government of Egypt declared Islam to be the official state religion. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: January 9th, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
It’s been awhile since I’ve offered up a pithy intro to these weekly nuggets of historitude. So, I felt compelled to do it this time around.
So now I have. Now, enough, fast forward to the past.
Leo DeCaprio is being acclaimed for his portrayal last year of iconic FBI founder and FBI director for life J. Edgar Hoover. It’s not the first suitably notable bigger than life wacko he’s played on the silver screen.
Remember when he did Howard Hughes? About whom this snippet centers. Hughes, believed to be the richest man in the world while he was alive, became an OCD recluse, who lived in the penthouse of a hotel he owned in Vegas. Or, so it is believed.
After he went into hiding, nobody had seen or heard from him for years. Until January 9, 1972. Seems there was this fellow Clifford Irving, who concocted an autobiography of Hughes that purported to provide lots of insider info. Turns out he made it all up. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: January 2nd, 2012 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
“Topping the Charts” is a phrase that really needs no explanation. It’s usually used in connection with the music biz, you know, which album or MP3 sells more than any other that week.
Frankly, I haven’t a clue who first used that phrase, or when it was first uttered by some record company PR flack?
But I do know that it was on January 4, 1938 that the first charts, based on national sales, were listed in Billboard Magazine. The first chart topper was Joe Venuti’s “Stop! Look! Listen!”
* * * * *
Most folks know that Henry Ford invented the Model T, and developed mass assembly line production.
But few are probably aware of how he goosed the big business model on January 4, 1914. He declared he was going to share $10 million of the previous year’s profits with his employees. He increased the number of employees by switching from two 9 hour shifts to three 8 hour shifts. And set up a hearing process before an employee could be fired.
* * * * *
The first presidential election in the United States of America occurred on January 7, 1789. Revolutionary War hero George Washington carried the day.
This space isn’t big enough to attempt to try to begin to commence to explain why citizens didn’t vote directly for the president, but for electors who then meet and choose the leader. By the by, George’s win was unanimous. He was unopposed.
Posted: December 19th, 2011 | Filed under: History Warp | 1 Comment »
There’s a regional theater in my town as I’m sure there is in yours. Or, at least you’ve got a Beef, Brew & Boards kind o’ place, at which, this time of year, the insurance salesman around the corner has been portraying Bob Cratchit for the last 23 Christmases running. One year he did it in a wheelchair with a broken leg.
And every year to make grannie happy, you schlep her and the kiddos to see what a great guy Bob Cratchit is. And to wonder how come the guy playing him looks older than Ebenezer Scrooge. And almost as cranky.
Anyway the whole “A Christmas Carol” thing started on December 19, 1843, when Charles Dickens’ now classic story of the season was first published. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: December 12th, 2011 | Filed under: History Warp | 1 Comment »
This week’s first historical factoid presents a vexing philosophical question. It deals with sexual peccadilloes and where our ancestors held them in days of yore?
First the fact. On December 12, 1925, in the bucolic burg of San Luis Obispo, California, the first motel opened. So, dad, along with mom and the kids could drive the Packard right up to the door of their room and get a pleasant night’s sleep, before heading on in the morning.
Or, it could be dad, along with the neighbor’s wife, driving the Packard right up to the door of their room, getting a pleasant night’s whatever, before heading back home in the morning as if he’d been on a business trip and she’d been visiting her sister Shirley in L A.
Motels did help increase car travel. And were a boon to those having secret affairs.
The question: Where did they have these quickie trysts before there were no tell motels? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: December 5th, 2011 | Filed under: History Warp | No Comments »
The nation was a neophyte back in 1776. That said, college kids are college kids, no matter the era.
Football weekends. Sit ins at the administration building. Bad food at the Coop.
Back then there weren’t a lot of colleges, but there was William & Mary. And some dudes there needed a place to party, a basement with a big screen TV and a permanent keg on tap, rooms to sleep in on mattresses where one set of sheets lasted the semester. (Unless they changed them for the if come once they scored a hang out with that gal down in row in History of Western Civ.)
Thus, on December 5, 1776, the first social fraternity in the U.S. of A. was formed.
Toga. TOGA. TOGA! TOOOOOOOOOOGGGAAAAAAAA!!!! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted: November 28th, 2011 | Filed under: History Warp | 1 Comment »
Tony Stewart just won the final NASCAR race of the season to nab the season title by catching Carl Edwards at the wire. Literally.
Americans have long had a fascination and love affair with cars and speed and auto racing. Open wheel or stock.
It didn’t start at Indy. Or with Junior Johnson and the stocks.
Auto racing in America commenced on November 28, 1895. The race was sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald. It started in the Second City at Jackson Park. The finish line was in the metropolis of Waukegan, Illinois. The winner was one Frank “Leadfoot” Dureyea. He averaged a speedy 7.5 mph in the race, which took 7 hours and 53 minutes to complete for the winner. Read the rest of this entry »
Of all the family stuff each of the Marx Brothers had to go through — satisfying mama, getting a word in edgewise at the dinner table, trying to be funnier than the sibling stealing your mashed potatoes, getting the mic out of Groucho’s hand, trying to play an instrument as good as Harpo, etc — imagine what it was like for poor Karl?
