Saturday, February 27, 2010

++This Tweet in History: February 28, 2010++

  • WRLD: 1986 - Swedish PM gunned down in Stockton ambush
  • ENTR: 1983 - After 11 years, M*A*S*H bids viewers Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen
  • HUH?: 1939 - Dord's the word as Merriam dictionary's lexicographic error comes to light
  • BDAY: Gilbert Gottfried; Brian Jones; Zero Mostel; Linus Pauling

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  • HistorTweet Week in Review - W/E February 27, 2010



    [SFX: CHURCHBELL] Greetings, History Lovers! Welcome to This Tweet in History, the Week In Review, podcasting to you on tape delay from our North American Studios.

    Here are your top stories for the week ending February 27, 2010:

    [SFX: SOUND827]World: DATELINE Manila, February 22, 1986 - People Power Revolution launches in Philippines, demanding Marcos relinquish power to Aquino: http://bit.ly/ap7I8
    The Back-Story: [SFX: We’re Not Going to Take It; Get up stand up; Taking it to the streets] Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in 1973, just before his term in office was to expire, remaining in office for over a decade. In 1983, he had his rival, Ninoy Aquino, assassinated, and the people rose in protest, demanding elections. Snap elections were held in February 1986, pitting Marcos against Imelda Aquino, Niony’s widow, with Marcos declared the winner in results that were disputed by independent election monitors. The Filipino people refused to accept the results, and took to the streets with yellow ribbons, thus spawning the name “The Yellow Revolution” that not only brought Aquino to power but also inspired non-violent demonstrations throughout Eastern Europe that ultimately brought about the fall of commmunism theree. [SFX: When the Walls Come Tumbling Down]

    [SFX: SOUND827]Sports: DATELINE New York, February 22, 1955 - Little Mo, dominant tennis phenom, retires at 19 following riding accident http://bit.ly/VAGVj
    The Back-Story: [SFX: I’m Outsanding; The Ball is in your court; ] Maureen Connolly’s first love was horseback riding. Her parents, though, were unable to afford riding lessons and, instead, she moved to tennis. This was a fortuitous change, as she dominated on the court, winning 56 consecutive matches at the tender age of 14; taking the US championship at 16, and winning the first Grand Slam ever by a woman at 18, losing only one set in the four tournaments. With money no longer an issue, Connolly was able to pursue her first love, horseback riding. On one of the rides, two weeks after she won her 3rd Wimbledon title, she passed a cement mixer; the hourse panicked, and her leg was crushed, with muscle and tendon damage. Although she hoped to return to tennis, in 1955, at the age of 19, she accepted the inevitable and retired from the game. [SFX: Can't Touch This; Cul de Sac]

    [SFX: SOUND827]: Things that Make you Go Huh?: DATELINE England: February 23, 1884 - Sign from God? Gallows work fine except when Lee's on them: http://bit.ly/cCKVyc
    The Back-Story: [SFX:Freedom Song; Can’t Keep A Good Man Down]John Lee, convicted on circumstantial evidence of murdering his wealthy employer, Emma Ann Keyse, protested his innocence to the end. Or, what he thought was the end. At 8:00 in the morning, Lee was led to a newly constructed scaffold with a trapdoor that had been tested moments before. When the sheriff gave the signal, the trapdoor was released, but failed to open. Lee stepped off; the trapdoor worked; Lee was put back on top, and the door froze. Lee was taken back to his cell, and further tests were run on the trapdoor. With no one on it, it worked. With the hangman on it holding the rope, it worked. Lee was marched back and put in place. The trapdoor froze. The trapdoor was planed down to free it. Lee was placed upon it. The door held firm. Back Lee went to his cell. The sheriff wrote to London, where the House of Commons debated the circumstances. Eventually, his death sentence was commuted to life in prison, and ultimately paroled. [SFX:]

    [SFX: SOUND827] This week’s birthdays:[SFX: In the Club]

    February 21: Guitarist Andres Segovia
    February 22: Composer Frederic Chopin
    February 23: Author W.E.B. Dubois
    February 24: Tenor Enrico Caruso
    February 25: Painter Pierre Auguste Renoir www.pierre-auguste-renoir.org
    February 26: Author Victor Hugo
    And February 27: Israeli premier Ariel Sharon

    [SFX:GENERIC1MOTION]Thank you for joining us for This Tweet in History, the Week in review. Be sure to follow us on Twitter.com/histortweet, and check our archives at histortweet.blogspot.com.

    Saturday, February 20, 2010

    HistorTweet Week in Review - W/E February 20, 2010



    [SFX: CHURCHBELL] Greetings, History Lovers! Welcome to This Tweet in History, the Week In Review, podcasting to you on tape delay from our North American Studios.

    Here are your top stories for the week ending February 20, 2010:

    [SFX: SOUND827]World: DATELINE Europe, February 16, 1999 - Kurdish rebels coordinate pan-European attacks on embassies: http://bit.ly/cbARez
    The Back-Story: [SFX: Stand or Fall; Burning Down the House; I’m Burning for You] Abdullah Ocalan, in 1978, founded the Turkish Workers Party, or PKK, which pursues an independent Kurdish state within Turkey through armed conflict. Ocalan was operating out of Syria in 1998, when Turkey turned up the heat, causing the Syrian government to expel Ocalan, sending him on the run through several nations. On February 15th of the following year, Ocalan was captured at the Greek embassy in Kenya and flown to Turkey, setting off a wave of coordinated demonstrations all over Europe. Greek and Kenyan embassies were targeted, where demonstrators threw stones, set themselves on fire and took hostages. Other than the immolations, the loss of life was minimal, and most protests ended following negotiations. Ocalan was convicted and sentenced to death, with his sentence commted to life-long aggravated imprisonment after Turkey abolished the death penalty. [SFX: When the Bombs Start Dropping; 99 Luftballons; You Dropped a Bomb on ME]

    [SFX: SOUND827]Sports: DATELINE Nagano, February 20, 1998 - Go figure - 15-year-old Lipinski is youngest to skate for Olympic gold.: http://bit.ly/cWYVnW
    The Back-Story: [SFX: Will it go 'round in circles;Too Young; The World Loves a Dancer; Because You're Young ] American Tara Lipinski was 9 was nine years old when she was inspired by watching Kristi Yamaguchi win Olympic Gold in Albertville. A short 6 years later, millions watched Lipinski make Olympic history. Lipinskii who was still 15, had been sakting at the senior level for only 2 years, but, by Nagano, was the reigning world champion in figure skating. Although US national champion, Michelle Kwan, entered the competition as the favorite, Lipinski skated her heart out, becoming the youngest gold medalist in any individual Olympic event. Lipinkski was a benefit of good timing: First, the Lillehammer games were held 2 years after Albertville, to stagger them with the Summer Olympics, meaning that the Nagano games took place in ’98 rather than 2000, when Lipinski, if she won, would not have been the youngest. Also, since her victory, eligibility has changed, and, under the new rules, she would not have been old enough to make the squad. [SFX: Can't Touch This]

    [SFX: SOUND827]: Things that Make you Go Huh?: DATELINE Missouri, February 18: 1930 - Elm Farm Ollie's first flight is milked for all it's worth (24 quarts) http://bit.ly/bSfis3:
    The Back-Story: [SFX:Fly me to the MOO-ing; things Ain't Working Out Down at the Farm; Old McDonald] Elm Farm Ollie, also known as Nellie Jay, prouced so much milk that she had to be milked three times a day. It wasn’t a big surprise, then, she was chosen for an experiment to allow scientists to observe the effect of flying on animals. She didn’t disappoint on the trip, giving the scientists plenty to observe as she gave Elsworth W. Bunce, the first man to milk a cow on an a flying airplane, 24 gallons of milk, which was placed in cartons and parachuted down to the audience below. Folks, I’mnot making this up. [SFX:]

    [SFX: SOUND827] This week’s birthdays:[SFX: In the Club]

    February 14: Comedian Jack Benny
    February 15: Suffragette Susan B. Anthony
    February 16: Tennis great John McEnroe
    February 17: Actor Hal Holbrook
    February 18: Scientist Alessandro Volta
    February 19: Astronomer Nicolas Copernicus
    And February 20: Photographer Ansel Adams anseladams.com,.org

    [SFX:GENERIC1MOTION]Thank you for joining us for This Tweet in History, the Week in review. Be sure to follow us on Twitter.com/histortweet, and check our archives at histortweet.blogspot.com.

    Friday, February 12, 2010

    Histortweet Week in Review - W/E February 13, 2010



    [SFX: CHURCHBELL] Greetings, History Lovers! Welcome to This Tweet in History, the Week In Review, podcasting to you on tape delay from our North American Studios.

    Here are your top stories for the week ending February 13, 2010:

    [SFX: SOUND827]World: DATELINE China, February 12, 1912 - Sun sets on centuries of Manchu rule as 6-year-old emperor steps down: http://bit.ly/93nBNS
    The Back-Story: [SFX:Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me; Too much too little too late] Young Pu Yi was not even 3 years old in 1908 when his uncle passed away and Pu Yi was proclaimed his successor as emperor. He was a mere child of 6 when Sun Yat-Sen’s revolution swept through China. Pu Yi, who had gone overnight from royalty to being treated like a god, was, once again, faced with a swift transition at an early age. He was well taken care of, allowed to remain in the Forbidden City and retain his title, where he and his family treated like foreign dignitaries. However, his reign, and, with it, 267 years of Manchu rule, were firmly at an end. [SFX: It’s Over; It’s Over Now; ]

    [SFX: SOUND827]Sports: DATELINE Nagano, February 13, SPRT: 1998 - Lucky Friday the 13th for Herminator: walks away from 70mph crash, head-first landing, on to Olympic gold: http://bit.ly/adbg3P
    The Back-Story: [SFX: Walk Under Ladders; Hard Headed Woman; ] Hermann Maier was an accomplished champion, known for his work ethic and disciplined practice. In competition, however, he definitely pushed the envelope. Indeed, one of his colleagues said of the crash that the most surprising thing was not that he walked away from it, but that he hadn’t wiped out earlier. His wipe out on that Friday the 13th, at the Nagano Olympics, was spectacular: As he flew into a turn at 70 mph, his skis failed to catch, and he was thrown 30 feet into the air, into high winds. He landed on his head, careened through two safety fences, and, remarkably, walked away. Even more remarkable: Despite the injuries he sustained the intimidation that the crash could have caused, he went on to went two gold medals within days of the horrific event. [SFX:Pick yourself up; ]

    [SFX: SOUND827]: In other news: DATELINE Britain, February 10, 1862 - Siddal, Pre-Raphaelite model, muse, mistress, mate, ODs on laudanum: http://bit.ly/FInKr
    The Back-Story: [SFX:Opium Den; Cocaine] Elizabeth Siddal a lower-class Londoner who rose in station through her association of with the Pre-Rafaelite Brotherhood, was a poet, as well as the model and mistress of Dante Rosetti. Unable, at first, to marry Rosetti, because of her lower station, she entered a cycle of depression and ill-health that fueled and, in turn, was fed by her addiction to laudanum, an opium-based drug popular in the Victorian era. The deadly mix of the three was her ultimate undoing, and, two years into a brief marriage with Rosetti, following two failed pregnancies, she pinned a note to her nightgown, asking Rosetti to take care of her brother, and consumed a lethal dose of laudanum. [SFX:Suicide is painless; Nightshift]

    Suicide is a terrible scourge that has claimed far too many people, extinguishing another bright light just this week. If you need help, please call the Hopeline at 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433), or 1-800-442-HOPE (442-4673), or visit http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html. You are not alone.

    [SFX: SOUND827] This week’s birthdays:[SFX: In the Club]

    February 7: Author Charles Dickens
    February 8: Actor James Dean
    February 9: US President – for one month – William Henry Harrison
    February 10: Opera Singer Leontyne Pryce
    February 11: Inventor Thomas Edison
    February 12: US President Abraham Lincoln
    And February 13: Musician Peter Gabriel

    [SFX:GENERIC1MOTION]Thank you for joining us for This Tweet in History, the Week in review. Be sure to follow us on Twitter.com/histortweet, and check our archives at histortweet.blogspot.com.

    ++This Tweet in History: February 13, 2010++

  • WRLD: 1945 - Allies rain fire on Dresden
  • SPRT: 1998 - Lucky Friday the 13th for Herminator
  • OTHR: 1898 - Lindfield succumbs to injuries suffered in what became UK's first motorcar fatality
  • BDAY: Peter Gabriel; Jerry Springer; Peter Tork; Chuck Yeager

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  • ++This Tweet in History: February 12, 2010++

  • WRLD: 1912 - Sun sets on centuries of Manchu rule as 6-year-old emperor steps down
  • ENTR: 1816 - Flames engulf Teatro di San Carlo, world's oldest opera house
  • OTHR: 1912 - Radicals in Oslo spirit away a Scream
  • BDAY: Arsenio Hall; Judy Blume; Charles Darwin; Abraham Lincoln

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  • Saturday, February 6, 2010

    ++This Tweet in History: February 7, 2010++

  • WRLD: 1991 - Aristide sworn in as Haiti's first democratically elected pres
  • SPRT: 2005 - MacArthur is fastest to sail solo around the world
  • HUH?: 1812 - Apparently, Ole Man River just keeps rolling on, in reverse
  • BDAY: Buster Crabbe; Sinclair Lewis; Laura Ingalls Wilder; Charles Dickens

    Catch The weekly recap at youtube.com/histortweet
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  • Histortweet Week in Review - W/E February 6, 2010



    [SFX: CHURCHBELL] Greetings, History Lovers! Welcome to This Tweet in History, the Week In Review, podcasting to you on tape delay from our North American Studios.

    Here are your top stories for the week ending February 6, 2010:

    [SFX: SOUND827]World: DATELINE Lisbon, February 1, 1908 - Say! They want a revolution - so they kill Portugal's king and his heir; wound younger duke/successor: http://bit.ly/aIhRut
    The Back-Story: [SFX:You say you want a revolution; You give Love a bad name] King Carlos of Portugal wasn’t so much a tyrant as a weak king thrust into power at a difficult time. The country went bankrupt twice during Carlos’ reign, and, in order to quell public disturbances and criticism in the press, Carlos appointed Joao Franco as prime minister. Franco established authoritarian rule, overseeing the dissolution of the Portugues parliament. On February 1, Portugal’s Journal Officiel published a new, Draconian, public-security law which provided, among other things, for the immediate deportation of political criminals to Africa. It was against this backdrop that the Roayl Family returned to Lisbon, riding in an open carriage through the city from the ferry to their palace. On the way, a former army sharpshooter, Alfredo Costa, a republican revolutionary. fired five shots from a rifle that he had been hiding in his overcoat, seeking to destroy the monarchy and force revolution. He succeeded killing the king and his son, Luis Filipe, and injuring Duke Manuel, Carlos’ youngest son and eventual successor. [SFX: The King is Dead; You give Love a bad name]

    [SFX: SOUND827]Sports: DATELINE Virginia, February 6, 1993 - AIDS fells gentleman of the court, Ashe: http://bit.ly/9LDWDD
    The Back-Story: [SFX: Ashes to Ashes; The Ball Is in your Court; ] “If I’m remembered only as a tennis player,” Arthur Ashe once said, “I would consider myself a failure.” Ashe’s accomplishments on the tennis court were impressive, and that they were achieved by a Black man in an era of segregation makes them somewhat more remarkable. His achievements off the court were just as notable. Ashe formed several foundations, in the fields of athletics, racial equality, anti-poverty, and AIDS research. In 1988, when Ashe underwent brain surgery, it was discovered that Ashe had acquired the AIDS virus, presumably from a blood transfusion he had received in 1983, before testing for HIV was required of donated blood. Continuing in public service to the end, Ashe was arrested, as planned, at a demonstration protesting treatment of Haitiian refugees shortly before succumbin to pneumonia. [SFX: If I can help somebody; Brotherhood of Man]

    [SFX: SOUND827]: In other news: DATELINE Oxford, February 1, 1884 - OED's first fascicle drops: http://bit.ly/96cRBL
    The Back-Story: [SFX:Words; I Love my Dictionary Song; Book of Love;] The intellectuals of London’s Philological Society, dissatisfied with current english dictionary, formed an Unregistered Words Committee in 1857, to search for words that weren’t listed or defined in current dictionaries, concluding from the results that there was a need for a truly comprehensive dictionary. They enlisted volunteers to read books, extracting passages that illustrated how words were actually used. The book was to be called, “A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles.” The project grew huge in scope, and, in the 1870s, the Society began to wonder how it could publish a work so large. Eventually, they were able to work out an agreement with the Oxford University Press, and, almost 30 years after the idea for the dictionary was conceived, the first fascicle, covering the words A-Ant in its 352 pages, was publishced. It eventually sold a disappointing 4,000 copies, at $3.25 each. [SFX: Behind the Lines]

    [SFX: SOUND827] This week’s birthdays:[SFX: In the Club]

    January 31: Singer Mario Lanza
    February 1: Princess Stephanie of Monaco
    February 2: Author James Joyce
    February 3: Painter Norman Rockwell
    February 4: Civil Rights Pioneer Rosa Parks
    February 5: US statesman Adlai Stevensont
    And February 6: Anthropologist Mary Leakey

    [SFX:GENERIC1MOTION]Thank you for joining us for This Tweet in History, the Week in review. Be sure to follow us on Twitter.com/histortweet, and check our archives at histortweet.blogspot.com.

    ++This Tweet in History: February 6, 2010++

  • WRLD: 1952 - The King is dead. Long live the Queen.
  • SPRT: 1993 - AIDS fells gentleman of the court, Ashe
  • TECH: 1971 - Lunar Links
  • BDAY: Natalie Cole; Bob Marley; Tom Brokaw; Mary Leakey

    Catch The weekly recap at youtube.com/histortweet
    Follow us at twitter.com/histortweet

    Thanks!