Interrogatories
In what ways do you try to shrink your ecological footprint?
What's your favorite Motown tune or artist?
Do you wash your own car or take it to the car wash? Do you have that damn Car Wash song stuck in your head now? (Sorry)
Do you consider yourself artistic? In what ways?
The Twitter Emitter
On This Day
In 1770, Captain James Cook claimed and named New South Wales for Great Britain. He did not ask permission of the current long-time residents.
In 1791, the Haitian Slave Revolution began, eventually resulting in the defeat of the French and the founding of Haiti as an independent country.
In 1831, Nat Turner began his ill-fated slave rebellion.
In 1858, the first debate in a series of seven was held between Abraham Lincoln and his opponent, Stephen A. Douglas. Not one of the cable news networks carried any of the debates.
In 1878, the American Bar Association was founded.
In 1883, a massive tornado struck Rochester, Minnesota. There were only 3 hospitals in the entire state at the time, and locals (including Dr. William Mayo and his two sons) decided a hospital was needed. This eventually became the famous Mayo Clinic.
In 1959, President Eisenhower signed an executive order making Hawaii the 50th State. They celebrate Admission Day on the third Friday of August.
In 1961, Detroit's legendary record label, Motown, released the first record of theirs to become a number one hit, the Marvelettes' Please Mr. Postman.
In 1968, the late James Anderson, Jr. became the first African American marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
In 1986, Cameroon's volcanic lake, Lake Nyos, released a large quantity of carbon dioxide gas (which Michele Bachmann says is harmless), killing an estimated 1800 people.
In 1992, the libertarian cause célèbre standoff at Ruby Ridge began between U.S. Marshalls, the FBI, and survivalist Randy Weaver.
In 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church decided to allow sexually active gays and lesbians to act as ministers.
Born on This Day
1725 – Jean-Baptiste Greuze, French painter (d. 1805)
1754 – William Murdoch, Scottish engineer and inventor, created gas lighting (d. 1839)
1765 – William IV of the United Kingdom (d. 1837)
1798 – Jules Michelet, French historian who was the first person to use the term "The Renaissance" to describe that period in history now celebrated by Ren Fairs all over the world. (d. 1874)
1839 - Otto Bache, Danish painter (d. 1927)
1848 - Egisto Lancerotto, Italian painter (d. 1916)
1858 – Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria (d. 1889)
1872 – Aubrey Beardsley, English illustrator and author (d. 1898)
1875 - Hanson Puthuff, U.S. landscape painter (d. 1972)
1882 - Rik Wouters, Belgian painter (d. 1916)
1886 - José Ortiz Echague, Spanish photographer (d. 1982)
1887 – James Paul Moody, English 6th Officer of the RMS Titanic (d. 1912)
1894 - Christian Schad, German artist (d. 1982)
1904 – Count Basie, American pianist, bandleader, and composer (Count Basie Orchestra) (d. 1984)
1920 – Christopher Robin Milne, English soldier and bookseller (d. 1996)
1928 – Addison Farmer, American bassist (d. 1963)
1928 – Art Farmer, American trumpet player (d. 1999)
1930 – Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (d. 2002) See Tipple Jar
1936 – Wilt Chamberlain, American basketball player (d. 1999)
1936 – Radish Tordia, Georgian painter
1939 – Clarence Williams III, American actor
1944 – Jackie DeShannon, American singer-songwriter
1944 – Peter Weir, Australian director
1945 – Patty McCormack, American actress (The Bad Seed)
1947 – Carl Giammarese, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Buckinghams)
1950 – Arthur Bremer, American attempted murderer (of George Wallace)
1951 – Glenn Hughes, English singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Deep Purple)
1952 – Joe Strummer, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (The Clash, The Mescaleros) (d. 2002)
1956 – Jon Tester, American politician
1967 – Carrie-Anne Moss, Canadian actress
1967 – Serj Tankian, Armenian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and producer (System of a Down and Axis of Justice)
1973 – Sergey Brin, Russian-American computer scientist and businessman, co-founded of Google
1975 – Alicia Witt, American actress
1986 – Usain Bolt, Jamaican sprinter
Died on This Day
1614 – Elizabeth Báthory, Hungarian serial killer (b. 1560)
1629 - Camillo Procaccini, Italian painter (b. 1550)
1762 – Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, English writer (b. 1689)
1884 - Bohumil Kubišta, Czech painter (d. 1918)
1910 – Bertalan Székely, Hungarian painter (b. 1835)
1930 - John Christopher Wood, British painter (b. 1901)
1940 – Leon Trotsky, Russian politician and theorist (b. 1879)
1940 - Carlos António Rodrigues dos Reis, Portuguese painter (b. 1863)
1947 – Ettore Bugatti, Italian-French engineer and businessman, founded Bugatti (b. 1881)
1971 – George Jackson, American activist and author, co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family (b. 1941)
1974 – Buford Pusser, American police officer (b. 1937)
1978 – Charles Eames, American designer and architect, co-designed the Eames House (b. 1907)
1983 – Benigno Aquino, Jr., Filipino politician (b. 1932)
1988 – Ray Eames, American designer and architect, co-designed the Eames House (b. 1912)
2000 – Tomata du Plenty, American singer and artist (The Screamers) (b. 1948)
Today is
Poet's Day
Senior Citizen's Day
National Spumoni Day
Earth Overshoot Day (the approximate date our resource consumption for a given year exceeds the planet’s ability to replenish)