Interrogatories
Pizza - what style is best? NY style, Deep dish Chicago, or something else? What is your favorite pizza place?
Are you an early adopter of new technology, or do you let it get thoroughly tested and vetted before you will invest in it?
When on escalators, do you follow escalator etiquette (stand to the right, walk to the left)?
The Twitter Emitter
On This Day
In 1815, Napoleon was able to escape from Elba.
In 1919, Woodrow Wilson signed the act of Congress that created Grand Canyon National Park.
In 1920, the German expressionist film, The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, inspiration to goth kids everywhere, premiered.
In 1929, Calvin Coolidge created Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming via executive order. Tyranny!
In 1971, the United Nations proclaimed that the vernal equinox would henceforth be celebrated as Earth Day.
In 1980, full diplomatic relations were established between Egypt and Israel.
In 1987, in their report on the Iran Contra affair, the Tower Commission rebuked Reagan for failing to control his national security staff (as if they weren't acting under his orders).
In 1993, members of Al Qaeld parked a truck bomb under the North Tower of New York's World Trade Center, It exploded, causing six deaths and thousands of injuries.
Born on This Day
1564 - Christopher Marlowe, English dramatist (d. 1593)
1740 - Giambattista Bodoni, Italian publisher and engraver and font guy. (d. 1813)
1802 - Victor Hugo, French writer (d. 1885)
1808 - Honoré Daumier, French painter, illustrator, and sculptor (d. 1879)
1821 - Félix Ziem, French painter (d. 1911)
1824 - Carl Goebel, Viennese painter (d. 1899)
1829 - Levi Strauss, German-born businessman (who did not invent jeans, just manufactured them). (d. 1902)
1836 - Elihu Vedder, painter (d. 1923)
1846 - William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, American frontiersman (d. 1917)
1866 - Herbert Henry Dow, American chemical industrialist (d. 1930)
1887 - William Frawley, American actor (d. 1966)
1906 - Madeleine Carroll, English actress (d. 1987)
1908 - Tex Avery, American cartoonist (d. 1980)
1909 - Fanny Cradock, English food writer and broadcaster (d. 1994)
1915 - Raúl Anguiano Valadez, Mexican painter (d. 2006)
1916 - Jackie Gleason, American actor, writer, composer and comedian (d. 1987)
1918 - Theodore Sturgeon, American writer (d. 1985)
1920 - Tony Randall, American actor (d. 2004)
1921 - Betty Hutton, American actress and singer (d. 2007) See Tipple Jar
1922 - Margaret Leighton, British actress (d. 1976)
1926 - Miroslava, Mexican actress (d. 1955)
1928 – Fats Domino, American singer-songwriter and pianist
1928 - Ariel Sharon, 11th Prime Minister of Israel (d. 2014)
1931 - Robert Novak, American wingnut political columnist aka Novakula (d. 2009)
1932 - Johnny Cash, American country singer (d. 2003)
1943 - Bob Hite, American singer (Canned Heat) (d. 1981)
1945 - Mitch Ryder, American musician (The Detroit Wheels)
1947 – Sandie Shaw, English singer
1948 - Sharyn McCrumb, American mystery writer
1949 - Elizabeth George, American mystery writer
1958 - Tim Kaine, American politician
1960 - Jaz Coleman, British musician (Killing Joke)
1968 - Tim Commerford, American bassist (Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave)
1971 - Erykah Badu, American singer (Soulquarians)
1972 - Jonny Quinn, Northern Irish drummer (Snow Patrol)
1979 – Corinne Bailey Rae, English singer-songwriter
Died on This Day
1360 - Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, English military leader (b. 1328)
1726 - Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria (b. 1662)
1813 - Robert Livingston, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (b. 1746)
1830 - Joseph-Denis Odevaere, Flemish painter (b. 1775)
1834 - Giuseppe Sciuti, Italian painter (d. 1911)
1867 - Christian Ernst Bernhard Morgenstern, German landscape painter (b. 1805)
1878 - Alexandre Antigna, French painter (b. 1817)
1883 - Miguel Angelo Lupi, Portuguese painter (b. 1826)
1903 - Edmund Mahlknecht, Austrian landscape and animal painter (b. 1820)
1911 - Frederick Shields, English painter and stained-glass artist (b. 1833)
1933 - Princess Thyra, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark (b. 1853)
1940 - Nicolae Tonitza, Romanian painter (b. 1885)
1941 - Marco Calderini, Italian landscape painter (b. 1850)
1958 - Taikan Yokoyama, Japanese painter (b. 1868)
1963 - Franz von Zulow, Austrian painter (b. 1883)
1966 - Mientje Kling, Dutch actress (b. 1894)
1989 - Roy Eldridge, American musician (b. 1911)
1990 - Cornell Gunter, American singer (The Coasters) (b. 1938)
1991 - Slim Gaillard, American Jazz singer/songwriter (b. 1916)
1993 - Constance Ford, American actress (b. 1923)
1994 - Bill Hicks, American comedian (b. 1961)
2002 – Lawrence Tierney, American actor (b. 1919)
2008 - Buddy Miles, American drummer (Band of Gypsies and Electric Flag) (b. 1947)
2012 - Trayvon Martin, American homicide victim (b. 1995)
Today is
World Pistachio Day
Tell a Fairy Tale Day
For Pete's Sake Day
National Personal Chefs Day (if only)
Inconvenience Yourself Day