Today in History.....

[jasknight12]

Australian TV presenter and music critic Ian "Molly" Meldrum born 29 Jan 1943

 

[jasknight12]

American poet Jack Spicer born 30 Jan 1925

Thing Language

This ocean, humiliating in its disguises
Tougher than anything.
No one listens to poetry. The ocean
Does not mean to be listened to. A drop
Or crash of water. It means
Nothing.
It
Is bread and butter
Pepper and salt. The death
That young men hope for. Aimlessly
It pounds the shore. White and aimless signals. No
One listens to poetry.

 

[topdog]

50 years ago North Vietnam launched the Tet offensive pushing in to the South. They blew a hole into the US Embassy compound and poured inside, though they couldn't get farther in and were eventually overcome by US forces.

But, as these images poured through US TV screens, Americans began to realize that the war was not the success the President and the Pentagon had led the country to believe. Confidence began to shatter as protests increased. Although it would take the rest of the year to realize it, a corner had been turned. The future was uncertain, and there was no going back to the confidence and optimism of the Eisenhower/Kennedy years.

 

[jasknight12]

American actor, singer and songwriter Paul Jabara born 31 Jan 1948

 

[topdog]

70 Years ago the US entered the space race with the launch of the Explorer 1 satellite.

 

[Shelter]

We have forgotten here two very important occurrences:

On January 30, 1948 MAHATMA GHANDI was assassinated and

On January 30, 1933 ADOLF HITLER came to power - the man who burned down the world.

 

[jasknight12]

On 1 Feb 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentering Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven crew members.

 

[jasknight12]

On 1 Feb 2009, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir becomes the world's first openly gay prime minister and first female prime minister for Iceland.

 

[jasknight12]

American author Thomas M. Disch born 2 Feb 1940

 

[jasknight12]

February 3, 1959 is "The Day the Music Died", when rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P."The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

 

[topdog]

Groundhog Day

25 years ago the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day opened.

​

 

[haiducii]

25 years ago the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day opened.

I think Groundhog Day is one of the best comedy films ever made. Every scene in it is brilliant, down to the tiniest detail. It's a gem. I think I must have seen it five or six times now and would happily watch it again, and again...

 

[jasknight12]

On 4 Feb 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launches Facebook from his dormitory room.

 

[Shelter]

The Berlin Wall is today as long away as the Wall was standing - exact 28 years, 2 months and 26 days the wall was standing (from Aug. 13, 1961 until Nov. 9, 1989.) and since then the same time now has gone since this monstrosity has been vanished.

 

[W!nston]

The Berlin Wall is today as long away as the Wall was standing - exact 28 years, 2 months and 26 days the wall was standing (from Aug. 13, 1961 until Nov. 9, 1989.) and since then the same time now has gone since this monstrosity has been vanished.

Even though I know that’s true it’s hard to believe. I remember hearing the story on the Huntley & Brinkley Report (NBC News) in 1961 about the wall being built then on CNN when it came down in 1989. The first 28+ year interval seemed like nearly an eternity compared to the last 28+ years which seem like a blink of an eye in comparison.

Proving time is relative I guess.

 

[trencherman]

Think of the wall as being inside a prison and without the wall as living free. The years in prison would definitely seem a lot longer than living outside. Same way with depriving yourself of the good things you enjoy. Even if it did not extend your life it would have made you think you’ve lived longer.

 

[jasknight12]

11 Feb 2012 is the day the world lost Whitney Houston.

 

[jasknight12]

16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln born 12 Feb 1809.

 

[jasknight12]

American artist, Grant Wood born 13 Feb 1891

 

[jasknight12]

On 14 Feb 1991 the film 'The Silence of the Lambs' is released. It ends up winning Academy awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster) and Best Direction (Johnathan Demme)