Today in History: December 31, 2007

WAR!, DISASTER, ECONOMICS, SMOKING, NANNY STATE, POLITICS, DICTATORS, IMMIGRATION, COMPUTERS, SCIENCE, SERIAL KILLERS, COUP, CULTURE, 2nd AMENDMENT, MAINSTREAM MEDIA, ROCK AND ROLL, BORN, DEATH



In 1991, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) last day of existence.

WAR!

In 406, 80,000 Vandels attack the Rhine at Mainz.

In 1775, Battle of Québec; Americans unable to take British stronghold.

In 1862, Union ironclad ship "Monitor" sinks off Cape Hatteras NC.

In 1946, President Truman officially proclaims end of WWII.

DISASTER

In 1986 Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico kills 97

ECONOMICS

In 1600, British East India Company chartered.

In 1776, Rhode Island establishes wage & price controls to curb inflation: Limit is 70¢ a day for carpenters, 42¢ for tailors.

In 1896, 25th auto built in US.

In 1961, Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than $12 billion.

In 1974, Gold legal in US, Franklin Mint strikes Panamá's Gold 100 balboa coin.

In 1991, Dow Jones closes at record high 3168.83.

SMOKING



In 1910, US tobacco industry produced 9 billion cigarettes in 1910.
In 1930, US tobacco industry produced 123 billion cigarettes in 1930.

POLITICS

In 1857, Queen Victoria chooses Ottawa as new capital of Canada.

In 1862, President Lincoln signs act admitting West Virginia to the Union.

In 1897, Brooklyn's last day as a city, it incorporates into NYC (1/1/1898).

In 1945. Ratification of UN Charter completed.

In 1984, US leaves UNESCO.

In 1978, Taiwan's final day of diplomatic relations with the US.

In 1999, Control of Panamá Canal reverts to Panamá.

DICTATORS

In 1958, Cuban dictator Batista flees from advancing rebels led by Fidel Castro.

IMMIGRATION

In 1890, Ellis Island (New York NY) opens as a US immigration depot.

COMPUTERS

In 1997, Intel cuts price of Pentium II-233 MHz from $401 to $268.

In 1997, Microsoft buys Hotmail E-mail service.

SCIENCE

In 1879, Edison gives 1st public demonstration of his incandescent lamp.

In 1911, Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize.

In 1923, 1st transatlantic radio broadcast of a voice, Pittsburgh-Manchester.

In 1924, Edwin Hubble announces existence of distant galactic systems.

In 1958, International Geophyscial Year (IGY) ends.

In 1968, 1st supersonic airliner flown (Russian Tupolev TU-144).

SERIAL KILLERS

In 1977, Ted Bundy escapes from jail in Colorado.

CULTURE

In 1907, for the 1st time a ball drops at Times Square to signal the new year.

1921 Last San Francisco firehorses retired.

In 1923, BBC begins using Big Ben chime ID.

In 1935, Charles Darrow patents Monopoly.

In 1990, The Sci-Fi Channel on cable TV begins transmitting.

In 1995, Cartoonist Bill Watterson ends his "Calvin & Hobbes" comic strip.

2nd AMENDMENT

In 1984, NYC subway gunman Bernhard Goetz surrenders to police in New Hampshire.

MAINSTREAM MEDIA

In 1981, CNN Headline News debuts.

COUP

In 1961, failed coup by Syrian group in Lebanon.

NANNY STATE

1938 Dr R N Harger's "drunkometer", 1st breath test, introduced in Indiana

ROCK AND ROLL

In 1963, Jerry Garcia & Bob Weir played music together for the 1st time.

In 1966, Monkee's "I'm a Believer" hits #1 & stays there for 7 weeks.

DEMOGRAPHY

1997 More Swedes died than were born in 1997, 1st time since 1809

BORN

1880 George C Marshall Uniontown PA, authored Marshall Plan (Nobel 1953)
1892 Jason Robards Sr Hillsdale MI, actor (Acapulco)
1908 Simon Wiesenthal Polish/Austrian nazi hunter (Wiesenthal Center)
1921 Rocky Graziano New York NY, boxer (Middleweight champion)/actor (Miami Undercover)
1942 Andy Summers Blackpool England, rock guitarist (Police-Roxanne)
1943 Ben Kingsley Scarborough England, actor (Gandhi, Betrayal, Maurice)
1943 John Denver [Henry John Deutschendorf Jr] Roswell NM, singer/songwriter/actor (Rocky Mountain High, Thank God I'm a Country Boy, Oh God!)
1946 Patti Smith Chicago IL, singer (Radio Ethiopia)
1947 Burton Cummings rock guitarist (Guess Who-These Eyes)
1947 Tim Matheson California, actor (Animal House, Fletch, Up the Creek)
1948 Donna Summer Boston MA, singer (Love to Love You Baby, On the Radio)
1959 Val [Edward] Kilmer actor (The Saint, Top Gun, The Doors)
1959 Bebe Neuwirth Princeton NJ, actress (Lilith-Cheers, Damn Yankees)
1970 Bryon Russell NBA forward (Utah Jazz)

DEATH

0192 Lucius Aurelius Commodus Emperor of Rome (180-192), murdered at 31
1384 John Wycliffe English religious reformer/bible translator, dies
1862 Joshua Woodrow Sill US Union Brigadier-General, dies in battle at 31
1972 Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh Pirate slugger, dies in a plane crash at 38
1980 Marshall McLuhan Canadian cultural philosopher, dies at 69
1985 Rick Nelson singer/actor (Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet), dies at 45
1990 George Allen US football coach (Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins), dies
1995 Calvin/Hobbes (comic strip), dies
1996 61 law enforcement officers killed by felons in US this year
1997 76 law enforcement officers killed by felons in US this year

HOLIDAYS

Austria : Imperial Ball
Benin : Feed Yourself Day
Congo : National Day
Japan : Omisoka Day/Grand Purification
Scotland : Hogmanay Day
World : New Year's Eve/Watch Night

December 31, 2007, the last day of the year. There are no days left in the year.

compiled by Mondoreb
Sources:
* Today in History
* Today in History





Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.

King of Spain: "Shut Up!" Chavez: "You are a Bull, I am A Bull-Fighter"

Chavez Accuses King of Coup Knowledge

Hugo Chavez wants to know: What did the King of Spain know and when did he know it?

Chavez, not known for his demure personality, escalated the war of words between the Venezuelan dictator-wannabee and the Spain's king. Showing the manners Chavez is famous for, he demanded to know the monarch's knowledge of a 2002 coup.

King Juan Carlos told Chavez to "shut up" at a conference in Chile after Chavez called ex-Spain Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a "fascist".

Spanish media almost unanimously cheered their King.

More and the President of Venezuela and the spat involving the nation that used to rule it from BBC News:

On Sunday Mr Chavez said the king was "imprudent" and asked if he knew in advance of the brief coup against him.

As he left the Ibero-American Summit in Chile's capital, Santiago, Mr Chavez questioned whether Spain's ambassador had appeared with Venezuelan interim president Pedro Carmona during the two-day coup in 2002 with the monarch's blessing.

"Mr King, did you know about the coup d'etat against Venezuela, against the democratic, legitimate government of Venezuela in 2002?" he asked at a news conference.

"It's very hard to imagine the Spanish ambassador would have been at the presidential palace supporting the coup plotters without authorisation from his majesty."

Spain's El Mundo newspaper quoted Mr Chavez as saying that on Saturday the king had "got very mad, like a bull".

"But I'm a great bullfighter - ole!" he said.

On Sunday, Mr Chavez said he hoped the spat would not damage relations.

"But I think it's imprudent for a king to shout at a president to shut up. Mr King, we are not going to shut up."

Hugo Chavez is a bullfighter? One thinks Mr. Chavez got the part about 'bull' right, at any rate.

After listening to Chavez and his boorish behavior the last several years, it's apparent he enjoys calling leaders of free nations names. It seems Chavez has a taste for labeling leaders of free countries.

While his own people are massing for further demonstrations against the loss of their freedom, he calls the elected PM of Spain a "fascist". Masked gunmen shot students protesting several days ago; few doubted who the thugs answered to.

Hugo Chavez can conduct himself before the Venezuelan people people and there is little they can do without fear. The king of Spain told Chavez to "shut up" and was cheered in Spain. Many in Venezuela wish the king had used a megaphone to deliver that message.

Or more.

by Mondoreb




Back to Front Page.

Same Question Today as Saturday: Is the Pakistan State Of Emergency a Coup?

We asked the question Saturday. We ask it again on Monday: Is the State of Emergency in Pakistan a coup?

Forbes has now reported what Death By 1000 Papercuts put up on Saturday (Pakistan's State of Emergency: Is This a Coup?) No one listened--except Reuters, who yesterday posted our BNN article as related content yesterday, where it was still up this morning.

Forbes asked as we did on Saturday and was answered by a Pakistani statement:

Pakistan's government on Monday denied rumours sweeping the country that the deputy army chief had placed military ruler President Pervez Musharraf under house arrest.

'This is not true. There is no truth in it. He is at Aiwan-e-Sadr (the presidential palace) and has met with foreign diplomats,' a senior government spokesman told Agence France-Presse

What we wrote on Saturday:

State of Emergency or a coup? The Constitution is now suspended: is this an Army take-over? Though the Washington Post and others are saying President Musharraf is declaring a state of emergency, other sources are saying that Musharraf is not fully in charge here. It's the Chief of Army Staff who declared the State of Emergency, not President Musharraf.

That was on Saturday. This is Monday and still, questions about who is in charge in Pakistan continue.
[NOTE: We also posted this article on Diggs on Saturday. However, their users wouldn't have known it--it was quickly buried.]

by Mondoreb




Back to Front Page.

Pakistan State of Emergency a Coup? Sources Unclear Who's in Charge

State of Emergency a coup? The Constitution is now suspended: is this an Army take-over? Though the Washington Post and others are saying President Musharraf is declaring a state of emergency, other sources are saying that Musharraf is not fully in charge here. It's the Chief of Army Staff who declared the State of Emergency, not President Musharraf.

UPDATE at 15:43 GMT from the BBC:

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has declared emergency rule and suspended the country's constitution.

Troops have been deployed inside state-run TV and radio stations, while independent channels have gone off air.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, who condemned the moves, has reportedly been sacked and is being confined to the Supreme Court with 10 other judges.

It comes as the court was due to rule on the legality of Gen Musharraf's re-election victory in October.

The Court was to decide whether Gen Musharraf was eligible to run for election last month while remaining army chief.

So apparently at this moment, it was President Musharraf who's in charge and declaring the state of emergency. Events are moving fast in Pakistan. First it was the Red Mosque; last month it was an attempt on the life of candidate Bhutto. Now it's a state of emergency has been declared.

Now comes news from Noblesse Oblige that the state of emergency is coming from the Chief of Army Staff. Coup-time anyone?

UPDATE: The Chief of Army Staff declared the state of emergency, not President Musharraf — this could be a Coup in the shaping; or it could be a ploy to get the court to finish the deliberations on the challenges prior to the November 15th date when Musharraf’s holding of two offices definitely becomes unconstitutional.

The Washington Post is reporting that Musharraf is still in charge and has declared the state of emergency, but other sources dispute this. From the Washington Post:

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared emergency rule Saturday, suspending the constitution amid a heavy security presence including armored personnel carriers on the streets of the capital.

Musharraf, who instituted a provisional constitution, was expected to address the nation later and cite continuing fighting in the turbulent Swat Valley as his reason.

We'll let the sources sort themselves out over the day. Major news channels are off the air, at last report, so news may be slow coming.

by Mondoreb




Back to Front Page.