On This Day

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Let's take a look back at what happened on this day in history. 1501 Michelangelo began work on his masterpiece sculpture, David. 1845 English scientist and inventor Michael Faraday discovers the "Faraday effect," the influence of a magnetic field on polarized light. 1847 During the American Mexican War, US General Winfield Scott got the victory in the battle of Chapultepec, gaining control of Mexico City. 1849 In Hastings, New York, a prize fight between Christopher Lilly and Thomas McCoy lasted for 2 1/2 hours. During the 77th round McCoy collapsed and died making him the first prizefight fatality in the US. 1850 English astronomer J R (John Russell) Hind discovered the main-belt asteroid "12 Victoria". Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honors Queen Victoria. It orbits the sun 1861 Off the coast of Pensacola, Florida the first naval battle of Civil War took place. The Union frigate "Colorado" sunk the privateer "Judah" 1862 Union General George B. McClellan was slow to act when his men found a copy of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s orders detailing the Confederates’ plan for the Antietam campaign near Frederick, Maryland. Because of his slow action the Battle of Antietam became the deadliest day of war on American soil. 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of savage combat. 1909 Ty Cobb clinches American League Home Run title with his 9th HR (all inside-the-park) 1925 New Orleans, Louisiana is where Xavier University opened its doors becoming the first US university for African Americans. 1927 NY Yankees clinch AL pennant after 5-3 win over Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium; Babe Ruth hits Home Run #52 en route to MLB record 60. 1940 Buckingham Palace was damaged by German bombs during WW2. Four palace staff members were injured, one would die from their injuries. 1944 Before hurricanes were given names, one called the Great Atlantic hurricane would strike the US east coast from the Outer Banksof North Carolina, to Maine. The storm reached what is now known as a level 4 hurricane, with winds of 131 to 155 mph. 1948 Elected as Senator made Margaret Chase Smith of Maine the first woman to serve both houses of US Congress. 1953 Retaining the Formula 1 World Drivers Championship was Italian Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari. He beat Juan Manuel Fangio by 6.5 points. 1955 Swiss inventor George de Mestral got a patent for his invention of Velcro. 1963 Texas entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash took her life savings, $5000 and started her cosmetic company, Mary Kay. The company is estimated to be worth more than $3.5 billion. 1971 After a four day seize at the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York ended when state police forced their way into the institution opening fire. When they stopped firing their guns, 39 people were dead (29 inmates and 10 prison guards) This is the worst prison riot in US history. 1990 Premiering on NBC was the police show Law and Order. The show has been on for 22 years. 1990 to 2010 and came back in 2022 to present. Some of the series spin offs include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit which started in 1999 and is still on. Law & Order: Criminal Intent which ran from 2001-2011. Law & Order: Organized Crime which ran from 2021 to present. A couple of other spin offs that only lasted one season include Law & Order True Crime (2017) Law & Order: Los Angeles (2011) and Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2005). I did watch some of the original series and Law and Order Special Victims Unit. 1996 Dying from gunshot wounds sustained in a drive by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada was rapper Tupac Shakur. He and his friends were in Vegas to watch the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Bruce Seldon. There was a scuffle in the hotel lobby between Shakur, his friends and a man who was later to be identified as a member of the Los Angeles-based Crips street gang. A few hours later the car that Tupac and Suge Knight were riding in was struck by 12 bullets, 4 of which hit Tupac and one Suge. Tupak was just 25 years old. 2007 The United Nations established the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The declaration was to define and protect the rights of indigenous people around the world. When the vote was taken 4 nations; Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States rejected the declaration but have since reversed their position and are in favor of it now. Happy birthday to English novelist (Robinson Crusoe), Daniel Defoe French admiral who commanded the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, Comte de Grasse Canadian heroine of the war of 1812, Laura Secord American chocolate tycoon (The Hershey Chocolate Company), Milton S Hershey American army general and World War I commander, John S Pershing French-born American actress (It Happened One Night), Claudette Colbert British author (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) Roald Dahl American singer, Mel Torme American filmmaker, Tyler Perry Croatian tennis player (Wimbledon 2001), Goran Ivanisevic We say goodbye to Emperor of Rome, Titus, age 42 King of Spain (1556-98) and Portugal (1580-98), King Phillip II, age 71 British Army officer who defeated the French in Canada and captured Quebec. James Wolfe, age 32 died in battle First American commodore of the US Navy, John Barry, age 58 American soldier, industrialist and politician (Governor of Rhode Island, 1866-69), Ambrose Burnside, age 57 American actress (Of Mice and Men) Betty Field, age 57 American orchestra leader (Arthur Murray Dance Party), Ray Carter, age 73 American politician (Governor-Alabama) and presidential candidate, George Wallace, age 79 Czech ice hockey player (Olympic silver 1948) and tennis player (won Wimbledon 1954, French Open 1951-52), Jaroslav Drobny, age 79 Basketball Hall of Fame center, Moses Malone, age 60