Josif Djugashvili was born in the Gori District of Tiflis Province in Georgia, Imperial Russia, on December 21, 1879 (or December 18 or the 22nd. When you’re an evil bastard dictator, you get to choose your own birthday). His father was a drunken and often unemployed cobbler, illiterate, and—like Josif’s mother, Ekaterina—had only been emancipatedContinue reading “Trump is a pisher compared to him”
Tag Archives: history
The month of lights, snow, and feasts
December is the twelfth and last month of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. This is used in almost all the world today. It was the tenth month in the early Roman calendar. It became the twelfth month in a later Roman calendar. Until 46 B.C., December only had 29 days. But the RomanContinue reading “The month of lights, snow, and feasts”
There’s a sort of delightful menace in the air.
The name November comes from the Latin “novem” which is the Latin for the nine. In the early Roman calendar, it was the ninth month. According to the Gregorian calendar, November is the eleventh month of the year. Go figure. The Roman Senate elected to name the eleventh month for Tiberus Caesar and since AugustusContinue reading “There’s a sort of delightful menace in the air.”
These wounds I had on Crispin’s day
October 25, 1415 –As it has been often said, times were hard – the only way to tell who the king was in England was looking for the person with the least amount of crap on him. The wastrel son of a usurping King led a ragtag army into another sovereign nation on this date.Continue reading “These wounds I had on Crispin’s day”
Sometimes, you need to trust your gut
October 9, 1934 —While the Boomtown Rats don’t like Mondays, King Alexander I of Yugoslavia didn’t like Tuesdays. (Alexander is one of the rare European royals not related to Queen Victoria in any measurable way.) Because three members of his family had died on a Tuesday, Alexander refused to undertake any public functions on thatContinue reading “Sometimes, you need to trust your gut”
Bunkies, celebrate this while we can
On this day in 1789, Congress proposed twelve amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Habeas Corpus Luteum and Freedom from Unreasonably Surging Seashores were ultimately rejected, but the other ten passed and became known as the Bill of Rights. In honor of this grand occasion, I’ve chosen to celebrate my favorite amendment, inContinue reading “Bunkies, celebrate this while we can”
Today’s lesson: Anarchists hate tourists
September 16, 1920 –A horse-drawn carriage loaded with dynamite exploded in front of the J.P. Morgan and Company headquarters at 23 Wall Street in New York’s financial district on this date. Thirty people were killed in the blast, and more than 400 were injured. Although the crime was never solved, it was believed to beContinue reading “Today’s lesson: Anarchists hate tourists”
They may kill you after reading this
September 4, 1886 –Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who warred against the encroachment of the United States on his tribal lands and people for over 25 years. While outnumbered, Geronimo fought against both Mexican and United States troops and became famous for his daring exploits and numerous escapes fromContinue reading “They may kill you after reading this”
Force Majeure
August 2, 1100 – (Those of you with delicate sensibilities may wish to skip this story.)You may have wondered when the phrase Act of God first came into use. You’ve seen it on legal forms and may have unfortunately encountered it when trying to collect on your home insurance policy. As with many things, theContinue reading “Force Majeure”
Eureka
August 1, 1769 –Spain sent an exploratory expedition from San Diego to Monterey on this date, to survey the area and identify locations worthy of settling and converting the locals to Catholicism. The expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá, nephew of the celebrated Spanish comedian Uncle Porky, and included a number of religious missionariesContinue reading “Eureka”
The Haus of Dcaligari 