On this day in history, advances in communication and space exploration are made, a gigantic fire ravages the country, a future President is born, and “E Pluribus Unum” is proposed as a motto for the Great Seal of the United States!
Which event should I have chosen to write on today? Here is a snippet for each.
*****
On this day in 1977, NASA launched Voyager II. Among other tasks, the unmanned spacecraft carried a phonograph record intended to introduce Earth to any extraterrestrial being who might find it.
That record is still traveling in outer space! It carries greetings in multiple languages, as well as a sampling of other sounds common to our ears: music, a thunderstorm, a heartbeat, various animals, or even a train. Voyager also carries a written message from President Jimmy Carter.
Think anyone will ever find it?
*****
On this day in 1911, a regular commercial telegram is sent around the world for the first time. A dispatcher at the New York Times sent a message at 7:00 p.m. on August 20. The message traveled through locations such as San Francisco, Malta, and Bombay, and it was ultimately relayed by 16 different operators. The reply was returned to the New York Times only 16.5 minutes later. It had traveled more than 28,000 miles during those 16 minutes.
*****
On this day in 1910, a great fire rages in portions of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The affected area was the size of Connecticut! The problem began due to a combination of factors. It was unusually dry that year and a series of smaller fires had already been burning. Unfortunately, on August 20, a cold front blew in with hurricane-force winds. The winds whipped up the small fires, turning them into a huge, blazing inferno.
The fire finally came to an end when a heavy rain began on August 21. Three million acres had been burned in only two days. Eighty-seven people had been killed.
*****
On this day in 1833, Benjamin Harrison is born. He was the 23rd President of the United States, the grandson of President William Henry Harrison, and one of two Presidents to win the presidency despite losing the popular vote.
In 1888, Harrison was running against incumbent President Grover Cleveland. Cleveland was then perceived as a President who cared more about the South than the North. When Election Day came, Cleveland earned wide margins of victory in six southern states. In fact, he won more than 70% of the votes cast there! By contrast, Harrison’s support was less intense, but it was spread out across multiple regions of the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harrison won the election, 233 to 168.
Harrison had built a wider, more varied coalition of voters, and the Electoral College rewarded that.
*****
Finally, on this day in 1776, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin propose “E Pluribus Unum” as a national motto to be used on the Great Seal of the United States.
What made them suggest the phrase? The question has sparked a great deal of speculation, but it appears that the motto came from an old British magazine called the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” which used the phrase in an annual volume that compiled stories from its twelve monthly editions.
-----------
Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2016 by Tara Ross.
@DMS-PMS @stonewall_jackson @PredVol @tcavol @Eyes4Vols @AZZMAN75 @KellyHeel @ctvols @mp1998
Which event should I have chosen to write on today? Here is a snippet for each.
*****
On this day in 1977, NASA launched Voyager II. Among other tasks, the unmanned spacecraft carried a phonograph record intended to introduce Earth to any extraterrestrial being who might find it.
That record is still traveling in outer space! It carries greetings in multiple languages, as well as a sampling of other sounds common to our ears: music, a thunderstorm, a heartbeat, various animals, or even a train. Voyager also carries a written message from President Jimmy Carter.
Think anyone will ever find it?
*****
On this day in 1911, a regular commercial telegram is sent around the world for the first time. A dispatcher at the New York Times sent a message at 7:00 p.m. on August 20. The message traveled through locations such as San Francisco, Malta, and Bombay, and it was ultimately relayed by 16 different operators. The reply was returned to the New York Times only 16.5 minutes later. It had traveled more than 28,000 miles during those 16 minutes.
*****
On this day in 1910, a great fire rages in portions of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The affected area was the size of Connecticut! The problem began due to a combination of factors. It was unusually dry that year and a series of smaller fires had already been burning. Unfortunately, on August 20, a cold front blew in with hurricane-force winds. The winds whipped up the small fires, turning them into a huge, blazing inferno.
The fire finally came to an end when a heavy rain began on August 21. Three million acres had been burned in only two days. Eighty-seven people had been killed.
*****
On this day in 1833, Benjamin Harrison is born. He was the 23rd President of the United States, the grandson of President William Henry Harrison, and one of two Presidents to win the presidency despite losing the popular vote.
In 1888, Harrison was running against incumbent President Grover Cleveland. Cleveland was then perceived as a President who cared more about the South than the North. When Election Day came, Cleveland earned wide margins of victory in six southern states. In fact, he won more than 70% of the votes cast there! By contrast, Harrison’s support was less intense, but it was spread out across multiple regions of the country. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Harrison won the election, 233 to 168.
Harrison had built a wider, more varied coalition of voters, and the Electoral College rewarded that.
*****
Finally, on this day in 1776, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin propose “E Pluribus Unum” as a national motto to be used on the Great Seal of the United States.
What made them suggest the phrase? The question has sparked a great deal of speculation, but it appears that the motto came from an old British magazine called the “Gentleman’s Magazine,” which used the phrase in an annual volume that compiled stories from its twelve monthly editions.
-----------
Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2016 by Tara Ross.
@DMS-PMS @stonewall_jackson @PredVol @tcavol @Eyes4Vols @AZZMAN75 @KellyHeel @ctvols @mp1998
