On this day in history.

[giradman]

I've seen the movie, it's quite good. Another good movie about the lead up to D Day is Ike, with Tom Selleck as General Eisenhower.

Thanks for the Ike recommendation - released as a TV movie in 2004 - cannot remember if I saw it then (was not a big watcher of TV films & series when I was working) - I can stream it from Amazon on my Roku device for $3, so will do tonight - I'm a big fan of Tom Selleck - one of my favs is shown below, now on BD - Dave
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[scifan57]

Thanks for the Ike recommendation - released as a TV movie in 2004 - cannot remember if I saw it then (was not a big watcher of TV films & series when I was working) - I can stream it from Amazon on my Roku device for $3, so will do tonight - I'm a big fan of Tom Selleck - one of my favs is shown below, now on BD - Dave
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I saw that one when it was in the theatre.

 

[giradman]

I saw that one when it was in the theatre.

Hi Scifan.. - streamed Ike tonight and enjoyed thoroughly - thanks again for the recommendation - Dave

 

[J. A.]

Sir Christopher Lee died yesterday, at the age of 93.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lee

 

[rasmith1959]

Sir Christopher Lee died yesterday, at the age of 93.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lee

Actually he passed a few days before on the 7th of June. They delayed the announcement so that they could contact family first. I guess they thought it better to hear it from family instead of the news.




Sent from my iPad Air using Tapatalk

 

[giradman]

Magna Carta Signed 800 Years Ago!

On June 15, 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede - some introductory comments in first quote below (Source). This document greatly influenced the early judicial development of United States as seen in the second quote (same source). Dave

Magna Carta (Latin for "the Great Charter"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Latin for "the Great Charter of the Liberties"), is a charter agreed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215.[a] First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons. Neither side stood behind their commitments, and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War. After John's death, the regency government of his young son, Henry III, reissued the document in 1216, stripped of some of its more radical content, in an unsuccessful bid to build political support for their cause. At the end of the war in 1217, it formed part of the peace treaty agreed at Lambeth, where the document acquired the name Magna Carta, to distinguish it from the smaller Charter of the Forest which was issued at the same time. Short of funds, Henry reissued the charter again in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes; his son, Edward I, repeated the exercise in 1297, this time confirming it as part of England's statute law.

The development of parliamentary supremacy in the British Isles did not constitutionally affect the Thirteen Colonies, which retained an adherence to English common law, but it directly affected the relationship between Britain and the colonies.[204] When American colonists fought against Britain, they were fighting not so much for new freedom, but to preserve liberties and rights that they believed to be enshrined in Magna Carta.[205]

In the late 18th century, the United States Constitution became the supreme law of the land, recalling the manner in which Magna Carta had come to be regarded as fundamental law.[205] The Constitution's Fifth Amendment guarantees that "no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law", a phrase that was derived from Magna Carta.[206] In addition, the Constitution included a similar writ in the Suspension Clause, Article 1, Section 9: "The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it."[207]

Each of these proclaim that no person may be imprisoned or detained without evidence that he or she committed a crime. The Ninth Amendment states that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The writers of the U.S. Constitution wished to ensure that the rights they already held, such as those that they believed were provided by Magna Carta, would be preserved unless explicitly curtailed.[208][209]

The Supreme Court of the United States has explicitly referenced Lord Coke's analysis of Magna Carta as an antecedent of the Sixth Amendment's right to a speedy trial.[210]

 

[giradman]

Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815

This morning I was listening to NPR and there was a discussion of the importance of this battle on the radio - of course, this was the final defeat of Napoleon by a largely British-Prussian allied force and occurred in present-day Belgium near Brussels - apparently not much preserved (see short quote below - Source). There were 63,000 casualties on both sides (41,000 for the French) - Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died in 1821.

I've been to Belgium several times - my first trip was w/ Susan where our itinerary including stays in Brussels and Amsterdam - we did a day tour to Luxembourg (and to Bastogne of WW II fame, i.e. Battle of the Bulge). Among many places visited in these two Low Countries, we did go to Waterloo - below a map of Belgium showing the location of the town near Brussels and a pic of the Lion's Mound. Dave

The battlefield is located in the municipalities of Braine-l'Alleud and Lasne,[11] about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Brussels, and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town of Waterloo. The site of the battlefield today is dominated by a large monument, the Lion's Mound. As this mound was constructed from earth taken from the battlefield itself, the contemporary topography of the battlefield near the mound has not been preserved.

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[scifan57]

Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815

This morning I was listening to NPR and there was a discussion of the importance of this battle on the radio - of course, this was the final defeat of Napoleon by a largely British-Prussian allied force and occurred in present-day Belgium near Brussels - apparently not much preserved (see short quote below - Source). There were 63,000 casualties on both sides (41,000 for the French) - Napoleon was exiled to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, where he died in 1821.

I've been to Belgium several times - my first trip was w/ Susan where our itinerary including stays in Brussels and Amsterdam - we did a day tour to Luxembourg (and to Bastogne of WW II fame, i.e. Battle of the Bulge). Among many places visited in these two Low Countries, we did go to Waterloo - below a map of Belgium showing the location of the town near Brussels and a pic of the Lion's Mound. Dave


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Thanks for posting this. I had no idea that today was the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo.

 

[giradman]

Well, I knew the year of Waterloo but not the exact date until the 200th anniversary was discussed on the radio this morning - amazing that 100 years later, Europe was in the beginnings of WW I - Dave

 

[giradman]

Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki - 70th Anniversary

On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb to be used in war was exploded over Hiroshima; three days later, another one was detonated over Nagasaki - brief quote below (Source) - pics below of the 'mushroom clouds' from the explosions, devastation of the two cities, and a Nagasaki memorial. Dave

A uranium gun-type atomic bomb (Little Boy) was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, followed by a plutonium implosion-type bomb (Fat Man) on the city of Nagasaki on August 9. Little Boy exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima in a blast equal to 12-15,000 tons of TNT, destroying five square miles of the city. Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects of the atomic bombings killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000–80,000 in Nagasaki; roughly half of the deaths in each city occurred on the first day. During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness and malnutrition. In both cities, most of the dead were civilians, although Hiroshima had a sizable military garrison.

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[giradman]

Today, August 9 - the second atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, as discussed in my previous post. Just finished listening to the 2-hour Bob Edwards Weekend show devoted to this topic - subjects below from Edwards Website - hour two was a re-run of a previous show on Oak Ridge, Tennessee (discussed in my travelogue last year to eastern Tennessee HERE) - not sure if podcasts are available there? Dave

Bob Edwards Weekend (August 8-9, 2015)
Bob Edwards Show
HOUR ONE:

It’s been 70 years since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world’s first and so far only uses of atomic weapons during war. The A-bomb was the brainchild of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist whose postwar advocacy for a nuclear weapons ban brought him into conflict with the same military and government on whose behalf he had created the ultimate weapon. Bob speaks with Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin, authors of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

HOUR TWO:

From 1942 until 1949, Oak Ridge, Tennessee did not exist on any map. It was a secret city, built and operated by the United States Army as one of the sites of the Manhattan Project. And although at its peak 75,000 people lived there, most had no idea what they were working on until the day the bomb was dropped. There are still plenty of Manhattan Project alumni living in Oak Ridge, and Bob spoke with several of them a few years ago for our original documentary titled Secret City. Colleen Blackstarted working as a leak detector when she was just 18-years-old; Bill Wilcox became the city’s historian after working as a chemist during the war; and Richard Lordarrived 10 days after graduating with an electrical engineering degree. Sadly, both Wilcox and Black have passed away since our visit.

 

[scifan57]

Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki - 70th Anniversary

On August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb to be used in war was exploded over Hiroshima; three days later, another one was detonated over Nagasaki - brief quote below (Source) - pics below of the 'mushroom clouds' from the explosions, devastation of the two cities, and a Nagasaki memorial. Dave


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Today, August 9 - the second atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, as discussed in my previous post. Just finished listening to the 2-hour Bob Edwards Weekend show devoted to this topic - subjects below from Edwards Website - hour two was a re-run of a previous show on Oak Ridge, Tennessee (discussed in my travelogue last year to eastern Tennessee HERE) - not sure if podcasts are available there? Dave

Thanks for your posts on the atomic bombing of Japan. This is a part of history that must never be forgotten. The devastation, deaths and continuing health problems of the survivors are ample evidence to show why it must never be repeated.

 

[giradman]

Hi Scifan.. - thanks for the comments in your post - the Bob Edwards show was quite good this morning. Dave

 

[scifan57]

August 11, 1934;
The first boatload of Federal prisoners arrives at Alcatraz.

 

[giradman]

August 11, 1934;
The first boatload of Federal prisoners arrives at Alcatraz.

Oh yes, Alcatraz - Al Capone was an early occupant and may have been on that first boatload - for those not aware of its location, the island is in the beautiful San Francisco Bay (see map below) - easily seen from the pier area and also from the towns of Sausalito & Tiburon (connected red arrow) - Susan & I have been to the latter towns many times for shopping & lunching (usually via ferry) - Alcatraz is now a National Park and can be visited - been there a few times and recommended; of course, Bay cruises pass near the former penitentiary. Dave
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