On this day in history.

[giradman]

First Airplane Flies on Outer Banks of North Carolina this day in 1903!

The Wright Brothers made the first successful aircraft flight in history (brief details quoted below) - the locale was the Outer Banks of my state, North Carolina near Kitty Hawk (see map - note that on Roanoke Island, the first attempt to establish an English colony in the mid-1580s) - plenty to see w/ pics provided below.

Susan & I have not been to the Outer Banks since the 1990s - SO, we are planning our probably last trip there for late spring next year - will drive to Roanoke Island and stay first in Nags Head, then south toward Hatteras Light; next to Ocracoke Island; and finally a ferry across to Cedar Island on the coast (near our last visit to Atlantic Beach-Morehead City) - looking forward to seeing the MOVED Hatteras Lighthouse. Dave

Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight. The historic Wright brothers’ aircraft of 1903 is on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. (Source)

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[scifan57]

First Airplane Flies on Outer Banks of North Carolina this day in 1903!

The Wright Brothers made the first successful aircraft flight in history (brief details quoted below) - the locale was the Outer Banks of my state, North Carolina near Kitty Hawk (see map - note that on Roanoke Island, the first attempt to establish an English colony in the mid-1580s) - plenty to see w/ pics provided below.

Susan & I have not been to the Outer Banks since the 1990s - SO, we are planning our probably last trip there for late spring next year - will drive to Roanoke Island and stay first in Nags Head, then south toward Hatteras Light; next to Ocracoke Island; and finally a ferry across to Cedar Island on the coast (near our last visit to Atlantic Beach-Morehead City) - looking forward to seeing the MOVED Hatteras Lighthouse. Dave


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There's a working replica of the Wright Flyer at the Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago. It was actually flown a short distance.

 

[giradman]

There's a working replica of the Wright Flyer at the Museum of Science and Technology in Chicago. It was actually flown a short distance.

First pic below shows a 'Wright Flyer' replica in the air to celebrate the 100th year of the birth of flight - several pics of the plane in the Chicago Museum of Science & Technology - I've been to that museum many times, but would have been in the 1980s/1990s, so have not seen that display. Of course for those visiting Washington, D.C., the original restored 'Wright Flyer' is in the National Air & Space Museum - that one I've seen many times. Dave
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[scifan57]

First pic below shows a 'Wright Flyer' replica in the air to celebrate the 100th year of the birth of flight - several pics of the plane in the Chicago Museum of Science & Technology - I've been to that museum many times, but would have been in the 1980s/1990s, so have not seen that display. Of course for those visiting Washington, D.C., the original restored 'Wright Flyer' is in the National Air & Space Museum - that one I've seen many times. Dave
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I notice that the flying replica in your first photo has been significantly altered from the original design as the original was piloted from a prone not a sitting position.

 

[giradman]

I notice that the flying replica in your first photo has been significantly altered from the original design as the original was piloted from a prone not a sitting position.

My same thoughts, e.g. wondering if the supporting 'rods' are wood vs. plastic and/or aluminum - and the shape of the wings is different; plus, the position of the pilot as you mentioned - did not read the entire article on the link related to that pic, sorry - Dave

 

[J. A.]

December 18, 1892:
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, composed by Anton Bruckner, premiered in Vienna, Austria. It was conducted by Hans Richter, and performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The symphony was dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.
Symphony No. 8 (Bruckner) - Wikipedia

 

[J. A.]

December 18, 1946:
Steven Allan Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He's celebrating his 70th birthday today.

Steven Spielberg - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

December 18, 1892:
Symphony No. 8 in C minor, composed by Anton Bruckner, premiered in Vienna, Austria. It was conducted by Hans Richter, and performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The symphony was dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.
Symphony No. 8 (Bruckner) - Wikipedia

Oh yes, Anton Bruckner - I've not listened to his music in a while - own 3 sets of his Symphonies (shown below) and a little astounded by the performance dates (which I put on each cover), 1960-1981! BOY - going to visit the Fanfare Archive online and then to Amazon to see if there might be some newer recordings w/ updated sound! Dave
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[giradman]

December 18, 1946:
Steven Allan Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He's celebrating his 70th birthday today.
View attachment 75303
Steven Spielberg - Wikipedia

Since the mid-1970s, I've probably seen nearly all of the films that Spielberg directed (or produced), and as a director, I likely own more of his movies that any other director (would have to check on the number of Hitchcock films in my collection) - but below are the ones currently owned, all as bluray discs - should watch a few in his honor! Dave

**********************************************
Steven Spielberg as Director
Films Owned

1975 - Jaws
1977 - Close Encounters of Third Kind
1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark
1982 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
1985 - The Color Purple
1987 - Empire of the Sun
1989 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1993 - Jurassic Park
1993 - Schindler’s List
1997 - The Lost World: Jurassic Park
1997 - Amistad
1998 - Saving Private Ryan
2015 - Bridge of Spies
************************************************

 

[giradman]

Mayflower Docks at Plymouth Harbor on this day in 1620!

Today in 1620, the second permanent English colony in North American (first was Jamestown, VA in 1607) was begun in what would become Plymouth, Massachusetts - as with wooden sailing ships of the time, the Mayflower was small at 100+ ft in length and 25 ft at her widest point, having 3 primary decks; 102 passengers were crowded into the vessel along with a crew of about 30. The ship set sail from Plymouth, England on September 6, taking over 3 months to reach the mainland in Massachusetts (Source). Below pics of a typical ship of the day like the Mayflower, the Plymouth Rock exhibit, and a full-scale reproduction of the original ship.

A must visit to Plymouth should include Plimoth Plantation, a reconstructed village of the original settlement w/ costumed guides who can only respond to questions with answers from their times, so don't ask about iPads or iPhones (years ago, our son's favorite part was talking to these 'settlers'). Also, there is a 1952 film called Plymouth Adventure w/ Spencer Tracy as the captain of the Mayflower and a beautiful Gene Tierney - recorded to my DVR last year - an OK watch but not a great film - a remake would be interesting? Dave

On December 18, 1620, the British ship Mayflower docked at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, and its passengers prepared to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony (Source).

The Mayflower story began in 1606, when a group of reform-minded Puritans in Nottinghamshire, England, founded their own church, separate from the Church of England. Accused of treason, they were forced to leave the country and settle in the more tolerant Netherlands. After 12 years of struggling to adapt and make a decent living, the group sought financial backing from some London merchants to set up a colony in America. On September 6, 1620, 102 passengers–dubbed Pilgrims by William Bradford, a passenger who would become the first governor of Plymouth Colony–crowded on the Mayflower to begin the long, hard journey to a new life in the New World (Source).

On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower anchored in Provincetown Harbor, Cape Cod. Before going ashore, 41 male passengers–heads of families, single men and three male servants–signed the famous Mayflower Compact, agreeing to submit to a government chosen by common consent and to obey all laws made for the good of the colony. Around December 10, one of these groups found a harbor they liked on the western side of Cape Cod Bay. They returned to the Mayflower to tell the other passengers, but bad weather prevented them from docking until December 18. That winter of 1620-1621 was brutal, as the Pilgrims struggled to build their settlement, find food and ward off sickness. By spring, 50 of the original 102 Mayflower passengers were dead. Aided by the Wampanoag tribe, the Pilgrims were able to plant crops–especially corn and beans–that were vital to their survival. The Mayflower and its crew left Plymouth to return to England on April 5, 1621 (Source).

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[giradman]

George Washington resigns as commander in chief on this day in 1783!

Yorktown occurred in 1781, the 'official' end of the American Revolutionary War - took 2 years for the Treaty of Paris; then, George Washington resigned his position as the commander in chief - he might have become a dictator or an 'emperor' but decided to retire to Mt. Vernon - story below, BUT see the second quote, a conversation between Benjamin West and George III - did this meeting happen? If so (and I've read this in many books), then an amazing statement recalling that of the Roman Cincinnatus in the 5th century B.C., who w/ presumably 'absolute power' returned to his farm - Washington and the other American founders of the time would have known this history well - Dave

On this day in 1783, following the signing of the Treaty of Paris, General George Washington resigns as commander in chief of the Continental Army and retires to his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Washington addressed the assembled Congress: “Happy in the confirmation of our independence and sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I resign with satisfaction the appointment I accepted with diffidence; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task; which however was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.

Washington’s willingness to return to civilian life was an essential element in the transformation of the War for Independence into a true revolution. During the war, Congress had granted Washington powers equivalent to those of a dictator and he could have easily taken solitary control of the new nation. Indeed, some political factions wanted Washington to become the new nation’s king. His modesty in declining the offer and resigning his military post at the end of the war fortified the republican foundations of the new nation (Source).

There's a famous exchange that occurred at the end of the American Revolution. As the war was ending, there was speculation about what kind of country the newly independent America would become and many people assumed Washington would declare himself King of the new country.

King George III happened to meet Benjamin West, an American living in London. The King asked West what he thought Washington would do now that the war was over. West said that he had heard Washington planned on retiring back to his farm. George said "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."

As it turns out, Washington did indeed retire and go back to his farm (although he would be elected President five years later). Is there any record of whether George III made any additional comments after it was clear that Washington was not going to take power? (Source)

 

[giradman]

The 'Christmas Truce' in 1914 just a half year into WW I

On this day in 1914, German troops crossed no-man's land - there was a friendly exchange of gifts, games were played, and the soldiers sung together - John McCutcheon, a local folk instrumentalist and singer composed a song called 'Christmas in the Trenches' years ago which tells the story of this event (see video below); a movie about the 'truce' was made in 2005, Joyeux Noel, which I own on BD - highly recommended. Dave

Just after midnight on Christmas morning, the majority of German troops engaged in World War I cease firing their guns and artillery and commence to sing Christmas carols. At certain points along the eastern and western fronts, the soldiers of Russia, France, and Britain even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.(Source)

At the first light of dawn, many of the German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer. (Source)

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[giradman]

George Washington Crosses the Delaware River on Christmas Night in 1776!

After being 'kicked out' of New York City, Washington retreated to winter quarters in Pennsylvania - as an act of unexpected redemption, he and part of his army crosses the Delaware River and leads a completely surprise attack on the Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey - "The victory was not particularly significant from a strategic point of view, but news of Washington’s initiative raised the spirits of the American colonists, who previously feared that the Continental Army was incapable of victory." (same Source below).

The most famous painting of the crossing in shown below - painted in 1851 w/ many artistic liberties taken - a more modern interpretation follows - For those interested in an excellent movie on the subject, then I can suggest The Crossing (2000) w/ Jeff Daniels - Dave

P.S. for those liking that 'modern interpretation' a poster is available HERE.

During the American Revolution, Patriot General George Washington crosses the Delaware River with 5,400 troops, hoping to surprise a Hessian force celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey. The unconventional attack came after several months of substantial defeats for Washington’s army that had resulted in the loss of New York City and other strategic points in the region. At about 11 p.m. on Christmas, Washington’s army commenced its crossing of the half-frozen river at three locations. The 2,400 soldiers led by Washington successfully braved the icy and freezing river and reached the New Jersey side of the Delaware just before dawn. The other two divisions, made up of some 3,000 men and crucial artillery, failed to reach the meeting point at the appointed time. (Source)

At approximately 8 a.m. on the morning of December 26, Washington’s remaining force, separated into two columns, reached the outskirts of Trenton and descended on the unsuspecting Hessians. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defenders were groggy from the previous evening’s festivities and underestimated the Patriot threat after months of decisive British victories throughout New York. Washington’s men quickly overwhelmed the Germans’ defenses, and by 9:30 a.m. the town was surrounded. Although several hundred Hessians escaped, nearly 1,000 were captured at the cost of only four American lives. However, because most of Washington’s army had failed to cross the Delaware, he was without adequate artillery or men and was forced to withdraw from the town. (Source)

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[KevinJS]

Born today in 1642:

Sir Isaac Newton

 

[scifan57]

December 25, 1941;

The British garrison in Hong Kong surrenders to the Japanese.
Battle of Hong Kong - Wikipedia