On this day in history.

[giradman]

George Washington Instigates French & Indian War on this day in 1754!

George Washington was a 22 year-old Lieutenant Colonel of the Virginia militia sent from Williamsburg by the royal governor, Robert Dinwiddie to defend Virginia's land claims near the forks of the Ohio river, location of modern day Pittsburgh (more history below and also HERE). He encountered a French & Indian scouting party led by a French aristocrat, Joseph de Jumonville - Washington ambushed the party and Jumonville was killed in the attack.

Washington hastily built Fort Necessity (see map below), was attacked by Jumonville's half-brother and surrendered - he signed a 'confession' written in French, which he did not understand but basically a confession to the Frenchman's murder. In July 1755, Major General Edward Braddock w/ Washington as an aide was sent w/ a large army back to the 'forks of the Ohio' - he was defeated and mortally wounded - George W. read Braddock's burial service. In Europe, this was known as the Seven Years' War w/ traditional duration stated as 1756-1763. In my travelogue to West Virginia, Susan & I visited the Fort Necessity Battlefield on our way the seeing Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. Dave

On this day in 1754, a 22-year-old lieutenant colonel of the Virginia militia named George Washington successfully defeats a party of French and Indian scouts in southwest Pennsylvania as Virginia attempts to lay claim to the territory for its own settlers. The action snowballed into a world war and began the military career of the first American commander in chief. The Ohio Valley had long been a contested territory among French Canadians, various Indian groups and the British colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia. When the French began to establish fortifications along the river and refused Virginia’s written demand that they depart, Virginia’s governor, Robert Dinwiddie, dispatched Washington to complete and defend a Virginian fort at the forks of the Ohio. (Source)

Upon their arrival, Washington discovered that a scouting party led by the French ensign, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville was nearby. Fearing that Jumonville was planning an attack, Washington struck first, successfully ambushing the small party. In one of history’s murkier moments, Jumonville was murdered by Washington’s Indian ally, Tanaghrisson, while the monolingual Washington struggled to interrogate the French-speaking Canadian. Jumonville’s murder in captivity incited a strong French response, and Washington was unable to defend his makeshift “Fort Necessity” from French forces led by Jumonville’s half-brother. Washington surrendered on July 4 and signed a French confession to Jumonville’s assassination, which he could not read. (Source)

Benjamin Franklin had drafted his Albany Plan for Union earlier that month, in the hope that united colonies could better orchestrate their own defense and governance. Colonists voted down the proposal everywhere it was presented. After Washington displayed his incompetence on the Ohio, the British decided it was time to save their colonies from themselves and dispatched two regiments of Redcoats under General Edward Braddock to America. Braddock too suffered a humiliating defeat at the forks of the Ohio; it took the British and their colonists seven years of world war to redeem themselves. The Seven Years’ War would go on to strip the French of their American empire and test the bonds of the British empire in America. (Source)

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[J. A.]

May 29, 1917, is the birthday date of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th president of the United States.

John F. Kennedy - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach summit of Mt. Everest this day in 1953!

This day in 1953, Edmund Hillary from New Zealand & Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa are the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain on earth (29,000+ ft) - below just a few pics of the two explorers and the mountain, plus an interesting 10 min video for those interested. Dave

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth. The two, part of a British expedition, made their final assault on the summit after spending a fitful night at 27,900 feet. News of their achievement broke around the world on June 2, the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and Britons hailed it as a good omen for their country’s future. (Source)

Since Hillary and Norgay’s historic climb, numerous expeditions have made their way up to Everest’s summit. In 1960, a Chinese expedition was the first to conquer the mountain from the Tibetan side, and in 1963 James Whittaker became the first American to top Everest. In 1975, Tabei Junko of Japan became the first woman to reach the summit. Three years later, Reinhold Messner of Italy and Peter Habeler of Austria achieved what had been previously thought impossible: climbing to the Everest summit without oxygen. Nearly two hundred climbers have died attempting to summit the mountain. A major tragedy occurred in 1996 when eight climbers from various nations died after being caught in a blizzard high on the slopes. (Source)

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[giradman]

D-Day - Below Posted 2 years ago, so 73 years ago!

D-Day - June 6, 1944!

Today 71 years ago, the Allied invasion of the European continent via the beaches of Normandy - a brief description quoted below (Source) - shown below a map of the participating allied armies; also, for a decent depiction, the movie The Longest Day (1962), which I now own on blu-ray w/ quite good video and sound restoration (each 3.9/5.0 ratings HERE). Dave

During World War II (1939-1945), the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.

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[J. A.]

D-Day - Below Posted 2 years ago, so 73 years ago!

D-Day - June 6, 1944!

Today 71 years ago, the Allied invasion of the European continent via the beaches of Normandy - a brief description quoted below (Source) - shown below a map of the participating allied armies; also, for a decent depiction, the movie The Longest Day (1962), which I now own on blu-ray w/ quite good video and sound restoration (each 3.9/5.0 ratings HERE). Dave


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The movie is great, but the book on which this film is based describes everything way more accurate than a movie will ever be able to show.

 

[giradman]

The movie is great, but the book on which this film is based describes everything way more accurate than a movie will ever be able to show.
View attachment 77878

Shortly after its publication, I read that book by Ryan - but I was a teenager, so maybe due for a re-read? Dave

 

[J. A.]

Shortly after its publication, I read that book by Ryan - but I was a teenager, so maybe due for a re-read? Dave

If you like the movie, you'll also enjoy reading the book. I've read it several times.

 

[giradman]

Frank Lloyd Wright - 150th Anniversary of his birth, June 8, 1867

Frank Lloyd Wright was born 150 years ago on June 8 - America's most famous architect. Susan & I have visited over a half dozen Wright houses & buildings, but one of the most impressive was Fallingwater - for a couple of posts & mutiple pics, visit my West Virginia travelogue HERE from three years ago; some other houses below. Dave

Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture. This philosophy was best exemplified by Fallingwater (1935), which has been called "the best all-time work of American architecture". Wright was a leader of the Prairie School movement of architecture and developed the concept of the Usonian home in Broadacre City, his unique vision for urban planning in the United States. (Source)

His creative period spanned more than 70 years. In addition to his houses, Wright designed original and innovative offices, churches, schools, skyscrapers, hotels, museums and other structures. He often designed interior elements for these buildings as well, including furniture and stained glass. Wright wrote 20 books and many articles and was a popular lecturer. Wright was recognized in 1991 by the American Institute of Architects as "the greatest American architect of all time". His colorful personal life often made headlines, notably for his affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the murders at his Taliesin studio in 1914, his tempestuous marriage and divorce with his second wife, Miriam Noel, and his relationship with Olga (Olgivanna) Lazovich Hinzenburg, whom he would marry in 1928. (Source)

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[giradman]

John Wayne Dies This Day in 1979

For John Wayne fans (my wife is not one), the Duke died today in 1979 after a 10-year struggle w/ lung cancer; his first staring role was in the 1930 'widescreen' production The Big Trail - the film flopped at the box office and he was in numerous minor roles throughout the 30s until his 'breakthrough' role in 1939 in Stagecoach. He worked in many film genres although westerns predominate, however, he made many war films and was enjoyable in more comedic movies (e.g. McLintock!, Hatari!, Donovan's Reef, & North to Alaska); see the quotes below for more details of his life.

Rankings of his films vary w/ many google hits - the first image below is from HERE - I've just 'screen capture' the top 14 (first pic - based on the site's own rating system - "..UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score."); in part, I picked this listing because most of the films are also my favorites, but immediately below, I've added 10 more from the same list (w/ their rating) that I also enjoy - I own all of these 2 dozen films on DVD/BD, and likely a dozen or so more. Dave

17 McLintock! (1963) w/ Maureen O’Hara
19 Horse Soldiers, The (1959) w/ Willian Holden
22 Big Trail, The (1930) w/ Tully Marshall
26 Rio Grande (1950) w/ Maureen O’Hara
29 Hatari! (1962) w/ Red Buttons
37 Angel & Badman (1947) w/ Gail Russell
39 In Harm’s Way (1965) w/ Kirk Douglas
42 Donovan’s Reef (1963) w/ Lee Marvin
52 Undefeated, The (1969) w/ Rock Hudson
56 North to Alaska (1960) w/ Stewart Granger

On this day in 1979, John Wayne, an iconic American film actor famous for starring in countless westerns, dies at age 72 after battling cancer for more than a decade. The actor was born Marion Morrison on May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, and moved as a child to Glendale, California. A football star at Glendale High School, he attended the University of Southern California on a scholarship but dropped out after two years. After finding work as a movie studio laborer, Wayne befriended director John Ford, then a rising talent. His first acting jobs were bit parts in which he was credited as Duke Morrison, a childhood nickname. (Source)

Wayne’s first starring role came in 1930 with The Big Trail, a film directed by his college buddy Raoul Walsh. It was during this time that Marion Morrison became “John Wayne,” when director Walsh didn’t think Marion was a good name for an actor playing a tough western hero. Despite the lead actor’s new name, however, the movie flopped. Throughout the 1930s, Wayne made dozens of mediocre westerns, sometimes churning out two movies a week. In them, he played various rough-and-tumble characters and occasionally appeared as “Singing Sandy,” a musical cowpoke a la Roy Rogers. (Source)

In 1939, Wayne finally had his breakthrough when his old friend John Ford cast him as Ringo Kid in the Oscar-winning Stagecoach. Wayne went on to play larger-than-life heroes in dozens of movies and came to symbolize a type of rugged, strong, straight-shooting American man. John Ford directed Wayne in some of his best-known films, including Fort Apache (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952) and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence(1962). (Source)

 

[scifan57]

John Wayne Dies This Day in 1979

For John Wayne fans (my wife is not one), the Duke died today in 1979 after a 10-year struggle w/ lung cancer; his first staring role was in the 1930 'widescreen' production The Big Trail - the film flopped at the box office and he was in numerous minor roles throughout the 30s until his 'breakthrough' role in 1939 in Stagecoach. He worked in many film genres although westerns predominate, however, he made many war films and was enjoyable in more comedic movies (e.g. McLintock!, Hatari!, Donovan's Reef, & North to Alaska); see the quotes below for more details of his life.

Rankings of his films vary w/ many google hits - the first image below is from HERE - I've just 'screen capture' the top 14 (first pic - based on the site's own rating system - "..UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score."); in part, I picked this listing because most of the films are also my favorites, but immediately below, I've added 10 more from the same list (w/ their rating) that I also enjoy - I own all of these 2 dozen films on DVD/BD, and likely a dozen or so more. Dave

17 McLintock! (1963) w/ Maureen O’Hara
19 Horse Soldiers, The (1959) w/ Willian Holden
22 Big Trail, The (1930) w/ Tully Marshall
26 Rio Grande (1950) w/ Maureen O’Hara
29 Hatari! (1962) w/ Red Buttons
37 Angel & Badman (1947) w/ Gail Russell
39 In Harm’s Way (1965) w/ Kirk Douglas
42 Donovan’s Reef (1963) w/ Lee Marvin
52 Undefeated, The (1969) w/ Rock Hudson
56 North to Alaska (1960) w/ Stewart Granger







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It’s hard to believe it’s been 38 years since his death.

 

[giradman]

Agree! And a similar amount of time between the 2 photos of him shown in my post - Dave

 

[giradman]

Loving Day

In 1967, the United States Supreme Court voided state laws in existence then that prohibited interracial marriage - the case was brought before the nation's top court by Mildred and Richard Loving from Virginia (see quotes below & link). This morning on NPR, their story was told along w/ an article on their website HERE. In 2016, the film Loving was released about them - we enjoyed and recommend. As seen from the pics below, Richard died young, killed by a drunken driver. Dave

Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967), is a landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court, which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The case was brought by Mildred Loving, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, who had been sentenced to a year in prison in Virginia for marrying each other. Their marriage violated the state's anti-miscegenation statute, the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which prohibited marriage between people classified as "white" and people classified as "colored". The Supreme Court's unanimous decision determined that this prohibition was unconstitutional, overruling Pace v. Alabama(1883) and ending all race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the United States. (Source)

The decision was followed by an increase in interracial marriages in the U.S., and is remembered annually on Loving Day, June 12. It has been the subject of several songs and three movies, including the 2016 film Loving. Beginning in 2013, it was cited as precedent in U.S. federal court decisions holding restrictions on same-sex marriage in the United Statesunconstitutional, including in the 2015 Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges. (Source)

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[giradman]

War of 1812 Begins - Continuation & End of the American Revolution?

The War of 1812 is one of the 'forgotten' American conflicts, but one that is often considered a 'final settlement' of issues between the young United States and the British Empire - quotes below provide more detail. The usual events remembered from this war are the burning of the White House (w/ Dolley Madison fleeing w/ the portrait of George Washington), the Ft. McHenry battle in Baltimore when Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the USA national anthem, and the Battle of New Orleans occurring after the peace treaty was signed, but which made Andrew Jackson a hero leading to his election as the 7th President of the United States.

NOW, the part of this war often little discussed is the conflict along the Canadian-American border, which was basically a civil war between British citizens in Canada, Americans in the United States, ex-patriot loyalists who migrated to Canada after the American Revolution, and Native Americans in the area - there were land and lake battles and the brutality was terrible - the pics below are self-explanatory, but the last two images show the long border between the countries in conflict and a book that I read a few years ago, i.e. The Civil War of 1812 - recommended! Dave

The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signs the declaration into law–and the War of 1812 begins. The American war declaration, opposed by a sizable minority in Congress, had been called in response to the British economic blockade of France, the induction of American seaman into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of hostile Indian tribes along the Great Lakes frontier. A faction of Congress known as the “War Hawks” had been advocating war with Britain for several years and had not hidden their hopes that a U.S. invasion of Canada might result in significant territorial land gains for the United States. (Source)

In the months after President Madison proclaimed the state of war to be in effect, American forces launched a three-point invasion of Canada, all of which were decisively unsuccessful. In 1814, with Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire collapsing, the British were able to allocate more military resources to the American war, and Washington, D.C., fell to the British in August. In Washington, British troops burned the White House, the Capitol, and other buildings in retaliation for the earlier burning of government buildings in Canada by U.S. soldiers. (Source)

In September, the tide of the war turned when Thomas Macdonough’s American naval force won a decisive victory at the Battle of Plattsburg Bay on Lake Champlain. The invading British army was forced to retreat back into Canada. The American victory on Lake Champlain led to the conclusion of U.S.-British peace negotiations in Belgium, and on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, formally ending the War of 1812. By the terms of the agreement, all conquered territory was to be returned, and a commission would be established to settle the boundary of the United States and Canada. (Source)

British forces assailing the Gulf Coast were not informed of the treaty in time, and on January 8, 1815, the U.S. forces under Andrew Jackson achieved the greatest American victory of the war at the Battle of New Orleans. The American public heard of Jackson’s victory and the Treaty of Ghent at approximately the same time, fostering a greater sentiment of self-confidence and shared identity throughout the young republic. (Source)

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[scifan57]

War of 1812 Begins - Continuation & End of the American Revolution?

The War of 1812 is one of the 'forgotten' American conflicts, but one that is often considered a 'final settlement' of issues between the young United States and the British Empire - quotes below provide more detail. The usual events remembered from this war are the burning of the White House (w/ Dolley Madison fleeing w/ the portrait of George Washington), the Ft. McHenry battle in Baltimore when Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the USA national anthem, and the Battle of New Orleans occurring after the peace treaty was signed, but which made Andrew Jackson a hero leading to his election as the 7th President of the United States.

NOW, the part of this war often little discussed is the conflict along the Canadian-American border, which was basically a civil war between British citizens in Canada, Americans in the United States, ex-patriot loyalists who migrated to Canada after the American Revolution, and Native Americans in the area - there were land and lake battles and the brutality was terrible - the pics below are self-explanatory, but the last two images show the long border between the countries in conflict and a book that I read a few years ago, i.e. The Civil War of 1812 - recommended! Dave








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If you're ever in Halifax, Nova Scotia and visit the Provincial Legislative Building, you'll notice a large cannon at the front if the building. It’s from the U.S.S. Chesapeake.

Here’s a painting of U.S.S. Chesapeake being escorted into Halifax Harbour by HMS Shannon after her capture.

 

[giradman]

If you're ever in Halifax, Nova Scotia and visit the Provincial Legislative Building, you'll notice a large cannon at the front if the building. It’s from the U.S.S. Chesapeake.
View attachment 78052

Here’s a painting of U.S.S. Chesapeake being escorted into Halifax Harbour by HMS Shannon after her capture.
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Hi SciFan.. - we did a wonderful trip to Nova Scotia & PEI probably 30 years ago (put 1200 miles on a rental car, as I recall!) - the venture included a couple of days in Halifax - we saw many sites there and probably viewed the cannon - just don't remember and have only a few digitized pics left from the trip.

But the comments on the USS Chesapeake piqued my interest - I'm well aware of a dozen or so naval battles during that war, including the one w/ the USS Constitution (painting below); but looking at this Wiki article of Naval Battles of War of 1812, over 40 conflicts are listed (shown below) - so, looking on Amazon for a book on this aspect of the war, I found the publication shown which is illustrated by the American Society of Marine Artists; not sure that I want to invest $30 vs. the cheaper Kindle edition? Just doubt that the e-copy will unlikely have the same colored illustrations - left a few questions on Amazon and curious if anyone will respond? Dave
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