Today in Herstory: Van Gogh, The Blues, Seward’s Folly,
Amelia Earhart, Melanie Klein and who invented the Pencil. It could be a
Jeopardy Question. We even have a couple assassination attempts. One succeeded,
one failed.
1842 the first surgery using an anesthetic (ether)
was carried out by Dr. Crawford Long of Jefferson, Ga. http://www.anes.uab.edu/aneshist/anesnet.htm
1853 a patent was granted to Hyman
Lipman for a pencil with an eraser. The patent was later erased. here’s
more on putting pencil to paper
1867 Sewards Folly became a reality. Alaska was acquired for 2 cents an acre.
1870 the 15th Amendment went into effect
giving Black men the right to vote.
1909 The Queensboro
Bridge linking Manhattan
to Queens.opened.
1919 Gandhi announces resistance against the Rowlatt
Act
1932 Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo cross
the Atlantic
1948 Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated in New Delhi by a Hindu extremist
1964 Jeopardy debuted on NBC. Another of Merv Griffins
creations.
1981 Reagan survives an assassination attempt by John
Hinckley. Blame it all on Jodie Foster and Travis Bickle.
1987 "Sunflowers" by Van Gogh was sold at a London auction for $39.7
million. How about a Poster.
2002 Elizabeth, Queen Mother, (Queen mum) died at age 101
Notable Birthdays
1672 Peter I "the Great" Romanov
of Russia
(1682-1725)
1674 Jethro Tull agricultural writer (not the rock group)
invented the seed drill
1810 Ann
Sophia Stephens editor of periodicals and writer of Dime novels. The Old
Homestead is available on Project Gutenberg
1853 Vincent
Van Gogh killed himself at the age of 37. Found an interesting Site called
the Humanistic
Art homepage which links sites including Vermeer, Nabokov and Melville.
These are artists who were rejected, ignored and ridiculed while Alive
1863 Mary
Whiton Calkins first women President of the American Psychological
Association.
1867 Jessie Donaldson Hodder prison reformer in Massachusetts. When her
common-law husband rejected her and their two children, she found work in the New York State prison
system and developed reforms that became the model for the nation by giving
women prisoners dignity, a chance to reform and receive an education.
1880 Irish playwright Sean O’Casey
1882 Melanie
Klein Austrian/British psycho analyst. Developed techniques for children.
1914 Sonny Boy Williamson [John Lee] blues musician (Down
& Out Blues)There were actually two that went by that name
1945 Eric Clapton
[Eric Patrick Clapp] Ripley England,
legendary guitarist/singer (Yardbirds, Cream, Tears in Heaven)
Quote for Today
It is not easy to be a nun. It is a life of sacrifice and
self-abnegation. It is a life against nature. Poverty, chastity and obedience
are extremely difficult. But there are always the graces if you will pray for
them.
— Kathryn Hulme
