Today in History

Today in 1952, Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Fletcher and Lieutenant Colonel William Benedict, flying a modified C47, becomes the first aircraft to land on the North Pole. A moment later, Fletcher climbed out of the plane and walked to the exact geographic North Pole, probably the first person in history to do so.

LizzieMaine said:

I've always had the sense that engineering types tend not to go in so heavily for the empathetic side of things: they tend to view situations more as blunt mechanical problems -- how to get from X to Y -- than as human problems demanding more complex solutions than simply X into Y equals Z. That would describe Mr. Hoover's mental processes to a T, unfortunately for a man in his particular circumstances. He was not the only man of his time to be so limited -- the whole "technocracy" movement/cult of the early 1930s sought to take the human factor out of the equation entirely -- but he was the one in the highest position of power. I don't think it's too surprising that Hoover was the only actual engineer ever to serve as president.

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He certainly locked on to a particular mindset and didn't seem to be able to let go of it. He felt no small amount of frustration with two leaders of his own party- Thomas Dewey and Dwight Eisenhower- because he felt that they were too unwilling to retreat from what he felt were the excesses of the New Deal.

That said, he certainly was capable of putting partisan convictions aside to get the work of government done when asked. He developed a friendship with Harry Truman and assisted in post World War II hunger relief and efforts to make the Federal bureaucracy more efficient. Harry was still not shy during his whistle stop campaign of '48 about reminding voters of Hoovervilles and such that could be the result of electing Thomas Dewey and members of his party, but "that was politics." We might call it cognitive dissonance today, but HST saw it differently.

That whole 1948 campaign was scabrous from the word go. Those who think politicians of the Era always conducted themselves with respect and dignity should take a long hard look at the cheap and sleazy rhetoric that flew from every direction. Harry flung mud by the bucket at anybody who crossed him, and Dewey tried to paint himself as the "high minded" choice, despite being surrounded by an army of henchmen and sycophants who slung equal amounts of mud on his behalf. The only one in that race who didn't take the low road from the first day out was Henry Wallace.

LizzieMaine said:

That whole 1948 campaign was scabrous from the word go. Those who think politicians of the Era always conducted themselves with respect and dignity should take a long hard look at the cheap and sleazy rhetoric that flew from every direction. Harry flung mud by the bucket at anybody who crossed him, and Dewey tried to paint himself as the "high minded" choice, despite being surrounded by an army of henchmen and sycophants who slung equal amounts of mud on his behalf. The only one in that race who didn't take the low road from the first day out was Henry Wallace.

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Wallace was clearly a victim (perhaps that isn't the right word) of the electoral system. At day's end he didn't garner a single electoral vote. Would his 2.4% popular vote have earned him a few seats in a parliamentary body? Not sure.

Wallace's running mate, Sen. Glen H. Taylor of Idaho was, to put it politely, somewhat of a character. Reading the details of his life I can see why he was regarded as a crank in 1948. Perhaps the real problem was that the Wallace- Taylor ticket was 20 years ahead of its time?

Taylor was unforgettable. During the peak of the postwar housing shortage, he and his family stood on the steps of the Capitol, and he broke out his cowboy guitar and sang, in a delightfully reedy tenor:

"Oh give me a hoooooome
Near the Capitol doooooome
With a yarrrrrd where the chilllllldren can playyyyy
Jest one roooom or twooooo
Any ole thang will doooooo
Oh we cain't find no plaaaaace to stayyyyyy"

On May 7, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender, finalizing World War 2 in Europe.

May 9 1915, Anglo-French forces fighting in World War I launch their first combined attempt to break through the heavily fortified German trench lines on the Western Front in France.

The attack failed badly, with many casualties.

1mach1 said:

...The attack failed badly, with many casualties.

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That about sums up WWI in its entirety.

I didn't write this, but I wish I had:

* * * * * * * *
IF WORLD WAR I WAS A BAR FIGHT

Germany, Austria and Italy are standing together in the middle of a pub when Serbia bumps into Austria and spills Austria's pint. Austria demands Serbia buy it a complete new suit because there are splashes on its trouser leg. Germany expresses its support for Austria's point of view. Britain recommends that everyone calm down a bit.

Serbia points out that it can't afford a whole suit, but offers to pay for the cleaning of Austria's trousers. Russia and Serbia look at Austria. Austria asks Serbia who it's looking at. Russia suggests that Austria should leave its little brother alone. Austria inquires as to whose army will assist Russia in compelling it to do so. Germany appeals to Britain that France has been looking at it, and that this is sufficiently out of order that Britain should not intervene. Britain replies that France can look at who it wants to, that Britain is looking at Germany too, and what is Germany going to do about it? Germany tells Russia to stop looking at Austria, or Germany will render Russia incapable of such action. Britain and France ask Germany whether it's looking at Belgium.

Turkey and Germany go off into a corner and whisper. When they come back, Turkey makes a show of not looking at anyone. Germany rolls up its sleeves, looks at France, and punches Belgium. France and Britain punch Germany. Austria punches Russia. Germany punches Britain and France with one hand and Russia with the other. Russia throws a punch at Germany, but misses and nearly falls over. Japan calls over from the other side of the room that it's on Britain's side, but stays there. Italy surprises everyone by punching Austria. Australia punches Turkey, and gets punched back. There are no hard feelings because Britain made Australia do it. France gets thrown through a plate glass window, but gets back up and carries on fighting. Russia gets thrown through another one, gets knocked out, suffers brain damage, and wakes up with a complete personality change. Italy throws a punch at Austria and misses, but Austria falls over anyway.

Italy raises both fists in the air and runs round the room chanting. America waits till Germany is about to fall over from sustained punching from Britain and France, then walks over and smashes it with a barstool, then pretends it won the fight all by itself. By now all the chairs are broken and the big mirror over the bar is shattered. Britain, France and America agree that Germany threw the first punch, so the whole thing is Germany's fault . While Germany is still unconscious, they go through its pockets, steal its wallet, and buy drinks for all their friends.

Thomas Stonewall Jackson died on this date, May 10, 1863.

Not actually today but only 24hrs ago. The lesser known Civil War Battle of Cloyd's Mountain May 9, 1864. Sometimes called the bloodiest hour of the entire war. Gen Crook led troops out of the Kanawha Valley with orders to cut the Virginia-Tennessee rail line. Lee's last line of supplies. Opposed by CSA Gen Albert Jenkins who was mortally wounded. Replaced by Gen John McCausland who later burned Chambersburg, PA in retaliation for Union Gen David Hunter destroying personal property in the Shenandoah Valley.

May 11 1981, Bob Marley died.

May 21, 1927. Charles Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane near Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

May 22, 1992. Johnny Carson's final appearance on The Tonight Show on NBC, after 30 years as the host.

MAY 23, 1934

On this day in 1934, wanted outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker are shot to death by Texas and Louisiana state police officers as they attempt to escape apprehension in a stolen 1934 Ford Deluxe near Bienville Parish, Louisiana.

Today in 1977, Star Wars hits American theaters.

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1mach1 said:

Today in 1977, Star Wars hits American theaters.

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40 years later I still haven't seen it.