Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Happy Birthday, Little Sis!

I was going to write an embarassing story about you for your birthday, but I couldn't think of any. Well, besides the haircutting incident, but I already wrote about that. I know there are plenty more, and I'm sure they'll all get posted here eventually, but at the moment I'm drawing a blank. And I thought about scanning that picture of us sitting on the couch in our Wonder Woman Under-roos, playing with Quiz-Wiz, but the only copy I have of it is on a VHS tape, and I couldn't figure out how to cut and paste that. Plus, I don't have a scanner. So that's a no-go too. I looked up your horoscope on The Onion, but that wasn't all that exciting either. So, for lack of a better idea, I researched this day in history. Here are some of the historical events that took place on your birthday:

February 1, 1261: Walter de Stapledon, an English Bishop, was born. I have no idea who he was, I just think it's neat that I found a date that far back.

February 1, 1790: The Supreme Court convened for the very first time, in New York City.

February 1, 1861: Texas secedes from the Union. If the Civil War had ended differently, I wonder who would be president today?

February 1, 1862: The poem "Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julia Ward Howe was published in the Atlantic Monthly.

February 1, 1884: The first volume of the Oxford English Dictionary A-Ant was published. The first volume! Of a dictionary! So, if you were looking up "anteater" I guess you were in luck, but you had to wait for the next volume if you needed to know how to spell "ardvark."

February 1, 1913: New York City's Grand Central Terminal opens as the world's largest train station. Given your history with trains, I thought you'd find that one interesting.

February 1, 1914: The first baseball game ever to be played in the Egyptian desert takes place as part of a 56-game world tour promoting baseball. The White Sox and the Giants tied 3-3. Hmm. I wonder what temperature the Egyptian desert is in February?

February 1, 1920: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police begin operations. Go, Dudley Do-Right!

February 1, 1938: Sherman Helmsley was born. Go, George Jefferson!

February 1, 1946: A press conference was held at the University of Pennsylvania to announce ENIAC, the first electronic digital computer.

February 1, 1952: A new method of tracking down users of unlicensed television sets in the U.K. is unveiled. Apparantly this was a big deal. The photo shows what looks like an army vehicle with the words TELEVISION DETECTOR VAN painted on the side, and a caption that reads "Up to 150,000 people do not have a television license." It's a good thing I don't live Britain, because I guess I'm one of them.

February 1, 1960: Four black college students began a series of sit-ins at a white-only lunch counter in a North Carolina Woolworth store.

February 1, 1965: The National League (baseball) adopts a disaster plan in case a team's plane crashes. I found that one on a baseball history site. Also, Princess Stephanie of Monaco was born. Wasn't she the rebellious one? I can never keep the royal families straight.

February 1, 1968: Lisa Marie Presely was born.

February 1, 1974: The "Good Times" sitcom premired. I guess Dad & Mom missed it, since they were likely at the hospital having you.

February 1, 1978: Roman Polanski (movie director and widower of actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the Mansons) skipped bail after pleading guilty to statuatory rape of a 13-year-old. He fled to Europe, where he continues to direct movies, including 1988's Frantic, 2002's Academy Award winning The Pianist, and 2005's Oliver Twist. I had no idea. I just rented Frantic a few weeks ago, and now I wish I didn't. How come nobody's arrested him?

Feburary 1, 1984: The chancellor of Great Britain announces the country will discontinue production of the Halfpenny coin. Miss Piggy's version of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" will never be the same.

February 1, 2004: Janet Jackson suffered a "wardrobe malfunction" at the Superbowl.

February 1, year unknown: In Roald Dahl's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willie Wonka gives his factory tour to the golden ticket prizewinners. I thought this was a better note to end on than good old Janet.

So, on your birthday, Little Sis, I hope you have lots of chocolate (whether you get a factory tour or not), and no wardrobe malfunctions. Also, I hope you don't get arrested for having an unlicensed TV (although the Supreme Court case for that one would be pretty interesting to follow).

Posted by The Gradual Gardener :: 11:02 AM :: 10 Comments:

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