Welcome to the Wannaskan Almanac for Saturday, April 28th.
I am in no way a history buff. The ladies in book club ladies can testify to how terrible I am at recounting stories or historical events with any semblance of accuracy. But, this Wannaskan Almanac blog has grown on me. I look forward to learning about which historical events occurred, and whose birthday it is, on this day. Here are some highlights that caught my attention including an occasional annotation.
357 Constantius II visits Rome for the first time. That "first time" caught my eye. So I looked it once. He was doing a lot of fighting, trying to hold down the proverbial fort, keeping him at his base camp in Mediolanum, i.e. present day Milan (which I have visited.) Learn more here.
up and it turns out that, despite being the Emperor of the Roman Empire, he only visited Rome
1282 Sicilian Vespers: Villagers in Palermo lead a revolt against French rule in Sicily. - This France/Italy connection made me think of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was born Napoleone di Buonaparte in Corsica to a relatively modest family of Italian ancestry from the minor nobility. He went on to become a military general in the French army and the first emperor of France. He is considered one of the world's greatest military leaders. However, after the failed Battle of Waterloo, he was exiled to the extremely remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Wowza! I remember learning about this in the 6th grade - I think I even wrote a report about Napolean. My 6th grade mind placed the island just off the boot of Italy. Boy, was I off. Way, way, way off. Take a look! Last night I watched The Last Jedi and Luke Skywalker's island reminded me of St. Helena.
1635 Virginia Governor John Harvey is accused of treason and removed from office. - Lesson learned: Human nature doesn't change.
1760 - French forces besieging Quebec defeat the British in the second Battle on the Plains of Abraham. I'm particularly interested in this fun fact because the Warbotics - Warroad's Lego League team I wrote about here - is currently at the FIRST (Worlds) Championship in Detroit, Michigan. Their neighbor in the pits is a team from Quebec, Canada - Les Huskies. Interestingly enough, the team on the other side - The Airbots - is from Galway, Ireland. I referenced this place on my St. Patrick's Day post.
1818 President James Monroe proclaims naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. - I spent half of my childhood on Lake Superior. Reading this fun fact makes me feel protective, proud of and nostalgic for this Great Lake. And a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the President for having a birthday ON THIS DAY as well - April 28, 1758.
1910 The first night air flight is performed by Claude Grahame-White in England.
My oldest son is interested in becoming a pilot. As a mother, I worry about safety. I know there's a greater statistical chance of being injured in a car than in a plane. In fact, according to this article at curiosity.com, "The odds of a plane crash are one for every 1.2 million flights, with odds of dying one in 11 million. Your chances of dying in a car or traffic accident are one in 5,000." However, it seems to me if you do get injured in a plane, that injury is a doozy. P.S. I hope our resident poet, Jack Pine Savage, enjoys this fun fact on flight. If you haven't yet, read her poem Ghost Flyers and some aviation history on her W.A. blog post here!
1930 The first organized night baseball game is played in Independence, Kansas. - This is for all of you who love baseball and are gearing up for the new season. But, bad news, folks! The link about this fun fact takes you to a 2012 article stating the stadium would be torn down.
1932 A yellow fever vaccine for humans is announced.
1945 Benito Mussolini is killed by Italian partisans. - Here's a fascinating account of Mussolini's last 70 hours.
1946 The Allies indict Tojo on 55 counts of war crimes - Japan's Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo was responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He shot himself in the chest just before he was arrested by the US Military in 1945. Tojo survived and after being nursed back to health was tried for war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
1947 Kon Tiki Expedition - Norwegian anthropologist, Thor Heyerdahl, and five others set out in a balsa woodcraft known as Kon Tiki from Peru in South America to cross the 4000 miles of Pacific Ocean to prove that the Polynesian Islands were settled in a similar way thousands of years ago. This sounds like the beginnings of a joke.Five Norwegians and a Swede head out on a raft... All kidding aside, the history of the Kon Tiki is fascinating and I'm adding a visit to the Kon Tiki Museum in Oslo to my bucket list! Click here to find out if they made it to Polynesia!
1953 French troops evacuate northern Laos. - This fun fact reminds me just how far reaching the French were in their rule abroad. In today's listing only: Sicily, Quebec, Laos. Here's a list of French possessions and colonies.
1967 Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army after his local draft board rejects his application to be classified as a conscientious objector for religious reasons. (He is a Muslim.) Ali will subsequently be banned from boxing, stripped of his titles, and convicted of draft evasion. In 1971, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court will overturn his conviction. [From MHQ—The Quarterly Journal of Military History]
1969 Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France.
2008 - New Zealand Colossal Squid found. A rarely found Colossal Squid 34 feet long, and
weighing 1/2 ton squid is being dissected to help understand a little more about rare animal that lives largely in the cold Antarctic waters. The squid is believed to grow up to 50 ft long a similar length to the sperm whale they are believed to tussle with in the depths of the ocean. - Thanks to those fun fact books the kids bring home from the library, I really would love to see a Colossal Squid someday. They say that the ocean is the least unexplored place on Earth. I love to imagine what's down there. While I'm not much of an angler, on this note, I absolutely love, love, love watching River Monsters with Jeremy Wade. If you like mystery, intrigue and travel - you will like this show!
1878 Lionel Barrymore, American stage, screen and radio actor.
1892 John Jacob Niles, American folk singer and folklorist.
1898 William Soutar, Scottish poet.
1902 Johan Borgen, Norwegian novelist.
1912 Odette Hallowes, British secret agent.
1926 Harper Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (To Kill a Mockingbird).
1930 James Baker III, Cabinet secretary for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
1936 Kenneth White, poet and essayist.
1937 Jean Redpath, Scottish folk singer.
1953 MY MOTHER
Yes! Today my mom turns 65, a significant number to me because she has now lived more years than my dad who died at the age of 64 in 2012. We implicitly expect parents to die before their children, but are we ever really prepared when it actually happens? I felt my father's absence keenly when he suddenly passed. My mom is my rock in so many ways. I call her weekly for advice. And yes, I still call her first whenever I get sick. (The benefit of having your mom be a nurse.) I wonder, though, even if I'm not a nurse, if I will be my kids' first phone call when they get sick as adults.
True to her Minnesota nature, she will be thoroughly embarrassed I mentioned her here on the blog and is sure to GROUND ME FOR LIFE. For this reason, I won't post any photos of her. (Anyone want to a place a bet on how long it takes her to text/call to scold me?)
Instead, Mom, I wish you another year filled with good health, happy adventures and joy in your heart.
In closing, I wouldn't be a true Minnesotan either without talking about the weather. The rivers and lakes have melted back to their liquid state. Here's a video of an otter out exploring by Doc's Harbor Inn right on the river in Warroad.
Make it a great Saturday!
Kim
I am in no way a history buff. The ladies in book club ladies can testify to how terrible I am at recounting stories or historical events with any semblance of accuracy. But, this Wannaskan Almanac blog has grown on me. I look forward to learning about which historical events occurred, and whose birthday it is, on this day. Here are some highlights that caught my attention including an occasional annotation.
On This Day
 |
| Constantinus II |
up and it turns out that, despite being the Emperor of the Roman Empire, he only visited Rome
1282 Sicilian Vespers: Villagers in Palermo lead a revolt against French rule in Sicily. - This France/Italy connection made me think of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was born Napoleone di Buonaparte in Corsica to a relatively modest family of Italian ancestry from the minor nobility. He went on to become a military general in the French army and the first emperor of France. He is considered one of the world's greatest military leaders. However, after the failed Battle of Waterloo, he was exiled to the extremely remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Wowza! I remember learning about this in the 6th grade - I think I even wrote a report about Napolean. My 6th grade mind placed the island just off the boot of Italy. Boy, was I off. Way, way, way off. Take a look! Last night I watched The Last Jedi and Luke Skywalker's island reminded me of St. Helena.
 |
| St. Helena |
1760 - French forces besieging Quebec defeat the British in the second Battle on the Plains of Abraham. I'm particularly interested in this fun fact because the Warbotics - Warroad's Lego League team I wrote about here - is currently at the FIRST (Worlds) Championship in Detroit, Michigan. Their neighbor in the pits is a team from Quebec, Canada - Les Huskies. Interestingly enough, the team on the other side - The Airbots - is from Galway, Ireland. I referenced this place on my St. Patrick's Day post.
1818 President James Monroe proclaims naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. - I spent half of my childhood on Lake Superior. Reading this fun fact makes me feel protective, proud of and nostalgic for this Great Lake. And a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the President for having a birthday ON THIS DAY as well - April 28, 1758.
1910 The first night air flight is performed by Claude Grahame-White in England.
 |
| Claude Graham-White |
1930 The first organized night baseball game is played in Independence, Kansas. - This is for all of you who love baseball and are gearing up for the new season. But, bad news, folks! The link about this fun fact takes you to a 2012 article stating the stadium would be torn down.
1932 A yellow fever vaccine for humans is announced.
1945 Benito Mussolini is killed by Italian partisans. - Here's a fascinating account of Mussolini's last 70 hours.
1946 The Allies indict Tojo on 55 counts of war crimes - Japan's Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo was responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He shot himself in the chest just before he was arrested by the US Military in 1945. Tojo survived and after being nursed back to health was tried for war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
 |
| Kon Tiki |
1953 French troops evacuate northern Laos. - This fun fact reminds me just how far reaching the French were in their rule abroad. In today's listing only: Sicily, Quebec, Laos. Here's a list of French possessions and colonies.
1967 Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses to be inducted into the U.S. Army after his local draft board rejects his application to be classified as a conscientious objector for religious reasons. (He is a Muslim.) Ali will subsequently be banned from boxing, stripped of his titles, and convicted of draft evasion. In 1971, in a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court will overturn his conviction. [From MHQ—The Quarterly Journal of Military History]
1969 Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France.
2008 - New Zealand Colossal Squid found. A rarely found Colossal Squid 34 feet long, and
weighing 1/2 ton squid is being dissected to help understand a little more about rare animal that lives largely in the cold Antarctic waters. The squid is believed to grow up to 50 ft long a similar length to the sperm whale they are believed to tussle with in the depths of the ocean. - Thanks to those fun fact books the kids bring home from the library, I really would love to see a Colossal Squid someday. They say that the ocean is the least unexplored place on Earth. I love to imagine what's down there. While I'm not much of an angler, on this note, I absolutely love, love, love watching River Monsters with Jeremy Wade. If you like mystery, intrigue and travel - you will like this show!Happy Birthday to You!🎶
1442 Edward IV, king of England (1461-1470, 1471-1483)
1892 John Jacob Niles, American folk singer and folklorist.
1898 William Soutar, Scottish poet.
1902 Johan Borgen, Norwegian novelist.
1912 Odette Hallowes, British secret agent.
1926 Harper Lee, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (To Kill a Mockingbird).
1930 James Baker III, Cabinet secretary for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
1936 Kenneth White, poet and essayist.
1937 Jean Redpath, Scottish folk singer.
1953 MY MOTHER
Yes! Today my mom turns 65, a significant number to me because she has now lived more years than my dad who died at the age of 64 in 2012. We implicitly expect parents to die before their children, but are we ever really prepared when it actually happens? I felt my father's absence keenly when he suddenly passed. My mom is my rock in so many ways. I call her weekly for advice. And yes, I still call her first whenever I get sick. (The benefit of having your mom be a nurse.) I wonder, though, even if I'm not a nurse, if I will be my kids' first phone call when they get sick as adults.
True to her Minnesota nature, she will be thoroughly embarrassed I mentioned her here on the blog and is sure to GROUND ME FOR LIFE. For this reason, I won't post any photos of her. (Anyone want to a place a bet on how long it takes her to text/call to scold me?)
Kim
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