Today, is a pretty good day for history. Most days are actually. You’d be downright surprised at the things that have happened in the past. Today’s past…. the Chinese Government seriously hacked the U.S Government’s Computer System. Easy-Peasy-Japanesey. I’m telling you, this is not a good piece of history. We’ll have to see how this one plays out.
But here are some more historical tidbits, from a little longer ago than just this afternoon.
In 781 BC the oldest recording of a solar eclipse occurred, in China. Yep. They were ahead of the game, even back then.
On a lighter note… no pun intended….. the Montgolfier brothers launched the VERY first hot-air balloon…. unmanned. This happened in 1783. Then, a year later… in 1784…. Madame Elizabeth Thible becomes the first female balloonist. I am pretty sure all of this happened in France. I wonder if sending a woman up… meant it was still… unmanned.
Here is one of my favorites. In 1892, the Sierra Club was formed in San Francisco, California. Good Club. All about the environment.
And then… the whole world changed. In 1896….. a Mr. Henry Ford took his first Ford Automobile through streets of Detroit. I think he was tooting his own horn.
And then… MY whole world changed. You see… in 1907, the automatic washer & dryer were introduced. This is very good news for me… Ms. “OCD Lover of Clean Clothes”
On this date in 1964, those good old Beatles started their World Tour in Copenhagen Denmark. The titles of some of their songs create a synopsis of my life… I think. You see I started out looking like a Walrus until I was about 2 years old. Hence, “I am the Walrus.” And they skip around from there… including “I’m So Tired”… “The Long and Winding Road”… “Fixing A Hole”…. “The Fool on the Hill” and “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey.”
Finally, and perhaps my favorite historical fact for today… a long time ago… in the year 1070 … in a cave far, far away… a cave in Roquefort, France to be exact… my very favorite Roquefort cheese was created. There is a lot to be said for being Bleu.
I am telling you. The list for June 4th goes on, and on, for some very extraordinary occurrences. Many are happy. Many are sad. And many are just super. Like in 1967… The Monkees took home an Emmy for their Outstanding Comedy Series. Now that is worth laughing about.
So it just goes to show you… on any given day… anywhere… something spectacular can happen. Just grab any day in history, and you will find this to be true.
So… when WE wake up each day… maybe our first thought should be… “Something spectacular is going to happen today. “ And as the Beatles so aptly put… “Across the Universe”…. “Let It Be”…”Here, There, and Everywhere.”
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness. — Lucius Annaeus Seneca
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. — Confucius
In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. — Nikos Kazantzakis
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. — Thomas A. Edison