There’s so much to be said about October 9th, historically.
So here it goes. I will list some of the incredibly epic events and say something about each one.
This is what happened, through the years, on October 9:
869 — Charles the Bald crowned king of Lotharingen.
First of all, Lotharingen was a big place, including parts of France, Germany, and the Netherlands. But most importantly, I think you should know. It was plain to see. Charles was bald when they slipped that crown on his head.
1410 — Earliest mention of Prague’s astronomical clock, the world’s oldest still in operation, built by Mikuláš of Kadaň and Jan Šindel.
I have seen that clock. It was working when I was there. Crowds gathered to cheer it on and take selfies with it. Tick Tock.
1635 — Religious dissident Roger Williams is banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony.
He was a staunch advocate for freedom, separation of church and state, and fair dealings with the Native Americans. So, the Puritans banned him from the colony. Sounds similar to certain people of today’s political arena.
1716 — Britain & France sign treaty.
The historical “entry” doesn’t say what treaty. Or why they signed it. Only that they did. It must not have been a very good treaty, as they were back at each other’s throats in no time at all.
1817 — The University of Gent officially opens.
Is that Gent with a hard G, like Girls? Or Gent with a soft G, like Gentlemen? And who did they let in?
These days, it is Ghent. And it is in Belgium. Where you can get waffles, I’m told. So who cares about the Gs?
1865 — First US underground pipeline for carrying oil is laid in Pennsylvania.
And so it began.
1926 — NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) forms.
The Peacock is born. Funny name for a bird or a TV Mascot.
1930 — First transcontinental flight by a woman completed, Laura Ingalls.
I’m pretty sure this is not the Little House On The Prairie, Laura Ingalls. As I found out, Laura Houghtaling Ingalls (December 14, 1893 – January 10, 1967) was an American pilot. She was arrested in December 1941 and convicted of failing to register as a paid Nazi agent. As such, she served 20 months in prison. The Nazis had encouraged her to speak at events of the America First Committee. And. Laura Houghtaling Ingalls was a distant cousin of Little House on the Prairie’s Laura Ingalls Wilder and became a friend of her daughter Rose Wilder Lane.
Apparently, it is a small, small world.
Afterall.
Which brings me to the final historical fact.
1947 — First telephone conversation between occupants of a moving car and an airplane.
Now, this really had to be something. I have no idea about the logistics of this one, back in 1947. Those must have been some big telephone poles.
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“Not in doing what you like, but in liking what you do is the secret of happiness.” —J.M. Barrie (August 1933)
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“My father used to say, ‘Don’t raise your voice. Improve your argument.'” —Archbishop Desmond Tutu (January 2008)
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“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it.” —Henry Ford (June 1922)
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