A lot of things happened on this date, historically. All of them notable, Some good, some bad, but all notable.
The first one that struck me was Washington State. On November 11, 1889, they became an official member of the United States. We got them apples, alrighty. They were the 42nd state to come on board. But. There must have been some kind of package deal going on at the time. North and South Dakota were admitted nine days earlier, and Montana was crowned three days before. Four-for-one on states. Also, to note. Arizona was the last contiguous state to be admitted on February 14, 1912. Then Alaska. Then Hawaii.
Completely shifting gears, to the cool side of history: Albert Einstein got a patent. Yes. On November 11, 1930, the patent number US1781541 was awarded to Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd for their invention of the Einstein refrigerator.
I had not heard of an Einstein refrigerator before today. It is an absorption refrigerator which has no moving parts. Albert and Leo devised that it would operate at constant pressure and required only a heat source to operate. So, why the buzz? The two scientists were motivated by newspaper reports out of Berlin. A family had been killed when a seal in their refrigerator failed and leaked toxic fumes into their home. So they came up with a device without any moving parts and eliminate the potential for seal failure. But it never really went anywhere after the patent, except for demonstrations. My Dad designed refrigerators during Frigidaire’s glory days. They didn’t make them any better, Albert, Leo.
On to the next? Belgium. Not the waffles, the country. On November 11, 1896, a guy named Jules Vandenpeereboom became Belgium’s minister of war. This is truly no big deal. I just liked his last name, Vandenpeereboom. A name like Vandenpeereboom, makes Kronenberger seem kind of tame.
Since we are speaking about war, on this date in 1864, General Sherman’s troops destroyed Rome, Georgia. Again, another casualty of the Civil War. But it brings me to something much different. When cities and states were picking out names, someone should have made those naming people behave uniquely. Like Georgia. There’s a country named Georgia. I don’t know which came first, but the other should have had to pick a different name. Same with Rome. There was already a Rome in Italy. Find another name. It is a big alphabet, by god. Do something with it. There are so many Salems, and Hamiltons, and Columbus’, it’s tiring, really. Use your words, Timmy.
More war stories. In 1921, our U.S. President Warren G. Harding dedicated the Tomb of Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetery. In Arlington, Virginia. But here is a little know fact. They wanted to make sure it was a truly random selection. So, they exhumed four unknown soldiers from four different WWI American cemeteries in France.
They let a soldier pick the casket, a guy who was wounded in the war. His name was U.S. Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger. They lined up the four identical caskets. Younger chose the third casket from the left by placing a spray of white roses on it. That soldier was transported to the U.S. on the USS Olympia. The other three were reburied at Meuse Argonne American Cemetery in France.
Not war, but peace. So. Finally, this. On November 11, 1968, John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared nude on the cover of “2 Virgins” album. It was really, in my opinion, something we didn’t need to see. The absolute reverse of the old childhood phrase — we should be seen and not heard. To John and Yoko, the opposite. I say, let’s hear you, but we don’t need to see you. Nakers.
Just the fact, ma’am. Just the facts.
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“Life is trying things to see if they work.” -Ray Bradbury
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“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Leaky refrigerators and naked albums. Historically speaking.
