Gilbert M. Stack's Blog, page 112

Why January 1 Is the New Year

In the early days of Rome, the calendar had only ten months and the winter period now covered by January and February were considered to be monthless. Possibly mythical king, Numa Pompilius, successor to King Romulus (founder of Rome) instituted the months of January and February. January was considered to be the door to the new year.

During the Middle Ages, the new year was sometimes considered to be opened by the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25 (when the Angel Gabriel was believed to have told Mary she would conceive Jesus) and at other times on Christmas Day. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that Europeans returned to celebrating January 1 as the opening of the new year.

Today in History: New Year's Eve at Times Square

On this day (December 31) in 1907 Times Square held its first New Year’s Eve celebration was held in Times Square. It wasn’t called Times Square back then. Its formal name was Longacre Square, but it was better known by the nickname, the Thieves Lair.

Today in History: The Battle of Englefield

On this day (December 31) in 870, Earl Aethulwulf defeated the Danes at the Battle of Englefield in modern day Berkshire. It was one of many back and forth battles in the invasion which almost ended Anglo-Saxon independence in England. The Danes were driven back to their fortification in Reading where four days later, King Ethelred, and his brother who would become Alfred the Great, assaulted the Vikings with the main West Saxon army. They were defeated and Earl Aethulwulf, who had led the defense four days earlier, was killed.

Today in History: The Incandescent Light Bulb

On this day (December 31) in 1879 Thomas Edison demonstrated the incandescent light bulb in public for the first time. The light bulb is one of those inventions that changed our entire world. Take a moment and look around you right now and think about how light inhabits our living space and our work space and our public spaces and our world. Imagine it. You can actually see the lights of our continents from outer space. And you can see the face of your wife (or partner) or your child as they lay sleeping no matter how late the hour. You can read or write no matter what time it is. And if you stop to think for just a moment each of you reading this could add something important in your life that you couldn’t enjoy if the world was dark after sunset. You might share those thoughts in the comments section. And you might say Thank You to Thomas Edison.

Today in History: The Deadliest Single-Building Fire In US History

On this day (December 30) in 1903, the Iroquois Theater Fire killed at least 602 people in Chicago. It remains the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. The Iroquois theater had opened less than two months before and had been advertised as “absolutely fireproof” despite glaring inadequacies such as too few exits and a lack of a sprinkler system. When these inadequacies were brought to the attention of the fire warden by a Chicago Fire Department captain the warden told him that the syndicate owning the building would fire him if he told them how dangerous the building was.

That proved to be most unfortunate when during a sold out performance (seating capacity was 1602 plus standing room for another 500-600 people) a short circuit caused an arc light to spark setting a muslin curtain on fire. The flames quickly spread to canvas scenery flats. An attempt to lower an asbestos fire curtain failed (but the curtain was not actually fire proof and wouldn’t have helped anyway) and the actors fled off the stage and out the rear exit. Opening the rear exit let winter wind in which spread the flames faster. The few existing fire doors were locked and most were never successfully opened. The crowd was mostly women and children. Many were trampled in the rush for the exit. Corpses were piled ten high around the doors and windows as people succumbed to the smoke and others tried (often unsuccessfully) to crawl over them and escape.

In the aftermath of the fire, many people were charged with crimes including Chicago’s mayor, Carter Harrison Jr., but the delaying tactics of the theater owners’ lawyers succeeded in getting almost all charges dropped three years later. The only successful prosecution related to the fire was a tavern owner convicted of grave robbing (presumably for looting the dead after the fire).

Today in History: Thomas Beckett Was Assassinated

On this day (December 29) in 1170 Thomas Beckett was assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral. Beckett and Henry II had only just resolved their differences over the Constitutions of Clarendon which Beckett claimed to have agreed with in substance but refused to sign. Returning to Canterbury, Beckett became enraged when he learned that the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Salisbury had crowned Henry II’s heir, Henry the Young King, violating Canterbury’s Privilege of Coronation. He excommunicated the three bishops and then began excommunicating others of his enemies. Upon hearing of his new troubles with Beckett, Henry is supposed to have thrown up his hands and exclaimed: “Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?” Four of his knights interpreted this as a royal command, journeyed to Canterbury and murdered Beckett in his cathedral.

Beckett had not been particularly popular in life even with his fellow churchmen, but in martyrdom he became a symbol of the independent church. Henry II almost certainly did not want him murdered. He was too intelligent and capable of a politician to think that murdering an archbishop could help his cause. But he was saddled with the blame for the crime and did penance for it before brilliantly turning Beckett into a posthumous saintly supporter and patron of his house during a rebellion against him in 1174.

Today in History: The Endangered Species Act

On this day (December Twenty-Eight) in 1973 the United States enacted The Endangered Species Act of 1973. This law overhauled previous legislation designed to protect species from extinction by including protection of the animals’ habitat within the law.

Today in History: The Laws of Burgos

On this day (December 27) in 1512 the Kingdom of Castile promulgated the Laws of Burgos to regulate the treatment of the native population in its new world territory. There are 35 rules in the document and are mostly concerned with converting the natives to Catholicism (a mission which many Spanish believed explained why God had permitted them to discover and colonize the new world). The laws also regulated the work, pay, housing, hygiene and care of the natives, as well as limiting the punishment of natives to Spanish officials. The tone is surprisingly protective of the natives, especially when one considers the abuses which we know were happening.

Today in History: The Battle of Trenton

On this day (December 26) in 1776 George Washington and the Continental Army defeated the British at Trenton after a night crossing of the Delaware River. The offensive was a desperation attack on the part of Washington as his own army threatened to fall apart through a combination of desertions, ends of enlistment terms and incredibly low morale after the defeats in New York and being chased by the British across New Jersey. Washington’s forces surrounded Trenton and its garrison of 1500 Hessian mercenaries. The Hessians were totally unprepared for the attack. (It was Christmas night, after all.) Washington captured approximately two-thirds of them at the cost of five wounded soldiers and two dead (both died of exposure due to the weather and crossing).

Not only did the Battle of Trenton restore morale in the army and encourage many soldiers to reenlist, but it gave the Continental Congress new confidence that the young United States could win the revolution.

Today in History: The Eggnog Riot!

On this day (December 25) in 1826 the notorious Eggnog Riot began at the United States Military Academy at West Point. (And no, you can’t make these things up.) Several cadets, drunk on spiked eggnog, got rowdy in the North Barracks and resisted continued efforts to calm them down. Property was damaged and a couple of assaults occurred. Weapons were brandished and fired. The rowdiness was termed a “mutiny” by the head of the school and eventually included between fifty and ninety cadets having way too good a time.

Things got even more confused when several cadets believed they had received orders to police the North Barracks which led to fights with other drunken cadets. All in all $168.83 (roughly $3,500 today) worth of property damage was committed. 22 cadets were arrested and tried over the riot. One of their judges was a faculty member involved in policing the riot which seems strange as he should have been a witness not a judge. The Secretary of War and President Monroe had to review the sentences which included twenty courts martial with most of the students found guilty and expelled.