Gilbert M. Stack's Blog, page 138
May 4, 2018
Today in History: The Old Man and the Sea
On this day (May 4) in 1953, Ernest Hemmingway won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel, The Old Man and the Sea. This book was widely assigned to high school students when I was that age (perhaps it still is). I remember it as primarily an adventure story with a tragic ending, but obviously others considered it to be much more than that or it wouldn’t have won the Pulitzer.
May 3, 2018
Today in History: Gone with the Wind
On this day (May 3) in 1937, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Gone with the Wind is probably better known for the Academy Award winning movie adaptation starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Despite a great deal of controversy over the depiction of African Americans in both the book and film, a 2008 Harris Poll ranked Gone With the Wind as the all-time second favorite book by American readers (the bible was number one).
May 2, 2018
Today in History: Anne Boleyn
On this day (May 2) in 1536, King Henry VIII charged his second wife, Anne Boleyn, with treason, adultery, incest and witchcraft as he maneuvered to get rid of her in his continuing efforts to get himself a male heir.
May 1, 2018
Today in History: Batman
On this day (May 1) in 1939, Batman appeared for the first time in a comic book forever changing the way in which the world thinks about superheroes. Batman was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, both of whom were influenced by Lee Falk’s The Phantom. He’s an iconic figure in American culture and one of the most recognized comic book heroes in the world.
April 30, 2018
Today in History: Christopher Columbus
On this day (April 30) in 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain gave Christopher Columbus a commission to equip three ships to sail west across the Atlantic in search of a new trade route to the east.
April 29, 2018
Today in History: The Fall of New Orleans
On this day (April 29) in 1862, New Orleans was captured by Union forces during the Civil War. New Orleans was the most important port in the south, but the Confederate States individually refused to send adequate troops to defend it, preferring to keep their soldiers closer to home. Even within the city, resources needed for the defense were spent by private individuals creating privateers which would attempt to turn a profit by preying on union shipping. So the Union was able to grab New Orleans and cut off one of the Confederacy’s vital links to the rest of the world.
April 28, 2018
Today in History: Jeckyll and Hyde
On this day (April 28) in 1997, the musical Jekyll and Hyde opened in the Plymouth Theater. It’s the first musical my wife and I saw together.
April 27, 2018
Today in History: The Conquest of Spain Begins
On this day (April 27) in 711, Islamic forces landed in Gibraltar and began their conquest of the territory we call Spain. It was ruled by the Visigoths at the time, but the Visigoths were internally divided and would not put up a strong defense. The descendants of the Christian inhabitants of the land would spend the next seven centuries engaged in the Reconquista to reclaim Spain.
April 26, 2018
Today in History: Rocks Fall from the Heavens
On this day (April 26) in 1803, more than 3000 meteorites showered down upon the French town of L’Aigle. This meteorite shower (witnessed by many people and leaving behind the physical meteorites) convinced scientists that rocks really do fall from the heavens.
April 25, 2018
Today in History: The Marseillaise
On this day (April 25) in 1792, the French National Anthem, La Marseillaise, was composed. Most Americans know this anthem because of the powerful scene in Casablanca where Victor Lazlo uses the songs to stir French patriotism against the Nazis. This was more fitting than I had realized when I first saw that movie, because La Marseillaise was composed during the French Revolution to help rally the nation against foreign invaders. The refrain starts: “To arms, citizens! Form your battalions! Lets march! Lets march.”
