ParaCalendar for Aug 13

[Mark Thibodeau]

On this day in *1831*, an atmospheric disturbance causes the sun to appear
blue-green, which mystical-minded slave *Nat Turner* takes to be a most
prodigious portent. This causes him to organize a *slave uprising*
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_Turner> in the state of Virginia. The
revolt was so bloody, many historians refer to it as the First War, with
the Civil War being the Second War. On the road to Jerusalem, VA, Nat and
his growing army of slaves killed fifty-five white folks, who then turn
around and killed a hundred-plus black folks, many of whom had nothing to
do with the uprising. Ahhh... the good old days!

***

On this day in *1913*, an acrobat by the name of *Otto Witte* is
purportedly crowned King of Albania.

***

On this day in *1928*, New Jersey radio station WRNY becomes the first to
broadcast a television image: a woman's face on a video "canvas" about 1.5
inches square, which was maintained for ten minutes. Which means there was
about the same amount of quality programming on the air back then as there
is now.

***

On this day in *1942*, Major General *Eugene Reybold* of the US Army Corps
of Engineers authorizes the construction of facilities that would house the
"Development of Substitute Materials" project, better known as... the
freaking *Manhattan Project*.

***

On this day in *1964*, *Peter Allen* and *Gwynne Evans* are hanged for the
Murder of *John Alan West*, thus becoming the last people to be executed in
the United Kingdom.

***

On this day in *2001*, Flight 175 hijackers *Marwan Alshehhi*, *Fayez Ahmed
Banihammad*, and *Hamza Alghamdi* buy knives and multi-tools. Alshehhi buys
a Cliphanger Viper and an Imperial Tradesman Dual Edge, both short-bladed
knives. Banihammad buys a Stanley two-piece snap knife set, and Alghamdi
buys a Leatherman Wave multi-tool. All purchases are made in the same city,
though the 9/11 Commission does not specify as to which city that might be.

***

*Happy birthday* to *Donny Osmond*-throttling, transvestite
prostitute-punching, Patridge Family alumnus, *Danny Bonaduce*! Also born
on this day, trailblazing televangelist scam-artist *Rex Humbard* (1919),
Cuban revolutionary dictator *Fidel Castro Ruz* (1927), and Hawaiian
ukulele-slinger *Don Ho* (1930)!
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