PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR AUGUST 18

[Mark Thibodeau]

<http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/1/26/1296058065643/Genghis-Khan---Mongul-war-007.jpg>

On this day in *1227*, the merciless *Genghis Khan* - who, beginning as a
juvenile delinquent gang-leader in his early teens, led one of the most
expansive and successful world conquests in history, laying the foundations
for a family dynasty that lasted centuries - dies after a long illness.
Near the Xi Xia region of China at the time of his death, Khan's soldiers
march their beloved leader's corpse back to Mongolia, killing every living
thing that crosses their path along the way. How fuckin' cool is that?!

***

On this day in *1634*, a priest named *Urbain Grandier* is accused and
convicted of sorcery, only to be burned alive in Loudun, France. *Aldous
Huxley* wrote about this in his historical novel *The Devils of Loudun*,
and *Ken Russell* made a controversial film about it, called *The Devils*,
in the early 1970s.

***

On this day in *1920*, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States
Constitution is ratified, guaranteeing women's suffrage (a.k.a. the vote).

***

On this day in *1950*, *Julien Lahaut*, the chairman of the Communist Party
of Belgium is assassinated by far-right elements.

***

On this day in *1958*, novelist *Vladimir Nabokov*'s controversial novel
*Lolita* is published in the United States.

***

On this day in *1977*, South African freedom fighter *Steve Biko* is
arrested at a police roadblock under the Terrorism Act No 83 of 1967 in
King William's Town, South Africa. He would later die of the injuries
sustained during this arrest bringing attention to South Africa's apartheid
policies.

***

On this day in *1686*, astronomer Cassini reports seeing a satellite
orbiting Venus. Last year, nearly half a millennium later, the Cassini deep
space probe discovered *two new moons around Saturn*
<http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=A7C6A8A3-177B-4193-A25E9B6C18009018>.
That's almost too fucking cool.
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