PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR AUGUST 25

[Mark Kohut]

you really aggregate some surprising stuff. And Galileo situation
rarely so well expressed.

On Tue, Aug 25, 2015 at 2:30 PM, Mark Thibodeau <jerkyleboeuf at gmail.com> wrote:
> On this day in 1609, medieval scientist/astronomer Galileo demonstrates his
> first telescope to Venetian lawmakers. Unfortunately, these lawmakers turn
> out to be a buncha fuckin' assholes.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1835, the New York Sun begins running a series of stories
> about astronomer John Herschell's discovery - with the help of an immensely
> powerful South African telescope - of a society of intelligent, bat-like
> humanoids on the moon. Although almost forgotten today, the Great Moon Hoax
> of 1835 remains the greatest prank in the history of journalism.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1914, the library of the Catholic University of Leuven is
> deliberately destroyed by the German Army. Hundreds of thousands of
> irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts are lost.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1916, the United States National Park Service is created.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1944, Paris is liberated by the Allies.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1945, ten days after World War II ends with Japan announcing
> its surrender, armed supporters of the Chinese Communist Party kill Baptist
> missionary John Birch, regarded by some of the American conservative
> movement as the first victim of the Cold War... hence the creation of the
> right-wing and rabidly anti-communist (and often virulently anti-Semitic)
> John Birch Society.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1948, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) holds
> first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between
> commie-turned-right-winger Whittaker Chambers and accused commie spy Alger
> Hiss.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1950, President Harry Truman orders the U.S. Army to seize
> control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike. Just imagine that
> happening today.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1981, the Voyager 2 spacecraft makes its closest approach to
> Saturn. Eight years later, on this day in1989 – it makes its closest
> approach to Neptune, the second to last planet in the Solar System at the
> time.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1991, the nation of Belarus gains its independence from the
> Soviet Union. It is now home to the last remaining bona-fide dictatorship in
> mainland continental Europe.
>
> ***
>
> On this day in 1996, Netscape launches Navio Communications. The new company
> was dedicated to integrating Netscape software into televisions, phones,
> cars, and other electronic devices. Thankfully, Bill Gates put a stop to
> thatnonesense!
-
Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l