Paracultural Calendar for Jan 8

[Mark Thibodeau]

On this day in *1587*, *Mary, Queen of Scots*, is executed on suspicion of
having been involved in the Babington Plot to murder her cousin, *Queen
Elizabeth I*.

***

On this day in *1600*, the scholar *Giordano Bruno* becomes a Martyr for
Science when the Pope orders him burned at the stake… but only after having
his tongue nailed to his jaw, so he couldn't speak before the flames killed
him. What was it that *Honoré de Balzac* said about mankind being truly
free only after the last brick from the last cathedral crushes the last
priest? Yeah… I think he got it about right.

***

On this day in *1855*, the *Devil's Footprints* mysteriously appear in
southern Devon.

***

*Happy Traitor Day!* It was on this day in *1861* that the Confederate
States of America organized, in Montgomery, Alabama.

***

On this day in *1910*, the *Boy Scouts of America* is incorporated by *William
D. Boyce*.

***

On this day in *1915*, director *D.W. Griffith*'s controversial film *The
Birth of a Nation* premieres in Los Angeles.

***

On this day in *1920*, Swiss women fail to win the right to vote when a
nation-wide referendum is held in which women are not allowed to vote. Why
did they even bother?!

***

On this day in *1924*, the first ever gas chamber execution takes place in
Carson City, Nevada, when Chinese gangster *Tong Lee* is put to death for
killing a rival gang member. Cyanide gas was adopted by Nevada as a more
humane method of execution, as opposed to the traditional techniques of
hanging, firing squad, electrocution, stoning, crucifixion, drawing and
quartering, locomotive bisection, pressing with stones, the Brazen Head,
the upside-down water chamber and the Drop from a Great Height. Personally,
I think some prisons made the switch because the chamber was the only form
of execution that allowed prisoners to beg for mercy, plead for their lives
and scream in terror not just before, but also *during* the execution, thus
providing a much needed dose of levity to an otherwise dour and solemn
procedure.

***

On this day in *1950*, the *Stasi*, the secret police of East Germany, is
established.

***

On this day in *1952*, *Elizabeth II* is proclaimed Queen of the United
Kingdom. Eight years later, on this day in *1960*, the Queen issues an
Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the *House
of Windsor*, and that her descendants will take the name
"Mountbatten-Windsor".

***

On this day in *1960*, the first eight brass star plaques are installed in
the *Hollywood Walk of Fame*.

***

On this day in *1974*, after 84 days in space, the crew of *Skylab 4*, the
last crew to visit American space station Skylab, returns to Earth.

***

On this day in *1993*, *General Motors* sues *NBC* after *Dateline
NBC* allegedly
rigs two crashes intended to demonstrate that some GM pickups can easily
catch fire if hit in certain places. NBC settles the lawsuit the next day.

***

On this day in *1994*, actor *Jack Nicholson* goes "Jack Torrance", using a
golf club to scare the be-Jesus out of a driver who cut him off in traffic.
Meanwhile, across town, *Mötley Crüe* drummer *Tommy Lee* is arrested when
a loaded firearm is discovered in his carry-on bag at Los Angeles
International Airport. I love L.A.!

***

On this day in *1996*, The U.S. Congress passes the *Communications Decency
Act*... the dirty cocksuckers.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://waste.org/pipermail/pynchon-l/attachments/20150208/dbf09e27/attachment.html>