Paracultural Calendar for Feb 12

[Mark Thibodeau]

On this day in the year *1709*, Scottish seaman *Alexander Selkirk* is
rescued from Fernandez Island after spending more than four years stranded
there, fending for himself in the deserted tropical paradise. His suffering
was not in vain, however, as his harrowing tale of survival was the
inspiration for a great literary classic... *Castaway*, starring *Tom Hanks*
!

***

On this day in *1839*, a border dispute between the state of Maine and the
Canadian province of New Brunswick leads to the *Aroostook Bloodless War*,
a "battle" during which no one is seriously hurt, and nothing is settled.
Ultimately, the borders were decided by a toss of the dice. Don't laugh!
This kind of thing is exactly what made *Donald Trump* the man he is
today... an asshole!

***

This day in *1909* sees the founding of the *National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People*, more popularly known as the *NAACP*. At the
time, white folks reacted negatively to the idea. "What if we started up a
National Association for the Advancement of WHITE People?!" they whined.
"What if we went ahead and did THAT?!?" Pointing out that the NAACP
wouldn't need to exist if it weren't for blacks being essentially shut out
of "polite society" didn't seem to help them understand the need for such
an organization. And pointing out that *white folks were welcome to join*
<http://www.naacp.org/> elicited nothing but total synaptic shut-down on
the average redneck's part.

***

On this day in *1914*, in Washington, D.C., the first stone of the *Lincoln
Memorial* is put into place.

***

On this day in *1946*, African American United States Army veteran *Isaac
Woodard* is severely beaten by a South Carolina police officer to the point
where he loses his vision in both eyes. The incident later galvanizes the
Civil Rights Movement and partially inspires *Orson Welles*' film *Touch of
Evil*.

***

On this day in *1947*, a meteor creates an impact crater in Sikhote-Alin,
in the Soviet Union. It's not much of an impact crater, but it's still an
impact crater.

***

Also on this day in 1947, designer *Christian Dior* unveils a "New Look",
helping Paris regain its position as the capital of the fashion world.

***

On this day in *1963*, construction begins on the *Gateway Arch* in St.
Louis.

***

On this day in *1974*, author *Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn*, winner of the Nobel
Prize in Literature in 1970, is exiled from the Soviet Union.

***

On this day in *1994*, four men break into the National Gallery of Norway
and steal *Edvard Munch*'s iconic painting *The Scream*.

***

On this day in *1997*, *Fred "father of Ron" Goldman* offers to waive his
$20 million wrongful death civil suit judgment against *O.J. Simpson* for a
signed confession. The Juice declines, but puts forward a counter-offer in
which he would give Goldman his Heisman trophy in exchange for him shaving
off that fucking mustache and shutting the fuck up already.

***

On this day in *1999*, US President *Bill Clinton* is acquitted by the
United States Senate in his impeachment trial.

***

On this day in *2001*, NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft touches down in the
"saddle" region of 433 *Eros*, becoming the first spacecraft to land on an
asteroid. Anyway... we landed a ship on an asteroid! How cool is that?!

***

 On this day in *2002*, the trial of *Slobodan Milošević*, the former
President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, begins at the United
Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The
Hague, Netherlands. He dies four years later before its conclusion.
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