Paracultural Calendar for Jan 16

[Mark Thibodeau]

On this day in *1412*, the *Medici* family is appointed official banker of
the *Vatican* and the Papacy.

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On this day in *1581*, the English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism.

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The *Color Note Organ* is patented on this day in *1877*, roughly 90 years
before the psychedelic revolution of the 1960's would make such a thing
marketable.

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On this day in *1909*, explorer *Ernest Shackleton*'s expedition finds the
magnetic South Pole.

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On this day in *1919*, the United States ratifies the Eighteenth Amendment
to the United States Constitution, authorizing *Prohibition* in the United
States.

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On this day in *1920*, prohibition becomes the law of the land, thus
beginning America's thirteen year run as a "dry" country. Just like the *War
On Drugs*, the *War On Booze* didn't (and doesn't) fucking work.

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On this day in *1945*, Nazi Man-God *Adolf Hitler* moves into his
underground bunker, the so-called *Führerbunker*.

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On this day in *1969*, Soviet spacecraft *Soyuz 4* and *Soyuz 5* perform
the first-ever docking of manned spacecraft in orbit, the first-ever
transfer of crew from one space vehicle to another, and the only time such
a transfer was accomplished with a space walk.

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On this day in *1970*, genius inventor *Buckminster Fuller* receives the
Gold Medal award from the American Institute of Architects.

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On this day in *1973*, a young girl named *Anna Christian Waters* *disappears
<http://www.searchingforanna.com/>* from her backyard. She has yet to be
found.

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On this day in *1976*, *Peter Frampton* releases *Frampton Comes Alive*,
which is *still* the biggest selling live album of all time. I mean come
on, people!

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On this day in *1979*, *Shah Reza Pahlevi* - installed as a convenient
figurehead for the puppet regime installed by the CIA after they deposed
the democratically-elected *Mohammed Mossadegh* for trying to nationalize
his nation's petroleum industry - is chased out of Iran in the wake of a
massive nationalist/fundamentalist uprising led by *Ayatollah Khomeni*.
Oopsy-daisy!

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After finally getting over that whole excommunicating the king thing,
England re-establishes full diplomatic relations with the Vatican on this
day in *1982*. Way to hold a grudge, guys!

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On this day, in *1988*, *Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder* is fired from ABC Sports
when he goes on the air and attempts to explain black dominance in
football. "During the slave period," he bloviated, "the slave owner would
breed his big black with his big woman so that he would have a big black
kid - that's where it all started." The statement, it turns out, was both
politically and scientifically incorrect. Scientists have since figured out
that what really gives blacks the edge in sports... is watermelons!

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On this day in *1991*, *Operation Desert Storm* debuts on TV screens around
the world. The ratings are killer.

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On this day in *2003*, Space Shuttle *Columbia* takes off for mission
*STS-107* which would be its final one. Columbia disintegrates on re-entry
16 days later, spreading its debris over a wide terrain which includes part
of *Preznit Dubya*'s Texas ranch. What are the freaking odds?

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On this day in *2006*, *Ellen Johnson Sirleaf* is sworn in as Liberia's new
president. She becomes Africa's first female elected head of state.
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