Paracultural Calendar for July 4

[Mark Thibodeau]

 <http://cdn.eso.org/images/screen/eso9948f.jpg>

On this day in *1054*, in a corner of the dark night sky, there is a bright
white flowering. It shines for 23 days. The people of that era have no way
to know that it is their privilege to be watching that rarest of cosmic
spectacles: the death of a star. The super-nova actually happened 6000
years prior to its being witnessed by human eyes. Today, the resulting
cloud of post-collapse debris is known as the *Crab Nebula*.

***

On this day in *1776*, the United States Declaration of Independence is
adopted by the Second Continental Congress.*Happy Birthday, USA!*

***

On this day in *1826*, second American President *John Adams* and third
American President *Thomas Jefferson* both pass on to that big White House
in the sky. Exactly five years later, in the year *1831*, fifth American
President *James Monroe* also dies. Timing your death to coincide with the
fourth of July? Talk about PATRIOTISM!

***

On this day in *1888*, in the hot and dusty burg of Prescott, Arizona, the
first ever organized *rodeo* competition is held. Unfortunately, videotape
didn't exist at the time, so we can only experience *Billy-Joe Tuller*'s
horrific, 15 minute goring at the horns of *Sir Stomps-a-Lot* through
eye-witness accounts.

***

On this day in *1910*, African-American boxer *Jack Johnson* knocks out
white boxer *Jim Jeffries* in a heavyweight boxing match sparking race
riots across the United States.

***

On this day in *1918*, Bolsheviks kill *Tsar Nicholas II* of Russia and his
family at the Winter Palace.

***

On this day in *1966*, after making sure to destroy all the documents
linking him to President *Kennedy*'s assassination, President *Lyndon B.
Johnson* signs the *Freedom of Information Act*
<http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:rvXJs7t-XcIJ:www.aclu.org/library/foia.html+%22Freedom+of+Information+Act%22&hl=en>
.

***

On this day in *1969*, two teens (one male, one female) are attacked at
Blue Rock Springs in California. They are the second (known) victims
of the *Zodiac
Killer*. The male survives.

***

On this day in *1976*, Israeli commandos raid Entebbe airport in Uganda,
rescuing all but four of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner
seized by Palestinian terrorists.

***

On this day in *2004*, the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the
site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

***

On this day in *2012*, the discovery of particles consistent with the *Higgs
boson* at the Large Hadron Collider is announced at CERN.
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