Paracultural Calendar June 17

[Mark Thibodeau]

 <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Taj_Mahal_2012.jpg>

On this day in *1631*, *Mumtaz Mahal* dies during childbirth. Her
grief-stricken husband, Mughal emperor *Shah Jahan I*, will spend the next
17 years building her mausoleum, a little building you and I know as… the *Taj
Mahal*.

***

On this day in *1856*, the *Republican Party* opens its first national
convention in Philadelphia. Chaos ensues.

***

On this day in *1885*, sculptor *Frederic Auguste Bartholdi*’s colossal
neoclassical statue, the *Statue of Liberty*, arrives in New York Harbor in
pieces aboard the French steamer ship Isere, a gift to the American people
from the nation of France.

***

On this day in *1939*, the final public execution in France takes place
when convicted murderer *Eugen Weidmann* is guillotined before an unruly
crowd of gawkers in Versailles, France, just outside the Saint-Pierre
prison. Recently deceased thespian Christopher Lee was among the throng.
The execution was surreptitiously filmed from an apartment adjacent to the
prison. That fact, combined with the crowd’s unruly behavior, caused French
President *Albert Lebrun* to pass legislation stipulating that all future
executions were to take place behind closed doors. The guillotine would
continue chopping off heads until September of 1977, when it was used to
dispatch Tunisian immigrant *Hamida Djandoubi*, who had been convicted of
torturing, then murdering, his girlfriend.

***

*Happy Birthday* to the plucky, eccentric island nation of *ICELAND*, which
declared its independence from Denmark on this day in *1944!*

***

Also celebrating a birthday today is the *WAR ON* (some) *DRUGS*, which was
launched by President *Richard Nixon* on this day in *1971*!

***

On this day in *1994*, the world watches on *CNN* as *OJ Simpson* leads the
LAPD on the most infamous police chase in history. Yes, that's right...
this is the 21st anniversary of Bloody Orenthal's abortive "excape"
attempt! Can you believe it?! Quothe Uncle John's Band: "Where does the
time go?"
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