Paracultural Calendar for June 20

[Mark Thibodeau]

<http://www.philadelphiafed.org/education/teachers/publications/symbols-on-american-money/_images/04_great-seal.jpg>

On this day in *1782*, the US Congress adopts the *Great Seal of the United
States*, using a design that is fairly dripping with occult significance. *Read
all about it <http://www.lewisdt.com/eye.html>*.

***

On this day in *1793*, inventor *Eli Whitney* applies for a patent on his
cotton gin, but regulators prove reluctant when they find out you can't
drink it. Not without getting cottonmouth, anyway.

***

On this day in *1837*, *Queen Victoria* succeeds to the British throne,
thus kicking off the Victorian Era.

***

On this day in *1840*, inventor *Samuel Morse* receives the patent for his
telegraph machine. Therefore, Di-di-di-dit Di-dah Di-dah-dah-dit
Di-dah-dah-dit Dah-di-dah-dah, Dah-di-di-dit Di-dit Di-dah-dit Dah
Di-di-di-dit Dah-di-dit Di-dah Dah-di-dah-dah Dah-di-dah-di-dah-dah!

***

On this day in *1945*, the United States Secretary of State approves the
transfer of great big Nazi *Wernher von Braun*and his team of great big
Nazi rocket scientists to America, where they all lived happily ever after.

***

On this day in *1963*, leaders from the United States and the Soviet Union
agree to set up a telephone "Hot Line" to guarantee instant communication
at all times, in case of a nuclear emergency. Less than one year
later, *Stanley
Kubrick* would have a fictional President *Merkin Muffley* hilariously
inform a drunken *Premiere Kissoff* that one of his generals… "well, he
went a little funny… funny in the head. And he did a silly thing." The film
is *Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb*,
and the President was played by the legendary *Peter Sellers*, in the
absolute funniest one-sided telephone conversation ever caught on film. If
you haven't seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? You think art
isn't important? Now more than ever, folks… now more than ever.

***

On this day in *1972*, an 18½-minute gap appears in the tape recording of
the conversations between U.S. President*Richard Nixon* and his advisers
regarding the recent arrests of his operatives while breaking into the
Watergate complex.

***

On this day in *2003*, the *WikiMedia Foundation* is founded in St.
Petersburg, Florida. Its most popular website,*Wikipedia*, always ranks in
the Top Ten most visited websites worldwide, and has become a legitimate
source of information.

***

On this day in *2009*, during protests of the Iranian election, a lady
named *Neda Agha-Soltan* is shot and killed by a pro-government Basij
militia member. Her death was captured on video and it spread virally on
the Internet, making it one of the most widely witnessed deaths in all of
human history. The Iranian government's *behavior
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_Agha-Soltan#Biography>* in the wake of
Neda's death is perhaps the best evidence the world has that said nation is
run by some of the nastiest assholes around.
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