Paracultural Calendar for March 17

[Mark Thibodeau]

On this day in *1521*, explorer *Ferdinand Magellan* discovers the
Philippines, or, as he always referred to them, the Magellippines.

***

On this day in *1960*, U.S. President *Dwight D. Eisenhower* signs the
National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program
that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.

***

On this day in *1968*, as a result of nerve gas testing in Skull Valley,
Utah, US, over 6,000 sheep are found dead.

***

On this day in *1969*, *Golda Meir* becomes the first female Prime Minister
of Israel.

***

On this day in *1973*, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph *Burst of Joy* is
taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family.

***

On this day in *1988*, Iran accuses Iraq of illegally using poison gas in
the Iran/Iraq War. Official right-wing response at the time was
unambiguous: "GOOD! That means our buddy *Saddam* will be ordering more
from us!"

***

In honor of Saint Patrick's Day, it was on this day in *1997* that *CNN* launch
the Spanish language version of their cable news service. So a hearty bueno
jorno Santo Patritio to all our Irish readers!

***

On this day in *2000*, 530 members of the Ugandan cult *Movement for the
Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God* die in a fire, considered to be
a mass murder or suicide orchestrated by leaders of the cult. Elsewhere
another 248 members are later found dead.

***

On this day in *2003*, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs *Robin Cook* resigns from the British Cabinet in disagreement with
government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Shortly after that, soon
after revealing to the world that the name *al Qaeda* is literally a CIA
invention - it being the name used to refer to *the list or database
<http://www.globalresearch.ca/al-qaeda-the-database-2/24738>* used to put
together the mujehadin to fight the USSR in Afghanistan back in the Cold
War days) he dies under suspicious circumstances. How convenient for the
Bad Guys.
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