Paracultural Calendar for May 10

[Mark Thibodeau]

<http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/first-barbary-war-1801-1805-american-everett.jpg>

On this day in *1774*, *Louis XVI* becomes King of France, with *Marie
Antoinette* as his Queen. And they both live happily ever after.

*****

On this day in *1801*, the Barbary pirates of Tripoli declare war on the
United States of America, thereby kicking off the *First Barbary War*. It
was the first war waged by the United States beyond it's national
boundary-lines. Now you know where they get those lyrics: "From the Halls
of Montezuma / To the shores of Trip-oh-leeee!" in the Marines 'hymn'.

*****

On this day in the year *1924*, *J Edgar Hoover* is appointed head of the
first head of the *FBI*, a title he would retain for the rest of his very,
very long life. In his 48 years as head of the nation's most powerful law
enforcement office, he would break every law imaginable and prove himself
to be as shameless as he was without conscience. One of the touchstone
figures of American History, and a truly *evil man*
<http://baltimorechronicle.com/071304JoeRosenberg.html>.

*****

On this day in *1941*, *Hitler*'s second-in-command *Rudolf Hess* parachutes
into Scotland in order to try and negotiate a peace deal between the United
Kingdom and Nazi Germany. He was arrested, put on trial and then held for
decades at *Spandau Prison*, until he was 93 years old, at which point he
hung himself in his cell... or so the official story goes.*Many unanswered
questions*
<http://criticalbelievers.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=modernmysteries&action=display&thread=4031>
surround
this oddest of lose ends from *World War II*.

*****

On this day in *1954*, *Bill Haley & His Comets* release *Rock Around the
Clock*, which goes on to become the first rock and roll record to reach
number one on the Billboard charts, beginning a trend that wouldn't die
until... oh... I'd say the mid-to-late 90's or so.
*****

On this day in *1994*, former "terrorist" *Nelson Mandela* is inaugurated
as South Africa's first black president. And they all lived happily ever
after.

*****

On this day in *2005*, a hand grenade thrown by *Vladimir Arutinian* lands
about 65 feet from U.S. President *George W. Bush* while he's giving a
speech to a crowd in Tbilisi, Georgia. The grenade fails to go off thanks
to the fact that it was wrapped in a red hanky which interfered with its
mechanism, and Bush wasn't made aware of the "attack" until hours after the
event. Arutinian, who managed to kill Georgia's head of the Interior
Ministry's counterintelligence department in a shoot-out before being
arrested, sewed his mouth shut for part of his trial.
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