PARACULTURAL CALENDAR FOR MAY 17

[Mark Thibodeau]

On this day in *1642*, French explorer *Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve* founds
the city of *Montréal*. Today, Montreal is the second most populous city in
Canada after Toronto, and the fifteenth largest in North America. It
contains the largest metropolitan French-speaking population outside of
France and remains a vibrant cultural hub.

*****

On this day in *1792*, the *New York Stock Exchange* is formed when the
"Buttonwood Agreement" is signed by 24 stockbrokers outside of 68 Wall
Street in New York, under a buttonwood tree.

*****

On this day in *1804*, the historic duo of *Lewis & Clark* begin exploring
the land acquired from *Napoleon* by *Thomas Jefferson*, in a sweetheart
deal known as the Louisiana Purchase.

*****

On this day in *1902*, Greek archaeologist *Valerios Stais* discovers *the
Antikythera mechanism* <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism>,
a fascinating ancient mechanical analog computer designed to calculate the
positions of the planets and certain stars. The construction has been dated
to the early 1st century BCE, and - according to establishment-approved
historical record - technological artifacts of similar complexity did not
reappear until the 14th century, when similar astronomical clocks were
built in Europe.

*****

On this day in *1933*, *Vidkun Quisling* and *Johan Bernhard Hjort*
form *Nasjonal
Samling*, the Nazi party of Norway. Hence the origins of "quisling" as an
insult-word denoting an enthusiastic collaboration with evil.

*****


<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2UcbYRQXg4s/T7M4gHuWMPI/AAAAAAAAAtk/tOQAhA5X_PU/s1600/431px-Symbionese_Liberation_Army_Naga_Symbol_color.svg.png>

On this day in *1974*, police in Los Angeles, California, raid the
headquarters of the self-styled left-wing urban militant "revolutionary
vanguard" terrorist group, the *Symbionese Liberation Army*, killing six
members, including leader (and most likely *CIA mind-control test subject*
<http://thecounterpunch.hubpages.com/hub/Leo_Ryan>) *Donald "Cinque"
DeFreeze* and *Camilla Hall*, who was shot in the head while trying to give
herself up to police. The raid remains one of the most vicious firefights
in LAPD history... and that's saying something.

*****

On this day in *1978*, *Charlie Chaplin*'s coffin is discovered ten miles
from the Swiss cemetery where the infamous director had recently been
buried. An officer at the scene drops dead of a heart-attack when, upon
opening the coffin to verify that Chaplin's remains were still present, a
giant boxing glove shoots out and pops him a good one right in the chops.
I'm kidding of course. Moving right along...

*****

On this day in *2004*, Massachusetts becomes the first U.S. state to
legalize same-sex marriage. Chaos ensues.
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