It was on this day in 1912 that the Titanic leaves England on her maiden voyage. SPOILER ALERT: The ship sinks.

The earliest event mentioned by Wiki is “428 – Nestorius becomes Patriarch of Constantinople” and the latest is “2010 – Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board including President Lech Kaczyński.“

Other events that happened on this date include:

1815 – Mount Tambora erupts and continues spewing for the next 3 months. 71,000 people die, and weather all over the world is affected for the next two years.

1866 – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is founded.

1953 – House of Wax, the first 3-D film from a major American studio, premieres.

A very warm birthday wish to David Rovics. (This fine folk singer has two songs in the Weedstock Music Series.)

Birthday greetings also go out to Steven Seagal, John Madden, and Harry Morgan.

Saturday Night Music Series continues with this party song from Eric Church…

…and for those who are bothered by such things, Ben Harper explains in this video what you should do if you don’t like my fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhKq9JvssB8

“The war is over. The Rebels are our countrymen again.”

General Grant spoke those words on this day in 1865 to his troops, after accepting General Lee’s surrender and thus ending the War Between the States.

The earliest event Wiki mentions is “193 – Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans)” while the most recent is “2009 – In Tbilisi, Georgia, up to 60,000 people protest against the government of Mikheil Saakashvili.“

Other events that happened on this date include:

1682 – La Salle arrives at the Mississippi River. He calls the area “Louisiana” and claims it for France.

1833 –  Peterborough, NH opens the nation’s first tax-supported public library.

1959 – NASA introduces the “Mercury Seven”.

2003 – This happens in Baghdad.

Happy Birthday to Hef. What do you get the guy who truly already has it all?

It was on this day in 1895 that the US Supreme Court declared income tax to be unconstitutional. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay your taxes tho! The 16th amendment was ratified less than 20 years later, which made a tax on income allowable again.

According to Wiki, the earliest known event that happened on this date is “217 – Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated (and succeeded) by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus” while the the most recent is a two-way tie: “2008 – Yi So-Yeon becomes the first Korean and second Asian woman to go into space” & “2008 – The construction of the world’s first building to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.”

Some other things that happened on this date include:

1904 – Aleister Crowley, with some help from his Holy Guardian Angel, writes the first chapter of The Book of the Law.

1908 – Harvard Business School established.

1913 – The 17th Amendment to the US Constitution becomes law. Senators are now directly elected by the voters instead of chosen by the State Houses.

1935 – The Works Progress Administration is established.

1943 – President FDR makes it illegal for workers to change jobs unless such a move would help the war effort.

1952 – President Harry Truman seizes all domestic steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike. A few weeks later the US Supreme Court tells him he can’t do that.

1974 –  Hank Aaron surpass Babe Ruth’s career home run record with #715.  He would go on to hit 40 more before retiring.

Happy birthday greetings to Richard Hatch & Steve Howe.

Respectful birthday greetings to Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

It was on this day in 1969 that the very first “Request for Comments” was issued by the Internet Engineering Task Force, and thus the Internet was officially launched. Also on this day in that same year the US Supreme Court struck down laws prohibiting private ownership of pornography. Just a coincidence? I think not…

The earliest event that Wiki lists for today is “529 – First draft of the Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I” and the most recent is “2009 – Mass protests begin across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent.“

A few other events that happened on this date are:

1827 –The first friction match is sold, only one year after being invented.

1922 –  US Secretary of the Interior leases Teapot Dome petroleum reserves.

2001 – Odyssey is launched and heads for Mars.

Birthday wishes go out to Tiki and Ronde Barker, Tony Dorsett, Jackie Chan, John Oates, Francis Ford Coppola, Jerry Brown, Wayne Rogers, and James Garner.

On this day in 1917 Congress declared war on Germany in what was known at the time as the “Great War“. It was later decided that there was nothing “great” about war, so the name was changed.

The earliest event that Wiki list for today is “46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) in the battle of Thapsus” & the latest is “2010 – Maoist rebels kill 76 CRPF officers in Dantewada district, India.”

Other events that took place on this date include:

1712 – First slave revolt on US soil takes place in New York City. Nine white people were killed and six injured. This resulted in 75 black men (slave and free) arrested, 21 of them convicted and sentenced to death.

1896 – First modern Olympic Games opens in Athens.

1909 – Peary reaches the North Pole. (Maybe)

2009 – Over 300 people are killed after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes L’Aquila, Italy.

Happy birthday go to Sterling Sharpe, Warren Haynes, John Ratzenberger, Billy Dee Williams & Merle Haggard.

On this day in 1954 the longest labor strike in US history began. The Kohler Company of Sheboygan WI refused to negotiate with the union that was voted upon by the workers, resulting in a 9 year strike. For more details be sure to check out this pamphlet that was put out by the local union explaining their side of the situation as well as this Time magazine article that was written about 4 years after the strike started.

The earliest event that Wiki lists for today is “1242 – During a battle on the ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights” while the most recent is “2009 – North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks.“

Other things that happened today include:

1614 – Pocahontas marries John Rolfe.

1792 – President Washington issues the first veto.

1930 – Gandhi breaks the law by making salt.

1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt makes it illegal for US citizens to own gold.

1987 – Fox Broadcasting Co. goes on the air.

Birthday wises to Colin Powell & Max Gail

43 years ago today Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot & killed in Memphis. The previous evening he had delivered a powerful speech to striking AFSCME members, saying “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.“

The earliest event that Wiki lists for this day is “1081 – Alexios I Komnenos is crowned Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, beginning the Komnenian dynasty” and the latest is “2008 – In a raid on the FLDS’s YFZ Ranch in Texas, 401 children and 133 women are taken into state custody.”

Other events that occurred on this day include:

1581 – Francis Drake is knighted for his trip around the world.

1841 – William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia. He was the first US President to die in office as well as the one with the shortest amount of time in office.

1850 – Los Angeles becomes a city.

1949 – NATO is formed.

1973 – The World Trade Center is dedicated.

1975 – Microsoft is founded.

1983 – Space Shuttle Challenger makes its first voyage into space.

2003 –  Saddam International Airport is taken by US forces as part of Operation Iraqi Liberation.

Birthday cake goes out to Nancy McKeon & Robert Downey, Jr.

On this day in 1860, one man on horseback left St. Joseph MO, heading west while another rider left Sacramento CA heading east….thus officially launching the Pony Express. (For those keeping score, the one heading west won the race.) Even tho this mail service would last less than two years, it remains a huge part of American lore. More info about the history of the Pony Express is available here.

The earliest event that Wiki mentions for today is “1043 – Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England” while the latest is “2008 – ATA Airlines, once one of the 10 largest U.S. passenger airlines and largest charter airline, files for bankruptcy for the second time in 5 years and ceases all operations.“

Other events that happened on this day include:

1865 – The capital of the Confederate States of America is taken by Union forces.

1948 – President Truman signs the Marshall Plan.

1973 – The first cell phone call is made in New York City.

1974 – The largest amount of tornado activity in recorded history begins. Known as the “Super Outbreak”, there are 148 confirmed tornadoes scattered throughout 13 states within a 24 hour period. 315 people die and almost 5,500 are injured.

1996 –  “Unabomber” is arrested.

2006 – The State Supreme Court of Iowa legalizes same-sex marriage.

Today’s birthdays include Picabo Street, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Murphy, David Hyde Pierce, Alec Baldwin, Tony Orlando, Wayne Newton, & Doris Day.

Only fitting that the Saturday Night Music Series should start with this lil’ ditty, eh?

Sorry about the weird intro, but this version has sentimental value. ’twas a great time that nite at Alpine Valley…