Liberty was delayed on this day in history. In 1915 the US House of Representatives rejected a proposal to give women the right to vote. It would take 4 more years, with protests and ultimately outrage over the jailing of women advocates, to get the Constitutional Amendment passed to liberate women. In 1933 the US Congress voted to recognize the Philippine Island’s independence, 35 years after it had been “liberated” by the US from Spain. However, it would be 13 more years until it became a reality, in 1946, after the end of WWII.

Two African-American organizations were founded on this date in history. In 1957 the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC) was founded, led by Martin Luther King Jr., And in 1959 the legendary Motown was founded by Barry Gordy. Some unfortunate events happened on this date as well. In 1943 Frankfurters were renamed Victory Sausages, just like sauerkraut had been renamed Victory Cabbage, in response to the war on Germany. And in 1962 Operation Ranch Hand began, with the use of the defoliant Agent Orange, in South Vietnam, aimed at the Viet Cong.

Birthdays include Edmund Burke (1729) noted Irish-British conservative philosopher/politician, Jack London (1876) author of White Fang and Call of the Wild, among others, and Sheila Jackson Lee((1950), African American Democrat representative, from of all place, Texas. There was the boxer “Smokin’ Joe” Joe Frazier (1944) and P.W.Botha (1916) the last white prime minister of South Africa before the end of Apartheid. There were unfortunately the births of two notorious figures of history – Rush Limbaugh (1951) and Herman Goering (1893).

We said farewell on this date to two notable authors – the great lady of mystery – Agatha Christie (1976) and the author William Peter Blatty (2017) of a book (later movie) that gave us the creeps – the Exorcist. The melodious voice of Maurice Gibbs of the BeeGees was stilled in 2003). This date also saw the passing of Cyrus Vance (2002) secretary of state under President Jimmy Carter, and the great voice of Keith Jackson (2018) legendary sportscaster.