Less to report for events, births, and deaths on this date in history. In 1901 J.P.Morgan formed US Steel, having bought some of J.D.Rockefeller’s iron mines, and all of Andrew Carnegie’s steel business. Consolidation amongst the rich. And in 1907 Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland announces the creation of Bakelite, the world’s first synthetic plastic – we have never been the same.
In 1917 in politics two significant actions were taken. In Mexico the current constitution was adopted, separating power between the independent executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. And in the US Congress was passed the Immigration Act of 1917, over President Wilson’s veto, requiring literacy tests for immigrants and banning immigration from the Asia-Pacific zone – a follow up on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
In 1945 this was the day that General Douglas MacArthur returned to Manila. In 1958 the US Air Force ‘”lost” a hydrogen bomb off the coast of Savannah, Georgia after a midair collision between an F-86 fighter and a B-47 bomber. And in 1971 Apollo 14 again landed men to walk on the moon.
For births on this date we had Adlai Stevenson(1900) twice unsuccessful Democratic Presidential candidate 1952+1956. who also was the 5th US Ambassador to the UN, Jennifer Granholm (1959) 47th Governor of Michigan and current Secretary of Energy, and two sports stars – Roger Staubach of the Dallas Cowboys (Roger the Dodger)1942 and Hammerin’ Hank Aaron 1934.
And we said goodbye to 2 great actors – Kirk Douglas (Spartacus, among others) in 2020 and Christopher Plummer (Sound of Music, his most notable) in 2021.
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