I just learned that a former fellow Toastmaster got married. Congratulations to Mark Ibsen! You made the hirtory roundup for today – even though it probably was yesterday, since I am writing in the early morning. Your wedding joins other events like the establishment of the Library of Congress which happened when our second president John Adams signed legislation in 1800. The road to an independent Ireland began on this date with the Easter Rising in 1916. The first tank versus tank battle occurred in WWI in 1918. And Soviet Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov became the first human to die on a space mission in 1967 when his chute failed to open.
Three political leaders were born on this date: William I of Orange (1533) who would become the founding father of the Netherlands; French Marshall Philippe Petain (1856) who was a WWI hero but then collaborated with the Nazis to lead Vichy France in WWII; and Richard Daley (1942) who held sway as the mayor of Chicago.
This was also the birthdate for French priest and saint Vincent de Paul (1581).American novelist Robert Penn Warren (1905, All the Kings Men), American filmmaker Richard Donner (1930 Superman), and actress Shirley MacLaine (1934).
Sailing into the sunset on this date was English poet Daniel Defoe (1731) who was famous for Robinson Cruso , but apparently did a bit of pamphletering and some political party spying. We bid farewell to American novelist, short story writer and poet of the plains Willa Cather (1947) as well as two comedians : Bud Abbot (1974 of Abbot and Costello), and Pat Paulson (1997) who tipped his toe into races for President a couple times.
And, just in, Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman passed away after a battle with bone cancer. He had been the curmudgeon mainstain of the judging panel for 15 years. He leaves behind fellow judges, plenty of dancing pros, and a host of appreciative viewers who, even when disagreeing with his usual reserved judging, enjoyed his wise commentary fueled by a lifetime of dancing,
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