Two contrasting religious news items on this date. In 1348 Pope Clement VI issued a papal bull protecting Jews who were falsely accused of having caused the Black Death. A bright spot in papal legacy. But then in 1415 Jon Hus, a pre-Reformation reformer, was condemned as a heretic and was executed for questioning the authority and veracity of Catholic Church teachings. Ironically the first convention of the Republican Party was held in Jackson Mississippi, deep in the heart of Dixie. Althea Gibson in 1957 became the first African American to win Wimbledon. And in 1957 Paul McCartney and John Lennon met for the first time at a local music festival, 3 years before they formed the Beatles.
Two painters were born on this date – Belarusian- French Marc Chagall in 1887 and Mexican Frida Kahlo in 1907. It was also the birthdate for First Lady Nancy Reagan (1924) and President George W Bush (1946).
It was the day that Sir Thomas More was executed for having dared to defy King Henry VIII in 1535 and also the death date for the King’s only male heir Edward VI in 1553. This date marked the passing of US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall (1835) who presided over some early momentous Court decisions. This date also saw the passing of author William Falkner (1962), and the legendary Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong (1971).
Pucker up, it’s International Kissing Day
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