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The Daily Dose/April 4, 2010
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around the Human Experience...
UNDER THE RADAR: The British announced this week that they had formed the UK Space Agency to oversee their space activities.
This was news to us because we couldn't recall hearing much about British space travel over the years, certainly not enough to warrant national oversight beyond a couple of laddies to handle some routine paperwork, unless there was some top secret limey mission to Mars we somehow managed to miss.
So we did some research. It didn't take long because Britain's space history is sort of like America's love affair with cricket, not very long. Over the years the Brits have been good for the occasional rocket or satellite, but they have never had their owned manned space program nor do they contribute funds to the European Space Agency's manned program so the six British-born astronauts have flown on either American or Russian flights.
Not only is the past kind of light, but the future isn't looking all that busy either, as Britain doesn't have any plans for manned space travel, so exactly why they need a shiny new space agency is still not entirely clear.
Bottom Line: Look, we like the Brits as much as the next guy, and we're sure they'll probably be able to get a couple of gliders flying and stuff, but the fact remains the almighty US of A remains the only country to put man on the Moon.
TELL MS. ROSS WE NEED THESE ASAP: Congress approves the Flag Act of 1818 on this date in 1818. The Act provides for a flag with 13 stripes and a number of stars equal to the number of states.
One More Thing: The Act also provided for new stars being added on the July 4 following the admission of a new state.
Dry, Technical Matter: The Flag Act of 1818 followed a similar act in 1794 which authorized a flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes.
Long Live The King: President William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia on this date in 1841, a mere 32 days after being inaugurated.
Uh-Oh: Harrison was the first president to die in office.
Hot Constitutional Action: The Constitution at the time was hilariously unspecific as to whether Vice-President John Tyler actually became president or remained vice-president and served as acting president.
Original Source Material: Article II, Section I, of the Constitution, United States, 1.0, which in force at the time, states, in part, that:
In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
What In The Hell Is Going On Here? Tyler, for his part, insisted on taking the presidential oath of office, moving into the White House and generally acting presidential, despite the fact some in the government thought the Constitution mandated Tyler serve only as acting president with some even thinking Congress was authorized to hold an election to fill the post.
Death Squad: Harrison's doctors treated him with opium, castor oil and Virginia snakeweed, none of which did him any good. At the time it was thought Harrison died due to an illness he caught at his inauguration, where it was cold and wet, and Harrison, a hero of the War of 1812, elected to show how tough he still was and go without an overcoat and hat.
However, Harrison didn't actually get sick until three weeks later and it is now thought he simply caught a cold. In addition to doctors treating him with crap did him some zero good Harrison didn't help matters, declining to rest and maintaining a full work and social schedule.
My Work Is Done…Almost: President Abraham Lincoln visits Confederate troops in Richmond on this date in 1864, one day after Union forces had captured the city.
This Is Casey Counting Them Down: The Beatles occupy the first five spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on this date in 1964. From #1 to #5 the songs were: Can't Buy Me Love, Twist and Shout, She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand and Please Please Me.
The significance of this achievement cannot be understated. The Beatles were, of course, one of the two or three most significant acts of the rock era, their appearance forming a line of demarcation separating all that came before from all that came after like few others and no one had monopolized the top five positions before and no one has done it since. The closest anyone has come are the handful of acts who have held the top two spots at the same time.
Crunching The Numbers: The numbers are staggering: the Beatles had held at least the top two positions on the Hot 100 since February 22 and would hold at least the top two spots until April 15. Can't Buy Me Love replaced She Loves You at number one and that had replaced I Want To Hold Your Hand, the only time in chart history an act had replaced itself at number one twice and those three songs spent a combined 14 weeks at number one. Can't Buy Me Love jumped to number 1 from the 27 spot, setting a record for the biggest jump to number one, a record that his since been broken many times, though it should be noted this is due mainly to the way Billboard calculates these things than anything else.
3...2...1...Blastoff: Apollo 6, the final unmanned Apollo flight, is launched on this date in 1968. Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, would take off in October.
Great Moments In Race Relations: Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on this date in 1968. King was standing on the balcony of a motel when he was shot in the head just after 6pm and was pronounced dead at a Memphis hospital an hour later.
Two months later James Earl Ray was arrested in London, extradited to Tennessee, where he plead guilty. Ray later recanted his confession, and spent the rest of his life in jail trying to withdraw his guilty plea. Ray escaped for three days in 1977 and died in prison in 1998.
Inspired by our chronicle of the 1908 Chicago Cubs season in this feature a couple of years ago - the 100th anniversary of their last World Series title - On This Date dusted off their record book and from time to time this baseball season will feature a record or achievement we find interesting.
Get Out Your History Books: On this date in 1974, on Opening Day in Cincinnati, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves ties Babe Ruth's career home run record hitting his 714th career home run. The home run came in the first inning, off the Reds Jack Billingham.
As Long As Your Record Books Are Out: Toronto outfielder George Bell becomes the first major leaguer to hit three home runs on Opening Day on this date in 1995, in a 5-3 victory at Kansas City. All three home runs come off of Bret Saberhagen.
FunFact: The mark would be equaled by the Cubs' Tuffy Rhodes in 1994 and Dmitri Young of Detroit, also against Kansas City, in 2005.
Thought For The Day: When the time comes for truth to speak, it may choose an unfamiliar tongue; the task is to heed what is said. - Robertson Davies, The Lyre of Orpheus.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: Hinkle Fieldhouse is older than Cameron Indoor Stadium. The home of our Butler Bulldogs opened in 1928, while the home of Duke Blue Devils opened in 1940.
Today's Stumper: Who is the only act besides the Beatles to hold the top two positions on the Hot 100 more than once?- Answer next time!
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