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Tag: March

  • March 13 in Pop Culture History

    March 13 in Pop Culture History

    March 13 History, Facts and Trivia

    March 13 History Highlights

    • 1871 – The Planet Uranus was discovered by William Herschel.
    • 1943 – “Operation Flash”, an attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler failed.
    • 1969 – Apollo 9 returned safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
    • The 1993 Storm of the Century affected the Eastern US, dropping feet of snow
    • 2020 -Breonna Taylor was killed when police officers forcibly entered her home in Louisville, Kentucky, sparking extensive protests against police brutality.
    • If you were born on March 13th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… June 20th (prior year)

    The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

    On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

    “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

    He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

    “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

    But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

    In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

    “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

    The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

    Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

    March 13 is…

    Coconut Torte Day
    Ginger Ale Day
    Good Samaritan Day
    Jewel Day
    K-9 Veterans Day
    Open An Umbrella Indoors Day
    Smart and Sexy Day

    March 13 Birthday Quotes

    “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”
    – Mario Andretti

    “I just want people to feel like they can achieve something great in their lives. We all go through rough times, but love is the antidote. You’ve got to dream and just believe in yourself. And if you believe, you will achieve it.”
    – Common

    “I guess if people all followed the basic principles of their own religions, they would love everybody instead of hating half the world.”
    – Al Jaffee

    “I knew I had to have a hit. I would get no more chances. Analyzing what they had in common I discovered they had many similar elements: harmonic rhythm, placement of the chord changes, choice of harmonic progressions, similar instrumentation, vocal phrases, drum fills, content, even the timbre of the lead solo voice. I decided to write a song that incorporated all these elements in one record.”
    – Neil Sedaka

    “Don’t worry about it. Babe Ruth struck out on occasion, too.”
    – Walter Annenberg

    March 13 Birthdays

    1908 – Walter Annenberg, American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat (died in 2002)
    1910 – Sammy Kaye, American saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader (died in 1987)
    1911 – L. Ron Hubbard, American author, founder of Scientology (died in 1986)
    1921 – Al Jaffee, American cartoonist
    1939 – Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter
    1942 – Scatman John, American singer-songwriter (died in 1999)
    1947 – Lyn St. James, American race car driver
    1950 – William H. Macy, American actor
    1951 – Charo, Spanish-American singer, guitarist, and actress
    1956 – Dana Delany, American actress
    1960 – Adam Clayton, English-Irish musician, U2
    1972 – Common, American rapper
    1976 – Danny Masterson, American actor
    1985 – Emile Hirsch, American actor
    1987 – Marco Andretti, American race car driver

    March 13 History

    1639 – Formerly ‘New College,’ Harvard College was renamed after clergyman John Harvard.

    1781 – German-born English astronomer William Hershel discovered Uranus.

    1862 – The US government forbade all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.

    1868 – Impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson began. He was found ‘not guilty.’

    1877 – The first US Patent (#188,292) for earmuffs was issued to teen-aged Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine.

    March 13, 1898 – Microsoft Windows 2.11 was released.

    1930 – The discovery of a ninth planet, named Pluto, was announced by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory. Pluto was later degraded to a ‘Dwarf Planet.’

    1954 – #1 Hit March 13, 1954 – April 9, 1954: Jo Stafford – Make Love To Me!

    March 13, 1956 – Elvis Presley released his first Album

    1964 – Catherine ‘Kitty’ Genovese was stabbed in Queens, NY. It was reported that no bystanders heard what happened.

    1965 – #1 Hit March 13, 1965 – March 26, 1965: The Beatles – Eight Days a Week

    1969 – Disney’s The Love Bug opened in theaters.

    1975 – #1 Hit March 13, 1976 – April 2, 1976: The Four Seasons – December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)

    1993 – #1 Hit March 13, 1993 – April 30, 1993: Snow – Informer

    1999 – #1 Hit March 13, 1999 – April 9, 1999: Cher – Believe

    2013 – Pope Francis was elected in the papal conclave as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Sean Connery – Real Name: Thomas Connery

    Morris the Cat represents 9Lives cat food.

    Whoever invented the letter W was a genius, they created the only multi-syllable, multi-word, based-off-of-another-letter letter, and it’s barely ever used. #IdontknowwhatImtalkingabout

    “I’m a mog – half man, half dog. I’m my own best friend.”- Barf (John Candy) #moviequotes

    Some day in the future, when space flight is common, some nerd is going to recreate a complete NASA Apollo moon rocket and re-create the moon landing.

    Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr. has the longest recorded surname in history.

    Striker: “Surely you can’t be serious.”
    Rumack: “I am serious … and don’t call me Shirley.” – Ted Striker and Dr. Rumack (Robert Hays and Leslie Nielsen) in Airplane!, 1980

    In 1999 the United Nations proposed a global tax on every email sent.

    If Canada and the United States were to combine into one country called the Federation of North America, the first benefit would be that new acronym. #thinkaboutit

    The groove located in the middle of the place above your lips is called a “philtrum.”

    The skin of a Honey Badger is tough enough to resist several machete blows and is almost impervious to arrows and spears.

    We should only pay attention to inclement weather being serious when the meteorologist on the news has rolled up their sleeves, ditched the jacket & tie, and unbuttoned their collar.

    The Capital of Pakistan is Islamabad

    The biggest film of 1967: The Jungle Book (Musical) earned ~ $142,000,000

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • March 12 in Pop Culture History

    March 12 in Pop Culture History

    March 12 History, Facts and Trivia

    March 12 History Highlights

    • 1609 – Bermuda was colonized by England
    • 1933 – President Roosevelt gave his first ‘Fireside Speech’
    • 1938 – Austria was invaded by Germany
    • 1998 – The Church of England ordained its first female priests.
    • March 12 19** Birthday (fictional) Perry White, DC Comics
    • March 12, 19**Birthday (fictional) Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
    • If you were born on March 12th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… June 19th (prior year)

    Girl Scout Day

    On March 12, 1912, Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low assembled a group of eighteen girls from Savannah, Georgia for the first Girl Scout (Girl Guides) meeting. Low believed that all young ladies should have the chance to develop physically, mentally, and spiritually. She organized service projects, outdoor adventures, and enrichment programs to urge girls out of the house and into the community.

    Today, over 4.4 million girls are active Girl Scouts and members.

    National Flower Day

    Did you know that flowers have been around for over 145 million years? Flowers first appeared in the Cretaceous period, and they’ve changed the face of the earth ever since. Before flowers, the world was filled with ferns and conifers – an endlessly green landscape. Flowers diversified rapidly, thanks to insects and dinosaurs plowing their way across the earth. The explosion of plant varieties and color cascaded into the birth of several plant families we know today. Flowering plants are vital to existence – they’re food sources that provide humans and animals with the sustenance we need to survive.

    March 12 is…

    Alfred Hitchcock Day
    Baked Scallops Day
    Girl Scout Day
    Plant a Flower Day

    March 12 Birthday Quotes

    “Be stupid, be dumb, be funny, if that’s who you are. Don’t try to be someone that society wants you to be, that’s stupid. So be yourself.”
    – Christina Grimmie

    “The day you stop caring what other people think of you is the day your life begins.”
    – Aaron Eckhart

    “Free enterprise has done more to lift people out of poverty, to help build a strong middle class, to help educate our kids, and to make our lives better than all the programs of government combined.”
    – Mitt Romney

    “You have to choose whether to love yourself or not.”
    – James Taylor

    “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that g*dd*mn mountain.”
    – Jack Kerouac

    March 12 Birthdays

    1864 – W.H.R. Rivers, English anthropologist, neurologist, ethnologist, and psychiatrist (died in 1922)
    1921 – Gordon MacRae, American actor and singer (died in 1986)
    1922 – Jack Kerouac, American author and poet (died in 1969)
    1925 – Harry Harrison, American author and illustrator (died in 2012)
    1933 – Barbara Feldon, American actress
    1940 – Al Jarreau, American singer (died in 2017)
    1946 – Liza Minnelli, American actress, singer and dancer
    1947 – Mitt Romney, American businessman and politician
    1948 – James Taylor, American singer-songwriter
    1957 – Marlon Jackson, American singer-songwriter, Jackson 5
    1960 – Courtney B. Vance, American actor
    1962 – Darryl Strawberry, American baseball player
    1968 – Aaron Eckhart, American actor
    1969 – Jake Tapper, American journalist
    1984 – Jaimie Alexander, American actress
    1994 – Christina Grimmie, American singer-songwriter (died in 2016)

    March 12 History

    1894 – Coca-Cola bottles were sold to the public for the first time, in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

    1912 – The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) were founded in the United States.

    1923 – Phonofilm, the first motion picture with a sound-on-film track was demonstrated at a press conference by Dr. Lee De Forest, who was also the inventor of the radio tube in 1907.

    1928 – St. Francis Dam collapsed San Francisquito Canyon, California

    1933 – New resident Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first national radio address or “fireside chat,” from the White House.

    March 12, 1952, 19** Birthday (fictional) Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

    1987 – Broadway Show – Les Miserables (Musical) March 12, 1987

    1988 – #1 Hit March 12, 1988 – March 25, 1988: Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up

    1993 – ’93 Superstorm stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the northeastern US. 318 were killed.

    1994 – #1 Hit March 12, 1994 – April 8, 1994: Ace Of Base – The Sign

    1994 – The Church of England ordained its first female priests.

    1999 – Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

    2003 – 15-year-old Elizabeth Smart was found in Sandy, Utah, nine months after being abducted from her Salt Lake City home.

    2003 – The Dixie Chicks’ lead singer, Natalie Maines said, in an interview with The Guardian “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence. And we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.” That lead to a revolt from many of their fans.

    2008 – Hulu opened online.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “Die, my dear? Why that’s the last thing I’ll do!” – Groucho Marx #LastWords

    Portia De Rossi – Real Name: Amanda Lee Rogers

    John Wayne actually went bald in the 1940s and wore a hairpiece throughout his career.

    “These go to eleven” – Nigel Tufnel #moviequotes

    “That was the most fun I’ve ever had without laughing.” – Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) #moviequotes

    As a child, Audrey Hepburn was a courier for resistance fighters in Holland during World War II.

    Antarctica is the largest desert on earth.

    “You don’t want to get mixed up with a guy like me Dottie. I’m a loner. A rebel.” – Pee-Wee Herman #moviequotes

    Marie Curie – Real Name: Manya Sklodowska

    A scream and a whisper are the same volumes in your head.

    The British Royal family is named after Windsor Castle, not the other way around.

    Useless Pronunciation: K as in knot

    Dorothy ACTUALLY said: “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” #moviequotes

    Every year in the US, over 600 people are struck by lightning.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • The Lindbergh Kidnapping March 1, 1932

    The Lindbergh Kidnapping March 1, 1932

    The Charles A. Lindbergh Jr Kidnapping

    It was on the evening of March 1, 1932, that one of the nation’s biggest mysteries and scandals occurred. World-famous aviator Colonel Charles Lindbergh and his wife had put their 20-month old son Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr. to bed in his upstairs nursery and within hours a nurse who went to check-in on the baby discovered him to be missing.

    All evidence supported that the baby had been kidnapped and as police investigated Lindbergh’s home, the discovered muddy footprints in the nursery, the window in the nursery wide-open, and a cryptic ransom note left on the windowsill that demanded $50,000 for the safe return of the baby. The police thoroughly searched the grounds of the Lindbergh estate and came up empty-handed. All that they were able to discover was a home-made ladder that they believe someone used to climb to the second-story window to nab baby Charlie, as there were also scrape marks discovered on the outside of the home next to the nursery window.

    It was the first time the Lindberghs were at their new home on a Tuesday night in the middle of the week. The house was not quite finished, so the family only came on weekends. They spent weekdays at Anne’s family’s estate in Englewood, New Jersey. But Charlie had a cold, and Anne didn’t want him to travel. So how did the kidnappers know they’d even be here that night?

    The ransom note was very crudely written with many misspellings which led the police to believe that the individual that kidnapped baby Charles most likely had to be a recent immigrant. The note also urged the Lindbergh’s not to involve the police as there would be trouble as a result.

    Colonel Lindbergh asked friends to communicate with the kidnappers, and they made widespread appeals for the kidnappers to start negotiations. A second ransom note was received by Colonel Lindbergh on March 6, 1932, (postmarked Brooklyn, New York, March 4), in which the ransom demand was increased to $70,000.

    About nine days after the kidnapping of baby Charles a 72-year-old retired teacher from the Bronx named Dr. John Condon called the Lindberghs and claimed that he had written a letter to the “Bronx Home News” offering to act as an intermediary between Lindbergh and the kidnapper. The story got the attention of the kidnapper who contacted Condon and in a move of desperation to get his son back alive, Lindbergh agreed to allow Condon to works as an intermediary and kept the police out of the situation.

    A month later on April 2, 1932, Dr. Condon delivered the ransom money of gold certificates (serial numbers recorded by the police) to a man at St. Raymond’s Cemetery, while Lindbergh waited in a nearby car. The man referred to as Cemetery John took the money, but failed to deliver the baby safe and sound. He instead handed Dr. Condon a note that revealed the baby’s alleged location, which was on a boat called the Nelly. Unfortunately, no boat or baby was located in the area that Cemetery John described.

    Finally on May 12, 1932, nearly three months after the kidnapping of baby Charles, a truck driver found the baby’s decomposed body in the woods a few miles from the Lindbergh estate. Police claim that the baby had been dead since the night of the kidnapping and had a fractured skull which may have occurred because he was dropped when the kidnapper was attempting to climb back down the ladder. However, there are some discrepancies in the police report describing the baby’s injuries and some do not match those that would occur during an accidental fall. There was a clear fracture line on the left side of the baby’s head, and on the right side of the head, there was a round defect behind the right ear.

    The police claim the injury to the right side of the head occurred when an officer who was trying to exhume the baby’s remains accidentally poked a hole in his skull with a stick, and thus created the round, impact-like injury on the right side. However many medical experts claim that a stick would not create enough force to break through the baby’s skull and some people began to suspect the baby was murdered rather than dying accidentally after the fall. The evidence supports the theory that the Lindbergh baby was killed intentionally by the kidnapper and the ransom notes claiming he was alive was only part of a ruse to receive higher amounts of money from the family.

    For two years the police and FBI kept close tabs on the serial numbers associated with the ransom money that was given to Cemetery John, just waiting to see if it would pop up anywhere and they could arrest a suspect. In 1934, one of the gold certificates showed up at a gas station in New York. Thanks to the suspicions of the gas station attendant, who was worried the gold certificate might be counterfeit and wrote down a license plate number, the police were able to track the gold certificate back to an illegal German immigrant named Bruno Richard Hauptmann.

    The police discovered that Hauptmann had a past criminal record, which of all things included using a ladder to climb into the second-story window of a home to steal money and watches. Police searched Hauptmann’s home and found $14,000 of the Lindbergh ransom money hidden in his garage. They also discovered missing floorboards in Hauptmann attic which matched the wood used to build the home-made ladder discovered on the Lindbergh property.

    Hauptmann was arrested on September 19, 1934, and tried for murder beginning on January 2, 1935. While Hauptmann maintained his innocence, the evidence in the case was stacked against him. Not only was there the wood from the ladder, but a writing sample from Hauptmann matched the ransom note. There was also a witness that claimed to have seen Hauptmann on the Lindbergh property the day before the crime occurred. Both Lindbergh and Dr. Condon also agreed that they recognized Hauptmann as Cemetery John who had taken the ransom money right after the crime.

    The prosecutors on the case were never completely positive that Hauptmann acted alone. They urged him to reveal his accomplices, but he never wavered from his innocence plea. Even his wife, Anna, maintained her husband’s innocence all the way up to her death in 1994. It is the ransom money that comes into question when looking into possible accomplices in committing this crime. Police only discovered Hauptmann with about $14,000 of the ransom money, so the questions became, what happened to the rest of the $50,000 in funds?

    On February 13, 1935, the jury convicted Hauptmann of first-degree murder. He was put to death by electric chair on April 3, 1936, for the murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.

    The case of the Lindbergh baby is truly one of the most haunting in American History. Overall the case left many unanswered questions about who committed the crime and how they were able to pull it off. Many are still wondering if Hauptmann had any assistance when committing the crime and that there still could be perpetrators at large even to this day.

    What makes this case even more intriguing is that there are some individuals who believe that the Lindbergh baby is still very much alive and well. They claim that the poster that circulated far and wide seeking his return said he was 20 months old, weighed 27 to 30 pounds and was 29 inches tall. However, the autopsy report that was completed on the baby that was discovered on the Lindbergh property couldn’t identify the body’s sex due to “marked decomposition ” and the body was 33 inches long, -4 inches taller than Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. was supposed to be. Colonel Lindbergh and Betty Gow, the baby’s nurse,, quickly identified the body when it was discovered and it was quickly cremated right after. Definitely questionable behavior, but the theory does seem a bit far-fetched!