Some days just seem to be lightening rods for particular subjects. Like some days have all kinds of scientific landmarks, vaccines first tested & men landing on the moon, or other days that see the invention of obscure musical instruments & operatic debuts & so on. Today is all about knuckling under.
Just to start the ball rolling, because of a calendar change (to the Gregorian) in 1592 there was no October 5th in several countries in Europe. But not all. Because that would make too much sense.
A few years before, okay quite a few years before, more than a century actually: Visigoths invaded Iberia. & hung on for a good long time. longer when you consider the average life expectancy was a fraction of what it is today. 50 years is a lot longer when that is two generations ago. They also managed to rape & kill & pillage plenty & pushed the Vandals out of Europe & into Africa. That's right, the Goths pushed the Vandals out of Europe.
Lets move it forward a bit. In 1450 the Jews were driven from Baviaria. In 1793 the Catholics were driven from France. It wasn't permanent but it was plenty grisly.
In 1877 Chief Joseph surrendered, after one helluva campaign. If the US Cavalry had not had several times the munitions & warm bodies we would all be speaking...French? No, I think they were named by the French. I don't know what the Nez Percé speak & I am just a little bit embarrassed about that. The rest of his life was a series of skirmishes & defeat as our proud nation ground him into dust. The better man does not always win.
There are IRA bombings in 1974 & Golden Triangle Massacres in 2011. In 1982 Tylenol recalled much of their product because bottles had been tampered with & seven people died. Those murders have never been solved.
Oh, & in 1953 the Yankees won the world series. For the fifth time in a row. Damn Yankees.
So that is what October 5th teaches us. Some days you just go home in defeat. But take heart, tomorrow in 1723 a 17 year old Benjamin Franklin arrives in Philadelphia.
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