10 July 2017
Interesting tidbits:
1789 – Alexander Mackenzie reaches the Mackenzie River delta. He is known for his overland crossing of what is now Canada to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1793. This was the first east to west crossing of North America north of Mexico and predated the Lewis and Clark expedition by 10 years. On behalf of the North West Company Mackenzie travelled to Lake Athabasca where, in 1788, he was one of the founders of Fort Chipewyan. He learned form the First Nations people that the local rivers flowed to the northwest. Acting on this information, he set out by canoe on the river known to the local Dene as the Dehcho, in the hope of finding the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. As he ended up reaching the Arctic Ocean, it is conjectured that he named the river "Disappointment River" as it did not lead to Cook Inlet in Alaska as he had expected. The river was later renamed the Mackenzie River in his honor.
1913 – Death Valley, California, hits 134 °F (~56.7 °C), the highest temperature recorded in the United States.
1925 – In Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called "Monkey Trial" begins with John T. Scopes, a young high school science teacher accused of teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act. The trial was deliberately staged in order to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held. Scopes was unsure whether he had ever actually taught evolution, but he purposefully incriminated himself so that the case could have a defendant. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, but the verdict was overturned on a technicality. The trial served its purpose of drawing intense national publicity, as national reporters flocked to Dayton to cover the big-name lawyers who had agreed to represent each side. William Jennings Bryan, three-time presidential candidate for the Democrats, argued for the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow, the famed defense attorney, spoke for Scopes. The trial publicized the Fundamentalist–Modernist Controversy which set modernists, who said evolution was consistent with religion, against fundamentalists who said it was not. The case was thus seen as both a theological contest and a trial on whether modern science regarding the creation-evolution controversy should be taught in schools. The trial is perhaps best known today for serving as the inspiration for the play, Inherit the Wind, and the movie of the same title.
1962 – Telstar, the world's first communications satellite, is launched into orbit.
1997 – In London scientists report the findings of the DNA analysis of a Neanderthal skeleton which supports the "out of Africa theory" of human evolution placing an "African Eve" at 100,000 to 200,000 years ago.
Today's birthday crew:
1832 – Alvan Graham Clark, American astronomer and telescope-maker.
1839 – Adolphus Busch, German brewer, co-founded Anheuser-Busch.
1856 – Nikola Tesla, Serbian-American physicist and engineer (Mr AC current).
1871 – Marcel Proust, French writer.
1897 – Jack Diamond, American gangster (legs).
1903 – John Wyndham, English science fiction writer whose works were mostly set in post-apocalyptic landscapes. His works include The Day of the Triffids, The Kraken Wakes published in the US as Out of the Deeps, The Chrysalids published in the US as Re-Birth, and The Midwich Cuckoos filmed twice as Village of the Damned.
1914 – Joe Shuster, Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1 (June 1938).
1917 – Don Herbert, American television host and producer better known as Mr. Wizard, was the creator and host of Watch Mr. Wizard and of Mr. Wizard's World, which were educational television programs for children devoted to science and technology. He also produced many short video programs about science and authored several popular books about science for children. In his obituary, Bill Nye wrote, "Herbert's techniques and performances helped create the United States' first generation of homegrown rocket scientists just in time to respond to Sputnik." He was Bill Nye before Bill Nye was Bill Nye.
1917 – Reg Smythe, British cartoonist (Andy Capp).
1921 – Harvey Ball, American artist, created the Smiley (He's to blame!)
1926 – Fred Gwynne, American actor (Herman Munster).
1930 – Bruce Boa, Canadian actor best known for his role in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back as General Rieekan.
1931 – Julian May, American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science, and children's writer best known for her Saga of Pliocene Exile (Saga of the Exiles in the UK) and Galactic Milieu Series books.
1934 – Jerry Nelson, American puppeteer and voice actor (Muppets).
1941 – David G. Hartwell, American editor of science fiction and fantasy. He has worked for Pocket (where he founded the Timescape imprint and created the Pocket Books Star Trek publishing line), and Tor Books, and numerous anthologies. He chairs the board of directors of the World Fantasy Convention and, with Gordon Van Gelder, is the administrator of the Philip K. Dick Award.
1945 – Ron Glass, American actor best known for his role as the spiritual Shepherd Derrial Book in Firefly and Serenity.
1947 – Arlo Guthrie, American singer-songwriter and musician.
1958 – Béla Fleck, American musician, songwriter, and composer.
1958 – Fiona Shaw, Irish actress primarily known for her role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films or Marnie Stonebrook in the HBO series True Blood.
1960 – Jeff Bergman, American voice actor who provides the modern day voices of various classic cartoon characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, George Jetson, Fred Flintstone, Yogi Bear, and Huckleberry Hound.
Happy birthday guys!