OT: Today in History - 5 September 2008

[FlatIronMike]

from the NYTimes Today in History service.

On this date in:

1698 Russia's Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards.

1774 The first Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia.

1793 The Reign of Terror began during the French Revolution as the
National Convention instituted harsh measures to repress
counterrevolutionary activities.

1836 Sam Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas.

1882 The nation's first Labor Day parade was held in New York City.

1905 The Treaty of Portsmouth, ending the Russo-Japanese War, was
signed in New Hampshire.

1914 The First Battle of the Marne began during World War I.

1939 The United States proclaimed its neutrality in World War II.

1945 Iva Toguri D'Aquino, a Japanese-American suspected of being
wartime radio propagandist "Tokyo Rose," was arrested in Yokohama.

1957 "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, the defining novel of the Beat
Generation, was published.

1958 "Doctor Zhivago" by Russian author Boris Pasternak was published
in the United States.

1977 The United States launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft two weeks
after launching its twin, Voyager 2.

....and that's today's HIStory lesson. Enjoy.

FlatironMike
One year, six months, three weeks, four days, 15 hours, 23 minutes and
43 seconds. 11452 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,435.60. Life saved:
5 weeks, 4 days, 18 hours, 20 minutes.

[kestrel]

I am proud to report that I have read both of those fine books you
mentioned. And have seen the movie of Zhivago countless times. And
many times more thanks to Netflix. The Reign of Terror always reminds
me of "A Tale of Two Cities", another fine read also made into a great
movie. But you knew I was a bookish movie freak. And I no longer
smoke while reading or watching movies. Or anything else.

Joyce
10 years and a lot more