James Garfield’s Birthday
On this day in 1831 James Garfield was born in Ohio. He was the 20th president of the United States — but not for long. Four months into his term, on 2 July 1881, he was shot twice by Charles Guiteau.
The Who2 Blog
Joan Baez Falls Out of Her Own Treehouse
Now Joan Baez really has something in common with Keith Richards. The folk legend is “resting comfortably” after falling out of her backyard treehouse yesterday.
“Why is the Alien Person Wearing a Stanford T-Shirt?”
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip put on 3D glasses yesterday at the University of Sheffield. They were actually driving a virtual backhoe, not watching Avatar. The Queen looked tentative at first, but then seemed to get the hang of 3D.
Mickey Mouse, Happy Birthday!
Cartoon icon Mickey Mouse quietly celebrated his 82nd birthday today, in a hidden estate in the French Riviera.Mouse, who has not been seen in public since 1984, is believed to be in ill-health and has been in a wheelchair since his 2007 wedding to actress Uma Thurman.
Congress Meets in Washington, D.C. in 1800
Today is the anniversary of the first meeting of the U.S. Congress in the new capitol of Washington, D.C.
President George Washington laid the cornerstone for the new center of government in 1793, but elected officials didn’t meet in Washington, D.C. until this fall day in 1800.
They were in a hurry to leave Philadelphia, where malaria and cholera were making even the most eloquent statesmen say, “’tis a bummer, indeed.”
Jimmy Fallon and Bruce Springsteen do “Whip My Hair”
[Nov. 22 update: YouTube has pulled the clip at the insistence of NBC, alas.]If you haven’t seen the cool-irritating video by Willow “Another One of Will Smith’s Kids” Smith for her song “Whip My Hair,” you can see it here. Like most music videos of pop songs, you don’t have to watch the whole thing.
Prince William Gives Diana’s Ring to Kate Middleton
Prince William and his new fiancee Kate Middleton had a royal engagement photocall today, in the State Apartments of St. James Palace in London. Nice setting.
It’s On! Prince William and Kate Middleton to Marry
Prince William and his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton are engaged to be married.
They’re Digging Up Tycho Brahe
Tycho Brahe, the genius Danish astronomer and wearer of metal noses, is being exhumed by scientists in Prague who want to know how he died.The cause-of-death candidates are:
J.G. Ballard Stuff on a Cat
English author J. G. Ballard was born today in 1930, in Shanghai, China. He died last year at the age of 78. In his honor, I stacked some stuff on a cat.
A Few Interesting Links
I will be gone for a few days, so I’ll leave you with some cool links:
Letters of Note — I’d steal something from this every day, if it weren’t so uncool to do that.
Another great site to visit is from the U.S. National Archives, their Today’s Document from the National Archives. Always something interesting there.
Rubik’s Cube, the Movie
Hollywood Insider reported this week on plans to make a movie based on the Rubik’s Cube, the puzzle toy created by Hungarian designer Erno Rubik in 1974.
Sure, there are board games based on movies, but movies based on board games and puzzles?
Spiro Agnew’s Birthday
On this day in 1918 Spiro Theodore Agnew was born in Baltimore County, Maryland.
He was the son of Greek immigrants whose original name was Anagnostopoulos. He liked to be called Ted. His law school education was interrupted by service in the Tenth Armored Division during World War II. He saw combat in France and Germany.
Spiro Agnew was a suburban Baltimore lawyer, and a Democrat until 1947, when he became a Republican. From a background in county politics, he was elected Maryland’s governor in 1966.
The Art in the White House
The Freelance Review has a glimpse at art chosen for the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Queen Has a Facebook Page
The British Monarchy has a Facebook page, you know.
Be friends with Queen Elizabeth! See photos of Prince Harry and Prince Charles and Prince William and Prince Philip and Prince Nelson!
Okay, maybe not that last one.
That’s Jane Fonda
Thanks to the blog Farbror Sid for this old photograph of Jane Fonda:
Kentucky Fried Shogun
Colonel Sanders is a hit in China, as we once noted. Now here’s proof that he’s also a revered figure in Japan:
Lebron James v. Cleveland
You have to hand it to the folks behind this this video response to the Nike and Lebron James commercial called “Rise.”
The “Rise” video deserves all the grief — it’s too precious by half. Here you can see the Cleveland “response” and the original ad:
Guy Fawkes Day
Some people celebrate November 5 in honor of British terrorist Guy Fawkes, the Catholic revolutionary who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
Nowadays Fawkes is associated with comics legend Alan Moore, whose V for Vendetta has co-opted (or furthered) the Fawkes legend.
To read about some of the celebrations, try this feature from AOL News.