History of the Day: 7/15

Three famous, medieval figures from history and literature died on this day. In 778, Hruodland (also known as Roland or Orlando) died at the Battle of Roncevaux pass. His life inspired the French epic poem Chanson de Roland, the English epic poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came and the Childe Rowland fairy tales. So, everybody run widdershins in his memory.

Duncan I of Scotland was killed by his cousin Macbeth in 1040. This event, and the aftermath, was immortalized in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth. In a Shakespeare worthy twist of fate, he was killed by the Máel Coluim mac Donnchada of Scotland. Máel was known as "Big Head," immortalized in So I Married an Axe Murderer.

Construction of Cologne Cathedral began in 1248 with the laying of the foundation stone, containing the relics of the Three Wise Men. Construction was completed 632 years later.

In 1534, St. Ignatius of Loyala and six classmates took vows which, eventually led to the creation of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, 16 years later.

In 1824, freed American slaves founded Liberia. Here's a brief history.

In 1914, the Panama Canal opened for business, as the Ancon pass from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Everybody was very excited and sang this song.

While the Ancon was making it's historic passage, a male servant of Frank Lloyd Wright killed seven people with an axe in Taliesin, Wright's Wisconsin home. He then set fire to the house. I'm not sure why he did this or why this story is important, but isn't this a great song!


- 1935 – Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers#Quotes_and_one-liners)


This day in 1945 is V-J (Victory over Japan) Day and, in Korea, Gwangbokjeol (Restoration of Light Day). Korea decided to commemorate their suffering by dividing at the 38th parallel on this day three years later, preserving the misery and oppression and darkness they had suffered for so many years under the Japanese rule, in the North.  Tensions between the two countries are always ... well ... tense, especially at the border/DMZ.  

In other liberation history, India celebrates her independence from England in 1947. Pakistan also recalls the swearing in of Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the first Governor General of Pakistan on the same day. He didn't know where Bin Ladin was hiding, either. Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained ever since. If you haven't seen the border ceremony between the two countries, you should.


In music history, the Beatles played midwife to stadium rock on this day in 1965 as they played for nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in NYC.  Four years later, the first Woodstock Music and Art Festival opened. Here is some riveting commentary on some of the bands who appeared. 

President Richard Nixon completed the break from the gold standard on this day in 1971.  Why is it that all the most revered Republican presidents did the things Republicans rail about the most today?  


- 1995 – In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel (she drops out less than a week later).(http://etymonline.com/?search=matriculated)
- 1998 – Omagh bomb in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles

- 1717 – Blind Jack, English roadbuilder (d. 1810)
- 1769 – Napoleon Bonaparte, Corsican-born French military officer and dictator (d. 1821)
- 1771 – Sir Walter Scott, Scottish novelist and poet (d. 1832)


- Dormition of Mary
- V-J Day (and Gwangbokjeol)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of the Republic of the Congo from France in 1960.
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of India from the United Kingdom in 1947.
- Earliest day on which Day of Hearts can fall, while August 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in August. (area around Haarlem and Amsterdam)