History of the Day: 10/4

Happy birthday to Snoopy, who first appeared on this day in 1950! This is a monumentous (my word) occasion which, I think, can only be properly put in context by the words of Snoopy's, hippie, avian friend, Woodstock:

!!!! !!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!! !! !!!!!! ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

I couldn't agree more. I wonder, though, how he learned Ogham?

Today is the birthday of Michael Pupin, the telephone guru of Serbia! Why should you care? Because his name is PUPIN!!!! HAHAHAHA!!!! In 1918, Kenichi Fukui, the unfortunately named Nobel laureate from Japan, was born. What was his mother thinking? I mean, seriously, Kenichi?

The first, complete, English-language Bible (the Matthew Bible) was printed on this day with translations by William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale. Here's an excerpt from Proverbs 30:29-31:

There be thre thinges yt go stiffly, but the goinge of the fourth is the goodliest of all.
A Lyon which is kynge of beastes, & geueth place to no man:
A cock ready to fight:
A rame:
And a kynge yt goeth forth wt his people.

Hmmm ... I think that I have misjudged my students. They're just starting to write in Middle English! It's interesting to compare this Bible's Genesis 1:1

In ye begynnynge God created heauen & earth: and ye earth was voyde and emptie, and darcknes was vpon the depe, & ye sprete of God moued vpo the water.

With Roy Blount Jr.'s (who was born on this day in 1941) description of the creation of Atlanta:

In the beginning, Atlanta was without form, and void ... and it still is.

Continuing in the religious vein, Anne Rice was also born on this day in 1941. Well, perhaps she would prefer an artery. What does she have to do with religion? Well, she has give up on writing about vampires because she returned to her Catholic roots.

I would never go back, not even if they say, 'You will be financially ruined; you've got to write another vampire book.' I would say no. I have no choice. I would be a fool for all eternity to turn my back on God like that.

But, when you think about it, was it really that big of a change? She just gave up one guy who died and came back to life for all eternity for another.

Today is the feastday of St. Francis, who might be for the birds, but who still wrote heartfelt prayers, like this one said by teachers the world over:

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?

Oh, wait, that was Janis Joplin, who died on this day in 1970. St. Francis wrote heartfelt prayers of his own, like the Hymn of the Sun, which was later turned into the hymn All Creatures of Our God and King.

Finally, let's all celebrate National Cinnamon Bun Day with the Swedes! I love cinnamon buns, especially Cinnabon's buns, which finally knocked my previous favorite buns from first place.