History of the Day: 11/21

Happy World Hello Day! This day was instituted in 1973 because Israel and Egypt (and the rest of the Middle East) were at odds. I wonder how that worked out? Sigh. Still, in the hopes that, this year, world peace will result from it, "Hello!"

On this day in 1905, Albert Einstein published his paper, Does the Intertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content? It was a rhetorical question. The answer was, of course, E = mc², or BOOOOOM!

The radio program, King Biscuit Time, began broadcasting on this day in 1941. It popularized many famous blues singers and featured Sonny Boy Williamson II and Robert Lockwood Jr. as the house band. And, as King Biscuit Time was to blues, Toy Story was to computer-generated animation. It was released fifty years later.

A series of hoaxes, scams and murders occurred on this day in history.

In 1953, authorities at the British Natural History Museum announced that the "Piltdown Man" was a hoax. This might have something to do with some of the "scientific" reconstructions of the body.

In 1980, Americans wondered "Who Shot JR?" It was one of the highest-rated episodes of a TV show ever aired, which might explain why today is also World Television Day (celebrating inane TV and the people who watch it.)

Six years later, American hero Oliver North and his secretary began shredding documents implicating themselves in the sale of weapons to Iran and funding the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. It occurs to me that, without the U.S., the Middle East would be armed with slings and arrows today.

In other fundraising history, in 1991, Primetime Live aired The Apple of God's Eye, exposing the fundraising practices of Robert Tilton. There was a lot to work with.

The Columbine Massacre occurred on this day as well. No, not that one, the Mine Massacre of 1927. In this one, state police dressed in trenchcoats gunned down striking coal miners. Fortunately, kids don't pay attention in history class, or they might get funny ideas.

Happy birthday to Voltaire, French philosopher who was born on this day in 1694. He is remembered for quite a few witty and pithy quotes, such as:

• The ancient Romans built their greatest masterpieces of architecture for wild beasts to fight in.
• Every sensible man, every honorable man, must hold the Christian sect in horror.
• It is better to risk sparing a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one.
• Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.

However, he did not say the quote (or anything like it) for which he is most famous:

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Finally, we mourn the passing of Henry Purcell, a Baroque English composer and, apparently, early hair band enthusiast. You can hear a bunch of his songs here, but these two are particularly interesting. Dido's Lament is the most famous aria from his most famous opera, Dido and Aeneas. I don't know the name of this song, but it is an excellent example of counter-tenor singing. Basically, all you need to know is THAT'S A DUDE!!! Whoa!

The circumstances of Purcell's death are worth mention. He came home late from the theatre and found that his wife had locked him out. Personally, I'm not sure why he didn't just curl up under his wig.