On June 17, 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere. In 1972, President Richard Nixon’s eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside the Washington, D.C., Watergate complex. In 1994, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, … Read more
1976 Apr 1 – Apple Computer founded in Los Altos, California, U.S.
1979 Mar 16 – The China Syndrome, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas Mar 28 – 3 Mile Island accident Jul 12 – Disco Demolition Night, Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois
1980 Feb 22 – The Miracle on Ice, Lake Placid Olympic Center,New York Apr 27 – Ted Turner announces the creation of CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network. Apr 28 – The U.S. makes attempt to rescue American hostages held in Iran since Nov 1979. May 01 – Rubiks Cube released May 18 – In Washington State, Mt. St. Helens erupts, killing more than 50 people. May 21 – “The Empire Strikes Back,” premieres in movie theaters. May 22 – The Pac-Man video game is released in Japan, followed by its U.S. release in October. Jun 1 – CNN launches Nov 21 – A record 350 million people worldwide watch “Dallas” to find out who shot J.R. Ewing. Nov 04 – Ronald Reagan wins the presidential campaign Oct 30 – Sherman Oaks Mega Mall Opens, Los Angeles Dec 8 – Singer John Lennon is assassinated in front of his New York City apartment.
On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began. In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died at age 63; he was succeeded by Vice President Harry S. Truman. In 1955, the Salk vaccine against polio was declared safe and effective. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to fly in space. In 1963, … Read more
Kwanzaa, is an annual holiday affirming African family and social values that is celebrated primarily in the United States from Wednesday, December 26 to Saturday, January 1. Both the name and the celebration were devised in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University in Long Beach and an important figure in Afrocentrism. Karenga borrowed the word kwanza, meaning “first,” from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, adding the seventh letter, an extra a, to make the word long enough to accommodate one letter for each of the seven children present at an early celebration. (The name Kwanzaa is not itself a Swahili word.)
Kwanzaa’s creator was convicted in 1971 of torturing two women. According to the LA Times, he made them strip, burned them with a soldering iron, beat them with night stick, & put detergent and running hoses in their mouths. Which of the 7 principles was he following?”
Although Kwanzaa is primarily an African American holiday, it has also come to be celebrated outside the United States, particularly in Caribbean and other countries where there are large numbers of descendants of Africans. It was conceived as a nonpolitical and nonreligious holiday, and it is not considered to be a substitute for Christmas.
Each of the days of the celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa:
Counting down to the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World’s opening in October 1971,the Orlando Sentinel begins a weekly feature looking at the construction and impact of the theme park on our area. See more Disney at 50 coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/DailyDisney. Walt Disney’s presence in Florida went from rumored to reported to reality as he … Read more
About that eternal lockdown: The principle of “Hanlon’s Razor” holds that we shouldn’t credit malice for actions that can be explained by stupidity, but in Florida, in 2020, sometimes it was tough to tell the difference. As other countries and even states worked together to flatten their disease curve and return to something approaching normality, those of us in Orlando who scrupulously observed COVID protocols watched helplessly as those who refused to danced, drank and wedding-partied Florida into a viral cesspit. Malice, stupidity, or a little bit of both? We’ll never know, but in the meantime, our three months of quarantine is stretching out into 13 with no assured end in sight.
But even though it felt like living the movie Groundhog Day, things happened that deserve notice, both commendable and regrettable.
Rep. Val Demings is a manager of the Trump impeachment:
We kicked off 2020 with the hometown-pride-inducing sight of U.S. Rep. Val Demings serving as one of seven managers to physically “transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate.” As an impeachment manager, Demings walked to the Senate chamber to hand over the printed articles and after reading the charges aloud, returned to the House to give a verbal report. “I’ve enforced the laws and now I write the laws,” Demings, who was once Orlando Police Chief, said during the debate before the House impeachment vote. “But the laws mean nothing if the accused can destroy evidence, stop witnesses from testifying and blatantly refuse to cooperate.”
COVID craters the local tourism industry:
Before 2020, conventional wisdom was that, no matter what, theme parks don’t close; 9/11 only interrupted Disney operations for less than a full day, for god’s sake. But the coronavirus pandemic put paid to that notion, shutting down the tourist industry that Orlando’s economy hinges on in March. Theme parks and attractions closed and furloughed scores of workers. Then hotels, restaurants, bars, the convention center, even the airport all followed suit to varying degrees. The ripple effects were heartbreaking, like watching a car wreck in slow motion. In June, Universal and SeaWorld reopened, followed by Disney World in July. But with limited capacity and large events like Halloween Horror Nights off the table, profits nose-dived enough to cause thousands more layoffs. It will be a long road back to where we were at the start of 2020, and things will get worse with Disney and Universal, yes, set to lay off still more employees by the time you read this issue.
Built in the 17th century, the Castillo de San Marcos covers over 20 sprawling acres of land and is filled with a rich 450 year history that has withstood the test of time.
If we’re talking haunted or creepy destinations in Florida, of course, St. Augustine is going to top most lists. Let’s talk about Castillo de San Marcos, a former military fortress that’s infamous for some of its battles.
Some say the spirits of Spanish soldiers still defend the 17th century fort. Others say a light shines from a fixture in one of the watchtowers that has no electricity running to it. The spooky accounts also include one Spanish soldier in particular who stands at the edge of the fort, looking out to sea just when the sun is about to rise or set. And then there’s the dungeon — where many people have reported the feeling of cold hands touching them. Others say they just felt cold in general while walking through, according to a website called ghostsandgraves.com. Visitors to the fort say they’ve shot videos and photos of glowing orbs, misty shapes and even some shapes resembling bodies. Enthusiasts of the paranormal and supernatural definitely flock to Castillo de San Marcos for a number of reasons — all of which will make your skin crawl.
On Sept. 7, 1907, theBritish liner RMS Lusitania set outfrom Liverpool, England, on its maiden voyage, arriving six days later in New York. In 1940, Nazi Germany began its eight-month blitz of Britain during World War II with the first air attack on London. In 1963, the National Professional Football Hall of Fame was dedicated … Read more
