Today in History

[Lady Cop]

8/6

The whole world will remember when the Japanese city of Hiroshima was bombed at the end of the Second World War.

And today thousands of Japanese people are starting to commemorate the 140,000 people who lost their lives.

People across the country have started to light lanterns of peace and express their sorrow in preparation for tomorrow's anniversary.

Buddhist monks and children took part in a parade holding 'lanterns for peace' at the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.

Sixty seven years ago an atomic bomb was dropped on the city by the United States by the orders of then President Harry Truman.









The grandson of ex U.S President Harry Truman has also chosen to take part in the memorial services and attended a service for victims.
Clifton Truman Daniel visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Saturday and laid a wreath to show his respect.

[Lady Cop]

As a huge wave of U.S. Marines bent on delivering Pearl Harbor payback waded onto the beach of the Solomon Island of Guadalcanal on Aug. 7, 1942, a Japanese radio operator frantically vowed to his superiors, "we will defend our posts to the death."

He got his wish, thanks to 11,000 brave Marines, including an 18-year-old Bronx kid named Al "Duke" Dellaera who still recalls the initial hours that kicked off a grueling, six-month battle that helped turn the tide against the Axis Powers in World War II. For the first few days, the Marines met little resistance, but as they moved deeper into the island during the first week, patrols were regularly ambushed from the jungle shadows.

“We got in a few hundred yards in from the beach and then the Japanese opened fire on us,” Dellaera, now 89, said, recalling one such attack in the early days of the invasion. “We were ambushed, really surprised. All I saw was debris falling all over the place.”

Seventy years later, the Guadalcanal Invasion stands as a seminal moment in World War II, the beginning of the end of Japanese naval dominance in the Pacific Theater. It was the Allies' first engagement with the Japanese Imperial Navy, which had for months been establishing bases and dominance throughout the Pacific Theater, threatening supply routes between the U.S. and Australia.







a good jap



An iconic image from the war: the severed head of a Japanese soldier, propped up on a disabled tank. But did Americans place it there? In photographer Ralph Morse's recollections of that day, it seemed just as likely that the Japanese were the ones who placed the torched skull on that ruined tank as a gruesome trap for curious Americans.

[Midwest Spy]

Love your updates LC.

Our local PBS station has been showing 'The War' over the past few days. Riveting. Keith David won an emmy for his narraration. Great voice.

What is it with black men and narratives? James Earl Jones, Keith David and Morgan Freeman (to name but a few).

[Jimbone]

Love your updates LC.

Our local PBS station has been showing 'The War' over the past few days. Riveting. Keith David won an emmy for his narraration. Great voice.

What is it with black men and narratives? James Earl Jones, Keith David and Morgan Freeman (to name but a few).

That is a phenomenal documentary. A must see for anyone at all interested in WWII.

[Donovan]

Love your updates LC.

Our local PBS station has been showing 'The War' over the past few days. Riveting. Keith David won an emmy for his narraration. Great voice.

What is it with black men and narratives? James Earl Jones, Keith David and Morgan Freeman (to name but a few).

[HairOfTheDog]

August 15, 1969

The Woodstock Festival opened in Bethel, New York.

Over 400,000 attended for the concert (including Vietnam War protests) without violence, despite a lack of serious organization and security. Originally, the promoters intended to raise funds for a music studio and record, but so many people showed up and were just slipping through cracks in the fences that it became a free (dream line-up) concert.

[Riotgear]

Well sure, but let's not forget about when the cave city of Vardzia was consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia in 1185.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well sure, but let's not forget about when the cave city of Vardzia was consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia in 1185.

Ah yes, quite significant history from this day.

I rank it number 5 in terms of importance behind the first day of Woodstock and these other events which occured on August 15^th:

1872 The first ballot voting in England is conducted
1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic
1769 Napoleon Bonaparte was born, Emperor of France (1804-1815) and military leader

[Riotgear]

5? That's generous.

[Midwest Spy]

1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic

I've traveled the length of the Panama Canal (Atlantic to Pacific). A truly amazing feat of engineering.

[HairOfTheDog]

5? That's generous.

A consecration by the Cave Queen. I think it's a more fair than generous ranking.

[Riotgear]

Nice!

[Donovan]

1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic

I've traveled the length of the Panama Canal (Atlantic to Pacific). A truly amazing feat of engineering.

Taxpayer money that could have been WAY better spent building a teleporter that simply zapped entire ships from one side of the continent to the other. Huge waste of dollars, and for what dividend? Just to give it away to a bunch of Panamanian foreigners?

[Midwest Spy]

1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic

I've traveled the length of the Panama Canal (Atlantic to Pacific). A truly amazing feat of engineering.

Taxpayer money that could have been WAY better spent building a teleporter that simply zapped entire ships from one side of the continent to the other. Huge waste of dollars, and for what dividend? Just to give it away to a bunch of Panamanian foreigners?

Dono, you're normally a pretty sharp guy.

Why are you trying to sound like such a buffoon lately?

Or was that baboon?

Or bassoon?

I don't know. Pick one.

[Riotgear]

1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic

I've traveled the length of the Panama Canal (Atlantic to Pacific). A truly amazing feat of engineering.

Taxpayer money that could have been WAY better spent building a teleporter that simply zapped entire ships from one side of the continent to the other. Huge waste of dollars, and for what dividend? Just to give it away to a bunch of Panamanian foreigners?

They did it for the toll.

Edit: And so they could come after Noriega later.

[Maggot]

Today: Maggot goes home, again.

[Donovan]

1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic

I've traveled the length of the Panama Canal (Atlantic to Pacific). A truly amazing feat of engineering.

Taxpayer money that could have been WAY better spent building a teleporter that simply zapped entire ships from one side of the continent to the other. Huge waste of dollars, and for what dividend? Just to give it away to a bunch of Panamanian foreigners?

Dono, you're normally a pretty sharp guy.

Why are you trying to sound like such a buffoon lately?

Or was that baboon?

Or bassoon?

I don't know. Pick one.

I'm still pretty sharp. It's the argument against human achievement because of something as trivial as funding that's stupid.

[HairOfTheDog]

AUGUST 19

1946: Bill Clinton was born.

Little photo collage for Duchess


1964: The Beatles kicked-off their first US tour playing at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.

[Duchess]

Little photo collage for Duchess

*sigh* Bill

Hahaha! Thanks, Hot D!

[HairOfTheDog]

I like the first photo, Duchess. I can see where Ms. Lewinsky had a bit of trouble staying on the business side of the desk.

Also, on this day...

19 August 1934 - Adolph Hitler became President of Germany.