On This Day In History … July 10th

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Today was an important day in history. In addition to the invention of the Cheese Wheel, Parcheesi, and Wisconsin’s defeat of Minnesota in The Great Cheese War of 1902 to earn the title of Cheesiest State in the Union, these (mostly) real things also happened…

• 1850 – Millard Fillmore was sworn in as the 13th President of the United States, who still holds the honor of the President with the Weirdest Name to this day.
• 1890 – Wyoming became the 44th state in the United States. Coincidentally, to date only 44 people have ever visited Wyoming.
• 1892 – The first concrete-paved street was built in Bellefountaine, Ohio, which was almost immediately overrun by the kids and their damn skateboards.
• 1938 – Aviator Howard Hughes made his record flight around the world in only 91 hours, riding in a cramped airplane with mediocre snacks that set the standard for the subpar commercial aviation that we enjoy today.
• 1962 – A U.S. Patent was issued to Nils Bohlin for the three-point seatbelt, thus putting to shame Edward Claghorn – patent-holder for the two-point seatbelt.
• 1965 – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction became the Rolling Stones’ first #1 hit in the USA, though controversy arose when it became known that frontrunner Mick Jagger still wasn’t satisfied and critics suggested that he simply had unrealistic expectations.
• 1966 – Orbiter 1 launched to the Moon … or did it???
• 1985 – In the backlash of its “New Coke” promotion, Coca-Cola announced that it was bringing back the original Coke recipe, to the delight of cocaine-enthusiasts everywhere.

Today’s Birthdays

• 1509 – John Calvin, the theologian behind Calvinism, which is kind of vain but whatever…
• 1856 – Nikola Tesla, the inventor of those cool lightning balls you played with in science class, among other things.
• 1882 – Ima Hogg, founder of the Houston Symphony under what we can only assume was a fake name.
• 1947 – Arlo Gutherie, the American songwriter who wrote Alice’s Restaurant, which is still on its 2,794th verse since you started playing it last Thanksgiving.

Today’s Deaths

• 983 – Pope Benedict VI, sixth generation Eggs Benedict creator and white pointy hat enthusiast.
• 1584 – William the Silent, ruler of the Principality of Orange who was ultimately assassinated in his home, with his last words noted to have been “…”