Today In History

[RTH10260]

50 years ago - September 11, 1973 - Chile, government of Salvador Allende toppled by General Augusto Pinochet

The 1973 Chilean coup d'état was a military overthrow of the Popular Unity government in Chile, led by the democratic socialist Salvador Allende as president of Chile.[7][8] Allende, who has been described as the first Marxist to be democratically elected president in a Latin American liberal democracy,[9][10] faced significant social unrest, political tension with the opposition-controlled National Congress of Chile, and economic warfare ordered by United States president Richard Nixon.[11] On September 11, 1973, a group of military officers, led by General Augusto Pinochet, seized power in a coup, ending civilian rule. In 2000, the CIA admitted his role in the 1970 kidnapping of a top general who had refused to use the army to stop Allende's inauguration.[12][13] 2023 declassified documents showed that Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and the United States government, which had branded Allende as a dangerous communist,[8] were aware of the coup and its plans to overthrow Allende's democratically-elected government.[14][15][16]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Chil ... 7%C3%A9tat

other links

Military dictatorship of Chile (1973–1990) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_ ... 80%931990)

Government Junta of Chile (1973) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governmen ... ile_(1973)

[RTH10260]

In memoriam
60 years ago - September 4, 1963 - Aircraft accident of Dürrenäsch, Switzerland


On that morning a Swissair Caravelle airliner on a local flight from Zürich to Geneva dropped burning from the skiy, barely missing the village of Dürrenäsch. 80 passengers and crew died. While nobody of Dürrenäsch got hurt, two farm houses at the outskirts of the village caught fire. The real tragedy hit the village of Humlikon: the local farmers gjild was making an outing aboard this plane. 43 residents of this village found their death, a fifth of the adult population. The tragedy resulted in over 30 families losing one or both spouses and having around 80 kids becoming orphans.

Suspected failure: overheated wheel while taxiing, resulting in hydraulic lines melting in wheel well after takeoff and the fluids catching fire, then loss of all kydraulics and loff of control.

Looking back in 2020 at this event, in German language article (please use your preferred translator)
https://www.aargauerzeitung.ch/aargau/w ... ld.1308623

A Wiki entry in English
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair_Flight_306

[Volkonski]

On This Day In History
@onthisday@mastodon.social
Today in 1900, 123 years ago: the city of Galveston (Texas) is destroyed by a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale (Great Galveston Hurricane). Between 6,000 and 12,000 people die and more than 30,000 are left homeless.

[Maybenaut]

On This Day In History
@onthisday@mastodon.social
Today in 1900, 123 years ago: the city of Galveston (Texas) is destroyed by a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale (Great Galveston Hurricane). Between 6,000 and 12,000 people die and more than 30,000 are left homeless.

I highly recommend the book Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larsen. In it, Larsen explains how much of the same anti-intellectualism we see today was going on back then, to disastrous effect. Available to the nascent Weather Bureau was valuable weather data from a network of weather observers in the Caribbean run by Catholic priests in Cuba. The network had a very good record of modeling and predicting paths of hurricanes. The head of the Weather Bureau at the time thought it was unlikely these backward Cubans knew more than he did about the weather, and cut off the data stream. Isaac Cline, the head of the local Weather Bureau in Galveston was limited in what he was allowed to say, although he believed a hurricane was coming. By the time he started warning people it was way too late.

[Volkonski]

The causeway bridge connecting Galveston to the mainland wasn't built until 1912. In 1900 the only way to get off the island way by boat or train.

Hurricane warnings would have to have been given days in advance to have done much good.

Also in 1900 Galveston did not have the seawall that would be built later.

The odds were stacked against Isaac Cline in many ways.

[RTH10260]

175 years ago - September 12, 1848 - The Modern Constitution of the Swiss Confederation "Bundesverfassung" established


An endpoint of the last fifty years starting with the Napoleonic wars and a civil war among the originally very independant states (Cantons) that make up the federation. It established the parliament as is known today, replacing the "Tagsatzung", a conference that acted very much like the Continental Congress of the early US.

in German https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/ejpd/de/home/ ... ssung.html (please use your preferred translator)

[RTH10260]

25 years ago - September 4 1998 - Google gets founded

Well - I am out of words - just search the web

Google, in full Google LLC formerly Google Inc. (1998–2017), American search engine company, founded in 1998 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page,

Wikipedia:

Google and History of Google

[Volkonski]

On This Day In History
@onthisday@mastodon.social
*1889 – The first General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defines the length of a meter as the distance between two lines on a standard bar of an alloy of platinum with ten percent iridium, measured at the melting point of ice.

[Kriselda Gray]

On This Day In History
@onthisday@mastodon.social
*1889 – The first General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defines the length of a meter as the distance between two lines on a standard bar of an alloy of platinum with ten percent iridium, measured at the melting point of ice.

That sounds both incredibly specific and frightfully arbitrary at the same time

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

[keith]

You want "incredibly specific and frightfully arbitrary at the same time" do you?

According to Wikipedia:

The metre was originally defined in 1791 by the French National Assembly as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a great circle, so the Earth's circumference is approximately 40000 km. In 1799, the metre was redefined in terms of a prototype metre bar. The actual bar used was changed in 1889. In 1960, the metre was redefined in terms of a certain number of wavelengths of a certain emission line of krypton-86.

The current definition was adopted in 1983 and modified slightly in 2002 to clarify that the metre is a measure of proper length. From 1983 until 2019, the metre was formally defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum in ¹/_299792458
of a second. After the 2019 redefinition of the SI base units, this definition was rephrased to include the definition of a second in terms of the caesium frequency ΔνCs.

How about that?

[RTH10260]

► Show Spoiler

On This Day In History
@onthisday@mastodon.social
*1889 – The first General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) defines the length of a meter as the distance between two lines on a standard bar of an alloy of platinum with ten percent iridium, measured at the melting point of ice.

That sounds both incredibly specific and frightfully arbitrary at the same time

I guess that held true also in the good old days when yards and feet and pounds and ounces and pounds and shillings were introduced

[Kriselda Gray]

You want "incredibly specific and frightfully arbitrary at the same time" do you?

According to Wikipedia:

The metre was originally defined in 1791 by the French National Assembly as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole along a great circle, so the Earth's circumference is approximately 40000 km. In 1799, the metre was redefined in terms of a prototype metre bar. The actual bar used was changed in 1889. In 1960, the metre was redefined in terms of a certain number of wavelengths of a certain emission line of krypton-86.

The current definition was adopted in 1983 and modified slightly in 2002 to clarify that the metre is a measure of proper length. From 1983 until 2019, the metre was formally defined as the length of the path travelled by light in a vacuum in ¹/_299792458
of a second. After the 2019 redefinition of the SI base units, this definition was rephrased to include the definition of a second in terms of the caesium frequency ΔνCs.

How about that?

Oh dear....

[keith]

But they haven't taken gravity into account yet.

[qbawl]

But they haven't taken gravity into account yet.

Unless you drop the meter bar on your foot.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at ... 963_album)

Live at the Apollo (1963 album)

Live at the Apollo is the first live album by James Brown and the Famous Flames, recorded at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in October 1962 and released in May 1963 by King Records. Capturing Brown's popular stage show for the first time on record, the album was a major commercial and critical success and cemented his status as a leading R&B star.

[RTH10260]

75 years ago - 1948 - the French car maker Citroen introduced the 2CV - the ugly duckling

Citroën 2CV

The Citroën 2CV (French: deux chevaux, pronounced [dø ʃ(ə)vo], lit. "two horses", meaning "two taxable horsepower") is an economy car produced by the French company Citroën from 1948 to 1990. Introduced at the 1948 Paris Mondial de l'Automobile,[1] it has an air-cooled engine that is mounted in the front and drives the front wheels.

Conceived by Citroën Vice-President Pierre Boulanger to help motorise the large number of farmers still using horses and carts in 1930s France,[4] the 2CV has a combination of innovative engineering and straightforward, utilitarian bodywork.[5][6][7] The 2CV featured overall low cost of ownership, simplicity of maintenance, an easily serviced air-cooled engine (originally offering 9 hp), and minimal fuel consumption. In addition, it had literally been designed to cross a freshly ploughed field with a basket full of eggs on the passenger's seat without breaking them, because of the great lack of paved roads in France then; with a long-travel suspension system,[8] that connects front and rear wheels, giving a very soft ride.

Often called "an umbrella on wheels",[9][10] the fixed-profile convertible bodywork featured a full-width, canvas, roll-back sunroof, which accommodated oversized loads, and until 1955 even stretched to cover the car's trunk, reaching almost down to the car's rear bumper. Michelin introduced and first commercialised the revolutionary new radial tyre design with the introduction of the 2CV.[11][12][13]

Between 1948 and 1990, more than 3.8 million 2CVs were produced, making it the world's first front-wheel drive car to become a million seller after Citroën's own earlier model, the more upscale Traction Avant, which had become the first front-wheel drive car to sell in similar six-figure numbers. The 2CV platform spawned many variants; the 2CV and its variants are collectively known as the A-Series.[14] Notably these include the 2CV-based delivery vans known as fourgonnettes, the Ami, the Dyane, the Acadiane, and the Mehari. In total, Citroën manufactured over 9 million of the 2CVs and its derivative models.[15]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citro%C3%ABn_2CV

Gallery at https://www.google.com/search?q=citroen ... 5&dpr=1.25

Off Topic

A couple of these units were in my family end 1950s and beginning 1960s, and I drove them on private ground aged ten. Had also the beefed up successor model Diane later on (early 1970s). A number of CItroen DS19 and DS20 / DS21 (?) were also admired in our extended family.

[RTH10260]

85 years ago - November 9, 1938 - Germany: the Nazi November Pogrom known as Kristallnacht

On 9 November 1938, the Nazis initiated a campaign of hatred against the Jewish population in all Nazi territories. An estimated 91 Jews were killed, 30,000 arrested and 267 synagogues destroyed. Many shops and other Jewish businesses were destroyed and looted.

The November Pogrom was formally known as Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass), named after the smashed glass that covered the streets, from the windows of shops and synagogues that had been looted, burnt and vandalised during the attacks.

It was a night of vandalism, violence and persecution that many have since described as ‘the beginning of the Holocaust’.

https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/9-novem ... llnacht-2/

‘Never again is now’: 1938 Nazi pogrom anniversary marked in Germany
‘Antisemitism is poisoning our society’ says Olaf Scholz at Berlin synagogue that was destroyed 85 years ago and is again target of firebombing

Kate Connolly in Berlin
Thu 9 Nov 2023 21.37 CET

There could hardly have been a more powerfully symbolic setting for a ceremony to mark the 85th anniversary of the 1938 November pogroms than the Beth Zion synagogue.

The place of worship in the heart of Berlin was largely destroyed in the violence that exploded on the night of 9 November that year, when Nazi thugs carried out murderous, state-sponsored attacks on Jewish property and homes.

The building was painstakingly rebuilt and completed in 2014 on the original site. And then, three weeks ago, it was firebombed, attacked with molotov cocktails by two masked men as Germany witnessed a rise in antisemitic incidents in the wake of Israel’s war with Hamas.

On Thursday, with police marksmen and armoured vehicles guarding the synagogue, 102-year-old Margot Friedländer took her place in the congregation alongside family members of some of the 240 Israeli hostages currently being held captive by Hamas.

As a teenager, Friedländer experienced the 1938 attacks, which led to her and her family’s deportation to concentration camps. She was the only one to survive.


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... -synagogue

[RTH10260]

60 years ago - November 23, 1963 - First episode of Dr Who on BBC in the UK

Doctor Who

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. The TARDIS exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. With various companions, the Doctor combats foes, works to save civilisations, and helps people in need.

Beginning with William Hartnell, thirteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor; in 2017, Jodie Whittaker became the first woman to officially play the role on television. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the series with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation, a plot device in which a Time Lord "transforms" into a new body when the current one is too badly harmed to heal normally. Each actor's portrayal is distinct, but all represent stages in the life of the same character, and together, they form a single lifetime with a single narrative. The time-travelling nature of the plot means that different incarnations of the Doctor occasionally meet.

The series is a significant part of popular culture in Britain[1][2][3] and elsewhere; it has gained a cult following. It has influenced generations of British television professionals, many of whom grew up watching the series.[4] Fans of the series are sometimes referred to as Whovians. The series is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running science-fiction television series in the world,[5] as well as the "most successful" science-fiction series of all time, based on its overall broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales, and iTunes traffic.[6]

The series originally ran from 1963 to 1989. There was an unsuccessful attempt to revive regular production in 1996 with a backdoor pilot in the form of a television film titled Doctor Who. The series was relaunched in 2005 and since then, has been produced in-house by BBC Wales in Cardiff. Doctor Who has also spawned numerous spin-offs, including comic books, films, novels, audio dramas, and the television series Torchwood (2006–2011), The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007–2011), K9 (2009–2010), and Class (2016). It has been the subject of many parodies and references in popular culture.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who

Scenes in upcoming episodes of Doctor Who will be ‘violent and scary’
Russell TV Davies says anniversary specials of long-running TV favourite made with child’s imagination in mind

JamieGrierson
Fri 10 Nov 2023 11.36 CET

The Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has said he approaches the beloved sci-fi series as if it is an “eight-year-old watching”, ahead of the Timelord’s return to the BBC.

The long-running TV favourite returns this month with three special episodes featuring David Tennant as the 14th Doctor, to coincide with its 60th anniversary.

In comments reported by the Daily Telegraph, the writer and television producer admitted some scenes were “violent” and “scary”.

One of his predecessors, Steven Moffat, previously branded the programme a “children’s show”.

Davies’s view was more nuanced. He said: “I think at the heart of it … it is not a children’s show but I think at the heart of it is an eight year old watching, I think it’s always that. We think of that when we are in the edits.

“And do you know there is some very scary stuff, some is stuff is violent, it’s not for children but it is about children – it’s about a child’s imagination.”


https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radi ... id-tennant

[Suranis]

In 1918 on 11 O'Clock in the 11th day of the 11th month the Armistice was signed, officially ending the First World War.

[Foggy]

Execution of Ned Kelly



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ned_Kelly

[northland10]

In 1918 on 11 O'Clock in the 11th day of the 11th month the Armistice was signed, officially ending the First World War.

[RTH10260]

(nearly) 90 years ago - October 23, 1934 - Italy Macchi Castoldi M.C.72 seaplane makes world absolute speed record flight (440.681 mph)

and this year:

"Awakening of the Myth" - Fiat AS.6 Engine of Macchi-Castoldi Fame Roars to Life!

Vintage Aviation News
23 Oct 2023

on Sunday, October 22nd, 2023 another major event took place to commemorate Italy's proud aviation heritage - this being the resurrection of an ultra-rare Fiat AS.6 engine. This massive, V-24 engine powered the legendary Macchi Castoldi M.C.72 seaplane on its world absolute speed record flight (440.681 mph) of October 23, 1934, with Warrant Officer Francesco Agello at the controls. The rebuilt engine roared to life in front of a crowd (almost exactly 89 years after that momentous day) following a two-year restoration effort. If the AS.6 was able to roar again after more than 80 years of silence, it is only because of the efforts of the "Il Magnete" Association, led by its founder, Leonardo Sordi. Roughly 5,500 hours of work was involved in the various tasks needed to complete the project, including dismantling, historical research, reconstruction of components and accessories, reassembly and testing.

[RTH10260]

this flew under the radar

50 years ago - 6–25 October 1973 - Yom Kippur war between Israel and the Arab coalition of Egypt and Syria

refresher at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War

[Foggy]

Eighty two years ago today, my father was at an NFL game in our nation's capital, watching the Washington ... well, they weren't the Commanders back then ... with his own father.

Suddenly, the announcements started from the P.A. system:

Admiral So-and-so, report to your office immediately (on Sunday? Unheard of!)

General So-and-so, report to your office immediately.

Admiral So-and-so, report to your office immediately.

... and so on. My grandfather was assigned to Navy Map at the time, it wasn't an emergency for his department. But it seemed like half the stadium emptied out.

My dad was 13 years old, and we were entering another world war, and he was already signed up to serve as a Navy officer when he was old enough ... and a lot of Navy officers were killed that day.

I talked to him about it today, and he still remembers like it was yesterday.