Friday, April 7, 2006

Wikipedia birthday meme

   Here's the way of it. Look up the date of your birthday in Wikipedia. From the date page, pick three interesting historical events that occurred on that date, two births, and one death.
   I've given you four, three and two, because I wanted to. You could say I don't follow instruction well if you wanted. I prefer to look at it as bonus memology.

Here's what happened:
1952 - Elizabeth II became Queen upon the death of her father George VI. At the exact moment of succession, she was in a treehouse at the Treetops Hotel in Kenya.

1959 - Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit. Thanks to Jack, we can communicate in this way.

1959 - At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile was accomplished. Big Bada Boom.

2006 - The Conservative Party of Canada became a minority government in Canada's Parliament, replacing the Liberals after 13 years in power.

Here's who was born:
1564 - Christopher Marlowe, English playwright and alleged homosexual, atheist, and spy (d. 1593)

1695 - NicolausII Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1726) Brother of Daniel Bernoulli, who was famous for The Bernoulli Principle, which explains why wings work.

1945 - Bob Marley, Jamaican singer and musician (d. 1981). Hence the day being Bob Marley Day in Rastafarianism (Jamaica and Ethiopia)

And here's who died:
1685 - King Charles II of England (b. 1630) Considered by some to be the greatest King of England.

1952 - King George VI of the United Kingdom (b. 1895) Hence the succession of his daughter Elizabeth II as mentioned above.

Also:
The liturgical feast day of Saint Dorotea, patron saint of florists. Who knew?

via:
Cyber Chocolate

tags:

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I noticed on Wikipedia last year that Osama bin Laden and I were born on the same day in the same year. That fact alone makes this meme too depressing for me.

Karen

Anonymous said...

I gave it a try:  http://herethereandeverywhere2ndedition.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Clever

I got to do this.  I have to get back to you on this one.

Anonymous said...

here's mines.  This is interesting.


http://journals.aol.com/cinisoul/amithinkingthat/entries/1558

Anonymous said...

dear Paul,
Paul are you a historian (hobby)?
So..were kings and queens born on your day and people decided to have peace in the world?:):)
mavarin is sooo funny!
hugs,nat

Anonymous said...

Your current tag line goes quite nicely with the image of Sam Rockwell in your 'about' photo.

Just thought I'd say.


Simon
http://simianfarmer.com