All Things in Moderation

1999 – A very rare tornado rips through downtown Salt Lake City killing one, injuring 100, and causing over $170 million in damages. According to the National Weather service this is the first major tornado ever to hit a major urban downtown district, with buildings over 500 feet tall being effected. Vice President Al Gore blames global warming.

1994 – Major League baseball players go on strike, resulting in the longest work stoppage in the history of MLB, the cancellation of the 1994 season, and the first time since 1904 that a World Series champion is not crowned. The stoppage extends until the eve of the 1995 season, but with owners preparing to field teams of replacement players, future Supreme Court justice Judge Sonia Sotomayor issues an injunction against the owners, and players subsequently agree to end the strike. I wonder if this was the kind of situation in which a wise Latina woman was positioned to make a “better” decision than those dreaded white males.

1988 – Osama Bin Laden and other mujahideen fighters from the Afghanistan war against the Soviet Union meet in Peshawar, Pakistan to discuss expanding their efforts to Islamist movements in other parts of the world. The result of the meeting is the formation of an organization called Al Qaeda.

1984 – While performing a microphone test prior to a radio address, President Ronald Reagan jokes that he “signed legislation that would outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in 5 minutes.” The joke is recorded and later revealed to the public. Portrayed as at best an embarrassing political gaffe and at worst an indication of Reagan’s warmongering inclinations, the American electorate doesn’t seem to care as Reagan goes on 3 months later to get re-elected, trouncing Walter Mondale and winning 49 of 50 states.

1973 – George Lucas’ American Graffiti, opens in theaters across the country. Transforming child actor Ron Howard into a legitimate adult star, it also launches the careers of Richard Dreyfus and Harrison Ford. Also notable for a cameo appearance by Suzanne Somers as the mysterious blonde in the T-Bird.

1965 – In Los Angeles a scuffle breaks out between a black motorist and a white police officer following a traffic stop for suspected DUI, sparking a reaction from the predominantly black neighborhood of Watts that grows into a six-day race riot, leaving 34 dead, over 1,000 injured and more than $40 million in property damage. The rioting eventually encompasses a 50 square mile area of South Central LA with over 30,000 people participating in looting, arson, and sniper shooting at police and firefighters. Peace is finally restored 6 days later after the National Guard is called in.

1919 – A new constitution is adopted by the national assembly in Weimar, Germany, beginning the 14 year existence of the Weimar Republic. Weimar is marked by great political turmoil including the rise of Adolf Hitler, but is perhaps most notable historically for its experience of hyper-inflation during its early years. Unable to pay its debts and war reparations, the government simply prints more and more money, resulting eventually in daily and even hourly hikes in prices of goods and services throughout Germany. Paper money becomes so worthless that it is cheaper to burn it in fireplaces and stoves than to use it to buy wood to burn.

Filed under: This Day in History | 12 Comments »