All Things in Moderation

1968 – The Democratic National Convention in Chicago begins as thousands of protestors descend on the city to protest the on-going war in Vietnam. The 4-day convention is marked by violence, both inside and outside the convention hall, but is most noted for what a subsequent report will call a “police riot” when protestors and police clash in the streets of Chicago in front of a national television audience. Eight of the protest leaders are arrested and eventually tried in what will come to be known as the trial of the Chicago Seven. (One of the eight, Bobby Seale, is removed from the courtroom and eventually tried separately, hence the Chicago 7).

1939 – The Brooklyn Dodgers host the Cincinnati Reds at Ebbets Field and play in the first ever televised MLB game. The impetus for the broadcast was the World Fair, taking place in New York City, as organizers sought a way to show off one of their prize exhibits, a new invention called television. The broadcast involved just 2 cameras, one on the third base line that showed views of infield throws to first, and one high behind the batter showing a full field view. Although the video itself was of poor quality, with pitched and batted balls virtually impossible to actually see, the exhibition was a huge success, propelling both popular interest in the new invention and innovation to improve quality.

1839 – The slave ship Amistad is captured off the coast of Long Island after the 53 Mende captives on their way to be sold into slavery escape the hold and take over the ship. After killing the captain and several crew members, they demand that the navigator return them to their home in Africa, but the navigator, while pretending to do so, instead sails north along the coast of the US and to the tip of Long Island. The US takes the ship into custody and holds a highly publicized trial to determine the status of the Mende captives. The case eventually reaches the Supreme Court which finally rules in 1841 that the Mende were illegally transported and held, and frees them. The episode was recently popularized in the Steven Spielberg movie Amistad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP0hwVVUTac

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