February 19, 1940 -
William Smokey Robinson, singer was born, on this date.
Robinson, when still a child, was nicknamed "Smokey Joe" by an uncle because of his love of cowboy movies.
Betta you didn't know that!
Today in History -
In the presidential election of 1800, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson drew to a tie. The House of Representatives broke the tie by throwing their weight behind Jefferson, making him president, on February 17, 1801. Burr was given the vice-presidency as either a consolation prize or a practical joke.
Civilized political discourse?
(A subsequent constitutional amendment that would have made it illegal for members of the executive branch to shoot Alexander Hamilton was defeated on the grounds of its limited usefulness to the deceased.) After serving out his term as VP, Mr. Burr moved to the southwest and decided to establish his own empire. Fortunately there were controlling legal authorities that prohibited the establishment of empires. President Jefferson had him arrested on February 19, 1807.
Burr was ultimately acquitted. (His descendant Raymond Burr would go on to restore a bit of varnish to the family name as Perry Mason and as spokesperson for Raymond Burr Nipple Rouge.)
February 19 is also notable for the 1995 marriage, on that date, of Pamela Anderson to rocker Tommy Lee. Their marriage is best remembered for having produced the most widely-distributed honeymoon pictures in the history of the world.
Nobel laureate, Protestant, cocaine addict and noted pederast, Andre Gide died on February 19, 1951.
Supreme Chinese leader and replacement for Diana Ross, Deng Xiaoping died on February 19, 1997.
And so it goes.
Love your wit! And you've got a keen sense of history. Write on!
ReplyDeleteWithout a disclaimer crediting Saturday Night Live's satire and creation of the fake product "Raymond Burr's Nipple Rouge", some readers might actually believe you were serious...
ReplyDelete