Researching Admiral George Dewey was slightly hindered by the man's popularity - several men born in 1898 and 1899 were named George Dewey something and show up in current web searches, there must have been thousands of boys given the name at the time. It was only under intense pressure that he entered the 1900 presidential race, he found he preferred naval to political challenges, although by that time he was serving in administrative roles. His career alternated between a few brief periods of battle (the one that made him famous lasted less than six hours) and long periods of boring duty, but I'm told most naval careers are like that. He did get to utter one of the most famous naval commands in US history.
If Christmas Day partying left you indisposed, consider the Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, New Jersey. They had George Washington to deal with as the sun rose, and they didn't do well at all. Marie Curie announced that she had discovered radium on this day, leading to her second Nobel Prize, the first person so honored. The modern Frisbee was patented on this date, sufficient improvements to the design having been made to a traditional toy. And Ambrose Bierce penned his last words, in honor of the occasion I've included quotes from his Devil's Dictionary.
For those unsure of what it meant when "Good King Wenceslaus looked out on the Feast of Stephen," that's today. It's the second day of Christmas, celebrated in most of the British Commonwealth as Boxing Day, and apparently not the reason they are partying in the Bahamas.
1776 - After the Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware, separate troops led by George Washington and James Ewing captured Trenton, New Jersey, taking it by complete surprise from the Hessian mercenaries who were hungover and sleeping late after a long day celebrating Christmas. They had planned to attack during the party, ice in the river delayed the crossing. The British commander, Colonel Rall, and 22 Hessians were killed, 98 wounded, and about a thousand captured, the colonists had no dead and only four wounded.
1898 - Marie Curie announced the discovery of a new element, which she named radium. Working with pitchblende, a uranium ore, she found that samples of the ore were actually more radioactive than pure uranium, leading her to suspect an element of greater radioactivity - 900 times more radioactive. In the next three years she processed three tons of pitchblende to extract 0.1 gram of metallic radium. This work resulted in her winning the 1911 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
1913 - America's foremost cynic, the 71-year-old Ambrose Bierce, posted a letter from Mexico. He hoped to find Pancho Villa, was counting on finding death from a bullet rather than his chronic and severe asthma. No additional news was received, the novel and film "Old Gringo" portrays his wishes but not history.
1967 - The Wham-O-Mfg. Co of San Gabriel, California received US Patent No. 3,359,678 for improvements to an "aerodynamic toy to be thrown through the air ... in throwing games," the Frisbee. Throwing pie tins made by the Frisbie Pie Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut had become both popular and hazardous soon after that company started in 1895, Wham-O started making them as toys from plastic in 1948.
Junkanoo, Bahamas - Noisy Afro-Bahamian street festival held twice a year (Boxing Day and New Year's Day). Parade starts at 2:00 am, awesome costumes (groups of celebrants compete for cash), drums, cow bells, horns, and rattles. Everybody is in the streets until dawn. Originated in 16th (possibly late 15th) century as the start and end of the slaves' holiday when they went to join their families.
Feast of Saint Stephen, Stephen was one of the first seven deacons appointed to supervise distribution of alms in the early church, and the first Christian martyr. He was charged with heresy by remote parts of the Jewish community, rather than those native to Jerusalem, dragged before the Sanhedrin where he made an eloquent defense, and was taken outside the city and stoned.
1837 - George Dewey, US naval officer - Born at Montpelier, Vermont, third son of Julius Dewey, a prominent physician and founder of National Life Insurance Company. His mother died five years later, George was mischievous but close to his father. In 1852 went to Norwich University, a military school, for two years where he had a reputation as a prankster. Appointed to Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1854, finished fifth in class of 60, of whom 15 completed course. After a 17-month Mediterranean cruise and two short cruises, returned to the Academy and passed tests for a lieutenancy, commissioned April 1861. Mostly uneventful blockade service during Civil War, was involved in several major campaigns briefly and served as executive officer on several ships including Admiral Farragut's flagship Monangahela, ending the war as lieutenant commander. While stationed at Portsmouth, New Hampshire married the governor's daughter in 1867, she died in 1872 after giving birth to a son. Spent two years surveying California coast, then spent several years in Washington City which he enjoyed. In 1884 took command of a new ship which failed its trials, then had a four-year tour in the Pacific. Returned to Washington City as head of Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting, then president of the Lighthouse Board, making commodore in May 1896. Campaigned for post of commander-in-chief of Asiatic Squadron, got it with help from Theodore Roosevelt. After war broke out with Spain, sailed into Manila harbor and attacked at dawn, sinking the entire Spanish fleet and securing the harbor with light casualties and no deaths in a six-hour battle on 1 May 1898. He started the battle with the words, "You may fire when ready, Gridley." Promoted to read-admiral in May 1898, promoted to admiral by Congress in March 1899. Returned to hero's welcome in US, remarried, was briefly a candidate for president. Was president of the General Board of the Navy from 1900, also president of the Joint Army-Navy Board from 1903, holding both posts until his death 16 January 1917.
Beauty (n): The power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband.
Belladonna (n): In Italian, a beautiful lady; in English, a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.
Faith (n): Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.
Harbour (n): A place where ships taking shelter from storms are exposed to the fury of the Customs.
Mouth (n): In man, the gateway to the soul; in woman, the outlet of the heart.
- Today's quotes are all from Ambrose Bierce, the Devil's Dictionary
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