Heroes. Sometimes that's one who is just too fed up with the situation to tolerate inaction, other times it is a matter of knowing what needs to be done with full understanding of the consequences - and accepting them. Today we have both. Nathan Hale, who was only 21 when he voiced his famous last words, was a schoolteacher who had been in the army for over a year without seeing action. In frustration he became a spy. Today also marks the Normandy Invasion, in which there was time for all concerned to understand just what was going on. This was the largest single movement of military forces in history. Months of planning and preparation, and there was no doubt that men were going to die before the day was over, but they went anyway.
I also include an early German astronomer, Johann Regiomontanus, one of those mental giants who were able to predict celestial motion with limited tools. He also had a great command of Greek, unlike some others who were translating Greek works from intermediate Arabic translations. He earned the enmity of one renowned expert named Trebizond in particular, and it has been suggested poison was administered to silence the troublesome stargazer. Partly because Regiomantanus would appreciate it, and partially to make sure Twisted History is prepared to deal with events that haven't happened yet, I'm including the transit of Venus that will happen 12 years from today.
Did the "Year Without a Summer" result from a volcano around the world? Probably not, the weather patterns were not far outside the statistical norm, but it was a cold summer and folks were looking for explanations - the biggest explosion in recorded history seemed like a good culprit. A Danish reader wrote to correct yesterday's entry about the Danish Constitution Day. It actually was a single document, revised four times. But three of the five versions were signed on 5 June, the original in 1849, the Constitution of 1915, and the last version in 1953.
1816 - New England received up to 10 inches of snow in the "Year Without a Summer." This was widely blamed on the eruption of Tambora in Indonesia on 5 April 1815.
1844 - The Young Men's Christian Association was founded at London by George Williams, a draper's assistant living with 140 young men in lodgings provided by their employer. Starting with prayer meetings in his room with others in the same firm, it quickly drew other lonely single Christians who had left home to work in London in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.
1944 - Allied forces invade Normandy in Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in history. More than 130,000 troops and 5,000 ships landed at five beaches over 50 miles of beach, 1,000 planes dropped paratroopers for support, 12,000 Allied planes kept the Luftwaffe at bay (destroying over 25% of German fighters in advance of the assault) and bombed defenses.
2012 - Venus passes between the earth and sun, appearing as a small black spot moving at an angle over the face of the sun for about six hours. This happens twice, two days shy of eight years apart, then again not for about 120 years, and is called the Transit of Venus. In our time it will also happen 8 June 2004.
Feast of Saint Norbert of Magdeburg, Born to a relative of the Holy Roman Emperor at Xanten, Germany in 1080, Norbert worked to foster harmony between the Empire and the papacy. Founded order in northern France, when he was sent to Magdeburg as bishop the porter wouldn't let him in thinking the barefoot rustic was a beggar. Convinced Emperor Lothair II to side with Pope Innocent II when Innocent was deposed by force by Peirleone. Returning to Magdeburg in failing health he had to be carried the last part of the trip, died soon after on 6 June 1134.
1436 - Johann Regiomontanus, German astronomer, linguist - Born Johann Müller of Königsberg, preferred his Latin translation. Pupil of and successor to (1461) Puerbach at University of Vienna. Possibly the best translator of Greek of his era. Observed comet in January 1472, notes on its orbit were good enough to help Halley's early work on comets 200 years later, recorded several solar and lunar eclipses. Calculated longitude from lunar observation, but his method could not be used for navigation until more accurate instruments were developed. Wrote on the subject of calendar reform, was summoned by Pope Sixus IV in 1475 to work on calendar, some suggest that his death at Rome on 6 July 1476 was the result poison administered a rival, probably died in an epidemic that hit Rome that year.
1755 - Nathan Hale, American intelligence agent - Born to staunch Puritans at Coventry, Connecticut. Sickly as child, tutored at home, sent to Yale at 14, graduated 1773, taught school for two years at New London. Taught a summer class in the classics for young ladies 5-7 am, high attendance was either from compelling subject matter or Hale's fair hair and blue eyes. Joined the militia in 1774, Continental Army in 1775. Commissioned captain, posted to Manhattan 1776, had seen no action when he agreed to pose as Dutch schoolteacher and go behind English lines on Long Island. Captured with his notes and probably identified by a royalist cousin, he admitted his espionage. An English eyewitness named John Montresor recalled Hales final words as "I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country," just before he was hanged at New York on 22 September 1776.
The world is moved not only by the mighty shoves of the heroes, but also
by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker.
- Helen Keller
Patriotism is a pernicious, psychopathic form of idiocy.
- George Bernard Shaw
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.
- George Washington
Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense
that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!
- Albert Einstein
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