Suggestions that the Tunguska event was a simple matter of a chunk of interplanetary rock colliding with the atmosphere don't satisfy everyone. Without any corroboration some claim that a small black hole struck the earth in Siberia and, after passing through the planet, exited through the Atlantic Ocean - but no atmospheric distortion was observed over the Atlantic that day. Some claim that a nuclear powered extraterrestrial spaceship had a reactor accident. And the natives in the region are convinced that it was the result of the "Agdy" or iron-bodied thunder birds that one tribe's shaman had invoked against another clan during a feud. It was a huge explosion, and because of political upheaval in Moscow investigations didn't even start until almost 20 years later.
It's part of my nightly ritual. I reach behind the keyboard for the big jar of chewable acerola, the multivitamin tablets that I have to hold at arm's length to even start to decipher their contents, the CoQ10 that I hope will raise my energy level. Vitamins have been part of the diet as long as I can remember. But in 1906 the word didn't even exist, and the idea of putting that tiny type on the back of the bottle was radical. But Dr Hopkins was hard at work in London learning why animals raised on pure nutrients were sickly and small and those raised on natural foods thrived. The unlabeled "patent medicines" were untested and unlabeled. Some of those medicines were sure to make you feel better, many consisted of up to 50% morphine.
In the US the separation of power into Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches has never meant that a person couldn't serve in different branches at different times. Several presidents have been judges, many presidents sat in Congress. But only once has anyone served at the pinnacle of executive and judicial branches, and it happened on this day in 1921.
1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur, known for the 1804 raid on Barbary pirates still sung about ("to the shores of Tripoli" in Marine Hymn) extracts treaty from the Dey of Algiers: no more tribute would be demanded by Algiers, capture of US ships or citizens would cease, all US captives would be surrendered, the US would enjoy "most favored nation" status, and the survivors of a previously captured ship would receive compensation. The Dey signed immediately, the US didn't ratify the treaty for six years because the State Department lost the document for several years.
1906 - The Food and Drugs Act of 1906 is passed by the US Congress and signed by President Theodore Roosevelt. It prohibits interstate commerce in misbranded and adulterated foods, drinks and drugs. The Meat Inspection Act is passed the same day. The Food and Drugs Act created the Food and Drug Administration, first required a doctor's prescription for certain drugs, and required the label "Warning - May be habit forming" on certain drugs.
1908 - A comet or a series of meteorites fell from the sky over the Stony Tunguska River in Siberia at 7:17 am local time, exploding with a force about 1,000 times the Hiroshima nuclear blast at an elevation of 7.5 km. It was visible for 600 to 1000 km, flattened mature trees 30 to 40 km out from the blast point, burning the forest 10 to 15 km out. The only fatalities appear to have been a thousand reindeer. Very little evidence of the object was left on the ground.
1921 - President Warren G. Harding nominated William Howard Taft Chief Justice of the United States, the Senate confirmed the appointment the same day, making Taft the only person in history to have been both President and Chief Justice.
1953 - The first production Corvette rolled off the assembly line at Chevrolet Plant Number 35, near Flint, Michigan. Sticker price was just over US $3000. Assembly line worker Tony Kleiber has the honor of driving the first Corvette off the line.
Army Day, Guatemala - Anniversary of the 1871 revolt for agrarian reform and the formation of Guatemala's armed forces. Major military parade in the plaza in Guatemala City, with the survivors of "the disappeareds" dolefully looking on.
1861 - Frederick Gowland Hopkins, English biochemist - born at Eastbourne, East Sussex, bookseller father dabbled in science but died shortly after birth, at age eight was allowed to play with father's microscope. Moved to London 1871, attended City of London School, did well in chemistry and English, got bored, expelled for truancy (nature walks, museums, library, the docks). Worked in insurance office but soon returned to science, assistant in forensic lab at Guy's Hospital, helped convict several murderers, used inheritance to gain medical degree at Guy's 1888 - 1894. Taught "Chemical Physiology," now known as biochemistry but not then recognized as a separate discipline, at Cambridge, professor 1914 - 1943. Discovered "accessory food factors," now known as vitamins, in work starting in 1901, isolating vitamin C and what he called "fat-soluble A" which was actually both vitamins A and D, isolated and identified the structure of the amino acid tryptophan. Long string of discoveries relate to nutrition and cellular chemistry. Medals from Royal Society 1918 and 1926, knighted 1925, shared Nobel for medicine and physiology 1929, Order of Merit (Britain's highest civilian honor) 1935. Died at Cambridge 16 May 1947.
Remember the Three Princes of Serendip who went out looking for treasure?
They didn't find what they were looking for, but they kept finding things
just as valuable. That's serendipity, and our business (drugs) is full
of it.
- George Merck
Conscience warns us as a friend before it punishes as a judge.
- Stanislaus Leszczynski
The judge should not be young; he should have learned to know evil, not
from his own soul, but from late and long observation of the nature of
evil in others: knowledge should be his guide, not personal experience.
- Plato, The Republic
Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be
in the right; but our country right or wrong.
- Commodore Stephen Decatur
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