Having thrown off the shackles of colonialism and becoming disenchanted with the Articles of Confederation, the leaders of the young United States resort to the obvious: they call a meeting. Eleven days after the scheduled time, a quorum is finally assembled. On this momentous day those present choose a chairman, call the roll, and adjourn for the weekend.
What's in a name? Passion and character, perhaps. In the case of Luther Robinson, the character wanted passionately not to wear his. Unlike thousands who have dropped or changed a name, Luther wanted his younger brother's name and came to blows before the exchange was made. Luther became Bill, and Bill became Luther. Bill, now Luther, didn't keep it long, preferring Percy. Are you still with me? It doesn't really matter, only trivia buffs will remember the original name, song and story remember Mr Bojangles. Today's quotes deal with dance and meetings.
Inspired by his mother's account of Leonardo da Vinci's airship, Igor Sikorsky was experimenting with sticks, paper, and rubber bands as a boy in Kiev. A decade later the young man tries again in a larger scale with more serious materials. After numerous successes in designing more traditional planes, not to mention moving to America, he returned to the challenge in the late 1930s. This is called perseverance.
1787 - First session of US Constitutional Convention was held at Philadelphia. Scheduled for 14 May, but only Virginia and Pennsylvania were represented. On this day 27 representatives from seven states were present. They elected a chairman (George Washington), secretary, and doorkeeper; the representatives presented and read their credentials; and the convention adjourned for the weekend.
1793 - Stephen T. Badin, 25, was ordained in Baltimore, Maryland - the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the newly independent United States of America. Badin afterward served as a frontier missionary, and played a key role in establishing Catholicism in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee during the early nineteenth century.
1953 - The Atomic Cannon, a 280mm-bore nuclear capable mobile artillery piece, fired an atomic projectile of 15 kiloton yield a distance of 7 miles at the Frenchman Flat Nevada Test Site. Twenty 280mm cannons were manufactured, none were used in battle.
Revolucion de Mayo, Argentina - Marks the beginning of the 1810 revolution against Spain, leading to independence in 1816. Alas, this exposed a conflict between the Unitarists in Buenos Aires and the Federalists in much of the rest of the country, and a period of conflict and local tyranny under Federalist Juan Manuel Rosas lasted until the adoption of the Unitarist constitution in 1853.
Feast of Saint Bede the Venerable, English scholar (born in Northumbria 673, died at Jarrow 25 May 735), author of 45 volumes including "History of the English Church and People" in 731 and the first martyrology with historical notes, all in his own hand until his final year. Translated the Gospel of John into English on his deathbed.
1878
- Luther Robinson, US dancer - Born in Richmond, Virginia, orphaned
as infant. Didn't like his first name, insisted on trading with his brother
Bill, who didn't like it and later changed his name to Percy. Doesn't
matter, we remember him as Bojangles. Danced for pennies in the street,
ran away to Washington, DC to work as stable boy at racetrack at age 8.
Joined touring theatre company in 1890, critics raved at tap-dancing on
Broadway. Danced on stairs, notably with Shirley Temple in The Little
Colonel 1935. On 60th birthday tap-danced 60 blocks down Broadway and
onto the stage for a performance. Appeared in 14 movies, affable character
didn't match real-live hot temper. Sixty thousand filed past his coffin
after his death on 25 November 1949.
1889 - Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, US engineer - Born in Kiev, Russia. Built first helicopter 1908, first helicopter to leave the ground (couldn't lift a pilot) 1910. An early biplane won awards in Moscow 1912, but a mosquito in fuel line forces landing and inspires him to build first multi-engined plane, The Grand with four engines and an enclosed passenger compartment, in 1913. Emigrated to US in 1919, naturalized 1928. First helicopter to lift him was 1940 could go up, down, backwards, and sideways - but not forward. On 6 May 1941 hovered in VS-300 for 1 hour, 43 minutes, 26.1 seconds in front of assembled press, the much-modified airframe is in the Henry Ford Museum. Received National Medal of Science and entered National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1968, died on 26 October 1972.
I don't want people who want to dance. I want people who have to dance.
- George Balanchine
I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency,
even if I'm in a cabinet meeting.
- Ronald Reagan
Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body.
- Martha Graham
If you have a skeleton in your closet, take it out and dance with it.
- Carolyn MacKenzie
The usefulness of any meeting is in inverse proportion to the attendance.
- Anonymous
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