Richard Plantagenet was a warrior first and a King second. His life was devoted to conflict, his adversaries included his father, his brothers, the King of France, Saladin, Emperor Isaac Comnenus of Cyprus, Duke Leopold of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI, and numerous barons. The legends of his life are huge, but they have little or nothing to do with being the king of England, which occupied little of his time and attention. His home and heart was in the south of France, he spoke little English, and during his ten-year reign he spent less than six months in England. But on the field of battle he was unrivaled. During the battles for Jerusalem his horse was shot out from under him, his admiring opponent sent two fresh horses with the message that it was not fit for so gallant a foe not to have a mount. He knew architecture, at least to the point of breaching walls and building walls that others couldn't pass. He was brutal and relentless against enemy forces, but forgiving of individuals. They calle him Coeur de Lion, the heart of the lion, and he earned it in chivalry and in battle. We call him King of England, a title for which he cared little, even saying that he would "sell London if I could find a buyer" when he needed cash to wage war.
Today is International Literacy Day, Harvard was founded on this day to advance the cause of literacy, and the quotes were chosen to support it. We also have two events from America's beaches, the deadliest hurricane in US history and the first Miss America.
One reader challenged yesterday's item about the first submarine attack, noting that the attack was against the HMS Eagle instead of the HMS Asia. It's hard to say, I've got sources for both. In fact, I have US Navy sources for both. One thing is clear, David Bushnell was the inventor but not the pilot, that was Ezra Lee. Several readers took exceptions to my comments on the George Harrison copyright suit, but I'm standing by my opinion on that one. A songwriter simply isn't entitled to the bulk of the profit from a work that involves so many other contributors, the award was out of line.
70 - Following a six-month siege, Jerusalem was overrun by the 60,000 troops of Titus' Roman army and the temple was burned to the ground. Over a million Jewish citizens perished in the siege and, following the city's capture, another 97,000 were taken. The old and sick were slaughtered, children and women were sold as slaves, men were sent to be killed in the arena, and 11,000 died of starvation while this disposition was being arranged.
1636 - Harvard College (later University) was officially founded by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. More specifically, the Puritan parents of New Towne (later Cambridge) hoped to "save their children from an illiterate ministry." It was the first institution of higher learning established in North America, and was originally founded to train future ministers.
1892 - The Pledge of Allegiance was first printed in The Youth's Companion, then the largest-circulation magazine in the US. Although no individual was given credit for writing it, the primary author was a former Baptist minister in Boston who had been forced out of the church over his socialist sermons.
1900 - A hurricane and tidal wave raced across the Gulf of Mexico and drowned between 6,000 and 8,000 people at Galveston, Texas. In an area where 20,000 people had lived not a single house remained on the 9th. The deadliest hurricane in US history, improved warning systems have prevented such large death tolls since then.
1921 - Sixteen-year-old Margaret Gorman of Washington City was crowned the first Miss America. At 5-foot-1 and 108 pounds she was also the smallest Miss America in the pageant then sponsored by the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce to extend the resort town's summer season beyond Labor Day.
International Literacy Day, UN member countries, libraries everywhere - Originally designated a holiday by UNESCO in 1965 to mark the role of literacy in the sustainable development of people and communities. As if I had to tell that to someone that reads this far down in a daily history publication!
1157 - Richard Plantagenet, French soldier, English politician - Born to Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine at Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England, their third son, the first died in infancy. Betrothed to a daughter of French king Louis VII as a child. Became Duke of Aquitaine in 1172. The next year Eleanor and her sons lead rebellion against Henry, involving French and Scottish allies, Eleanor is captured and imprisoned. Philip became king of France in 1180, elder brother Henry died 1183 leaving Richard next in line to throne, Eleanor is released in 1185 and secures Richard's succession. In 1189 King Henry died and Richard was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 3 September. Richard immediately started to raise funds to join the third crusade to free Jerusalem from Muslim rule, left Eleanor as regent, joining Philip of France but traveling different paths and bickering when they were together, announced refusal to wed Philip's daughter when both forces were in Sicily. Part of Richard's orce was shipwrecked on Cyprus, including his sister and fiancée; when he arrived and learned of their mistreatment he conquered Cyprus. While in Cyprus he married Berengaria of Navarre and crowned her Queen of England on 12 May 1191, but Richard was primarily homosexual and there was no issue. Joined siege at Acre, prevailed, slaughtered 2,700 prisoners. Philip left for France promising not to attack Richard's lands until his return, Richard proceeded to Jerusalem. Months of indecisive battles with Saladin ended in treaty to allow Christian access to Jerusalem. Richard returned in secret in 1192 but was identified and captured by Leopold of Austria who had been grossly insulted by Richard's troops at Acre. Handed over to Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, held for ransom of 150,000 marks, about three tons of silver. Released in 1194 to quell attempt by his brother John and Philip to take the throne, banished John, put Archbishop Hubert Walter of Canterbury in charge of England, and returned to France to battle Pilip successfully for five years. Shot with a crossbow in the shoulder during an insignificant squabble over a gold statue, the infection killed him on 6 April 1199 at Chalus, Haute-Vienne, France.
Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear
man.
- Benjamin Franklin
You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to
stop reading them.
- Ray Douglas Bradbury
Books give not wisdome where none was before, But where some is, there
reading makes it more.
- Sir John Harington
I took a course in speed reading and was able to read War and Peace in
twenty minutes. It's about Russia.
- Woody Allen
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