January 28

The first transcontinental run by a locomotive from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean was completed on the 28th in 1855. Where was this accomplished? Take a moment to think about your answer before reading any further. If you guessed the United States, go stand in the corner until class is over because you are wrong. However if your gaze shifted south and you guessed Panama, you get a gold star in your permanent record card because you are correct.

January 27

This entry is a twofer. Apparently, England in the 17th century established the standard by which all future speedy trials should be measured. On the 27th in 1606, Guy Fawkes and the other conspirators in the famous Gunpowder Plot of November 5, 1605 went on trial. Fawkes would be executed by beheading on the 31st.

January 26

Space research and travel, by their very nature; require extreme care and attention to detail. While the expression a miss is as good as a mile might be appropriate in other fields, in the case of early attempts to study earth’s moon it would be better stated as a miss is as good as 22,000 miles. That is the distance by which the Ranger 2, launched on the 26th in 1962 as part of NASA’s Ranger program, missed its target – the moon.

January 25

On the 25th in 1890, journalist Nellie Bly arrived in New York, completing a trip around the world that she had begun on the 14th of November in 1889. Having been inspired by Jules Verne’s book Around the World in 80 Days, she had embarked from Hoboken, New Jersey determined to either meet or beat Verne’s time. Her voyage had taken 72 days, 6 hours, eleven minutes and fourteen seconds. Not that anyone was watching the clock or anything like that.

January 24

Alfred Hitchcock released his first film, The Pleasure Garden, in England on the 24th in 1927. Alfred Hitchcock went on to an extraordinary career as a director. Most of his movies were designed to frighten people, The Birds and Vertigo being handy examples. When I consider the fact that Hitchcock exhibited such highly polished skill in his work, it is difficult me to imagine fear in any form lurking in his mnemonic circuits. As it turns out, however, Hitchcock had at least two fears, both of them bordering on phobia. He was terrified of policemen, which is why he never learned to drive a car – if he didn’t drive, he could never be stopped by a policeman, ticketed or subjected to who knows how many other indignities. Reasonable? Of course! Most people have concerns about encountering the police. The other one, however, just baffles me and I simply can’t understand his dislike for eggs, which was extreme. Excuse, what was that? Did I hear you ask how extreme? Consider this quote from Hitchcock: “I’m frightened of eggs, worse than frightened, they revolt me. That white round thing without any holes … have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid? Blood is jolly, red. But egg yolk is yellow, revolting. I’ve never tasted it.”

January 23

Elizabeth Blackwell was born on February 3, 1821. As a young woman, she submitted an application to the medical school at Geneva College, in Geneva, New York, a school not known for accepting women to its programs. For some reason the registrar and faculty asked the student body to vote on Blackwell’s application. The students, believing the application to be a joke, voted to allow her admission to the school. As it turned out, the joke was on the students because on the 23rd in 1849, Blackwell received her medical degree, becoming the first woman licensed to practice in the United States.

January 22

There are people who believe that any person who embarks on a life of crime is actually crying out for attention. Before you do anything rash, consider the case of Robert Budd Dwyer, who was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and perhaps make your cry for attention verbal. As has happened to many politicians, Dwyer got in the practice of accepting kickbacks from companies doing business with his state. In due course, his crimes were discovered and after a lengthy trial, he was convicted and faced serious jail time. On the 22nd, in 1987, just prior to his sentencing, Dwyer called a press conference, which was covered by live television. I suppose this is where he should have said ‘I’m sorry. I’m going to resign, I need this job like I need a hole in the head’ but he didn’t. On live television, he placed a revolver to his head and committed suicide.