June 24 is the 176th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. If the ancient Mayans were correct, there are 180 days remaining until the end of time.
1374 A sudden outbreak of St. Vitus' Dance causes people in the streets of Aachen, Germany, to experience hallucinations and begin to jump and twitch uncontrollably until they collapse from exhaustion.
1717 1st Freemasons' grand lodge is founded in London. Can you say "Illuminati"?
1817 1st coffee planted in Hawaii on Kona coast. It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
1894 IOC decides to hold modern Olympics every 4 years
1922 The American Professional Football Association formally changes its name to the National Football League
1951 Persian army takes over nationalized oil installations. Nothing good can come from this, IMHO
2004 In New York, capital punishment is declared unconstitutional, but corporal punishment is still an option. I’m just suggesting.
1850 Horatio Herbert Kitchener, maybe gay 1st Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, his image was used on an infamous WWI poster which became the basis for designing "Uncle Sam". Seems he had a male friend, Captain Oswald Fitzgerald who was his "constant and inseparable companion". They probably died together on a voyage to Russia, things get a little sketchy and there are conspiracy theories. Kitchener never married, and always seemed to have a cadre of unmarried handsome young men around.
1895 Jack Dempsey, US boxer aka "The Manassa Mauler"
May 21 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. If the ancient Mayans were correct, there are 214 days remaining until the end of time.
1553 English Lady Jane Grey marries Guildford Dudley which is unfortunately cut short.
1908 1st horror movie (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) premieres in Chicago
1924 Lovers Leopold and Loeb kidnap and murder Bobby Franks for fun, but they don't eat the tasty bits.
1936 Experiencing extreme penis envy, Sada Abe is arrested after wandering the streets of Tokyo for days with her dead lover's severed genitals in her hand. Her story soon becomes one of Japan's most notorious scandals.
1979 Dan White is convicted of manslaughter death of San Francisco mayor Geroge Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk. The Fabulous White Night riots ensue.
2004 Sherpa Pemba Dorjie climbs Mount Everest in 8 hours 10 minutes, breaking his rival Sherpa Lakpa Gelu's record from the previous year. He wins a goat.
2005 The tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka opens at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey.
2007 The Cutty Sark, the last surviving clipper ship, is badly damaged by fire in London, England. Arson is suspected after traces of an oaken-aged accelerant are found.
1898 Armand Hammer, US CEO of Occidental Petroleum/spy/industrialist/art collector/philanthropist/has tasty grandson
1917 Raymond Burr, gay Canadian actor/Perry Mason/Ironside
1945 Richard Hatch, US actor/director/producer/Capt.Apollo
1951 Al Franken, US actor/comedian/US Senator (D-Minnesota)
