On this day in 1888, an audio recording of English composer Arthur Sullivan's "The Lost Chord", one of the first recordings of music ever made, is played during a press conference introducing Thomas Edison's phonograph in London, England.
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On this day in 1893, France becomes the first country to introduce motor vehicle registration.
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VJ DAY! On this day in 1945, reeling from a thermonuclear one-two punch, the nation of Japan surrenders unconditionally to the United States of America, thus ending World War II... except, of course, for the few die-hards who toughed it out on deserted jungle islands for lonely decades out of devotion to Emperor-God Hirohito, who sold them out to save his own ass.
On this day in 1969, in a pasture rented from Max Yasgur in rural Sullivan County, New York, hundreds of thousands of people* come together for the opening day of the now legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. All the greatest musical acts of the day were in attendance, and a truly groovy time was had by all... except those poor souls unfortunate enough to have taken the brown acid before word got out that it was bad shit, man. Afterwards, according to bloviating curmudgeons who really had no clue, it took a decade to clean up the filthy mess left behind by those darn hippies, and the cloying stench of patchouli still lingers at the site. Thirty years later, in 1999, the much-hyped Woodstock III - brought to you by Pepsico - turned into a celebration of arson, rape and assorted mayhem.
On this day in 1974, the second Turkish invasion of Cyprus begins; 140,000 to 200,000 Greek Cypriots become refugees. 6,000 are massacred and another 1,619 go missing.
On this day in 2003, a wide-scale power blackout blankets the northeast United States and Canada in darkness. Some people don't see the power go back up again until three days later.
On this day in 2007, the Kahtaniya bombings kills at least 796 people in Iraq... the deadliest terrorist attack in that country, ever.
On this day in 2010, the first-ever Youth Olympic Games are held in Singapore. Nobody gives a crap.
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On this day in 1969, in a pasture rented from Max Yasgur in rural Sullivan County, New York, hundreds of thousands of people* come together for the opening day of the now legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair. All the greatest musical acts of the day were in attendance, and a truly groovy time was had by all... except those poor souls unfortunate enough to have taken the brown acid before word got out that it was bad shit, man. Afterwards, according to bloviating curmudgeons who really had no clue, it took a decade to clean up the filthy mess left behind by those darn hippies, and the cloying stench of patchouli still lingers at the site. Thirty years later, in 1999, the much-hyped Woodstock III - brought to you by Pepsico - turned into a celebration of arson, rape and assorted mayhem.
***
On this day in 1974, the second Turkish invasion of Cyprus begins; 140,000 to 200,000 Greek Cypriots become refugees. 6,000 are massacred and another 1,619 go missing.
***
On this day in 2003, a wide-scale power blackout blankets the northeast United States and Canada in darkness. Some people don't see the power go back up again until three days later.
***
On this day in 2007, the Kahtaniya bombings kills at least 796 people in Iraq... the deadliest terrorist attack in that country, ever.
***
On this day in 2010, the first-ever Youth Olympic Games are held in Singapore. Nobody gives a crap.
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