Category Archives: Thoughts for the Day

Today in History (March 1st): 1565: The city of Rio de Janeiro was established. 1692: The notorious witch hunt, The Salem Witch Trials began in the Salem village of the Massachusetts Bay colony, eventually resulting in the executions of 19 … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 28th): 1533: Birthdays: French essayist Michel de Montaigne. 1784: The Methodist Church was chartered by John Wesley. 1827: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was chartered. 1844: An explosion rocked the war steamer USS Princeton after it … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 27th): 1807: Birthdays: Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 1827: The first Mardi Gras was celebrated in New Orleans. 1844: The Dominican Republic was granted independence from Haiti. 1886: Birthdays: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black. 1891: Birthdays: … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 26th): 1531: An earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, killed an estimated 20,000 people. 1797: The Bank of England issued the first pound note. 1802: Birthdays: French novelist and poet Victor Hugo. 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte and 1,200 men … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 25th): 1933: The USS Ranger, the first custom-built aircraft carrier, was launched. 1791: The First Bank of the U.S. at Philadelphia became the first national bank chartered by Congress. 1836: Samuel Colt patented a revolving gun, … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 24th): 1786: Birthdays: Wilhelm Grimm, historian and, with his brother Jacob, compiler of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. 1803: The U.S. Supreme Court established the principle of judicial review with its Marbury vs. Madison decision written by Chief … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 23rd): 1455: The print run of the Gutenberg Bible began. 1633: Birthdays: British diarist Samuel Pepys. 1685: Birthdays: German composer George Frideric Handel. 1744: Birthdays: Mayer Amschel Rothschild, European banker and founder of the Rothschild financial … Continue reading →

Today in History (February 22nd): 1732: Birthdays: George Washington, (1732-1799) War Hero, General, First President of the United States. 1788: Birthdays: German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. 1819: A treaty with Spain ceded Florida to the United States. Birthdays: Poet, diplomat and … Continue reading →