2009: Day 186On this date in 1687 one of the most important scientific works - Isaac Newton's Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy). There, Newton laid out his laws of motion, the law of universal gravitation and the foundation of classical mechanics. Despite having essentially created a new branch of mathematics - calculus - he kept that to himself at this point, presenting the mathematical arguments using geometric proofs.
Were he still around today, at the age of 199 as of today, surely showman P.T. Barnum (1810) would be his own, greatest attraction.
A quick shot of whiskey to remember actor Milburn Stone, best remembered from his role as Doc on the long-running Gunsmoke series. Born in 1904, this would have been his 105th birthday. Unfortunately for him he only played a doctor on tv.
Actor Warren Oates (1928) would have turned 81 today. Unfortunately, he died of a sudden heart attack in 1982. The Reagan years were tough on most of us. Also born that year was actress Katherine Helmond, who I still think of primarily from her role as Jessica Tate from the ABC comedy Soap.
Our Gang's "Froggy" - Billy Laughlin (1932) - would have turned 77 today. Unfortunately, he was hit and killed by a bus when he was 16. Considering his career and mortal exit, I wonder if it's too late for his descendants to try to sue for some of the profits from Frogger? (What? Too soon?)
Seventy two years ago (1937) Spam - the fascinating, canned mystery meat - was launched into the marketplace by Hormel. Apparently this was a bit too much for Mother Nature to take. She went a little apeshit up in Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan (that's either Canada or Narnia, I can never remember without checking) as the highest recorded temperature in Canadian (okay, that settles that...) history occurred when it hit the Arizona-like high of 113 °F (45 °C.) Maybe she thought no one would notice if she did it up there..?
Performer. musician Huey Lewis and founding lead guitarist for Steppenwolf, Michael Monarch, were both born today in 1950. Four years later (1954), Aerosmith lead guitarist (1979-1984) Jimmy Crespo was born.
Calvin & Hobbes creator, cartoonist Bill Watterson, turns 51 today.
Actress Edie Falco turns 46 today.
Dolly the Sheep (1996) becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
Comments
Given the modern conduct of DHS on the western border, perhaps not so much anymore for families still living in Saskatchewan?