BHD was born!!!
  HBD BHD!

On this day (-2) in 1803, the U.S. Supreme Court assumed immense power by
announcing that it lacked power. In that single act it threw a curveball past a hostile
President and redefined the Constitution. And this is how it happened.
When John Adams lost the Presidency to his adversary, Thomas Jefferson, Adams
rushed to fill lots of political posts before the new guy got in. In that rush, the
Secretary of State forgot to get all the appointments posted before Adams' term
expired. So, Jefferson said the appointments were invalid and he could appoint his
own guys.
One of Adams' appointees decided, in what has become an American tradition; to sue
to get the job he was promised. His name was William Marbury, and he sued the
incoming Secretary of State, a guy named James Madison. So, naturally when it hit
the Supreme Court docket, it was called "Marbury vs. Madison" (now known as,
perhaps, the most important judicial decision in U.S. History).
The Chief Justice was a guy named John Marshall. Since he was appointed to the
Court by Adams, Messrs. Jefferson and Madison figured they would not get a fair
shake. So they told associates that if Marshall found for Marbury they would ignore
the Court and hide all its quill pens.
So, Marshall was in a quandary. He knew that Marbury had a good case but to
decide in his favor could destroy the Court. He decided to throw one of the biggest
curveballs in judicial history.
He wrote that Jefferson & Madison were probably wrong guys who might have put
gum on folks’ seats during the Constitutional Convention. He said Marbury clearly
deserved his post. EXCEPT - - - - (and this was the big one) - - - - the act under which
Congress had granted to the Supreme Court the right to mediate appointment
disputes (the Judiciary Act of 1789) was unconstitutional.
Thus Jefferson was presented with a decision that said - - You don't have to give
Marbury the job because I don't have the power to make you give Marbury the job
because I have decided the law that gave me that power was unconstitutional. (And
now since I demonstrated that I have the power to interpret the Constitution that
gives me more power than you or Congress now have.)
The decision forever changed American history, politics and government. Marshall is
universally renowned as the most important Chief Justice in history (mainly for this
decision).
But the answer to one of the twelve best bar bets of all time is - - - -
who was Adams' dopey Secretary of State, whose error set up the
whole crisis. Okay so you guessed it. Yup! The same John Marshall - - himself a last
minute appointment - - to the Supreme Court.

1855: The Devil's Footprints appear in Devon

On this day (-1) in 1468, one of the most influential figures in the last 2000 years (and maybe all of history) died. To keep things in perspective try to remember a few things: Leonardo Da Vinci was seven years old, Michelangelo had not been born yet and a guy named Christopher Columbus was just a teenage apprentice on a Genovese Ferry.
If it had not been for this guy who died on this day, none of those guys would have become as famous as they are today. In fact, if it had not been for this guy who died, the Dark Ages might have remained dark and 90% of what we know today would be unknown. He had created a revolution that changed the way ideas were processed and began the knowledge revolution.
The deceased was Johann Gutenberg....yes the inventor of moveable type....and thus printing....and thus knowledge for the common man. So, you say, let's hear about his grand and laudatory funeral.
Well, the man who changed much of history died blind, poor, and virtually unnoticed. Now, before you cynically assume this dismal end was the result of the failure of early printing, check again. Gutenberg's printing was a winner from the get go. He started it in 1450 and within five years the Gutenberg Bible was almost due. Also due, however, was a loan to a certain Johann Fust (seed money for the print shop). Fust knew a good thing when he saw one and refused to extend the loan for one day. In default, Gutenberg handed over the print shop (type, press, paper, coffeepot) to Fust who completed the Bible and became fabulously wealthy.

The Day The Music Died

Photos: Blizzard of 2011

1967: The Mantra Rock Dance

Happy birthday, 20th and 24th Amendments

JOHN HANCOCK DAY!   now there's a signature...

 

Roe v. Wade at 40: Six questions about the state of abortion rights today

1923 – Juan de la Cierva makes the first autogyro flight.



Ironically, he died as a passenger in a commercial airliner crash, several years later.

1835: The only fiscal year in American history wherein the nation debt was $0.

 oldslabsides wrote: 
a dark, dark day

1913: The Federal Reserve Act is signed into law by Woodrow Wilson

 black321 wrote: 
Nice story!  Would love to see that photo. 

On this day (+3) in 1931, America was spiraling into the depths of the Depression. Thousands of banks had closed and there was a national panic that more closings might be imminent. And large corporations announced huge layoff programs, stunning many who thought they were safe. Those who had a job were grateful just to be employed.

Among those were a group of construction workers in New York City. As they stood amidst the rubble of demolished buildings in midtown Manhattan, they talked of how lucky they were that some rich guy had hired them for a new but risky development. And, since it was near Christmas, they decided to celebrate the fact that they had a job.

They got a Christmas tree from a guy in a lot on the corner who apparently had discovered that folks with apartments suitable for 18 foot trees were not too free with the green pictures of dead presidents in 1931. So the workers stood the big tree up in the rubble and decorated it with tin cans and other items on the lot. A photographer saw it as a perfect symbol of 1931. It caught on immediately and each Christmas as the project proceeded a new tree was put up. And even after the project (Rockefeller Center) was completed, management put up a new (and much bigger) tree each year.

Betty Grable born, 1916.

1903: The Wright brothers achieve powered flight.