Austrian Composer Joseph Haydn on This Day in History

Joseph Haydn / Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor "Farewell"

This Day in History: Austrian composer Joseph Haydn died on this day in 1809. Known as the "Father of the Symphony" he was a friend and mentor of Mozart and a tutor to Beethoven. However, Haydn's story didn't end with his death. Much like Rene Descartes, his remains were quite active. After his death, graverobbers removed Haydn's skull so they could study it. More than ten years later, Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy II, decided to give Haydn a proper burial. During the exhumation it was discovered that the head was missing (his wig however was still there). An investigation ensued and a skull was returned to his grave. It was however the wrong skull. The people who produced the skull actually kept Haydn's skull in a special box, a box that was discovered 145 years later. That skull was reunited with the rest of the composer's bones. They didn't know what to do with the other skull so to this day Joseph Haydn's grave is buried with two skulls.

See also: The Science & Appreciation of Classical Music - 175 Books on DVDROM

Mel Blanc on This Day in History

This Day In History: Voice Actor Mel Blanc was born on this day in 1908. He was the voice behind Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Marvin the Martian, Pepé Le Pew, Speedy Gonzales, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, the Tasmanian Devil, Barney Rubble, Mr. Spacely (The Jetsons) and Woody Woodpecker.

Mount Everest on This Day in History

This Day in History: Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest on this day in 1953. They didn't spend much time there, only 15 minutes. Norgay left chocolates there for the gods. You could argue that Mt Everest is not really the tallest mountain in the world. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller (33,500 feet) but most of that is underwater.

Over 4,000 people have attempted to climb Everest, and 1 in 10 successful summits ends in death. Over 300 people have died on Everest, there are around 120 dead bodies of climbers still on the mountain, most of whom died as a result of  avalanches. It takes 10 weeks to climb, and it will cost you $30,000 USD (on transportation, guides, training, and professional gear).

There is 66% less oxygen in each breath on the summit than at sea level, and the base camp has wifi.

3 Mysterious Events That Have Been Reported On Mount Everest

Henry VIII on This Day in History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nl8uB4ZINo

This Day in History: The Church of England declared the marriage of King Henry VIII of England to Anne Boleyn valid on this day in 1533. Why is this important you ask? Henry VIII was previously married to Catherine of Aragon, but she was unable to bare him a child. Hank then wanted a second wife because he needed an heir, but the Pope refused his request for a divorce/annulment. Henry then said "screw you" to the Pope, and declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England (thereby rejecting the Pope's authority). Thus, Protestantism and the Reformation was officially started and sanctioned in England, and Catholicism started to lose control over the Western world.

Oh, and Henry VIII didn't behead all of his 6 wives, only 2. He divorced the other 2 and one died of blood poisoning. To help you remember, there's a little poem that explains what happened to his wives in chronological order:
"Divorced, beheaded, died.
  Divorced, beheaded, survived..."

See also 200 Books on DVDrom on the Dark Side of Christianity
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2015/10/200-books-on-dvdrom-on-dark-side-of.html

Wild Bill Hickok on This Day in History

This Day in History: Western gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok was born on this day in 1837. While Wild Bill represented an image of a Wild West, the reality was that the Wild West was actually quite tame. The settlers and the natives generally found ways to cooperate rather than fight. "Many other groups of settlers and explorers peacefully interacted with one another, overcoming problems such as unknown weather conditions and unmapped territories. Several hundred fur trappers gathered every year at pre-designated rendezvous sites in the Rockies. Even though they brought thousands of dollars’ worth of furs, little stealing took place. The many contests involving drinking, fighting and shooting were primarily a form of entertainment, not signs of theft and deprivation." Peter J Hill.

In fact, things really only got violent when the government got involved.

See also: Buffalo Bill & the American Wild West, 200 Books on DVDrom
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2015/09/buffalo-bill-american-wild-west-200.html

Wild Bill Documentary

Dracula on this Day in History

This day in history: Dracula was published on this day in 1897. The novel did not make much money for the author, Bram Stoker, who eventually went broke just before he died. The movies are what really made Dracula a star. He has appeared in more films than any other horror character—over 200 and counting—and that number doesn't even include comedies and cartoons.

Bram Stoker started writing Dracula right after the Jack the Ripper killings, but it may also have been influenced by a Romanian prince named Vlad Dracula, or Vlad the Impaler, who was known for skewering his enemies. The working title of the novel was The Dead Undead, which was later shortened to The Undead. Right before the book was published, Stoker changed the title to Dracula.

Watch Nosferatu

The 1922 German classic film Nosferatu was almost destroyed because of the Dracula copyright. Today, Dracula is now in the public domain.

Christopher Lee Reads Dracula

See also History of the Terror Tale by Edith Birkhead 1921

For more go to 70 Penny Dreadfuls, Gothic Novels and Dime Novels on DVDrom 

Join my Facebook Group

Chinese Censorship on This Day in History

This Day in History: The Chinese government removed a decade old ban on William Shakespeare's work on this day in 1977. China has also banned Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which was also banned at Woodsville High School in Haverhill, New Hampshire in 1900. D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover was also banned in China, but then that book may be the most banned book of all time. Even Dr Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham was banned for its portrayal of early Marxism (I missed that when I read it). Oddly enough, you can buy George Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 in China, but you are not allowed to talk about them on social media.

See also History of Book Censorship By Frederick W. Hamilton 1918
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2016/04/history-of-book-censorship-by-frederick.html

Read Green Eggs and Ham Online

Read, or Download Shakespeare

Join my Facebook Group

See also Over 200 Banned, Controversial and Forbidden Books on DVDrom and Forbidden and Condemned by the Catholic Church - 150 Books on DVDrom

Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus on This Day in History

This Day in History: Renaissance-era mathematician and astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus died on this day in 1543. His major achievement was formulating a model of the universe that placed the Sun (heliocentrism) rather than Earth (geocentrism) at the center of the universe, which put him at odds with the prevailing theology of the time. As John Calvin wrote in his Commentary on Genesis: "We indeed are not ignorant that the circuit of the heavens is finite, and that the earth, like a little globe, is placed in the centre." Because he feared religious persecution, he did not officially publish his work until he was on his death-bed. Copernicus dedicated his book to the Pope, but the Catholic Church repudiated it and placed it on the Index of Prohibited Books. In 1633, 90 years after his death, the Church convicted astronomer Galileo Galilei of "strong suspicion of heresy" for espousing Copernicus's theory of heliocentrism. After a day in prison, Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest (much like the rest of us in 2020).

See also: The Trial of Galileo by A Mezieres 1877
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-trial-of-galileo-by-mezieres-1877.html

The History and Mystery of Alchemy is now available on Amazon...and it is only 99 cents.

Bonnie & Clyde on This Day in History

This Day in History: Notorious American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed by police and killed in Bienville Parish, Louisiana on this day in 1934. Now when I think of Bonnie & Clyde I think of the 2019 movie "The Highwaymen" starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson which had several scenes that still stick with me, including this one (above). Of course, they were not the only couples that led a life of crime. There were Canada's Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Suzan and James Carson, also known as “San Francisco Witch Killers,” Australia's David and Catherine Birnie, Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate, Carol M. Bundy and Doug Clark (The Sunset Strip Killers), Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez (Lonely Hearts Killers), German couple Daniel and Manuela Ruda, Ian Brady & Myra Hindley (The Moors Murders) and lesbian couple Gwendolyn Graham and Catherine May Wood who killed to enhance their sex life.

See also Notorious Criminals, Crimes & Criminology - 100 Books on DVDrom

For a list of all of my disks click here

Bonnie & Clyde Movie

Actress Margaret Rutherford on This Day in History

This Day in History: English actress Margaret Rutherford died on this day in 1972. My wife and I are a big fans of her portrayal as Agatha Christie's "Miss Marple." She appeared four times as amateur detective Miss Marple in the early 60's. Oddly, her second and third movies – Murder at the Gallop and Murder Most Foul – were both based on Hercules Poirot novels, while 1964’s Murder Ahoy! wasn’t based on any of Christie works. At the time, she insisted on wearing her own clothes for the part and having her husband appear alongside her.

When fans were asked for their favorite Miss Marple actress, Margaret Rutherford came in second behind Joan Hickson. Interestingly, Hickson had previously had a small part in Margaret Rutherford’s Miss Marple movie "Murder, She Said." Rounding out the top 5 best Miss Marple's were Geraldine McEwan, Julia McKenzie and Angela Lansbury (1980)...who would go on to better things as Jessica Fletcher in TV’s Murder, She Wrote.

Download the Agatha Christie Short Story Collection

See also The 300 Oldest Murder Mystery and Crime Books & Stories on DVDrom

The Heaven's Gate Movie Flop on This Day in History

This Day in History: United Artists was sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $380 million after the box office failure of the 1980 film Heaven's Gate. Heaven's Gate, when adjusted for inflation, is still one of the biggest movie failures 40 years later. Other huge movie failures are: Ben Hur (2016), Cats (2019), The BFG, Cutthroat Island (1995), Deepwater Horizon, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Hart's War, Hugo, John Carter, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, R.I.P.D., Sahara, Stealth, Terminator: Dark Fate, and I believe the biggest flop was The Lone Ranger with Johnny Depp (2013)

Top 10 Box Office Bombs that Ruined Studios

The First Council of Nice on This Day in History

This Kindle book, The Dark History of the Trinity, is now available on Amazon by clicking here...and it is only 99 cents

This Day in History: The First Council of Nicaea started on this day in 325 A.D. One of the main arguments was to settle whether Christ was God, or subordinate to God. Athanasius argued that Christ was God, and Arius argued that he wasn't. The "Arian Controversy" often led to bloody battles in the streets. Athanasius would win this round and Arius would be exiled. Three years later, Constantine recalled Arius from exile. In 335 Constantine now sided with Arius and exiled Athanasius. Two years after that, the new emperor recalled Athanasius. In 341 two councils are held to produce a formal doctrine of faith to oppose the Nicene Creed. In 351 a second anti-Nicene council was held in Sirmium. In 353 a council was held at Aries that was directed against Athanasius. This would keep happening until 381 when the First Council of Constantinople was held to review the controversy since Nicaea. Emperor Theodosius the Great establishes the creed of Nicaea as the standard of the realm. The Nicene Creed was re-evaluated and accepted with the addition of clauses on the Holy Spirit and other matters.

However, through the ages there were always people who sided with the Arian "heresy" that denied that Christ was co-equal with the Father, men such as Isaac Newton, Thomas Jefferson, Milton, Locke, Priestley, and many others who paid for this belief with their lives, like Michael Servetus, Giordano Bruno etc.

Download: When Jesus Became God by Ridhard E. Rubenstein
https://archive.org/details/pdfy-fVoMnUsaDlQlaRnI

Download: How Jesus Became God by Bart Ehrman
https://archive.org/details/HowJesusBecameGodTheExaltBartD

Download: How on Earth Did Jesus Become a God?: Historical Questions about Earliest Devotion to Jesus by Larry W. Hurtado
https://tinyurl.com/ty6n6ot

See also The Terrible Death of Michael Servetus
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-terrible-death-of-michael-servetus.html

Unitarian History by John Hayward 1860
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2019/03/unitarian-history-by-by-john-hayward.html

Giordano Bruno, Martyr for the Trinity
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2019/02/giordano-bruno-martyr-for-trinity.html

Johann Sylvan - Unitarian Martyr
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2018/12/johann-sylvan-unitarian-martyr.html

The Trinity NO PART of Primitive Christianity, by James Forrest A.M. 1836
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-trinity-no-part-of-primitive.html

The Interrogation of Unitarian Anabaptist Martyr Herman van Vlekwijk
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-interrogation-of-unitarian.html

Peter Gunther, Unitarian Martyr
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2018/09/peter-gunther-unitarian-martyr.html

A Catholic Priest Declares the Trinity Doctrine "Opposed to Human Reason."
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-catholic-priest-declares-trinity.html

Edward Wightman (Unitarian Martyr)
https://newworldtranslation.blogspot.com/2018/07/edward-wightman-unitarian-martyr.html

New England's Dark Day on This Day in History

This Day in History: New England's Dark Day happened on this day in 1780. This was a day when the sky went dark and people had to use candles throughout the day. As one revolutionary soldier wrote at the time: "We were here [New Jersey] at the time the 'dark day' happened, (19th of May;) it has been said that the darkness was not so great in New-Jersey as in New-England. How great it was there I do not know, but I know that it was very dark where I then was in New-Jersey; so much so that the fowls went to their roosts, the cocks crew and the whip-poor-wills sung their usual serenade; the people had to light candles in their houses to enable them to see to carry on their usual business; the night was as uncommonly dark as the day was."

This event had such a lasting impact that some Adventists still consider this date as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. History however, has had many strange occurrences in the skies. Charles Fort wrote The Book of the Damned in 1919 where he goes on to relate one strange phenomena after another, like falling fishes and frogs.

The Ghost Ship Mary Celeste on This Day in History

This Day in History: The ship, The Mary Celeste, launched on this day in 1861, which eventually created one the biggest maritime mysteries of all time. 12 years later the ship was discovered with the entire crew missing. Her cargo was intact, and the captain's and crew's personal belongings were undisturbed. None of those who had been on board were ever seen or heard from again. The Los Angeles Times retold the Mary Celeste story in June 1883 with some liberties: "Every sail was set, the tiller was lashed fast, not a rope was out of place.… The fire was burning in the galley. The dinner was standing untasted and scarcely cold … the log written up to the hour of her discovery."

Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a fictionalized story on this ship called: J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement 

See also: The Mystery Ship "Mary Celeste" by John E Watkins 1919
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-mystery-ship-mary-celeste-by-john-e.html

See also The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin – review
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/feb/19/ghost-mary-celeste-valerie-martin-review

Mysteries of the Sea - 200 Books on DVDrom
https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2015/07/mysteries-of-sea-200-books-on-dvdrom.html

The Sea Hunters - Season 1, Episode 8 - Mary Celeste - Full Episode

Chuck E. Cheese on This Day in History

This Day in History: The family pizza restaurant Chuck E. Cheese opened for this first time on this day in 1977 in San Jose, California. They have since opened in 17 other countries, but in Australia they had to change their name to Charlie Cheese because "Chuck" means to "throw up" down under. Despite being a family-friendly, 70% of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants serve alcohol, and that may be a reason why Chuck E. Cheese is also a hotspot for parents to get into fights.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xd5z37/why-do-people-keep-getting-in-to-fights-at-chuck-e-cheeses

Gothic Writer Matthew (Monk) Lewis on This Day in History

This Day In History: Matthew Lewis died on this day in 1818. He is best known for writing the gothic horror classic, The Monk. When the book first appeared in 1796, critics were shocked and outraged. That a Member of Parliament should publish a novel filled with blasphemy, rape, murder, incest, rotting corpses, and devil worship was unthinkable and unprecedented. But efforts to suppress the book failed, readers loved it, and it became a worldwide bestseller. Today it is regarded as one of the finest Gothic horror novels ever written. It also popularized the story of the Wandering Jew and the Bleeding Nun.

See also History of the Terror Tale by Edith Birkhead 1921

For more go to 70 Penny Dreadfuls, Gothic Novels and Dime Novels on DVDrom

See Vampires and Werewolves in Lore and History by Heinz Schmitz

For a list of all of my digital books click here

Wizard of Oz Creator L. Frank Baum on This Day in History

This Day in History: Author L. Frank Baum was born on this day in 1856, and he is best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. While a children's classic, the book was actually an allegory for the politics and economics of the 1890's, with a special interest in bimetallism (a monetary standard where money is backed by gold and silver). The Yellow Brick Road represented the gold standard, and Ruby slippers were originally silver and Oz got its name from the abbreviation of ounces "Oz" in which gold and silver are measured. The Scarecrow represented the American farmers, the Tin Man represented the steel factory workers and the Cowardly Lion was a metaphor for politician William Jennings Bryan. The Wicked Witch of the West represented the American West, and the Winged Monkeys represented the Native Americans. The King of the Winged Monkeys tells Dorothy, "Once we were a free people, living happily in the great forest, flying from tree to tree, eating nuts and fruit and doing just as we pleased without calling anybody master. ... This was many years ago, long before Oz came out of the clouds to rule over this land."

See also 200 Books on Fantasy and Science Fiction on DVDrom

Socialist Robert Owen on This Day in History

Buy my book: The Folly of Socialism (40 Chapters) for 99 cents on Amazon

Visit a local listing for this here

This Day in History: Welsh textile manufacturer Robert Owen was born on this day in 1771. While a successful businessman, he was also a believer in Socialism, and may have even coined the term. About 200 years ago Robert Owen bought land in Ohio to set up a Socialist community. While American may be thought of as a Laissez-Faire country back then, it was also a hotbed of Socialist experimentation, particularly in Ohio. Owen called his community "New Harmony" but like all such Socialist communities, they all failed...usually within 2 years. As Alexander Winston wrote: "They couldn’t run anything properly—flour mill, saw mill, tannery or smithy—and their only solution to problems of production was to write another constitution or make another speech. The industrious soon tired of supporting the idle. From the Nashoba, Tennessee Owenite settlement, leader Frances Wright informed Owen that 'cooperation has nigh killed us all,' and departed. Within two years every Owenite venture, fourteen in all, disintegrated."

Historic Failures of Applied Socialism in Ohio by Daniel J Ryan 1920

https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2016/04/historic-failures-of-applied-socialism.html

Early American Communism, 1910 Article

https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2016/08/early-american-communism-1910-article.html

The Early Failures of Socialism

https://thebookshelf2015.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-early-failures-of-socialism.html

The Horror Movie "The Car" on This Day in History

The horror movie "The Car" starring James Brolin was released on this day in 1977. Brolin would star in another big horror flick right after this, The Amityville Horror with Margot Kidder, who actually died on this very day in 2018. I've always loved horror movies involving vehicles. There is Steven Spielberg's "Duel" with the creepy 1955 Peterbilt...and Joy Ride (2001) has yet another scary Peterbilt truck (1986 Peterbilt 350 EXHD). Then there is 1983's Christine starring a 1958 Plymouth Fury. Who can forget the 1941 Chevy truck in Jeepers Creeper...and the best part of 1986's Maximum Overdrive may not be the Happy Toyz Truck, but the AC/DC soundtrack.

Now we need a good scary movie featuring a locomotive.

Yogi Berra on This Day in History

This Day in History: Yogi Berra was born on this day in 1925. While he may have a baseball player and coach, history will remember him most for his malapropisms as well as pithy and paradoxical statements, such as "It ain't over 'til it's over." Other Yogi-isms are: "90 percent of baseball is mental; the other half is physical." "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." "Thank you for making this day necessary." "It's déjà vu all over again." "You can observe a lot by watching." "Always go to other people's funerals; otherwise they won't go to yours." "I really didn't say everything I said." "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore" "If you can't imitate him, don't copy him." "We made too many wrong mistakes." "You better cut the pizza in four pieces because I’m not hungry enough to eat six." "The future ain’t what it used to be." "If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them." "You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there." "Even Napoleon had his Watergate." "It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much." "It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility." 

The Song "If I Were a Carpenter" On This Day in History

Robert Plant's "If I Were a Carpenter"

This Day in History: The Four Tops entered the Top 40 with their version of "If I Were a Carpenter." It was earlier released by Tim Hardin who wrote the song. It was also a hit for Bobby Darin, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash and June Carter, Bob Seger, Leon Russell and then Robert Plant. This was however not the most recorded song. Some of the most recorded songs are: Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love," "Over the Rainbow," "Imagine," "Summertime," "Cry me a River," "Eleanor Rigby," and the Beatles song "Yesterday" has been covered more than 2200 times, the most recorded song of all time.

Elvis singing Yesterday

Rocker Bill Haley & His Comets on This Day in History

This Day in History: Bill Haley & His Comets release "Rock Around the Clock", the first rock and roll record to reach number one on the Billboard charts on this day in 1954. In my mind, this is the first Rock and Roll song, but many would disagree. Perhaps it is Roy Brown's "Good Rocking Tonight" (1947), maybe it is Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" (1951), or it could be Elvis's "That's All Right, Mama" (1954). I just finished listening to Jimmy Preston's "Rock the Joint" (1949) and I would say that is definitely Rock and Roll, and it was later covered by Bill Haley.

Jimmy Preston's Rock the Joint

The Locomotive City of Truro on This Day in History

This Day in History: The steam locomotive "City of Truro" became the first steam engine in Europe to exceed 100 mph on this day in 1904. The fastest train now is the Japanese SCMaglev bullet train which reached a speed of 375 mph (603 km/h).

Watch the SCMaglev

It was once believed that "women’s bodies were not designed to go at 50 miles an hour,” on a train and that “[female passengers’] uteruses would fly out of [their] bodies as they were accelerated to that speed.”

They actually had a train demolition derby of sorts in Crush Texas in 1896. 40,000 paid spectators assembled to watch 2 trains collide (on purpose). Despite the deaths and injuries, the event was considered a success and train collisions became main events at state fairs across the country.

Economist Friedrich Hayek on This Day in History

Road to Serfdom Audiobook

This Day in History: Economist Friedrich Hayek was born on this day in 1899. He is best known for writing The Road to Serfdom which went on to sell 2 million copies, an outstanding achievement for an economics book.

Milton Friedman once said of Hayek: "There is no figure who had more of an influence, no person had more of an influence on the intellectuals behind the Iron Curtain than Friedrich Hayek. His books were translated and published by the underground and black market editions, read widely, and undoubtedly influenced the climate of opinion that ultimately brought about the collapse of the Soviet Union."

President Ronald Reagan listed Hayek as among the two or three people who most influenced his philosophy, and Margaret Thatcher often carried one of his books into Parliament with her.

Download the book here:

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.218162/page/n3/mode/2up

Stop-Motion Great, Ray Harryhausen on This Day in History

This Day in History: Visual effects creator Ray Harryhausen died on this day in 2013. Harryhausen created a form of stop-motion model animation known as "Dynamation" which I was a big fan of when younger. I loved movies like Jason and the Argonauts and the Sinbad movies (7th Voyage; Golden Voyage & Eye of the Tiger), and or course his last major feature, Clash of the Titans in 1981. The following year would see the release of TRON, the first major film release with digital effects, which marked the end of Hollywood's stop-motion age and Ray Harryhausen retired. While many prefer today's CGI animation, the old stop-motion animation had a creepy effect modern movies lack. Ray Harryhausen would go on to inspire Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, Joe Dante, John Landis, J.J. Abrams, Tim Burton, James Cameron, and Guillermo del Toro.

Medusa in Clash of the Titans

Sigmund Freud on This Day in History

This Day in History: Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud was born on this day in 1856. While having a very recognizable name and a far reaching influence, his ideas have not stood the test of time, "Freud has, for the most part, fallen completely out of favor in academia. Virtually no institution in any discipline would dare use him as a credible source. In 1996, Psychological Science reached the conclusion that '[T]here is literally nothing to be said, scientifically or therapeutically, to the advantage of the entire Freudian system or any of its component dogmas.' As a research paradigm, it’s pretty much dead." https://io9.gizmodo.com/why-freud-still-matters-when-he-was-wrong-about-almost-1055800815

Todd Dufresne writes: “Freud is truly in a class of his own...Arguably no other notable figure in history was so fantastically wrong about nearly every important thing he had to say. But, luckily for him, academics have been — and still are — infinitely creative in their efforts to whitewash his errors, even as lay readers grow increasingly dumbfounded by the entire mess.”

The book "Freud: The Making of an Illusion" tells of a young Freud desperate for fame and riches, which he relentlessly pursued by championing one faddish quack remedy after another, backing away when justified criticism made his position untenable, covering his tracks with misleading or even completely false claims about what he’d been up to, then bustling on to the next gold mine.

However, there is a great story about Freud and the Gestapo that is worth relating. To be allowed to leave Vienna in 1938, the Nazi Secret Police made Freud write a statement saying that he had been treated fairly. Freud wrote "I can heartily recommend the Gestapo to anyone."

See also 175 Classic PDF Books on Psychology on DVDrom

See also: The Mystery, Interpretation & Psychology of Dreams - 60 Books on Cdrom

Cinco de Mayo on This Day in History

This Day in History: Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day that celebrates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 where the Mexicans defeated the French. The day is not only popular in the United States, but also in Vancouver Canada, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Brisbane Australia, London, New Zealand, Cape Town South Africa, Lagos Nigeria, Paris, and even in Osaka & Tokyo Japan. The funny thing is that it is not that popular in Mexico, and is only really celebrated in the state of Puebla.

Star Wars on This Day in History

Joseph Campbell and the Mythology of Star Wars

This Day in History: Today is Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be with you. Decades ago I listened to the amazing Bill Moyers/Joseph Campbell interview and learned that the themes in Star Wars are derived from Mythology. Joseph Campbell’s book, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" tracked common mythological motifs and argued that myths from around the world that have been passed down through generations—like Beowulf or King Arthur—share a basic anatomy. According to Campbell, “A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won; the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

See also Over 250 Books on DVDrom on Mythology, Gods and Legends

See also Norse Mythology and Viking Legends - 115 Books on DVDrom

For a list of all of my disks click here

Niccolò Machiavelli on This Day in History

This Day in History: Niccolò Machiavelli was born on this day in 1469. He is best known for writing The Prince, a pessimistic look at human nature and political philosophy. As he writes: “It is much safer to be feared than loved because ... love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.” He argued that the ruler or government ought to do good when possible, but they must not be afraid to do evil to stay in power. Other men are willing to do evil in order to overturn the leader's rule, and because of this fatal tendency, leaders must also do evil from time to time. As a result, the word “Machiavellian” has come to denote someone who is cunning and unscrupulous. The Prince made it into the Catholic Church's first "Index of Forbidden Books" in 1557.

Rapper Tupac Shakur read Machiavelli while in prison and was so influenced by his work that he eventually changed his rap name from 2Pac to Makaveli.

In the movie "A Bronx Tale", local mob boss says that while in jail, he passed the time by reading Machiavelli, whom he describes as "a famous writer from 500 years ago"—and then tells him how Machiavelli's philosophy, including his famous advice about how it is preferable for a leader to be feared rather than loved if he cannot be both—have made him a successful mob boss.

Listen to the Audiobook

See also Machiavelli the Visionary 1892

Machiavelli's Prince, Article in The Nation 1891

See also: Over 200 Books that have CHANGED the World on DVDrom - For a list of all of my digital books and ebooks and books on disks click here

The King James Bible on This Day in History

This Day in History: The King James Bible was published on this day in 1611. Also known as the Authourized Version or the Common Bible, it has cemented its place as a monument in English literature. It was based on the best available Hebrew and Greek texts at the time, though about 100 years later it was discovered (by John Mill) that recently found older manuscripts had discrepancies...about 30,000 of them. This caused quite a stir at the time and eventually this has led to many revisions (official and unofficial). The first major revision was in 1881 with the English Revised Version and a few years later with the American Standard Version. Though these were great efforts, the public largely snubbed them. Another major revision, the Revised Standard Version was released in the early 1950's. The initial reception was harsh, in fact, in 1952 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina people congregated to burn copies of the RSV. However, the RSV was better received elsewhere, especially with Catholics many of whom still regard it higher than their own Catholic Bibles. This was updated in 1989 as the New Revised Standard Version and conservative Christians who were uneasy with some readings in the Revised Standard Version came out with the English Standard Version in 2001.

One of the textual differences (discrepancies) can be seen even in the Lord's Prayer. In the King James Version it ends with "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Other Bibles that are based on older Greek Testament texts do not have this verse.

See also Rare Olde English Bibles on DVDrom (Tyndale, Matthews, Coverdale, AV1611 ) and The King James Version Bible Companion: 100 Books on DVD and The History of the English Bible - 125 Books on DVDrom - For a list of all of my ebooks (DVD and Amazon) click here

See also Over 60 Different Editions of the King James Bible on DVDROM

The Empire State Building on This Day in History

This day in history: The Empire State Building was dedicated on this day in 1931. At the time, it was the world's tallest building, and that record stood until the World Trade Center was completed. It was also the first building to exceed 100 floors. In 89 years it has had quite a history. In 1945 a bomber plane crased into it while flying through thick fog. The building opened back up for business 2 days later. On January 24, 2000, an elevator in the building suddenly dropped 40 stories after a cable was severed. Both occupants survived. The Empire State Building has had 30 suicide attempts, the first one being before the building was even finished, on April 7, 1931. One woman in 1979
jumped off the 86th floor only to have a gust of wind blow her back on to the building. The building has its own zip code (10001) and it has a secret 103rd floor.