On this day in 1504, Michelangelo’s David is unveiled in Piazza della Signoria in Florence. With a height of 5.17 metres (17 ft 0 in), the David was not only the first colossal marble statue made in the High Renaissance, but also the first since classical antiquity, setting a precedent for the 16th century and beyond. David was originally commissioned as one of a series of statues of twelve prophets to be positioned along the roofline of the east end of Florence Cathedral, but was instead placed in the public square in front of the Piazza della Signoria, the seat of civic government in Florence. In 1873, the statue was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence. In 1910 a replica was installed at the original site on the public square.
he biblical figure David was a favored subject in the art of Florence. Because of the nature of the figure it represented, the statue soon came to symbolize the defense of civil liberties embodied in the 1494 constitution of the Republic of Florence.
Michelangelo regarded a single block of stone as containing all the possible conceptions for a work of art, and believed that the artist’s task is sculpting the marble block to reveal the ideal form within, an expression of his Neo-Platonic belief that body and mind are separate, and must work in concert and strive to attain union with one another and with the divine.
Michelangelo’s David has become one of the most recognized works of Renaissance sculpture; a symbol of strength and youthful beauty.
Today is the birthday, in 1979, of Pink, (Alicia Moore), who had the 2001 UK No.2 single ‘Get The Party Started’, the 2001 US & UK No.1 single with Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim and Mya Lady Marmalade. Pink has become one of the most successful artists of her generation, having sold over 110 million records worldwide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW1dbiD_zDk
On this day in 1781, 44 Spanish settlers founded El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula, shortened to the Pueblo de los Ángeles. It grew into the modern American metropolis of Los Angeles. The pueblo was built using labor from the adjacent village of Yaanga and was totally dependent on local Indigenous labor for its survival.
The original settlement consisted of forty-four people in eleven families, recruited mostly from Estado de Occidente. As new settlers arrived and soldiers retired to civilian life in Los Angeles, the town became the principal urban center of southern Alta California, whose social and economic life revolved around the raising of livestock on the expansive ranchos.
La Plaza, as seen from the Pico House, c. 1869. The “Old Plaza Church” is to the left, the brick reservoir on the right, and in the center of the plaza, was the original terminus of the Zanja Madre aqueduct.
On this day in 1944, the last transport train left the Westerbork Transit Camp in the Netherlands for Auschwitz Concentration Camp with some thousand persons including diarist Anne Frank. The train arrived in Auschwitz 3 days later.
Westerbork transit camp, was a Nazi transit camp in the Northeastern Netherlands, during World War II. It was used as a staging location for sending Jews, Sinti and Roma to concentration camps elsewhere.
Transport trains arrived at Westerbork every Tuesday from July 1942 to September 1944; an estimated 97,776 Jews, Sinti and Roma were deported during the period. Jewish, Sinti and Roma inmates were deported in waves to Auschwitz concentration camp, Sobibór and Bergen-Belsen concentration camp Almost all of the 94,643 persons deported to Auschwitz and Sobibór in German-occupied Poland were killed upon arrival. No more transport occurred after September 1944 as allied armies approached.
Anne Frank in 1940
Today is the birthday, in 1942, of American musician, singer and songwriter Al Jardine, who co-founded The Beach Boys. He is best known as the band’s rhythm guitarist, and for occasionally singing lead vocals, on singles such as ‘Help Me, Rhonda’ (1965), ‘Then I Kissed Her’ (1965) and ‘Come Go with Me’ (1978). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDCHTgWxj1g
On this day in 1945, The Japanese Instrument of Surrender, the printed agreement that formalized the surrender of Japan, marking the end of hostilities in World War II, was signed by representatives from Japan and from the Allied nations: the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
The signing took place on the deck of USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay just after 09:00 Japan Standard Time (JST) and took effect at 09:25 JST on 2 September 1945.
The date is sometimes known as Victory over Japan Day. However, that designation more frequently refers to the date of Emperor Hirohito’s Gyokuon-hōsō (Imperial Rescript of Surrender), the radio broadcast announcement of the acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration at noon Japan Standard Time on 15 August.
Representatives of the Empire of Japan stand aboard USS Missouri prior to signing of the Instrument of Surrender.
This is what happens when you rely on machine translation. The Russian word for protein can also mean squirrel.
SIGNZZZZZZZZZZ
Today is the birthday, in 1959, of Paul Deakin, drummer from the American band The Mavericks who had the 1998 UK No.4 single ‘Dance The Night Away’. The Mavericks won a Grammy Award for the song ‘Here Comes the Rain’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UajuBAUkBs
This day in 1859 was the first day of the Carrington Event, the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history. It created strong auroral displays that were reported globally and caused sparking and even fires in telegraph stations. The geomagnetic storm was most likely the result of a coronal mass ejection from the Sun colliding with Earth’s magnetosphere. A geomagnetic storm of this magnitude occurring today has the potential to cause widespread electrical disruptions and blackouts, as well as damage to the electrical power grid and satellites.
If a solar storm like the 1859 Carrington Event happened today, it could cause massive, long-term power blackouts and disable satellites worldwide. High-voltage electrical transformers would overheat and burn out from powerful electrical currents induced in the ground. Large regions could lose electricity for weeks, months, or even longer while new heavy parts are built and installed.
GPS navigation, mobile phone networks, and the internet would face severe slowdowns or total shutdowns. Satellites in space could be damaged by high-energy particles or dragged down as the Earth’s upper atmosphere swells from the solar heat. Air traffic and shipping would struggle without reliable GPS and radio signals.
BADA BING!
Headline… Numerous Casualties At Park In Bloody Turf War Between Tennis Players And Pickleballers.
Store clerk: That’ll be $125.50. Would you like to return everything now, or just wait for the recalls?
“My shrink asked me if I ever hear voices.I told her absolutely not. Then I remembered I don’t have a shrink.”
Some men think we dress for them. But if men didn’t exist, I would dress sluttier.
The most expensive vehicle to operate these days is a shopping cart.
We were gifted a set of plates that are all the planets. They are all round except the Earth plate. And things keep falling off the edge of the Earth plate.
Nowadays, you have to look for the positives … the bad news is that groceries are very expensive; the good news is that many of them aren’t safe to eat.
Does anyone know of any office jobs that will hire with no experience? The White House.
“I was the first woman to burn my bra; it took the fire department four days to put it out.” – Dolly Parton
America should be placed under Canada’s legal guardianship until a competent adult can be found to take it over.
Imagine being such a horrible, horrible person, that every time someone dies, people are collectively disappointed it wasn’t you.
Hiking in your 70s is a great way to meet people. Today I met 2 paramedics, 3 nurses, a cardiologist … and nearly met Jesus.
TODAY IS A GREAT DAY TO MAKE A BIGOT UNCOMFORTABLE. AND SO IS TOMORROW. – Steve Hofstetter
I POSTED “TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO MAKE BIGOTS UNCOMFORTABLE” AND A BUNCH OF MAGA FOLKS GOT DEFENSIVE IN MY COMMENTS. THEY CAN’T HELP TELLING ON THEMSELVES. – Steve Hofstetter
I’ve reached the age where it’s rude to pull out a bottle of ibuprofen if you don’t have enough for everyone.
Somebody said America is becoming a torture chamber for smart people, and I’ve never felt anything more real in my life.
I was born to be wild, but only until around 8:00 PM or so.
What a time to be alive! It’s like the fall of Rome, but with memes.
Today is the birthday, in 1957, of Cuban singer, songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan, who had the 1984 UK No.6 single ‘Dr Beat’, plus over 20 other UK top 40 hits, and the 1988 US No.1 single ‘Anything For You’. Hailed as the “Queen of Latin Pop” she has amassed 38 No.1 hits across Billboard charts, including 15 chart-topping songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Estefan’s record sales exceed 100 million worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female singers of all time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZkjeJKBI0M
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