On This Day In History 1st July

On This Day In History - 1st July

 

1st July 1690 (old calendar, it's celebrated on the 12th July nowadays) during the Glorious Revolution, the Battle of the Boyne decided the final outcome of the age old question: How much do you hate your father-in-law?

 

Basically, when you really don't like your father-in-law, you invade England and depose him, then, when he lands an army in Ireland to try and retake the throne, you hurry over there and try and kill him.

 

Haven't we all thought of doing this?

 

Yep, William of Orange deposed his father-in-law, James II and it turns out James was pretty peeved. He borrowed a French army, with some Scottish and Irish thrown in, and tried to come back to England via Ireland to get back that which was taken. He did say he'd be back. Nope, wait. That was the Terminator.

 

James lost the Battle of the Boyne, and any hope of becoming King again. His daughter, Mary, and son-in-law, William of Orange ruled happily ever after.

 

1st July 1766, Jean-Francois de la Barre found out what happens to young French noblemen when you don't salute a Roman Catholic religious procession.

 

Yep, don't salute and you're in trouble. For his crime, Jean-Francois was tortured, beheaded and then his body was burned on a pyre with a copy of Voltaire's Dictionnaire Philosphique nailed to his chest.

 

1st July 1770, Lexell's Comet passed closer to the Earth than an angel skinny dipping. It also passed closer than any other comet in recorded history.

 

It got pretty close, just 1.4 million miles. Which is actually very close. Although not far enough away to put your annoying son-in-law as punishment for deposing your butt from the throne.

 

The comet has not been seen since 1770 and is now classified as a "Lost Comet". Sheesh, and I thought losing my keys was bad. They lost the whole comet.

 

Wait! It's behind you!

 

Nope, it isn't. That's just a man-eating monster.

 

1st July 1863, Keti Koti marks the abolition of slavery in Suriname by the Netherlands.

 

1st July 1881, the world's first international telephone call was made between Canada and the United States.

 

Basically two guys standing on the border with two tin cans tied to a piece of string.

 

Nah, it was between St. Stephen, New Brunswick, which is in Canada. And Calais, which, hang on, that's in France not America. Nope, wait, the Calais in Maine, where it rains, mainly on the plain, in the United States.

 

1st July 1908, the international distress signal SOS is adopted as an international distress signal. Save Our Souls, dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot.  ...---...

 

1st July 1943 Tokyo City merged with Tokyo Prefecture and dissolved.

 

Although many believe that present day Tokyo is the largest city in Japan, it isn't. Tokyo isn't officially a city, it's a Metropolitan Prefecture.