On 14 January 1900, “Tosca” premiered in Rome, so 14 January is a day for testing loyalties. Mark Antony was born on 14 January 83 BC, with the Senate declaring him a traitor 52 years later. Benedict Arnold was born on 14 January 1741 and died in England in 1803, at a time when his… Continue reading #OTD 14 January – They came for me
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#OTD 13 January – Black is beautiful
On 13 January 1864, Stephen Foster died. Called the Father of American Music, Foster wrote “Camptown Races”, “Swanee River” and many others. His songs were written for the minstrel show and the lyrics showed it. 13 January is Stephen Foster Memorial Day, a US Federal Observance Day. In the same year President Lincoln appointed as… Continue reading #OTD 13 January – Black is beautiful
#OTD 12 January – Sicilian capers
12 January is the feast day of Bernard of Corleone. He was beatified in 1768 and canonized in 2001. Whether the fame of the town’s name is life following art is unclear. It may be that Graham Greene had it in mind in 1938’s Brighton Rock, where the local mobster is Don Colleoni. Then there… Continue reading #OTD 12 January – Sicilian capers
#OTD 11 January – Dividing the indivisible
Born in Spain on 11 January 347, Theodosius I was the last Roman to rule over the whole of the empire. He succeeded to the east in 379 and took on the west in 392. In AD 325, a generation before his birth, Christianity had laid the cornerstone of the Nicene Creed: We believe in… Continue reading #OTD 11 January – Dividing the indivisible
#OTD 10 January – The die is cast
Today is a day for decision-makers. On 10 January 1750, Thomas Erskine was born. Often held the greatest advocate of the English bar, his success came upon his earlier life in the navy. A Captain Baillie had been appointed Lieutenant Governor of Greenwich Hospital, where he uncovered and reported upon abuses sourced to Lord Sandwich,… Continue reading #OTD 10 January – The die is cast
#OTD 9 January – Tax comes in
Modern income tax started with Pitt the Younger. As PM and Chancellor of the Exchequer, he was faced with shoring up the nation’s coffers for the war with Napoleon. In Pitt’s1798 budget, he introduced the tax and it came into force on 9 January 1799. Levied at one per cent on annual incomes above £60,… Continue reading #OTD 9 January – Tax comes in
#OTD 8 January – Democrat/ic Day
8 January is a day for the US Democratic Party. It was founded on this day in 1828, 26 years before the Republican Party. For those curious about the party’s reputation for matters economic, on 8 January 1835 the party’s first president, Andrew Jackson, announced a dinner to celebrate the reduction of the US national… Continue reading #OTD 8 January – Democrat/ic Day
#OTD 7 January – The greater good
The extent to which liberal democracy tolerates those with views regarded as inimical to liberal democracy is an issue ever with us. One argument goes along the lines “The freedom of all is greater than the freedom of one”. Another goes goes along the lines “Democracy must protect form as well as substance and avoid… Continue reading #OTD 7 January – The greater good
#OTD 31 December – The world’s most famous neologism is born
A fallback for disease-naming is, or at least has been until very recently, choosing the place of first detection. As WHO notes on its website entry for Hendra Virus Infection: HeV was identified during the first recorded outbreak of the disease in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra, Australia, in 1994. Of course, things can go… Continue reading #OTD 31 December – The world’s most famous neologism is born
#OTD 30 December – A vizier by any other faith
Revisiting history is revisiting oneself. My upbringing involved Anglicanism: 1066 belongs to England; crucifixion belongs to Christ; “ibn” means “son of” for Arabs and not for Jews; the Vizier is a Muslim politician out of the Arabian Nights; and Jews suffered pogroms at the hands of Christians. In time I found out that there were… Continue reading #OTD 30 December – A vizier by any other faith