A Bit of History and the Birth Day Thing - 1962

One last day to relax and then tomorrow more renos taking place. It'll soon be over.. lol. On another note, the team my missus cheered for growing up, Brighton & Hove Albion, aka The Seagulls, are one point away from moving up to the Premiership next season. I hesitate to even post this because they still have 3 games left and none of them look like easy ones. I readily accept responsibility if they don't make it; the old broadcaster's jinx and all that. Today they won against Wigan, 2-1, while the team below them, Newcastle, lost. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Brighton for the rest of the season.. It would be so neat to see them competing at the highest level next season and being able to watch some of their games on the Tube. *fingers crossed* Go Seagulls!!!!

Great Historical Events

Today's excerpts start at 1626, with the purchase of Manhattan Island.

"1626. York or Manhattan Island bought of the Indians.
1627. Partnership of American settlers and London merchants dissolved.
1629. Salem, Mass., settled by a colony of Puritans under John Endicot.
Massachusetts charter surrendered by the settlers.
First settlement in New Hampshire.
Charlestown founded by the Massachusetts Bay colony.
Sir John Harvey succeeds Gov. Yeardley over the Virginia colony.
The French having long claimed Newfoundland attempt to conquer it.
Quebec taken by the English, who were led by three refugee French Calvanists.
1630. Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Dorchester founded.
John Winthrop, first governor of Massachusetts Bay colony.
First General Court held at Boston.
Fifteen hundred Puritans with a fleet of 17 ships, arrive at New England.
1631. The Puritans pass a law restricting all participation in public affairs and all citizenship to church membership."

(Will continue with this next post... First Iron Works.. Woo hoo!)

Miscellaneous Letters of Eminent Persons

Interestingly, for me, this letter is from Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee Nation. The letter is to William Henry Harrison who was to become the 9th President of the United States).

"Brother:

I give you a few words until I will be with you myself

TECUMSEH
Brother, at Vincennes, I wish you to listen to me whilst I send you a few words, and I hope that they will ease your heart; I know you look on your young men and your women and children with pity, to see them so much alarmed.
Brother, I wish you now to examine what you have from me. I hope that it will be a satisfaction to you, if your intentions are like mine, to wash away all these bad stories that have been circulated. I will be with you myself in eighteen days.
Brother, if I find that I can be with you in less time than eighteen days I will send one of my young men before me, to let you know what time I will be with you.

July 4th, 1811."

The Birth Day Thing - November 10, 1962

On November 10, 1962, I was 7 years old. Below are some of the happenings on that date and on that year.

US Billboard #1 Song, 10 November 10, 1962

He's a Rebel - The Crystals. The Crystals were an American vocal group discovered and produced by Phil Spector. They were active from 1960 - 67, then reformed in 1971 and remain active to this day. He's a Rebel was their only US #1. The song was written by Gene Pitney.

UK #1 Song, 10 November 1962

Lovesick Blues by Frank Ifield. Frank Ifield was an English-born, Australian easy listening, country music performer. He was born in 1937 in Warwickshire. He had 4 #1 hits in the UK. Lovesick Blues, written by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills, was his second.

New York Times #1 Fiction Best Seller, 10 November 1962

A Shade of Difference by Allen Drury. This is the 2nd time that Drury had the #1 book on the NY Times list on November 10th, since 1955. The book is a political novel, the first sequel to his Advise and Consent, which was #1 in 1959. I think I may have to check out these books as I do enjoy a political novel.







Pulitzer Prize Winner - 1962

The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor. The Edge of Sadness deals with a Catholic priest in New England, who returns to his home town. O'Connor was an American author who lived from 1918 - 1968. He published 8 books.









Nobel Laureate - 1962

John Steinbeck (USA). Steinbeck lived from 1902 - 1968 and wrote so many iconic novels; Tortilla Flat, East of Eden, The Red Pony, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, etc. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his, "realistic and imaginative writing, combining as it does sympathetic humour and keen social perception." According to Wikipedia,, when the Nobel Prize organisation opened its confidential records in 2012, Steinbeck turned out to be a compromise choice, the best of a bad lot, including writers such as Robert Graves, Laurence Durrell, Jean Anouilh and Karen Blixen. (Interesting! I think they figured he was past his prime. However, if so, his prime was pretty darn impressive.)

Hugo Award Winner - 1962

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. Stranger was one of my favourite science fiction novels during my university years. 'I grok' was an expression that I always remember, just like that in Atlas Shrugged, 'Who is John Galt?'. I quite agreed with the philosophy expounded in Stranger, basically that you are god and god is you. God isn't an external being, but more what is inside you. (At least that's how I recall it. It was 40 years ago.) It did start me on a loving voyage through the works of Heinlein, one of my favourite story tellers.





Edgar Award Winner - 1962

Gideon's Fire by J. J. Marric. Gideon's Fire is the 7th book in the Inspector Gideon series by English writer, John Creasey, who wrote these books under the pseudonym, J. J. Marric. John Creasey was an English crime writer who wrote over 600 novels using 28 different pseudonyms. He wrote 21 Gideon books between 1955 and 1976. I've currently read a couple of the books and like his matter-of-fact way of developing his cases. It's an excellent police series.





Have a great day! Tomorrow or when I next get a chance, 1963 beckons. Just to finish on a good note. Huddersfield drew their game today, which means that Brighton is effectively promoted to the Premiership. Now to finish first in the Championship. Wonderful news!!!