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Thailand changed its name from Siam in 1939 to strengthen national identity and reflect the culture of the Thai majority.
“Siam” was the name used for centuries, mostly by foreigners. In 1939, Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram changed the name to Thailand, meaning “land of the free.” This was part of a modernization and nationalism campaign to unify the country and emphasize that Thailand was never colonized.
The name briefly reverted to Siam in 1945, then officially became Thailand again in 1949.
Airship Norge is the first vessel to fly over North Pole, led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and piloted by the craft's Italian designer Umberto Nobile.
1957 - A.J. Foyt won his first auto racing victory in Kansas City, MO.
1960 - Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley appeared on the same TV special and performed the other's hit. Elvis sang "Witchcraft" and Sinatra sang "Love Me Tender."
1965 - "Satisfaction" was recorded by The Rolling Stones.
1978 - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that they would no longer exclusively name hurricanes after women
ToDay’s Quote
The President has kept all of the promises he intended to keep.
- Clinton aide George Stephanopolous speaking on Larry King Live
English colonists led by John Smith establish Jamestown at a second landing near the James River in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
1865 - The last land engagement of the American Civil War was fought at the Battle of Palmito Ranch in far south Texas, more than a month after Gen. Lee's surrender at Appomattox, VA.
1867 - Confederate President Jefferson Davis became a free man after spending two years in prison for his role in the American Civil War.
1967 - Mickey Mantle hit his 500th homerun.
1968 - Peace talks between the U.S. and North Vietnam began in Paris.
1982 - The Chicago Cubs became the first major-league baseball team to win 8,000 games.
1985 - Tony Perez became the oldest major league baseball player to hit a grand slam home run at the age of 42 and 11 months.
Daily Quote
A linguistics professor was lecturing to his class one day. "In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language wherein a double positive can form a negative." A voice from the back of the room piped up, "Yeah, right."
- Ballast Quarterly Review
On this day in 1932, nearly 100,000 people paraded down Fifth Avenue in New York City chanting “We want beer!” The demonstration, led by the city's mayor, was intended to show lawmakers just how strongly public sentiment had turned against Prohibition, which had made the manufacture, sale, import, or transport of alcohol illegal in the United States. Within a year, Americans could, legally, buy beer again.
English colonists led by John Smith establish Jamestown at a second landing near the James River in Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
On this day in 1928, two of the most recognizable characters in animation history made their first appearance. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are the protagonists in Plane Crazy, a short film created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks that revolves around Mickey attempting to pilot a homemade airplane while romancing Minnie. The film was screened only as a silent test, though, and failed to secure distribution until 1929, after Mickey had made his wider public debut in Steamboat Willie.
In San Bernadino, California, brothers Maurice (“Mac”) and Richard McDonald opened a drive-in restaurant that gave rise to the fast-food chain McDonald's.
My home town of Belleville, Illinois had an original McDonalds restaurant in the original style until several years ago. They tore it down for a clinically sterile office building looking structure.
1866 - The U.S. Congress authorized the first 5-cent piece to be minted.
1946 - "Annie Get Your Gun" opened on Broadway.
1965 - The Beach Boys appeared on the "The Ed Sullivan Show" and performed "Help Me Rhonda."
1985 - Michael Jordan was named Rookie of the Year in the NBA.
1991 - Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.
2000 - U.S. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was nominated to run for U.S. Senator in New York. She was the first U.S. first lady to run for public office
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