I was lazy today, and didn’t feel like writing a legitimate post, so I decided to skive off and make a list instead. Without further ado, I present to you 16…
April 12th Facts!
April 12, 238: Gordian II – whoever he is – loses the battle of Carthage – wherever that is – to the Numidians. His dad, Gordian I, does himself in. Talk about sore losers.
April 12, 1831: A group of soldiers marched across the Broughton Suspension Bridge in England and caused it to collapse. Lay off the fish ‘n’ chips, mates.
April 12, 1869: Henri Désiré Landru is born. By posing as a respectable widower during World War I, he was able to seduce and murder ten women. And one of their teenage sons. I could make a wisecrack about this, but it probably wouldn’t be very tasteful.
April 12, 1877: The UK annexes the Transvaal. This triggered the Boer Wars, fondly dubbed the “Bore Wars” by smart-mouthed world history students.
April 12, 1912: Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, Second Vice President of Indonesia, makes an entrance into the world. Try to say his name ten times really fast.
April 12, 1941: Nazi Germany annexes Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was a sort of mash-up of a bunch of different Slavic peoples. It didn’t really work out. The Germans were actually welcomed.
April 12, 1945: Less than a month before V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt conks it. He is replaced by Harry Truman. Nuclear bombs ensue.
April 12, 1947: David Letterman, famous talk show host, is born. I’m too young to be able to make any jokes about him.
April 12, 1953: Lionel Logue, King George VI’s speech therapist, dies.
April 12, 1955: Jonas Salk proclaims his polio vaccine ready. Unfortunately FDR is already dead.
April 12, 1956: Herbert Grönemeyer, German singer, is born. We don’t know what the words in his songs mean, but they sound cool. Especially Der Weg.
April 12, 1972: Dimitrios Kokotis, a Greek high jumper, is born. His highest jump was 2.32 centimetres.
April 12, 1999: President Bill Clinton charged with – we quote – “contempt of court” – regarding his sexual harassment case. Oooo… someone’s been naughty.
April 12, 2010: Derailed train near Merano in Italy kills 28 people. Again, not wisecrack appropriate.
April 12, 2010: First Global Day of Action on Military Spending. Their first action was… well, it must not have been very important, since the Wikipedia people didn’t bother to mention it.
