Friday, and a Tribute!

On This Date In 1567 to July 5, 1572 the Longqing Emperor reigned as the 12th Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. His era name means "Great celebration".   On This Date In 1861 The Montgomery Convention, marking the formal beginning of the Confederate States of America, convened in Montgomery, Alabama. Jefferson Davis was named provisional president, and was inaugurated on February 18, 1861.   On This Date In 1903 Another Montreal HC vs. Winnipeg Victorias best-of-three challenge series was held. Defending champion Montreal defeated Winnipeg, 4?1, and won the Stanley Cup.   On This Date In 1932 through February 15 III Olympic Winter Games Held in Lake Placid, New York, United States.   On This Date In 1941 The United Service Organization (USO) was chartered. First proposed in 1940, by General George C. Marshall, the USO was organized in order to provide recreation for on-leave members of the U.S. armed forces and their families.   On This Date In 1945 The Yalta Conference convened through February 15. Sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, this wartime meeting?s purpose was for the discussion of Europe's postwar reorganization. Among the heads of government attending were President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Josef Stalin of the Soviet Union.   On This Date In 1971 "King Lear" was released, a film adaptation of the Shakespeare play directed by Peter Brook and starred Paul Scofield.     On This Date In 1976 The most destructive earthquake since 1917 (magnitude 7.5) struck Guatemala, and was centered about 160 km northeast of Guatemala City. The death toll has reached more than 23,000, and thousands were injured.   On This Date In 1976 XII Olympic Winter Games Held in Innsbruck, Austria.   On This Date In 1990 The Holocaust Memorial opened on Miami Beach, Florida. Conceived by a committee of Holocaust survivors in 1984, and formally established in 1985 as the Holocaust Memorial Committee, a non-profit organization, it was designed by Kenneth Treister on a site designated by the City of Miami Beach Commission at Meridian Avenue and Dade Boulevard. Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel was guest speaker at the dedication ceremonies.   On This Date In 1993 The Boston Celtics hold Larry Bird Night at the Garden - with no game scheduled - to celebrate Bird's career and retire his number.   On This Date In 2003 "Halloween", a live album by Frank Zappa, was released in DVD-Audio CD format by Vaulternative Record. It featured recordings compiled from various shows at The Palladium, New York City in late October 1978 - including a Halloween show on October 31 - along with video content from the same period.     On This Date In 2003 Facebook, a social networking website operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc., was launched. The website's name stems from the colloquial name of a book given to incoming students at Zuckerberg's high school alma mater, Phillips Exeter Academy. The book shows the faces and names of the school's students and faculty.   On This Date In 2004 The Food and Drug Administration approved Alimta, the very first chemotherapy drug to treat patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer. Also known as Pemetrexed, Alimta is administered to mesothelioma patients who are unable to undergo surgical procedures to remove cancerous tissue.   On This Date In 2007 The Indianapolis Colts Defeat The Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI. For the first time in Super Bowl history, the game was played in the rain, which was continuous throughout the game.   On This Date In 2009 Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois, caught fire. The firefighters managed to extinguished this three-alarm fire. Existing for 134 years, it is considered to be a Chicago landmark, it is also the seat of Roman Catholic Cardinal Cardinal Francis George. The original church was destroyed by a fire in 1871.    Hat tip to any included contributing sources, along with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page     Happy Birthday Conrad Bain (1923), John Schuck (1940), Alice Cooper (1948), Lawrence Taylor (1959), Clint Black (1962), and Oscar de la Hoya (1973).   RIP Charles Lindbergh  (1902-1974), Rosa Parks (1913-2005), Ida Lupino (1918-1995), Betty Friedan (1921-2006), and Jonathan Larson (1960-1996).     Quotes:  

I wanted to share some of the wisdom, humor and experience of Ronald Reagan on what would have been his 100th Birthday this February 6th.

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.   Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him. Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.   Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.   I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there's purpose and worth to each and every life.   The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.   The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas-a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.   Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.     Courtesy YouTube:   Tribute: Anniversary of Ronald Reagan's 100th Birthday, February 6th From ABC News: Former President Ronald Reagan would have had his 100th birthday to celebrate February 6th, 2011.   Ronald Reagan - A Presidency Remembered CBS News' Peter Maer, Jim McGlinchy, Mark Knoller and Bill Plante share their favorite moments covering the late Ronald Reagan as Americans soon celebrate his 100th birthday.   Ronald Reagan Tribute.wmv The day after Reagan passed away, I gathered several of his best quotes and placed them in a song that I think summed up the way most Americans viewed him: a strong, independent, freedom-loving gentleman. Ronald Reagan, for me, was the consummate, iconic American hero... and I sure do miss him. Enjoy. Happy 99th birthday, Mr. President! A nice set of pictures played to quotes and Willie Nelson singing, "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys".   President Ronald Reagan's 100th RNC Chairman Reince Priebus celebrates President Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday.     May yours be a weekend of celebration and sharing with those in your circles of life!