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This week in history

Adam LaMascus
The Commuter

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Hello! This is the premier of the Commuter’s “This Week in History.” In this weekly column, I’ll briefly go over important events that have occurred throughout history for each date of the week. I’m a history major, and I understand that history can be very exciting or dull. I will endeavor to present our extremely important past in an interesting manner. Happy reading!

Week beginning Sunday, July 26th.

July 26, 1948:
President Harry S. Truman signs Executive Order 9981, legally stating something intelligent people had known for a long time: black, Asian, and Hispanic people in the military are just as competent as white people. EO9981 ordered the desegregation of the military.

July 27, 1954:
The USA, China, and North Korea sign a ceasefire, ending the Korean War. The President of South Korea refuses to sign it, but agrees to honor the ceasefire. The United States and North Korea are still technically at war, even today, seeing as we never signed a peace treaty.

July 28, 1868:
The 14th Amendment is signed, granting African-Americans US citizenship. Took them long enough.

July 29, 1921:
Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (the Germans do love their compound words). The NSDAP is also known by the nickname of the Nazi Party.

July 30, 762:
The city of Baghdad is founded by caliph Abu Ja’far Al-Mansur of the Islamic empire. Al-Mansur declared that Baghdad would be the seat of the empire, and that his descendants would rule from it for ever after. His dynasty came to an end about Infinity years short of his prediction.

July 31, 30 BC:
Roman general Mark Antony barely defeats rival Octavian at the battle of Alexandria. However, after the battle, most of his army deserted. Shortly afterward, Mark Antony committed suicide, and shortly after that, his lover Cleopatra followed suit by killing herself with an asp. You’d think there might be a less painful way to commit suicide than inducing a poisonous snake to bite you.

August 1, 1291:
The Swiss Confederation is formed, resulting in the modern nation of Switzerland. (The Swiss are so isolationist they find it necessary to make a confederation in a country that could fit in the USA 238 times.)

Thought for the week:
“Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
-George Santayana

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