17 th February 2012

Joan Baez, Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C. 28/08/1963 Image: Rowland Scherman,, U.S. Information Agency. Sage:28/02/12 17th February 2012 Mic Porter

Events 1753 – In Sweden February 17 is followed by March 1 as the country moves from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. The UK had adopted a year earlier jumping from September 11th to 14th . 1819 – The US House of Representatives passes the Missouri Compromise for the first time. This partitions the US into those states permitted to use slaves and those that are not. 1864 – In the American Civil War the H. L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic with a “spear torpedo”. The Huntley is not submerged at the time. Mic Porter

Events 1924 – In Miami, Florida, Johnny Weissmuller (later to play Tarzan) sets a new world record in the 100 metres freestyle swimming competition with a time of 57.4 seconds. He had been advised to take up swing to over come a Polo caused muscle weakness. He wins 3 Gold medals for swimming at the 1924 Paris and two more in Amsterdam in 1928. An a bronze (1924) as a member of he water polo team – a sport. 1933 – Newsweek magazine is first published. IDEOs Offices appear much later: www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/galleries/2010/06/05/the-idea-factory.htm Mic Porter

Events 1933 – The Blaine Act begins the end of Prohibition in the US by repealing the 18th Amendment. On 5th December 1933 this becomes the 21st Amendment – the US had been “dry” since 17th January 1920. 1959 – The first weather satellite Vanguard 2 is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution in daylight and does so for 19 days as well as measuring atmosphere density. It is still does orbiting but today, however the track is across Spain www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=11. When passing over-head you might see it with a telescope or good binoculars! The launch: www.educatedearth.net/video.php?id=2624 Mic Porter

Events 1965 – Ranger 8 probe launches on its mission to photograph the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon in preparation for the Apollo missions. Mare Tranquillitatis or the "Sea of Tranquility" would become the site chosen for the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Previously (and even then) maps hand-drawn by Patrick More were also a source. 1972 – Sales of the Volkswagen Beetle exceed those of the Ford Model-T 15M between 1908 and 1927) but it had taken nearly twice the length of time; 34 years, launched 1938. In 2003 production stops; 21½ M made over 65 years. 2008 –The USSR “break-up”... Kosovo independent! Mic Porter

Ins… 1723 – Tobias Mayer, German mathematician and astronomer who specialized in the moon (d. 1762) 1740 – Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, Swiss physicist, alpine explorer and founder of “alpinism” (d. 1799) 1752 – Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, German writer (d. 1831) No identified link to Maxwell Klinger of M*A*S*H whose character was, apparently, based on Lenny Bruce’s (1925 -1966) attempt to avoid call up by joining WAVES – “Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.” – officially the US Naval Reserve (Women) Mic Porter

Ins… 1754 – Nicolas Baudin, French explorer, cartographer, naturalist and hydrographer. An “officer blue” in French navy during the American war, with the British, for independence. (d. 1803) 1781 – René Laënnec, French physician and inventor of the stethoscope. (d. 1826) 1792 – Karl Ernst von Baer, German biologist and explorer. He created four laws of embryology (Qv) and postulated that: in the northern hemisphere river erosion will be greater on the right bank (looking in the direction of flow) while the reverse is true in the southern hemisphere. Coriolis forces are weak so unlikely! (d. 1876) Mic Porter

Ins… 1816 – Haller Nutt, Southern “cash crop” Plantation owner (43,000 acres, 170 km2) of land and 800 slavesowner. Made $¼ profit in 1860.(d. 1864) Mic Porter

Ins… 1854 – Friedrich Alfred Krupp, German industrialist and Steel magnet (Sic) (d. 1902) 1864 – JozefMurgaš, Slovak inventor architect painter, patriot and RC priest who from 1896 workin in the US. Patents held include: "Constructing Antennas for Wireless Telegraphy" (July 16, 1907) [US Patent 860,051: http://www.google.com/patents?vid=860051]; "Electrical transformer“ (1907) [US Patent 848,676: http://www.google.com/patents?vid=848676] and "Spinning reel for fishing rod" (1912) [US Patent 1,034,739: http://www.google.com/patents?vid=1034739]. (d. 1929) Mic Porter

Ins… 1874 – Thomas J. Watson, American computer manufacturer (NCR & IBM) in the days of tabulation with punched cards and the problematic markets of WW2.…should America supply Germany before the declaration of war and what might such equipment be used for? (d. 1956) Famous for the 1943 “quote” that he almost certainly did not make "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.“ In 1943 “computers” were people with (usually) mechanical tabulating machines nor has the “quote” been found in the archives of IBM. (?)1953 by his son (TJW Jr.), then IBM President. Mic Porter

Ins… 1877 – Isabelle Eberhardt, cross dressing Swiss North African explorer of who drowned. (d. 1904) 1877 – André Maginot, French politician who advocated, after WW1, building a line of fortifications to defend the French boarder with Germany. (d. 1932) Later the invading Germans went round the ends and across hills and marshy land that was thought to be impenetrable! 1888 – Otto Stern, German atomic physicist, who resigned (1933) from University of Hamburg moving to the Carnegie Institute of Technology and later University of California, Berkeley. Nobel Prize Laureate (1943) (d. 1969) Mic Porter

Ins… 1890 – Sir Ronald Fisher, Statistician and Geneticist. Devisor of many inferential statistical tests – some named after him (eg Fishers exact test) (d. 1962) 1925 – Ron Goodwin, English composer and conductor especially for “British” films – 633 squadron, Battle of Britain (‘69), Where Eagles dare (‘68) Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) and One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (‘74) . (d. 2003) 1929 – Patricia Routledge, “comic” actress 1934 – (Sir) Alan Bates, English actor (d. 2003) Mic Porter

Ins… 1934 – Barry Humphries, Australian actor and comediane (Dame Edna Everage, "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, “cultural attaché”. 1940 – Gene Pitney, American singer, songwriter and sound engineer. (d. 2006) 1963 – Alison Hargreaves, British mountaineer (K1 solo & without O2 1995 but then blown off K2 falling to her death after summiting. (d. 1995) 1972 – Taylor Hawkins, American musician (drummer - Foo Fighters) 1981 – Paris Hilton, American socialite and'celebutante‘, heiress (to the Hilton Hotels pot), actress and businesswoman. Mic Porter

Outs… 1854 – John Martin, locally born (Haydon Bridge) of well connected family who becomes a painter, engraver embellisher after an (uncompleted) apprenticeship to a Newcastle Coachbuilder to learn heraldic painting. Moved to London (1806). (b. 1789) The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (1852). Lang Art Gallery, Newcastle Mic Porter

Outs… 1854 – John Martin, English painter (b. 1789) 1909 – Geronimo, Apache leader thrown from his horse but not found for some hours during which time he “caught” pneumonia . He was detained by the US Government at this time (b. 1829) Geronimo in a 1905 Locomobile Model C, taken (01/06/05) when visiting a Ranch, southwest of Ponca City, Oklahoma, USA Mic Porter

Outs… 1982 – Thelonious Monk, American jazz pianist (b. 1917) Photograph taken Minton's Playhouse, NY ca. September 1947. William P.Gottlieb(1917 -2006) Mic Porter

“The Artist” lacked period “cue dots”! Marks, traditionally black blobs in the top right of the frame used to signal to the projectionist that a reel change is necessary; reels typically last 15-20 minutes.) Projector 2 is loaded with film at the 8 second mark and is switched on but kept “capped”, when first dot shows (usually for 4 frames/0.17second). When the second dot shows, about 1 second from the film end, the first projector is capped and the second uncapped. The sound overlaps and can be switched anytime from the first dot but is usually simultaneous with the capping solenoid. Projector 1 is then prepared with the next reel. Mic Porter

The communications technology.. Passes! There are variation – multi coloured dots on some Technicolor formats, for example. Not needed for modern digital or pre-spliced platter (“cake stand”) horizontal projectors but still used on prints as they might be used for film clubs, “art house” theatres where the older technology is still used. Bars and rotating bands on TVs especially to warn of advert ends, “break-outs” etc can still be seen but are, now, largely replaced by digital and “talkback” systems. Mic Porter

17 th February 2012