May 5

Today is Cinco de Mayo! For those of you who keep up with such things, it's also Space Day and Webcomics Day (I think). That means that I'm hopped up like someone slipped a no-doze into my decaf.

I mean, hell, talk about a TARGETTED DAY! It's like MY DAY. The only way it could be better is if I declared it officially MEME DAY. The MEMES OF MAY.

So, a few exciting things have happened on May 5 over the centuries. Perhaps the most exciting is that today is the day that the FIRST TRAIN ROBBERY IN THE US happened. It happened in North Bend, Ohio.

But the most important, from MY point of view, was that Alan Shepard became the first American in space today, if only for 15 minutes.

In addition to Mexico's celebration, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, AND Denmark celebrate today as their independence day!

It's May Day in Australia and Children's/Boy's day in Japan. Apparently, it's also "Europe Day".

It's Roman Catholic Feast Day for St Angelus, Pius V, St. Judith of Prussia, Aventinus, St. Gerontius, Nicetius, and Hilary of Arles.

A few other events: During the war of 1812, today is when Fort Ontario was assaulted! Sitting Bull also led the Lakota into Canada to escape the US Army! Although, I think, not at the same time.

Carnegie Hall opened, with a performance conducted by Tchaikovsky!

Today also marks the day when Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwinism (and/or evolution) in 1925. My hero.

Ghandi escaped from prison, using only his razor-sharp wits, a length of rope made from bedsheets, high-grade explosives, and the permission of the British government.

In a comedic, if grisly, execution, Jesse Tafero had FLAMES SHOOT OUT OF HIS HEAD after three electric chair malfunctions.

WOLFENSTEIN 3D IS RELEASED! Come on, guys, this is, like, A BIG DAY!

Karl Marx was born, and John Rhys-Davies. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor died today (I wonder if that's on the adjusted calendar...) Joining him in the afterlife is Napoleon Bonaparte and P.D.Q. Bach.

So ENJOY THE DAY. :)