A Brief History On December 31, 2023, we take a look back on those notable people that died this year. Due to the limited nature of a “short” video or article, we have to omit many fine folks and only list the losses we feel the most. Feel free to mention anyone you believe needs mention. (This list is as of December 29th and will be updated after January 1st.) Digging Deeper Burt Bacharach, composer, age 94. Bob Barker, Price is Right TV host, age 99. Maryanne Trump Barry, Federal judge and sister of Donald Trump, age 86. Jeff Beck,…
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A Brief History On November 13, 1922, the United States Supreme Court decision called Zucht v. King, upheld the discretion that allowed a Texas school board to require mandatory vaccination of school children against smallpox. Digging Deeper The court cited a previous decision, Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905), that allowed states to force vaccination and claimed that the “police power” of the state to maintain “health and safety” of the public justified such measures. Today, smallpox is virtually eradicated, but other old diseases keep cropping up as do new germs and viruses. As we found out in 2020, mankind is always…
A Brief History On October 29, 2015, China announced the end of its “one child” policy that had been in effect since 1979, limiting couples to one child in an effort to curb population growth. Digging Deeper Fears of what seemed to be inevitable overpopulation caused China’s leaders to raise the age for marriage and to encourage couples to delay having children, limiting the number of children they had, and spacing out pregnancies. Finally, the Draconian edict of one child per couple was put into effect, but with many exceptions. In 2015, the policy became a two-child policy, and in…
A Brief History On October 24, 2017, rock and roll and New Orleans jazz pioneer Antoine “Fats” Domino died. His 1949 song, “The Fat Man,” is considered by some to be the first rock and roll hit, selling over a million copies. Elvis Presley and the Beatles were fans of Domino, and Fats is not the only great person of considerable girth. Digging Deeper Another rock and roller, Chubby Checker, got his stage name from a comparison to Fats Domino! Yet another rock and roll great, Mama Cass Elliot, is enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and…
A Brief History On October 22, 2012, cyclist Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles due to allegations of illegally using performance enhancing drugs. Digging Deeper Armstrong had won the greatest bicycle race in seven consecutive years, a record performance. After years of accusations and allegations of cheating, Lance denied the reports, but was banned for life after an investigation. In 2013, he told the truth and admitted his cheating. Science and pharmacology have made athletic ability reach unnatural levels, starting with steroids, basically forms of testosterone and including other stimulants, growth hormones, blood doping, sleeping…