Sunday, January 1, 2023

LOOKING AHEAD: 2023

 While others tend to look back at the start of a new year, The Free Choice E-zine prefers to look ahead and see what the next 365 days may bring us.

Hopefully we shall see a peaceful end to Russia’s invasion/war against the Ukraine this year along with all the other conflicts in the world resolved. We’re keeping our collective fingers crossed that in time women regain the rights they lost under the Taliban regime and that our generation shall see an end to hatred and bigotry.
I know, mighty big wish there. But it was on January 1 of 1863 that then President Abraham Lincoln officially signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law, freeing any slave held within the United States. Of course, why there were slaves to begin with when the Declaration of Independence declared that ALL men were created equal...

Anyway, here in America, despite the House of Representatives and the Senate switching control to the opposing party that last held them when the new session formally begins later this month, it would be nice if both sides of Congress remembered what the word bipartisan means and actually get work done for the people they’re supposed to be serving instead of those who underwrote their campaigns.

Meanwhile, here’s a list of some of the anniversaries we will be celebrating in 2023.

530TH ANNIVERSARY (1493)
November 18: Explorer Christopher Columbus first sighted what is now known as Puerto Rico.

245TH ANNIVERSARY (1778)
January 18: Captain James Cook discovered the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands.

235TH ANNIVERSARY (1788)
Several states became part of America.
January 2: Georgia joined.
January 9: Connecticut.
February 6: Massachusetts.
April 28: Maryland.
May 23: South Carolina.
June 25: Virginia.
July 26: New York.

230TH ANNIVERSARY (1793)
September 18: George Washington laid the cornerstone for what would become the US Capitol.

220TH ANNIVERSARY (1803)
March 1: Ohio joined the United States.

205TH ANNIVERSARY (1818)
December 3: Illinois joined the United States.
December 25: ♫Silent Night♫ was publicly sang for the first time at the Church of Saint Nikolaus in Oberndorff, Austria.

175TH ANNIVERSARY (1848)
May 29: Wisconsin joined the United States.

160TH ANNIVERSARY (1863)
June 20: West Virginia joined the United States.

145TH ANNIVERSARY (1878)
February 19: Thomas Edison granted patent for the first phonograph (record player).

140TH ANNIVERSARY (1883)
August 2: First cable car🚠 became operational in San Francisco, California, USA.

135TH ANNIVERSARY (1888)
September 4: George Eastman patented the first Kodak camera.📷

130TH ANNIVERSARY (1893)
September 4: Beatrix Potter created the first draft of what would become Peter Rabbit.

125TH ANNIVERSARY (1898)
July 7: The United States annexed the Sandwich/Hawaiian Islands.

120TH ANNIVERSARY (1903)
July 19: The first Tour de France🚴 was held.

115TH ANNIVERSARY (1908)
March 27: The Mutt and Jeff comic strip began.

105TH ANNIVERSARY (1918)
April 1: Great Britain established the Royal Air Force.🛫

100TH ANNIVERSARY (1923)
March 3: Time magazine debuted.

95TH ANNIVERSARY (1928)
May 15: Mickey and Minnie (Minerva) Mouse debuted in Plane Crazy, despite Disney retconning their premiere to Steamboat Willie.
July 29: Steamboat Willie, the first cartoon with full sound released.

90TH ANNIVERSARY (1933)
January 30: The Lone Ranger debuted on radio.
February 17: Wedding anniversary of Blondie Boopadoop to Dagwood Bumstead.
March 2: Original King Kong with Fay Wray debuted.

85TH ANNIVERSARY (1938)
February 4: Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full length animated movie premiered.
April 15: Huey, Dewey and Louie debuted in the Walt Disney cartoon Donald’s Nephews.
June 1938 is the cover date for Superman’s debut in Action Comics #1.
October 30: The Mercury Theatre of the Air’s (in)famous War of the Worlds broadcast was performed.

80TH ANNIVERSARY (1943)
March 20: Droopy debuted in Tex Avery’s Dumb Hounded.

75TH ANNIVERSARY (1948)
April 7: The World Health Organization was formed.
December 22: Churchy La Femme first sang ♫Deck Us All With Boston Charlie♫ in the Pogo comic strip.

70TH ANNIVERSARY (1953)
June 2: Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England.
August 29: Loony Toon Speedy Gonzales debuted in Cat Tails For Two.
September 4: Harry S. Truman became the first US President to make a coast to coast television📺 appearance.

65TH ANNIVERSARY (1958)
January 28: Legos patented prior to their toy shelf debut.
March 28: Nikita Krushchev became the Soviet Union’s Premier.

60TH ANNIVERSARY (1963)
January 31: Don Martin first proposed National Gorilla🦍 Suit Day in Mad magazine. Didn’t become a
Dr. King and President Kennedy
“holiday” until 1976.
March 22: The Beatles released their first album, Please Please Me.
June 26: Then US President John F. Kennedy gave his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.
July 9: The Fred Basset comic strip began.
August 28: Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior made his famous “I have a dream” speech.
August 30: The Hot Line📞 between the White House and the Kremlin was established.
November 18: The first push button phone🕿 went into service.
November 22: Sadly, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
November 23: Doctor Who debuted on BBC 1.

55TH ANNIVERSARY (1968)
April 6: 2001: A Space Odyssey debuted.
September 9: The Lockhorns comic strip debuted.
December 19: Rankin-Bass production of The Little Drummer Boy premiered.

50TH ANNIVERSARY (1973)
January 11: The American League of Major League Baseball⚾ established the Designated Hitter Rule.
The National League would adopt the measure in 2022.
January 22: The Supreme Court ruled on Roe V. Wade, although we all know what happened to it in 2022.
January 27: Peace Accords ending the Vietnam War were officially signed.
September 20: Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the (tennis🎾) Battle of the Sexes.
November 17: Then US President Richard Nixon delivered his (in)famous “I am not a crook” speech.

45TH ANNIVERSARY (1978)
June 16: Grease the movie debuted.
June 19: Garfield comic strip debuted.

40TH ANNIVERSARY (1983)
May 25: The original trilogy concluded with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

35TH ANNIVERSARY (1988)
April 20: Fox Trot comic strip debuted.
November 24: Mystery Science Theater 3000 debuted.

30TH ANNIVERSARY (1993)
January 3: Star Trek Deep Space 9 debuted.
February 22: Babylon 5 debuted.
August 27: The Adventures of Brisco County, Junior debuted.
September 13: The Animaniacs debuted.
(1993 was an interesting year for television, wasn't it?)

20TH ANNIVERSARY (2003)
February 01: Sadly, the Columbia Space Shuttle was lost with all aboard on its return to Earth.

No comments: