LOOKING AHEAD 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!🎉

LOOK ALIVE! IT'S 2025!🥳

A lot is happening this coming year.

The National Funeral for former Governor of Georgia and the 39th President of the United States Jimmy Carter is scheduled for January 9.

Considering some of his recent actions, comments and opinions; the world is wondering how things will go once Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States January 20.

Of course there's also the ongoing situations in Syria, the Middle East, Russia's war against the Ukraine and who knows what awaits everyone on the horizon.

But among the things that we do know are coming...

January 1 is Hangover Day, for obvious reasons, and Public Domain Day—where affected intellectual properties, like Ellery Queen's debut novel The Roman Hat Mystery are no longer protected for the creators or their estates.

There's also a Planetary Alignment on the horizon January 25!

Plenty of anniversaries and celebrations too, like World Heritage Day and Earth Day in April.

And of course The Free Choice E-zine will be here for it all, including our 3200th and maybe even our 3300th career Blogger post on this website before the end of the year.

Join us, won't you?

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.

HAPPY NEW YEAR: JANUARY 1, 2019

Can you believe another year is already upon us?

🌙Depending upon your beliefs, 2019 marks either the 25th anniversary of the moon being destroyed that led to the world of Thundarr the Barbarian or the 20th anniversary of the moon being violently launched from Earth orbit on September 13 to start Space: 1999.🌑

Then again, 2019 is also either the 20th anniversary of the Super Dimensional Space Fortress crashing to Earth that was the catalyst of the Macross anime as part of the overall Robotech series, or Phillip J. Frye getting cryogentically frozen on New Year’s Eve before being awakened to face Futurama.

On a more serious note the Euro, USB Drives, the BlackBerry, and Bluetooth all came into existence 20 years ago this year and there will be elections this fall, with Congressional seats being the highest office available. Despite past claims of this being a “minor” event, this year’s voting will be an important indicator of how America feels as the 2020 Presidential election approaches.

And to think, our biggest worry 20 years ago was what (if anything) the Y2K Bug 🐛would do.
Other events in the year ahead include...

525TH ANNIVERSARY (1494)
May 5: Christopher Columbus discovered what is now Jamaica during his second voyage.

190TH ANNIVERSARY (1829)
September 29: Scotland Yard was established.

175TH ANNIVERSARY (1844)
January 15: The University of Notre Dame was officially chartered.

165TH ANNIVERSARY (1854)
August 9: Henry David Thoreau's Walden was first published.

160TH ANNIVERSARY (1869)
November 24: Charles Darwin first published On the Origin of the Species.

150TH ANNIVERSARY (1869)
November 17: The Suez Canal officially opened.

115TH ANNIVERSARY (1904)
May 5: Cy Young pitched the first perfect game in baseball⚾ history: Boston Red Sox 3, Philadelphia Athletics 0.

95TH ANNIVERSARY (1924)
February 12: George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue premiered on Broadway.

90TH ANNIVERSARY (1929)
January 5: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit 🐰(voiced by Mickey Rooney) debuts in “Ozzie At The Circus”.
January 7: Debut of Buck Rogers in the comics.
January 17: Popeye the Sailor debuted in the Thimble Theater comic strip.

85TH ANNIVERSARY (1934)
August 11: Alcatraz was opened for business and started accepting prisoners.

80TH ANNIVERSARY (1939)
August 15: Debut of Ellery Queen’s first novel: The Roman Hat 🎩Mystery.
September 1: Germany under Adolph Hitler invaded Poland, thus starting World War 2.

75TH ANNIVERSARY (1944)
August 25: Allied Forces liberated Paris, France; a major point in ending the European portion of World War 2.

70TH ANNIVERSARY (1949)
February 28: Bob Clampett’s Beany and Cecil the Sea Sick Sea Serpent debuted on Time For Beany.
September 15: Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels first rode as The Lone Ranger and Tonto on TV.

65TH ANNIVERSARY (1954)
March 25: RCA made the first color TV set commercially available. 12 and a half inch screen for $1000!
July 5: Elvis Presley had his first recording session at Sun Records, making “That’s All Right Mama”.
July 21: The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into two separate countries.
September 27: Steve Allen started hosting The Tonight Show.
October 27 saw the debut of Disneyland, the TV series, to help raise construction funds for the park. The original Mickey Mouse Club would debut the following year.
November 10: Then President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

60TH ANNIVERSARY (1959)
January 3: Alaska becomes the 49th member of the United States of America.
August 21: Hawaii becomes the 50th member of the United States of America.
September 12: Bonanza debuted as part of that year’s new fall TV season.
September 29: Rocky and Bullwinkle debuted.
We first entered The Twilight Zone on October 2 and asked “Where Is Everybody?”
December 1: Antarctica was established as a military free scientific preserve.

55TH ANNIVERSARY (1964)
Anything that debuted this year, like F-Troop and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea both did on September 14.
As of October 3, there’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 🦌shined for the first time December 6.

50TH ANNIVERSARY (1969)🌕
July 20: Apollo 11 landed on the moon! First moon walk next day, with Apollo 12 duplicating these feats before the end of the year.
Come and play! Sesame Street debuted November 10.
The first Internet set up was established on November 20 at the University of Southern California.

45TH ANNIVERSARY (1974)
Anything that debuted this year, like The Six Million Dollar Man January 18.
March 29: The Mariner 10 probe landed on Mercury.
April 8: Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit career home run #715, breaking Babe Ruth’s record, and he did it cleanly!⚾
April 13: Dungeons and Dragons first edition debuted.

40TH ANNIVERSARY (1979)
The first Papal visit to the White House (by Pope John Paul II) occurred October 6.
October 7 saw the premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

35TH ANNIVERSARY (1984)
April 16: Rose is Rose 🌹comic strip premiered.
June 1: Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock premiered.
That summer, the Soviet Union boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles, California, USA.

30TH ANNIVERSARY (1989)
April 16: Scott Adams’ Dilbert started “taking care of business.”
June 23: Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, directed by Tim Burton, premiered.

20TH ANNIVERSARY (1999)
March 20: Bertrand Piccard (Switzerland) and Brian Jones (Britain) completed the first around the world hot air balloon trip.
May 1: Spongebob Squarepants debuted.
May 19: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace debuted.

15TH ANNIVERSARY (2004)
January 15: NASA’s Spirit Rover started exploring Mars.

10TH ANNIVERSARY (2009)
Then President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize October 9.

And of course, The Free Choice E-zine will be celebrating its 2200 post sometime this year.

LOOKING AHEAD: 2018

Another new year is upon us, and as others tend to look back over 2017, The Free Choice E-zine prefers to look ahead at some of what 2018 has in store for us.

January begins with not one, but TWO full moons this month!
The “blue moon”, as this phenomenon is known, happens on January 2 and 31 this year; with the next occurrence not being until the summer of 2021.
A lot of new laws take effect today, while the United Nations believes the world should be on red alert! (There are 2 separate links in that last sentence.)

Meanwhile, Great Britain is still preparing to leave the European Union.

The investigation into whether or not Russia interfered with America’s 2016 Presidential elections continues.
February will see the Winter Olympics take place in PyeongChang, South Korea; followed by the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in March.
This Spring will mark the 115th anniversary of the Tour de France, and the new season of Doctor Who will feature a WOMAN in the title role for the first time as Jodie Whittaker becomes the thirteenth version of the Time Lord from Gallifrey.

And of course, November is highlighted in America by the crucial 2018 mid-term elections, whose results will indicate either voters still believe in the Republican Party or Democratic victories are a result of the continued actions of the Trump Administration and a Republican controlled Congress.

Historically, American President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law 155 years ago today, while January 1 is also the 75th anniversary of Donald Duck’s only Oscar winning cartoon (Der Furher’s Face) premiering in theaters.

Other milestone’s taking place this year include...
240TH ANNIVERSARY (1778)
Captain Cook discovering Sandwich Islands/Hawaii. (January 18)

230TH ANNIVERSARY (1788)
The other 12 original colonies became the United States of America over the course of this year. Delaware started the proceedings the previous December.

190TH ANNIVERSARY (1828)
Noah Webster published his first dictionary (April 14)

130TH ANNIVERSARY (1878)
Thomas Edison patented the phonograph (February 19)

95TH ANNIVERSARY (1923)
Time magazine debuted (March 3)

90TH ANNIVERSARY (1928)
Mickey and Minnie Mouse debuted in Plane Crazy (May 15), while July 29 will honor the pair starring in Steamboat Willie, the first sound/talking cartoon.

85TH ANNIVERSARY (1933)
The Lone Ranger’s radio debut (January 30)
Blondie married Dagwood on February 17.
The original King Kong debuted in theaters on March 2.

75TH ANNIVERSARY (1943)
Droopy Dog debuted as "Dumb Hounded" hit theaters on March 20th.

65TH ANNIVERSARY (1953)
Elizabeth the second will celebrate being crowned Queen of England June 2.

55TH ANNIVERSARY (1963)
The Beatles released their first record ("Please Please Me") on March 22.
August 28 is the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
As a result of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the “Hot Line” is established between the White House and the Kremlin on August 30.
The United States lost President John F. Kennedy on November 22, while the BBC premiered Doctor Who the next night.

45TH ANNIVERSARY (1973)
Major League Baseball established Designated Hitter rule for the American League. (January11)
Vietnam Peace Accords were signed on January 27.

Also, The Free Choice E-zine will be celebrating our 2000 and 2100th posts this year😁, just based on the strength of our regular features: The Puzzle Corner (games) and The Week In Review (news) on Saturdays; and The Sunday Funnies (humor) the next day.

So, any way you look at it, there’s another interesting year ahead.
Join us, won’t you?

LOOKING AHEAD: 2017

The new year is upon us, so let's pause to see what's on the horizon.

Besides the fact that The Free Choice E-zine will be celebrating both its 1800 and 1900th posts this year (based upon the strength of just our regular features), President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sworn in and begin his administration January 20, despite much controversy and questions surrounding the election results.

Among other major milestones in the year ahead...

1015 Anniversaries (1002)
Leif Erikson and his crew first landed in what we know today as North America on October 9.

230th Anniversaries (1787)
Delaware became the first member of the United States on December 7. The rest of the 13 original colonies would officially join in 1788.

225th Anniversaries (1792)
Kentucky joined America as the 15th state on June 1.

215th Anniversaries (1802)

Washington, DC became the capital of the United States on May 3.

205th Anniversaries (1812)
Louisiana joined America as the 18th state April 30.

200th Anniversaries (1817)
Mississippi joined America as the 20th state December 10.

180th Anniversaries (1837)
Michigan joined America as the 26th state January 26.

155th Anniversaries (1862)
President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22.

140th Anniversaries (1877)
The first catcher's masks were used in professional baseball as their season began April 12 of that year.

105th Anniversaries (1912)
Sadly, the RMS Titanic sank April 15.

90th Anniversaries (1927)
Aviator Charles Lindbergh made his historic Trans-Atlantic solo flight on May 20.
The Columbia (Phonograph) Broadcasting System, CBS, began its radio career on September 18.
The Holland Tunnel officially opened on November 13.

85th Anniversaries (1932)
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was first released January 30.
Aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to perform a Trans-Atlantic solo flight on May 20.
The Alley Oop comic strip debuted on December 5.
Radio City Music Hall officially opened on December 27.

80th Anniversaries (1937)
Petunia Pig (Porky's long time girl friend) debuted in Porky's Romance on April 3, while Daffy Duck premiered in Porky's Duck Hunt on April 17, back when cartoons were a regular part of movie programs.
The Golden Gate Bridge officially opened on May 27.

75th Anniversaries (1942)
Tweety Bird debuted in the cartoon short A Tale of Two Kitties on November 21.

70th Anniversaries (1947)

Jackie Robinson broke "the color barrier" in Major League Baseball on April 15.

65th Anniversaries (1952)
The Adventures of Superman with George Reeves debuted on September 19.

60th Anniversaries (1957)
Russia launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite on October 4.

55th Anniversaries (1962)
The U.S.S. Arizona Memorial was dedicated that Memorial Day.
The movie version of The Music Man premiered on June 19.

50th Anniversaries (1967)
Although it wasn't called that for the first game, what we know as the Super Bowl technically began January 15 of that year.
The United States, Great Britain, and Russia unilaterally agreed there would be no nuclear weapons in outer space on May 19.
♫Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band♫ released by the Beatles on June 1.
Baseball's New York Giants played their last game on September 29, and would become the San Francisco Giants the following season.

45th Anniversaries (1972)
Kolchak the Night Stalker (first TV movie aired January 11)
Magnavox's Odyssey system debuted on May 24, ushering in the video game age.
Atari released Pong! the first arcade video game on November 29.

35th Anniversaries (1982)
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan premiered on June 4.
Scott E. Fahlman created the computer smilie :-) on September 19.

30th Anniversaries (1987)
The FOX network began broadcasting on April 5.
June 14th is technically the wedding anniversary of Peter (Spider-man) Parker and Mary Jane Watson Parker.

20th Anniversaries (1997)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer debuted as a TV series February 10.
The Pathfinder probe first explored Mars on July 5.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016: LOOKING AHEAD

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

IT'S JANUARY 1, 2016.

Hello, and welcome to the beginning of a brand new year!

The Commonwealth of Australia was formed on this day in 1901.
The Chinese government will now allow parents in their country to have up to 2 children, instead of one.
Meanwhile, Brunei (since 1984) and Samoa (1962) both celebrate their Independence today.

Besides the Summer Olympics and feeling melancholy about David Ortiz and Kobe Bryant ending their professional athletic careers, the 366 days of this Leap Year also includes...

POLITICALLY...
The citizens of New Zealand will be going to the polls in March 2016 to decide between keeping the country's current flag or adopting an alternative.
2016 is a Presidential Election year in the United States, with a slew of potential candidates still vying for the Republican nomination, while it looks like the Democrats have narrowed their preference down to either (alphabetically) Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.

MEANWHILE, other anniversaries include the 140th ANNIVERSARY (in 1876) of Alexander Graham Bell creating the first working telephone (March 10)

125th ANNIVERSARY (1895)
Carnegie Hall opened (May 5)

85th ANNIVERSARY (1931)
Star Spangled Banner officially became United States' national anthem (March 3)

80th ANNIVERSARY (1936)
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell first published (June 30)

75th ANNIVERSARIES (1941)
The USO was founded (February 4)
Citizen Kane debuted (May 1)

70th ANNIVERSARY (1946)
Walt Disney's Song of the South premiered (November 12)

65th ANNIVERSARY (1951)
Disney version of Alice In Wonderland was first released (July 27)

60th ANNIVERSARIES (1956)
My Fair Lady debuted on Broadway (March 15)
The US Supreme Court ended segregation on public buses (November 13)

55th ANNIVERSARIES (1951)
Yuri Gagarin first man in space, making one orbit of Earth before returning
The Dick Van Dyke Show debuted (October 3)

50th ANNIVERSARIES (1966)
Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward (January 12)
Dark Shadows (June 27)
Batman: The Movie, with West and Ward debuted (July 30)
American television officially went to full time color broadcasting (September 1)
Any other television program that debuted that fall, including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and The Monkees celebrate their major milestone
It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired (October 27)
Animated version of Doctor Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas premiered (December 23)

45th ANNIVERSARIES (1971)
First Lunar Rover used (April 30)
Any television program that debuted that year

35th ANNIVERSARY (1981)
The Greatest American Hero (March 18)

30th ANNIVERSARIES (1986)
ALF (September 22) and any other television program that debuted that year

And of course, The Free Choice E-zine will achieve both our 1600 and 1700 post milestones this year, just based on the strength of our regular features: The Puzzle Corner and The Week In Review (news) on Saturdays, followed by comedy the next day with The Sunday Funnies.

So, here's hoping that 2016 is more peaceful, and less stressful and less violent than last year.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2015

Hello and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome to the first day of 2015.

Will this be the year of hover boards and self-lacing sneakers, according to Back to the Future 2?

The Free Choice E-zine will definitely be celebrating both its 1400^th AND 1500^th posts before year's end, just based on the strength of our regular features: The Puzzle Corner and The Week In Review (news) on Saturdays, along with comedy in The Sunday Funnies.

Today, France celebrates its 70^th anniversary of joining the United Nations while Lithuania officially starts using the Euro as their national currency.

The 126^th Rose Parade featured “Inspiring Stories” with Louis Zamperini; former Olympian and World War 2 prisoner/veteran, serving posthumously as Grand Marshall. Also riding in the parade will be Joan Williams, who was supposed to be Miss Crown City in the 1958 Rose Parade, but her appearance was canceled because she was “black passing as white”.

Yeah, that makes less sense today than it did then.

January 4^th the Burj Khalifa in Dubai will celebrate its fifth anniversary as the world's tallest building.

Meanwhile, the Republican dominated Congress will be starting a new session later this month. Considering they have already made over 50 attempts to repeal The Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obama Care; have sued, attempted censure and impeachment proceedings against President Barack Obama, and forced a government shutdown; one wonders what the least productive Congress a sitting President has ever been stuck with won't accomplish next.

The end of the month will also celebrate the 70^th anniversary of a major event in World War 2 on January 27^th, while the 170^th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven first being published is January 29^th.

Further down the calendar, NASA's Dawn spacecraft is expected to reach Ceres sometime in April, while their New Horizons probe should reach Pluto sometime in July, the month which will also experience a blue moon/two full moons in the same month. The next time this will occur is in January 2018.

Milan, Italy will be hosting Expo 2015 from May to the end of October this year, while the much anticipated Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens, is scheduled to debut this December.

And elsewhere on the calendar...

800^th Anniversary (1215)

King John signed the Magna Carte (June 15)

450^th Anniversary (1565)

Spain established the first European settlement in North America at present day Saint Augustine, Florida, USA (September 8)

250^th Anniversary (1765)

Boulanger's, the world's first restaurant, opened in France

115^th Anniversaries (1900)

Major League Baseball created the American League (January 29)

90^th Anniversaries (1920)

The 19^th Amendment to the United States Constitution, giving women the right to vote and run for office, became legal (August 18)

80^th Anniversaries (1935)

Monopoly board game debuted (February 6)

Social Security Act became official in the United States (August 14)

75^th Anniversaries (1940)

Walt Disney's Pinocchio debuts (February 7)

70^th Anniversaries (1945)

Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps (January 27)

United Nations founded (October 24)

65^th Anniversaries (1950)

The Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz debuted (October 2)

60^th Anniversaries (1955)

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring first published

Disney's Lady and the Tramp debuted (June 16)

Disneyland opened (July 17)

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat, thus setting off the civil rights movement (December 1)

50^th Anniversaries (1965)

First space walk ever, accomplished by Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov (March 18)

First airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas (December 9)

45^th Anniversaries (1970)

Apollo 13 launched. (April 11) NASA would later hear those infamous words: “Houston, we have a problem.”

NASA receives report from Viking spacecraft that Mars once had a polar ice cap (September 22)

40^th Anniversaries (1975)

Any television program that debuted, including Space: 1999 on September 4 and Saturday Night Live on October 11

35^th Anniversaries (1980)

Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back debuted (May 21)

Pac-Man hit arcades (May 21)

First Caddyshack movie premiered (July 25)

30^th Anniversaries (1985)

Thundercats debuted (January 23)

We are the World recorded (March 7)

20^th Anniversaries (1995)

Star Trek: Voyager (January 16)

15^th Anniversary (2000)

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant permanently closed (December 15)

10^th Anniversaries (2005)

Cathy finally married Irving in her comic strip (February 5)

Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith debuted (May 19)

So it looks like 2015 will be another busy year.

Join us, won't you?

Video: "Sufferin' 'til Suffrage" from Schoolhouse Rock, courtesy of YouTube; (c) whoever is maintaining the Schoolhouse Rock franchise nowadays, but they really should consider re-releasing the classic tunes AND producing new episodes for today's children.

2012: LOOKING AHEAD

Now that the new year is upon us, let's take a moment to see what lies in the days ahead for 2012.

*Professional football is heading into its playoffs to determine the contestants for the 2012 Super Bowl February 5. Meanwhile other sports fans are happy that professional basketball has resumed at last, and there will also be professional hockey working its way towards the playoffs for the 2012 Stanley Cup and spring training for Major League Baseball's new season begins in late February.

*February 6 is the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth the Second.

*Yeosu, South Korea will be hosting the World Expo from May 27 to August 12.

*Sometime in August Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory is due to land on the red planet.

*The Summer Olympics will be July 27 to August 12 in London, England; with the 2012 Paralympics immediately afterwards at many of the same venues.

*There are several elections scheduled this year, including United States President Barack Obama running for reelection against a Republican candidate to be announced.

*Movies many are looking forward to are the first attempt at a live action adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter (of Mars) in March, The Avengers in May, and the big screen adaptation of the best selling book Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter debuts in June. The Amazing Spider-man will be battling Batman: The Dark Knight Rises for an audience in July, and part 1 (of 2) of Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit hits theaters in December.

MILESTONES THIS YEAR INCLUDE:
The following joined the United States of America:
225 years ago in 1787: Delaware on December 7, Pennsylvania on December 12, and  New Jersey on December 18.
220 years ago, Kentucky on June 1, 1792.
200 years ago, Louisiana on April 30, 1812.
195 years ago, Mississippi on December 10, 1817.
175 years ago, Michigan on January 26, 1837.
145 years ago, Nebraska  on March 1, 1867.

*100 years ago in 1912
The Republic of China began on January 1
New Mexico became a member of the United States January 6, Arizona followed February 14
The RMS Titanic sank April 14
Fenway Park became home field for the Boston Red Sox April 20

*80 years ago in 1932:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was first published January 30
Goofy first appeared in "Mickey's Revue" on May 12
Alley Oop comic strip debuted on December 5
Radio City Music Hall in New York City first opened December 27

*75 years ago in 1937:
Petunia Pig debuted in "Porky's Romance" on April 3
Daffy Duck debuts in "Porky's Duck Hunt" on April 17

*70 years ago in 1942:
It was officially WORLD War 2 with the formal entry of the United States January 1
Barnaby comic strip began April 20
Bambi premiered on August 13
Tweety Bird debuted in "A Tale of Two Kitties" on November 21

*65 years ago in 1947
Jackie Robinson signs a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers April 1, just six days before the start of the baseball season.

*60 years ago in 1952:
Singin' In The Rain debuted on March 27
The Edsel made its mark in automotive history on September 4

*55 years ago in 1957
Russia started the Space Race with the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4

*50 years ago in 1962:
The USS Arizona World War 2 memorial was dedicated that Memorial Day
Movie version of The Music Man debuted on June 19
The Lucy Show debuted on October 1

*45 years ago in 1967
*Mannix debuted September 7
Yvonne Craig began as Batgirl on Batman TV series September 14

*40 years ago in 1972:
Kolchak The Night Stalker first appeared on television January 11
Magnavox Odyssey heralded what would become the video game age May 24
Atari releases what will become the first arcade game "Pong" November 29

*35 years ago in 1977:
The Star Wars franchise began with "A New Hope" on May 25

*30 years ago in 1982
The Sally Forth newspaper strip began on January 4

*20 years ago in 1987
Star Trek, The Next Generation began on September 28

*15 years ago in 1997
Buffy The Vampire Slayer debuted on March 10
Stargate SG-1 debuted on July 27

*PLUS: our illustrious Editor-In-Chief turns 50 March 5th, while The Free Choice E-zine will be celebrating both its 800th AND 900th posts, as well as its 10000th visitor this year since reestablishing itself here on Blogger. Unfortunately the records from our previous web server were lost when that company folded, so we sadly do not have accurate numbers on TFCEz's career record, but we are averaging over 600 page views a month on Blogger!

THANK YOU DEAR READERS!

In any event, 2012 looks to be another banner year in world history and we hope you are with us for all 366 of them, for 2012 is also a leap year, which does thrill enthusiasts of the program Quantum Leap.

LOOKING AHEAD

The following is an editorial.

Dear Reader:

I’m sure everyone knows by now who won the 2008 Presidential Election.
But I have remained silent on the outcome not because I disagree with the results, but because I wanted the time to try and judge everyone’s initial reactions to Barack Obama being elected the 44th President of the United States as objectively as possible.

To say that there is mixed reaction would be an understatement.

While others have joked and speculated upon such events as the Inauguration parties and what breed the “first puppy” will be; President-elect Obama and his future Vice-President Joe Biden are already hard at work on the preparations necessary for the transition between administrations come January 2009, and are serious about addressing and trying to solve all the problems that this country faces.
Rahm Emanuel has already been selected as the future White House Chief of Staff, and other appointments and announcements can be followed at www.change.gov as they occur.
If you want to, you can even voice your opinion and suggestions about the future of this country at this website!
(As an aside, it must be noted that while it is doubtful that he is doing all the IT work himself, Barack Obama is definitely the most Internet savvy President elected to date.)

But the Republicans and their supporters?
I personally have overheard one lady comment that ‘Washington will look like Bagdad within six months!’ Meanwhile in the news: a volunteer teacher’s assistant at a Connecticut elementary school has already been censored for discussing the possibilities of Obama being assassinated with a group of second graders!
Do I really have to tell anyone how badly these comments make us look?

Let’s be serious here folks.
THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WERE FAR FROM IDEAL FOR MANY AMERICANS!
This election saw the highest voter turnout in decades. Barack Obama won over John McCain by 7.6million votes in the popular ballot, and 186 votes within the Electoral College that will meet in December to make these results official.
I could start pointing fingers as well as the next person as to who did what wrong, but it is time to move onward!

What I am afraid of most is that the Republicans in Congress come 2009 will repeat their actions of the Clinton administration and try to do their dangest to find some way to at least make the future President look bad if they cannot oust him from office outright.
That would be a serious waste of time in light of all that needs to be done.
All I am asking is for everyone to just actually give Obama the chance to do the job he was elected for in the spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship that everyone bemoaned the lack of over the months leading to this historic November election.

Sincerely,
Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief: News of The Free Choice e-zine