Somewhere on Earth on a day not too unlike a day like today…
in 1914, US Marines march out of Vera Cruz, Mexico.
in 1916, armored tanks are introduced by the British during the Battle of the Somme.
in 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovers, by accident, that the mold penicillin has an antibiotic effect.
in 1940, the German Luftwaffe suffered the loss of 185 planes in the Battle of Britain. The change in tide forced Hitler to abandon his plans for invading Britain.
in 1981, Sandra Day O’Connor is unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee to become the first female justice on the US Supreme Court.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
1254 – Marco Polo, the famous Italian explorer from Venice who actually attended the Chinese royal court under Mongol rule. Dies in 1324, but not before inventing one of the best childhood pool games ever; “Marco”…”Polo”….that was a fun game.
1857 – William Howard Taft, 26th president of the United States (1909-1913).
Daily Trivia: Why is Ibn Baṭūṭah often compared to Marco Polo? Not interested in that? How about some American history trivia; why were American marines in Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1914?