Day Tripping: April 7
Hops, Health, and Heaters
Pass That Beer
Eight months before the 21st Amendment in the United States is ratified, beer sales with an alcohol by volume limit of 3.2% are allowed in 1933. When elected as President in the year before, FDR made the repeal of prohibition a top priority to curtail the increase in organized crime resulting from illegal booze sales.
The Cullen-Harrison Act was signed in mid-march ended a thirteen-year ban on legal consumption, and the introduction of the low content suds on this day would create National Beer Day in America. At 12:01 a.m., two cases of beer from the Abner-Drury Brewery were delivered under armed guard to the White House.
Well, at 3.2%, it was near beer, anyway.
Get Your Shot
The United Nations established the World Health Organization [WHO] in 1948, and it has been commemorated each year as World Health Day. The organization’s principal mandates are to promote the health and wellbeing of all peoples, monitor public health risks and respond to emergencies, as well as advocate for universal healthcare.
During its tenure, the WHO has spearheaded the eradication of smallpox and almost completely, polio, and has been a leader in the formation of research to combat AIDS, Malaria and COVID-19.
Cease Firing
The first-ever successful interception of a short-range missile occurred in 2011 when the [IDF] Israel Defense Forces utilize their Iron Dome system against rockets fired from Gaza. Originally designed to intercept missiles from a range of 4 kilometres to 70 kilometres, Israel is working to increase the Iron Dome effectiveness to a distance of 250 km.
It was reported that before the end of 2012, the Iron Dome had shot down over 400 missiles launched at the tiny country. Though US experts warned the system was doomed to fail, Israel is now expanding the Iron Dome envelope to deploy additional interceptors at sea.
Musical Milestones
Always famous for his concert theatrics, Alice Cooper very nearly hanged himself for real in 1988 at London’s Wembley Stadium. During his gallows act, his supporting wire snapped and Alice was barely able to get his chin loosened until a roadie came to his rescue.
Narratives
Bob Dylan became the first ‘rock’ musician to be awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for “profound impact on popular music and American culture.” No kidding, eh.
Remembrance
Innovator of the assembly system for mass production of automobiles and equally reviled for his anti-semitic philosophies, Henry Ford died in 1947.
Notable Births
1915 —Eleanora Fagan became the tormented and much beloved Lady Day as Billie Holiday in her illustrious career.
1920 — The master of the sitar and responsible for bringing worldwide popularity to Indian music, Ravi Shankar
1939 — Francis Ford Coppola made a couple of decent movies. The Godfather and Apocolypse Now come to mind.
1954 —There’s not much that Jackie Chan can’t do. Aside from being an actor, stuntman, producer, and dancer, he also has an operatically trained singing voice.
1964 —The Gladiator, Master and Commander, Russell Crowe.
Today is also my wife’s birthday. I love you, Sandy!
Gotta Go!!!
K. Barrett Katie Wallace Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, PhD. Terry Trueman Dr Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster
The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present
