Day Tripping: February 21

Handywork, Handringing, and Handshakes

Welcome to my daily feature where each day on the calendar marks a part of our shared history.

Monumentous Occasion

On the day before George Washington’s birthday in 1886, the obelisk monument to bear his name is dedicated on the grounds of the National Mall. Completed as a joint public and privately funded effort two years earlier, the Washington Monument was at that time the world’s tallest structure.

The original design had only a set of steps that spiralled up the 500-foot interior. Then after closing the monument for a time, a steam-powered elevator was installed in 1888, later to be replaced by a modern electrical system. The obelisk stands shadowless in its place of honour, as befitting the stature of its namesake.

Meaningless Killing

While preparing to give a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem in 1965, a man carrying a sawed-off shotgun rushed the stage and opened fire, killing civil rights activist, Malcolm X. Once the leader of the organization called Nation Of Islam (NOI), Malcolm had fallen out and left the group.

Malcolm X was a Muslim and an orator of ideas that promoted the self-determination of black people not just in the United States, but around the world. Many mistook his ideals as violent in nature, but at only thirty-nine when he was killed, Malcolm X was never able to fully expound his theories.

In his biography of Malcolm X, author Manning Marable wrote, “He did not preach violence, he preached self-defence” adding, “America has never been nonviolent with black people so instead of accusing Malcolm of being violent, we need to ask America about its violence.”

It was believed at the time that the assassination was the work of former NOI group members, but a swirl of conspiracy theories and contradictory accounts have put the reason for his death in question.

Meeting In The East

After more than twenty years of non-communication, President Richard M. Nixon sets foot on Chinese soil in 1972 with a state visit to the People’s Republic. Recognizing an opportunity to leverage America’s stance with the Soviet Union, Nixon’s tour of Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai with his wife Pat gave the West its first glimpses inside the PRC in over twenty-five years.

Almost immediately upon his arrival in Beijing, President Nixon was called to meet with Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong. As a spark for future normalized relations between the two superpowers, Nixon himself called the trip “the week that changed the world”.

For that reason at least, he was right as it began the era of China’s opening to the world, and changed the balance of power of the Cold War.

Musical Milestones

1995 — For the first time in seven years, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band reunite to perform Murder Incorporated live, teasing audiences that a band reunion was imminent. It took about four more years to make it stick.

Narratives

A German based group called the Communist League in London is the first to publish The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in 1848.

Remembrance

Frederick Banting was a Canadian Nobel Prize laureate for medicine and discoverer of Insulin with colleague, Charles Best. He died in Newfoundland in 1941.

Four time Stanley Cup champion defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tim Horton died in a single car crash on his way home after a game in 1974. He will always be remembered as one of the toughest hombres ever to strap on a pair of skates, a darn fine doughnut maker.

Notable Births

1946 —Alan Rickman gained fame as Die Hard’s memorable villain Hans Gruber, and went on to play Professor Snape of Hogwarts.

1955 — If you know the phrase, ‘toss salad and scrambled eggs’ then you know Kelsy Grammer who played Frasier for years on Cheers and then in his own series.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article dedicated to the days of our history. I hope to see you tomorrow for another instalment.

K. Barrett Katie Wallace Maria Rattray Joseph M. Learned 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