Day Tripping: June 5

Axes, Aircraft, and Assassin

Burying The Hatchet

Crowds gathered outside the courthouse of Bedford, Massachusetts in 1893, and waited for hours on the chance of getting a seat to witness the trial of the 19th century. Most of that gallery of curious onlookers were women as the first day of trial for the double murders of Abby and Andrew Borden was about to commence. The accused was thirty-two-year-old spinster Lizzie Borden who had been arrested the previous August for the brutal axe murder of her father and Step-mother.

Seated in judgement was a jury of twelve men and three judges, also men. Women would not sit as jurors for another fifty years. Two weeks later, Lizzie Borden was acquitted of both murders from a lack of any physical evidence tying her to the crime. Even so, the legend of Lizzie and her axe continues today and it was never proved she committed the grizzly murders.

Preemptive Strike

As Egyptian ground forces massed on the Israeli border in 1967, the Six-Day War began as Israel’s Air Force launched a surprise attack on Egypt's still grounded fleet at key airfields. Having trained to fly sorties and return to quickly refit their aircraft, IAF jets were able to perform four missions a day, overwhelming the unprepared Egyptian Airforce. Israel’s initial goal was to reestablish the shipping lanes at the Straits of Tiran which Egyptian President Nasser had closed to Israel a month earlier.

With the success of the early sorties, Israeli ground forces pushed Egyptian regiments across the Sinai until Nasser ordered a full retreat from the region. At the same time, a group of Russian Marines had attempted to cross East from Port Said but were decimated by IAF strikes. Israel’s outnumbered troops also defeated Jordan’s professional army at the West Bank and claimed the Golan Heights on the Syrian border, all within five days.

Sibling Killing

Younger brother of the late President John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy had just won the California Primary in 1968 when he was shot three times in the ballroom of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Five other people were wounded when a Palestinian, Sihan, Sirhan opened fire from the .22 revolver he had hidden under a campaign poster.

Sirhan was immediately apprehended and he confessed to Bobby Kennedy’s murder. Sirhan later claimed Kennedy was a key player in the oppression of Palestinians. In 2016, he was denied parole for the fifteenth time at age 72.

Musical Milestones

While Pink Floyd was making the album Wish You Were Here at Abbey Road Studios in 1975, former member Syd Barrett showed up at the recording session. Oddly, most of the lyrics were written about Syd who had become the victim of excessive drug use, but nobody noticed when he slipped into the studio. He left again just as quietly.

Narratives

Cat Stevens performed in Greece for the last time under that name in 1976. The following year he changed his name to Yusuf Islam and began observing the Islamic faith.

Remembrance

Former actor turned President, Ronald Reagan passed away in 2004.

Novelist Ray Bradbury was the author of Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man, and his short story collection The Martian Chronicles. Bradbury died in 2012.

Notable Births

1947 — The music and art of Laurie Anderson defy description or genre.

1949 — Ken Follett began his writing career as a Spy novelist and became one of the best writers of Historical Fiction.

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 Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca

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