Day Tripping: March 18
Across Town, Cross Country, and Out of This World
Welcome to my daily feature where each day on the calendar marks a part of our shared history.
Nickel Bus Ride
The first public transit system was introduced in Paris, France in 1662 when noted mathematician Blaise Pascal put an eight-seater carriage drawn by seven horses into service. The fare for a trip across town was Cinq Sous, equivalent to a five-cent piece, and was billed as Carosses a Cinq Sous.
The service remained in effect until 1675 when for undetermined reasons, it was discontinued.
Big Top Arrival
The Greatest Show on Earth travelling circus and spectacle debuted at Madison Square Garden in New York in 1881. The Barnum and Bailey creation which also went under the name Ringling Brothers ran successfully until its final performance in 2017. Under extreme pressure from animal rights activists for accused mistreatment of elephants and other circus animals, the big top was finally forced to drop its tent for the last time.
Unannounced Stroll
The Soviet Union space program produced another first in 1965 when Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human to walk in space. The ten-minute tethered venture outside the capsule nearly had a tragic ending, as Leonov discovered he could not re-enter feet first as planned. With incredible focus, the cosmonaut gradually released air pressure in his suit as he entered the craft headfirst, narrowly averting disaster.
Up until the time Leonov exited the space capsule, no public knowledge of his attempt to walk in space was announced. Aghast, his six-year-old daughter cried in horror as she saw her father on television leaving the ship.
Musical Milestones
A tractor-trailer is driving through Scranton, Pennsylvania one evening in 1965 when it loses control and crashes into cars, poles, and houses dumping its load all over Moosic Street. The tragic tale of the driver’s demise becomes a hit song for folksinger/songwriter, Harry Chapin called 30,000 Pounds Of Bananas.
Ironically, Chapin would die in a similar fashion while en route to a benefit concert. He was 38.
Narratives
The poem Tam o’ Shanter by Robbie Burns first appears in the Edinburgh Herald in 1791.
Remembrance
With one riff of a guitar and a hop-step across the stage, Chuck Berry would change the way music was enjoyed for generations to come. Mentor to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, Chuck passed in 2017.
Notable Births
1926 —Star of the Mission Impossible TV series and as the creepy pilot in Airplane, Peter Graves.
1941 —Another follower in the footsteps of Chuck Berry, Wilson Pickett broke genre boundaries with hit songs like In the Midnight Hour and Mustang Sally.
1970 — Triple threat star as a singer, dancer, and actress, Queen Latifah.
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 James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly
The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present
