Day Tripping: March 9

Bombing, Blasting, and Blondes?

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

Mass Destruction

Over three hundred Superfortress B-29 bombers were stripped of all guns except for rear turrets to fly faster and carry larger capacities totalling 120000 firebombs which were dropped on the city of Tokyo in 1945. The planes flew in darkness over suburban Shitamachi at five hundred feet and unleashed the 2000 ton load, killing approximately one hundred thousand citizens.

Lasting a little longer than three hours, the raid left ill-equipped emergency crews devastated and a total carnage of blood-red mist that made pilots physically ill.

Massive Rebuke

During his television broadcast of See It Now in 1954, Edward R. Murrow used the entire half-hour show to expose Joseph McCarthy’s dangerous behaviour with the Senator’s own words. At the time, Murrow was the most respected journalist in America.

At the end of the montage outlining McCarthy’s campaign of fear, the newsman’s monologue concluded in part, “We proclaim ourselves, as indeed we are, the defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world, but we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.” One can’t help wonder where those fearless voices of today were.

Debut For The Masses

The American International Toy Fair of 1959 in New York was the stage fr the introduction of an eleven-inch doll with a blonde ponytail. Barbie was perhaps the most equally successful, and most controversial toy of a generation.

Ruth Handler created the toy as a three-dimensional alternative to the paper doll in the image of an adult German doll named Lilli.

Musical Milestones

The album Philosophy of the World is recorded in 1969 by The Shaggs, featuring three sisters Dorothy, Helen, Betty, and Rachel. Mostly considered to be the worst album ever recorded, it was hailed by Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain as one fo their all-time favourites.

Narratives

Following a campaign French writer and champion of religious tolerance Voltaire, a Paris court of judges exonerate John Calas in 1765 for the murder of his son three years after Calas was executed for the crime. Calas’ son had actually committed suicide.

Remembrance

Former soldier and sometimes polarizing Prime Minister of Israel, Menachem Begin died in 1992, He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with his Egyptian counterpart, Anwar Sadat for their work on bringing peace between the two nations.

Notable Births

1943 — Champion chess player Bobby Fischer was a phenom from the age of thirteen, and a reclusive enigma for twenty years before returning to meet Boris Spassky in a rematch.

1945 —Former guitar player and singer for Procol Harum, Robin Trower is born in England.

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 James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus