Day Tripping: May 24

Cork Poppers

Celebration Getaway

Future Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent was born in 1819. At the young age of eighteen, Queen Victoria began a sixty-three-year reign in 1837. Her father Edward was the fourth son of King George III, but when the three eldest sons were unable to produce surviving heirs, Victoria was next in line to ascend to the throne.

At one time her reign was the longest of any British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II surpassed the milestone in 2015. Queen Victoria is an important figure in the history of Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth. She oversaw the new nation’s confederation in 1867. Canadians celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend every year, appropriately honouring her memory by driving to cottages and drinking copious amounts of beer. Packs of 24 beer in Canada are called two-fours, so it fits. Happy Birthday, ER!

Bridging The Gap

Brooklyn and Manhattan, New York were connected for the first time after the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. The dedication ceremony to officially open the bridge was presided over by President Chester Arthur, and Governor of New York, Grover Cleveland. The largest suspension bridge ever built for the time was fourteen years in construction.

Spanning a precedent-setting 1,595 feet over the East River, the bridge’s two massive towers provided an iconic New York landmark. Often called the eighth wonder of the world, the Brooklyn Bridge saw an estimated 250,000 people walk across it within the first day of operation.

Wining To Win

The Judgment of Paris is a euphemism given to the wine tasting competition held yearly in France which was organized by a British wine expert and merchant, Steven Spurrier. Judging of various wines is conducted through blind taste tests where each type is given a score out of twenty. At the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, caused a surprise as three of the categories were topped by California wines.

The winning Chardonnay, Bordeaux, and Cabernet Sauvignon signaled the end of French dominance over fine wine production and introduced California as a new force in the industry.

Musical Milestones

Lead singer and guitar player Marc Bolan was the last original member of the psychedelic rock band T Rex when he played his final concert in Stockholm, Sweden in 1977. Sadly, Bolan would become an unwitting member of the ill-fated 27 club when he died in a car accident a few months later.

Narratives

Music fans were shocked when Gord Downie, lead singer for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip announced he was suffering from glioblastoma, terminal brain cancer in 2016. He had kept his illness private since the previous December while undergoing treatment. His announcement set in motion a final tour which culminated in an extremely emotional nationally televised show in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario.

Remembrance

Three music legends died on this day a span of eleven years. Blues greats Elmore James in 1963, Sonny Bot Williamson II in 1965, and jazz genius Duke Ellington in 1974. All three have left us a rich legacy of superb music.

Notable Births

1941 — Bob Dylan was born in Minnesota as Robert Zimmerman

1943 — Everybody loved Radar O’Reilly, Gary Burghoff

1944 — Soul sister extraordinaire, Patti LaBelle

1945 — Priscilla Presley was Elvis’ main squeeze.

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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