Other Things Happening November 3

Summary

The website content reflects on the historical significance of November 3, its personal connections, and the importance of voting.

Abstract

The article titled "Other Things Happening November 3" acknowledges the gravity of election day in deciding critical issues such as democracy, rights, and climate change, while also highlighting notable historical events that occurred on this date. It mentions the founding of the Times of India, the adoption of SOS as a distress signal, the premiere of Shostakovich's 8th Symphony, the first television broadcast of "The Wizard of Oz," the launch of the Mariner 10 rocket, and the author's father's birthday. The author uses these events to emphasize the importance of individual participation in democracy, particularly through voting, and recounts personal anecdotes about learning the significance of voting and civic engagement from their father.

Opinions

The author believes that voting is crucial to the future of democracy and various rights, despite the anxiety-inducing nature of such thoughts.
Celebrating historical events on November 3 is seen as a way to appreciate the day beyond the immediate context of the election.
The author's father is remembered as a staunch advocate for civic duty, emphasizing the power of individual voices in shaping government decisions.
The author suggests that writing to representatives can be impactful, implying that officials take such communications seriously and that one voice can indeed make a difference.
The personal story of being amazed by the transition from black and white to color in "The Wizard of Oz" illustrates the author's belief in the profound impact that new experiences can have.
The article conveys a sense of loss for the author's father while also using his legacy to inspire readers to vote and engage in the democratic process.

But you did vote, right?

Yes, today decides the future of democracy, women’s and BIPOC rights, surviving climate change, and so much more. But leaving all that aside for a moment, mainly because it makes me insane to think about it, I want to celebrate a few other things that happened on November 3rd.

In 1620, the Great Patent was granted to Plymouth Colony, which got this whole shebang started.

In 1838, the Times of India was founded, originally called the Bombay Times, which came out biweekly. The Times is the oldest English-language newspaper in India, and the BBC ranked it among the top six newspapers of the world. It is still produced as a daily printed broadsheet newspaper, as well as digitally.

In 1906 in Berlin, the International Radiotelegraph Conference chose SOS as the worldwide symbol for distress. In Morse Code, SOS is indicated by the code: dot-dot-dot, dash-dash-dash, dot-dot-dot (or if you’re speaking it: dit-dit-dit, dah-dah-dah, dit-dit-dit). My Dad taught us this code when we were kids, and had us practice tapping it with a rock on a metal bar to remind us how we could signal for help if we fell down a well or something. We practiced the code with flashlights, too.

In 1943 in Moscow, Dmitri Shostakovich’s 8th Symphony premiered. Shostakovich composed modern dissonant music. After Stalin heard his 4th Symphony, and hated it, Shostakovich was denounced by the music establishment (including by critics who formerly praised his work). He lost most of his income and began to compose more conservative music, and slowly regained favor. During the Second World War, when the tide was turning in favor of the Red Army, the government wanted a triumphal symphony. Instead, Shostakovich composed the 8th Symphony, “the ultimate in somber and violent expression.” He was denounced again, and his music was declared anti-Soviet and banned for a dozen years. Listen here.

In 1956, “The Wizard of Oz” was first televised. Although it was a flop in the theaters when it came out in 1939, it became a huge seasonal hit on television. We watched it every year. One time, we went to another family’s house to watch it together. I didn’t know they had a color TV. The movie begins in black and white, the same as every other TV show I had ever seen. But when Dorothy opens the door into Oz, Oz is in color! We were bowled over, because we’d never seen anything like it before in our lives. That was the first time in my life I ever felt flabbergasted.

In 1973, the Mariner 10 rocket launched, to take the first pictures from Venus, and to make the first mission to Mercury.

November 3rd was also my Dad’s birthday, and though he’s been gone for 16 years, I still think of him all the time. One of the things he was fierce about was that it is our civic duty and our privilege to vote and to participate in our government. He taught me to attend City Council meetings, so I could learn the process of how citizens request new stop signs or protest demolitions.

Do you think one voice can’t make a difference? My Dad wrote letters to local, state and national representatives all the time. He said they calculate that one letter equals 100 constituents in a small field, to 1,000 or more constituents in a larger field. Once my Dad wrote asking that a dam not be built, because it would spoil the fishing on that river. His representative sent a letter in return, saying, “You are the only constituent who voiced an opinion on this issue, so I have voted against the dam, as you requested.”

Your voice matters! If you haven’t already done so, please vote!