MAY 25 — 1977 Star Wars released; 1862 Stonewall Jackson victorious at 1st Battle of Winchester; 1922 Babe Ruth gets suspended/1935 makes last home run; 1803 Happy Birthday Ralph Waldo Emerson; 2015 Arizona man wins world record for longest leghair
MAY 25
1977 – Star Wars is released.
…Let the nerdness begin! George Lucas scored bigtime with this one.
Quiz time everyone! Warning to geeks: this quiz may be too easy for you. Sorry. This quiz is in audio format, so you kinda have to listen to the show.
1862—One of the greatest generals
…of all time scores a victory at the First Battle of Winchester. According to shenandoahatwar.org, General Stonewall Jackson’s victory on May 23 at Front Royal placed the Confederate Army on Federal Gen Nathaniel P. Bank’s right flank, forcing him to abandon his strong position at Strasburg to prevent being cut off from his base at Winchester. Once Banks reached a Winchester, he attempted to reorganize his men and defend his base from the hills on the south side of the town. As Jackson’s Army approached the Federal defenses from the south, Gen. Richard Ewell’s Confederate division converge on Winchester from the southeast.
On May 25, Ewell attacked Camp Hill, while the Louisiana Brigade of Jackson’s Army outflanked and overran the Union position on Bowers Hill. As both lines gave way, panic spread through the Federal ranks as Banks’ men raced through the streets of Winchester in an attempt to escape. Bank’s shattered army withdrew north across the Potomac River. D
uring the battle and the subsequent retreat Banks lost more than 2000 men along with most of his supplies while Confederate casualties were only about 400.
2015 Jason Allen of Tucson AZ wins longest disgusting body part. A leg hair measuring 22 inches.
1922 – The Sultan of Swat Babe Ruth
…is suspended one day and fined $200 for throwing dirt on an ump. You can’t do that? Hmm.. Oh c’mon let’s get a real story on Babe!
1935 — He hit his last home run, Braves v Pirates. He started with the Red Sox 22 seasons prior but achieved his greatest fame with the Yanks. The Bambino established lots of records, including career home runs at 714, slugger percentage, .690, RBIs 2213, bases on balls 2062 and on-base plus slugging at 1164. His slugging percentage and OPS recorded still stand to this day. Babe Ruth was one of the first five inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Like a boss!
1803 – Happy Birthday essays, lecturer and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.
…Ralph Waldo Emerson who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century; which was all about the inherent goodness of both people and nature. Don’t tell the earthquake that! He was seen as a chapm9ion of individualism and a perceptive critic of the countervailing pressures of society. His central doctrine was “the infinitude of the private man”. He remains one of the linchpins of the American Romantic Movement and he has influenced countless others.
In other literary news…
1932 – Happy birthday Goofy!
…Originally called Dippy Dawg, this Walt Disney anthropomorphic dog with a turtle neck and vest debuts in a Mickey Mouse cartoon.