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JANUARY 6 — 1759 Happy Anniversary George and Martha Washington; 1994 Nancy Kerrigan attacked; 2010 Michael Jackson best selling artist of year (Nielson Soundscan)
JANUARY 6
1912 — New Mexico becomes America’s 47th state. The Pueblos had lived in the area for at least 20,000 years. In 1540 Spanish explorers led by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado med native Apaches who heavily resisted the Spanish settlers. During the 1600s the Natives would drive the Spanish out but they would just come back in years later.
In 1821 Mexico achieved independence from Spain and Americans began settling in, then in 1846 the Mexican-American war broke out and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo would ceded New Mexico to the United States and in1853 the territory became its present size through the Gadsden Purchase. The Apache and Navaho continued the resistance to white settlers but finally in 1886 the apaches surrendered. Finally on this date in 1912 New Mexico joined the United States.
In New Mexico, the town of Gallup is called the Indian capital of the World and boasts one of the finest Mexican restaurants I’ve ever eaten. Can’t remember the name off the top of my head, sorry. Mining and scientific research top the big money makers for the state; New Mexico contains natural resources including oil, natural gas, copper, gold, zinc, silver and uranium. Speaking of uranium, New Mexico is where the first atomic bomb was unleashed at White Sands. White Sands is not Sand actually, but rather white gypsum crystals. Hatch is the chili capital of the world, and despite popular belief the aliens went to Hatch, not Roswell.
The reason why the aliens landed there is simple: if you’ve ever tried the chili, you’d travel across galaxies to get there too. Smokey the Bear is also from New Mexico, he was a little cub rescued in a forest fire. The Navajo has a reservation that covers 14 million acres. Finally, only in New Mexico will you find ten thousand year old arrows today’s space age missiles.
1759 – Happy Anniversary George and Martha Washington!
Of all the decisions he’s ever made, that might have been the best, I’m guessing probably the easiest. Martha had just lost her husband a year and a half prior to her marriage to George. When she was 18, Martha married a wealthy man named Daniel Custis, who was 20 years her senior. She helped to manage his 17,000 estate with 100 slaves, and have four children with him; two that would die in infancy. In 1757 Daniel died, leaving Martha the widow of two children. George, who was born just a few months before Martha, at the time was already a well-respected soldier who acted with bravery and courage while fighting for the British during the French and Indian Wars.
They were both 26 when they met. Most women in Virginia grew up illiterate during the 18th century, but not Martha, who had a good education and could read, write, and do basic math. She missed her late husband, but wanted to be married again.
George, who actually had his eyes on Sally Fairfax next door, realized once Sally married another man that it was time for him to take the concept of marriage seriously. And as pretty as Sally may have been, Martha was extraordinary. George’s half-brother Lawrence had just passed, leaving him Mount Vernon. He visited Martha a couple times at her place, and on this day in 1759 they tied the knot. Where George showed strength and leadership, Martha showed elegance and nurture. Life as newlyweds couldn’t have been better at Mt. Vernon. George and Martha completely renovated and spared no expense. The children, Jacky and Patsy, led a very comfortable childhood. After the Revolution broke out, Martha would get together with the wives of other senior officers and they would help out in any way they could with medical supplies, water, and food. I
n 1778 she joined her husband at Valley Forge. Martha’s daughter Patsy had died of an epileptic seizure when she was a teenager. Jacky had already gotten married to his wife Nelly and they had six children together. Jacky wanted to join his stepfather in battle, but only a few days after he enlisted in1781 he developed camp fever and died. That was Martha had outlived all of her children. Not only that, but three out of her six grandchildren were had also died of illness. George told her to go back to Mt. Vernon. The war continued for seven long years, after which they settled down in Mt. Vernon, but of course not for long as it became clear that George would have to lead this new country. For thousands of years the world knew only royalties and quasi-royalties.
But America was a Republic. Mrs. W was no queen, so it was unclear how she should act. She decided to simply be herself. Being the first lady wasn’t easy. In addition to dealing with colonial paparazzi, Martha and George were greatly concerned about their image. Finally, after completing his second term, President and First first lady Washington retired to their vines and fig trees at Vernon. George died December 14, 1799, and Martha died May 22 1802, with granddaughter Nellie at her side. European powers took note immediately of Lady W and the tone she set. She didn’t have the attitude of an English monarch, and she wasn’t about to tell the people to let them have their cake like Marie Antoinette was doing in France. Martha had already managed her own plantation, thank you very little.
She was graceful and simple, intelligent, motherly, and she set an example for the rest of the world. In other world, and that example was American.
1994 –Kerrigan attacked. Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan had a rival named Tanya Harding. Harding had an ex-husband named Jeff Gillooly who met with Shawn Eckardt and plotted to take Kerrigan out of Olympic contention. Eckardt met with Derrick Smith and Shane Stant who arranged the attack.
On December 28, Stant arrived in Massachusetts where Nancy was practicing but went to the wrong location and screwed the whole plan up. So Smith caught up with her in Detroit with a baton in hand, and as Nancy was walking out of the skating rink after practice, The Whack was heard round the world! He managed to bruise her leg instead of breaking it, which was his intention, but it was good enough. Nancy was out of contention and Harding was in. Stant turned in Smith to the authorities, then Smith turned in Gillooley, then Gillooly turned in Harding. Tanya’s career would never be the same after that, unless you include her subsequent boxing career.
2010 — According to Nielsen SoundScan’s final 2009 figures, Michael Jackson was the best selling artist of the year, moving 8,286,000 units. Forty years after their break-up, The Beatles were still the best selling group, thanks to their remastered catalog which sold 3,282,000 copies. Digital downloads however, were a different story. Lady Gaga was the queen of the downloads, selling 15,297,000 digital tracks. The Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift all finished in the vicinity of 12 million digital units.