Happy birthday, Gustave Eiffel

Called "the magician of metal", Gustave Eiffel was a French civil engineer. His company constructed several railway bridges, viaducts, and buildings. Most famously, his company designed and built the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. The company also built the metal framework for the Statue of Liberty in New York. Later, Eiffel made contributions in the fields of meteorology and aerodynamics. He was also lead singer for the '90s Europop group Eiffel 65--not really. 

He was born December 15, 1832. The second picture is from our 2019 visit, when I was stunned at how huge the tower is.

(See my July 2019 post: http://paulstroble.blogspot.com/2019/07/artsy-photos-of-eiffel-tower.html) 

80th Anniversary of Glenn Miller's Disappearance

Big band conductor, composer, arranger, and popular recording artist Glenn Miller, along with a friend and their pilot, disappeared 80 years ago today. Miller was in France and had experienced two flight cancellations. He was in a hurry to rejoin his unit. A friend invited him on his own flight and so Miller, without official authorization, joined them. The plane is presumed to have crashed into the English Channel but no wreckage was found. The next day, the Battle of the Bulge began, and so it took a few days for officials to figure out that Miller was on that missing flight. His wife Helen was notified on December 23, and a press release went out on December 24.

80th Anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge, aka the Ardennes Offensive, began eighty years ago--December 16, 1944--with a German surprise attack upon Allied troops in Belgium and Luxembourg. The Germans hoped to surround and destroy the four Allied armies and force a negotiated peace. Bad weather, fatigued Allied troops, and poor aerial reconnaissance made the area a good target for Axis forces. Although the offensive was broken by December 27, another month was required to return Allied forces to its previous front line. German armored forces never recovered. Allied casualties were 77,000-83,000, the third deadliest campaign in U.S. history, after the Normandy invasion and the Meuse–Argonne offensive of 1918. German casualties were 63,000-75,000+.

From: https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/daily-news-article/battle-of-the-bulge-one-of-the-bloodiest-battles-of-wwii/ Copied under fair use principles. 

Erasmus Darwin

Born December 12, 1731, Erasmus Darwin was an English physician, natural philosopher, physiologist, abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His long poem "The Botanic Garden" contained suggestions about biological evolution that influenced his famous grandson, Charles Darwin. Erasmus was also the great-grandfather of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Charles wrote and published a short biography of him in 1879. Here it is, published by Charles' London publisher John Murray, which published "Origin of Species" and all his several subsequent books.

Poem Against Racism

 One of my poems was the featured piece at the website of the Poets Against Racism & Hate group.  The poem, “Where Wisdom Calls,”  is a section of a longer work, was first published in Walking Lorton Bluff (Finishing Line Press, 2020). The poem was featured in the film "Poetry in Motion: St. Louis Poets Take the Mic" at the 22nd Annual Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase in July 2022.

https://poetsagainstracism-usa.org/4q-2024/

Leo X

 Pope Leo X (Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici) was born on this day in 1475. Leo spent crazy amounts of money, patronizing the arts and funding the War of Urbino. He is associated with the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, because his granting of indulgences for donors to St. Peter's reconstruction was criticized by Martin Luther in the latter's 95 Theses. Leo eventually issued a statement (the papal bull Exsurge Domine ("Arise, O Lord") condemning Luther's stance. This picture is Raphael, "Portrait of Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’Medici and Luigi de’Rossi", c. 1518.

Ezra Stiles of Yale

Born November 29, 1727, Ezra Stiles was a New England educator, minister, theologian, and author. He is considered one of the first great American college presidents. He served as Yale president from 1778 until his death in 1795. Stiles was also a cofounder of Brown University. He taught Hebrew and Aramaic at Yale; researched Native American culture; and corresponded with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson about science. I have a 1794 book that he wrote, about the three judges who signed King Charles' death warrant and who fled to America when the monarchy was restored. Ezra Stiles College at Yale was designed by architect Eero Saarinen of St. Louis Arch fame. Stiles is buried in New Haven.

Vilnius, Lithuania

 We visited Vilnius, Lithuania last week. Beth had a seminar, at which she gave a short talk on Title IX and gender-related issues. Here are some pictures!