History Thread

[shafnutz05]

Thought it might be fun to have a thread devoted to general history for all of yinz history buffs. I thought about using the military one but figure that is better suited to military history specifically.

50 years ago today:

[dodint]

Sirhan Sirhan is only 74, still alive and incarcerated.

[tifosi77]

I thought there already was a history thread.

Oh wells, Chris Matthews was gangbusters on the Bobby Kennedy thing yesterday (he just wrote an RKF book), stating several times that yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination. I guess maybe if you take into account timezone differences? Anyway, I've always regarded RFK as perhaps the greatest 'what if' in presidential history. He definitely would've had an uphill battle, but it's an interesting counterfactual to ponder.

[tifosi77]

Sirhan Sirhan is only 74, still alive and incarcerated.

And not legally responsible for murder, according to him, despite being detained at the scene with the gun still in his hand. Apparently "I can't remember shooting that guy and four other people" is now a viable argument for parole.

[shafnutz05]

I thought there already was a history thread.

I think there may have been, but I gave up after about five minutes. Way too general of a keyword to try and find it.

[dodint]

The history thread was started by NAN but rebranded as the Military History thread almost immediately; because F NAN.

It still shows up if you search for "history" and select "Topic Titles Only."

[shafnutz05]

Interestingly, the RFK assassination may have been the first incidence of Arab terrorism in the United States. RFK was a staunch supporter of Israel, which enraged Sirhan. The shooting was also on the one-year anniversary of Israel's victory in the Six Day War.

[tifosi77]

Yeah, I was wondering if Shaf was just scrolling pages. If you search keyword 'history' and filter topic titles only in Off Topic, there are only like four or five results.

[Dickie Dunn]

Cyril Wecht was on DVE this morning talking about the RFK assassination. He's also giving a talk about it tonight at Point Park. Interesting stuff. Apparently there's all kinds of highly supported theories regarding a second shooter, Sirhan's innocence and susceptibility to hypnotism, lady in a polka dot dress, etc. Regardless of the validity of any of them, RFK Jr. doesn't believe Sirhan was the shooter and wants the case reopened.

[tifosi77]

I was in high school when the 25th anniversary of the JFK assassination happened, and I got way into reading about it. Read a bunch of conspiracy theory books and whatnot, and ultimately came to the conclusion that Wecht is possibly an insane person.

[eddy]

Heading to Fort Necessity with the kids next week and then Gettysburg the week after. They got bit by the history bug, so this is going to be a blast!

[NAN]

The history thread was started by NAN but rebranded as the Military History thread almost immediately; because F NAN.

It still shows up if you search for "history" and select "Topic Titles Only."

**** you

[Willie Kool]

I was in high school when the 25th anniversary of the JFK assassination happened, and I got way into reading about it. Read a bunch of conspiracy theory books and whatnot, and ultimately came to the conclusion that Wecht is possibly an insane person.

Which is exactly what the conspirators want people to believe...

[Viva la Ben]

51 years ago today the Pittsburgh Penguins officially joined the NHL.

[Viva la Ben]

74 years ago today the allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in Nazi occupied France.

[Silentom]

I would say that this post is history, but somehow it manages to be the future.

[eddy]

74 years ago today the allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in Nazi occupied France.

I was showing my kids some pictures and talking about it this morning with them. I tear up anytime I try and put myself in my Grandpa's shoes going through this. Time wise, it's not that long ago, but it feels like you are looking back on a different planet when you start looking at everything.

[Viva la Ben]

It’s something you appreciate more the older you get. My grandfather fought in WW2, and he passed away when I was 10; I never talked with him about his experiences.

[eddy]

It’s something you appreciate more the older you get. My grandfather fought in WW2, and he passed away when I was 10; I never talked with him about his experiences.

Same with me, I go through all of his stuff with my Grandma when I go over to see her and it's really cool reading all the letters and seeing the nazi guns he took from bodies. I got some of the stuff from my Grandma, but he didn't even talk to her about it. Oddly enough, one of the first times I went to the in-laws for Christmas, I wasn't feeling well and stayed home with my wifes Grandpa while everyone went to midnight mass. I don't know what happened, but he started talking to me and telling me about all the friends he lost and all of these incredible stories that he never told anyone about and since then has talked openly about everything.

[eddy]

While on family vacation in Chicago, I got to touch a piece of the bridge which my grandpa was one of the last people over during the battle of Remagen, so that was an unexpected emotional surprise.

[Troy Loney]

I thought there already was a history thread.

Oh wells, Chris Matthews was gangbusters on the Bobby Kennedy thing yesterday (he just wrote an RKF book), stating several times that yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination. I guess maybe if you take into account timezone differences? Anyway, I've always regarded RFK as perhaps the greatest 'what if' in presidential history. He definitely would've had an uphill battle, but it's an interesting counterfactual to ponder.

I think he would have won, Didn't Humphrey actually come pretty close to beating Nixon in '68?

[Orlando Penguin]

CNN just ran a series of 4 hourlong shows about 1968 from the Vietnam War to the assassinations of King and RFK to the shitshow that was the Democratic convention in Chicago to the election itself. You can probably find it on-demand. A lot of fascinating and enlightening stuff.

[eddy]

https://twitter.com/marinamaral2/status ... 5573993472
Archeologist spends over 35 years building enormous scale model of Ancient Rome. Scale 1:250. Most of it is based on the Forma Urbis, a huge marble topographical plan made during the empire of Septimius Severus.

[Lemon Berry Lobster]

https://twitter.com/marinamaral2/status ... 5573993472
Archeologist spends over 35 years building enormous scale model of Ancient Rome. Scale 1:250. Most of it is based on the Forma Urbis, a huge marble topographical plan made during the empire of Septimius Severus.

[tifosi77]

I thought there already was a history thread.

Oh wells, Chris Matthews was gangbusters on the Bobby Kennedy thing yesterday (he just wrote an RKF book), stating several times that yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination. I guess maybe if you take into account timezone differences? Anyway, I've always regarded RFK as perhaps the greatest 'what if' in presidential history. He definitely would've had an uphill battle, but it's an interesting counterfactual to ponder.

I think he would have won, Didn't Humphrey actually come pretty close to beating Nixon in '68?

The challenge he faced was getting the Democratic nomination. Through ten or so primaries before his death, he had only won four of them, and was like 150 delegates behind Humphrey. (There were only 14 or 15 primaries at the time)

In the general, both Humphrey and Nixon got around 43% of the vote.