Tuesday Comings and Goings

First day of February? I can't keep up with these quickly passing days.

Today in history:

1587 – The Colony of Roanoke Island is established by the landing of Sir Walter Raleigh. This Colony would become known as the "Lost Colony"
1790 – In New York City, the Supreme Court of the United States attempts to convene for the first time.

I like the attempts to convene...I can't find out why that is. Looks like it did convene on February 2, 1790.

1793 – French Revolutionary Wars: France declares war on the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
1796 – The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York.
1884 – The first volume (A to Ant) of the Oxford English Dictionary is published.
1893 – Thomas A. Edison finishes construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, New Jersey.
1942 – World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.

Why is that last interesting? Every heard of a quisling? It's not really used anymore, but a quisling is a snitch: a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government. I learned it ages ago by watching Errol Flynn's Edge of Darkness. I guess sometimes Hollywood really can teach you something, huh.

2003 – Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

I remember watching this on TV because I had off for a snow day.