The election of 1968 was one of the closest ever in American history, with Nixon winning 31.7 million votes, Humphrey 31.2 million votes and Wallace a few more than 10 million votes. Compared to the 1968 convention, with its many similarities, the 2024 convention in Chicago was relatively calm. To be sure, no matter how it’s read, the year 1968 was a dark time in our American history.
The 2024 Olympics opened last week in Paris, but a lot of history has taken place during the last century that is worthy of note. Here are two stories I told you about in past columns.
In case you missed this particular class in third grade, let me tell you about a true American patriot: Elizabeth Griscom “Betsy” Ross, who was born Jan. 1, 1752.
American baseball owes a great deal of its existence to Albert Goodwill Spalding. You may have seen the name Spalding on a number of sports equipment, namely baseballs, players’ gloves and a number of other related sports items, including rule and history books. Spalding played, managed and owned baseball teams and was the co-founder of today’s National League. He even has ties to San Diego.
For those who don’t know it, the late KGTV Channel 10 news anchor Jack White not only was a class act as a news reporter, but he was a master magician as well.
There’s a good deal of obscure city names scattered across America that are derived from either native inhabitants or from early 17th and 18th century French explorers and trappers. Here are two more examples: Truckee and Des Moines.
In case you missed this particular class in third grade, let me tell you about a true American patriot: Elizabeth Griscom “Betsy” Ross, who was born Jan. 1, 1752.
Today, there are far fewer journalistic eyes and ears monitoring all levels of our government since the demise of our local newspapers. We always end up deserving the kind of government we’ve allowed to take place.
Thoughts of the approaching 2023 Christmas take me back more than eight decades of my life. I recall the anticipated booty that never appeared on the dreamscape during my 1940s and early ’50s. Of course, in those days, what toy land wonders we didn’t know about weren’t missed.
When I was a boy, my grandfather could look up at the sun and tell within 30 minutes what time it was. He’d check himself by looking at his pocket watch as the trains came through town. In those days, the weather and time were the main topics of conversation on a day-by-day basis. Those two subjects continue to dominate our lives.
When baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig went on tour in 1934 in baseball-crazy Japan, some in the U.S. sporting world wondered why Moe Berg, a third-rate catcher, was included on the team.
Today’s humorless “woke” culture makes it almost impossible for anyone to poke fun at anyone on the political spectrum without being shouted down by some portion of the population. That is to say, it’s a good thing Will Rogers isn’t tossing off his incisive barbs these days when so many folks search for reasons to be offended.
