History Schmistory: September 25. Always take the garbage out!
Sunday, September 25, 2022
1930:Â Marco’s favorite 20th century poet/songwriter/cartoonist/performer Shel Silverstein is born, presumably where the sidewalk begins.
History Schmistory: September 24. @cs.com, y’all!!
Saturday, September 24, 2022
1979: Compu-Serve launches the first consumer internet service, which includes the first electronic mail service. They’re apparently still waiting for the interstate parties to catch on…
You checked your CS mail lately? Yeah neither have we. It’s been years. It’s probably all dusty and moldy and filled with venomous spiders.
CompuServe ad in Byte magazine, January 1983.
History Schmistory: September 23. Mario Kard?
Friday, September 23, 2022
1889: Nintendo is founded as a playing card company by Fusajiro Yamauchi, and soon introduces Hanafuda, a flowery card deck with a number of applicable games, including Tyson’s Punch-Out! 🙂
![I, Aldaron [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/800px-Koi-Koi_Setup.jpg)
I, Aldaron [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Cryptozoology Break! Kongamato
Thursday, September 22, 2022
In the Jiundu swamps of western Zambia, a legendary pterodactyl-like creature known as Kongamato (“overwhelmer of boats”) had been terrifying the natives for generations. This elusive creature was known to capsize boats and deliberately pursue and destroy any poor soul who laid eyes on it. A few early 20th century explorers reported seeing and often being attacked by these crazy ugly flying monsters. Similar sightings were reported from as far away as Mount Kilimanjaro. Today, the real truth about the Kongamato remains a mystery…
You say Kongamayto, I say Kongamahto, let’s get the heck outta here!
History Schmistory: September 22. Act now!
Thursday, September 22, 2022
1598: Playwright Ben Jonson, a contemporary of Billy Shakespeare, is arrested for killing an actor in a duel. Naturally, the actor only had his prop gun.
![By Joost J. Bakker from IJmuiden (Space Pilot X Ray Gun Uploaded by Oxyman) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/800px-Space_Pilot_X_Ray_Gun_made_by_Taiyo.jpg)
By Joost J. Bakker from IJmuiden (Space Pilot X Ray Gun Uploaded by Oxyman) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: September 21. The original prequel?
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
1937: J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is published. No Hobbits were harmed during the making.
![By Jeff Hitchcock (Flickr: Butterfly Catcher) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/800px-Hobbit_Hole.jpg)
By Jeff Hitchcock (Flickr: Butterfly Catcher) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: September 20. Spain’s Ba-a-a-ad Boys.
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
1920: Spain establishes the Spanish Foreign Legion, an elite unit of the Spanish Army. It’s mascot? A goat… Really?
![By Julio César Cerletti GarcÃa (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mybuffo/13993260346) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Mascot_of_the_Spanish_Legion.png)
By Julio César Cerletti GarcÃa (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mybuffo/13993260346) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
History Schmistory: September 4. La La Land!
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
1781: Los Angeles, California is founded as El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula, (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porziuncola), which seems like a silly name for a city, until you see this…
Photo by Eyreland (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Here are some more ridiculously long city names. Shouldn’t there be a limit? How irritating would it be to have to send a package to Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu?
History Schmistory: September 19. We’re not safe here.
Monday, September 19, 2022
1957: The US begins testing underground nukes. Burrowing animals across the globe react in horror.
History Schmistory: September 18. In fifteen hundred zero two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue for the last dadgum time!
Sunday, September 18, 2022
1502: Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica on his fourth and final voyage. And yes, he still thinks it’s Asia. Poor sap.
![Sebastiano del Piombo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.teammarcopolo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/498px-Christopher_Columbus.png)
Sebastiano del Piombo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
