Monday, March 23, 2009

On this day

On this day in 1775, Patrick Henry gave a speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, ending with: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Of course, in an event which is a little closer to us, this is also the day that, in 1933, the German government passed the Enabling Act. This Act gave Chancellor Adolf Hitler the ability to create laws directly, without the legislature's participation.
Posted by Laserlight at 3:41 AM
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2 comments:

Availeth said...

And even a bit closer in time still, is this day in 1989 when I worked at the University of Utah inside the very office--oriented to patents--where two scientists on campus announced they'd discovered cold fusion. Cold fusion that could provide amazing energy and not blow the roof off the building or an abyss into the ground below. It was a day charged with energy, and I remember people were sending faxes from all around the world just to ask me what the weather was like, that's how much they wanted to talk to us. But the project was later held up to ridicule as it came to light the researchers were mis-reading, mis-interpreting the data. I felt so sorry for them later. It had been thrilling to think a cool new thing had been discovered only to find themselves mistaken and scorned. Ha, I could say that about things in my life too.

March 23, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Laserlight said...

Well, 20 years later, possibly there's something to this "cold fusion" thing.
http://www.livescience.com/technology/090323-cold-fusion.html

March 24, 2009 at 10:30 PM

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