*960 – The coronation of Zhao Kuangyin as Emperor Taizu of Song, initiating the Song dynasty period of China that would last more than three centuries. *1555 – John Rogers is burned at the stake, becoming the first English Protestant martyr under Mary I of England. *1703 – In Edo (now Tokyo), all but one…
Month: February 2019
EYES TO THE SKY February 4 – 17, 2019
Every day, a ball of fire crosses the sky. This bizarre reality was so flabbergasting in ancient times that people could relate to it only with worship. The Aztecs and Egyptians were far from alone in regarding the Sun as a god. The Persians, Incas, and Tamils (of southern India) also elevated the Sun to…
Appellation Rail
Question for Big Apple Trivia Buffs: What does New York have only six of, although it might be due for a seventh? The answer was the focus of a discussion at the January 22 meeting of Community Board 1, where Transportation Committee Reggie Thomasnoted that, “Pace University’s assistant vice present of government and community relations,…
February 1
1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer. 1662 – The Chinese general Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. 1861 – American Civil War: Texas secedes from the United States. 1865 – Abraham…
Setting Priorities
This Sunday (February 3), Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou will host her annual Legislative and Budgetary Town Hall to discuss priorities for the Albany lawmaking session that began earlier this month. That session has already seen the passage of measures relating to election reform, reproductive choice, gender rights, and financial aid for undocumented students, among other…