***

Today in History:

1789 - George Washington transmits the proposed Constitutional amendments (The United States Bill of Rights) to the States for ratification.

1889 - 1st Pan American conference (Washington DC)

1950 - 1st strip of Charlie Brown, "Li'l Folks," later "Peanuts" in 9 papers

1967 - Thurgood Marshall sworn in as 1st black Supreme Court Justice

 

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Just a Reminder:

 

Constitution for the United States of America

 

 

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

 

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Study the rest  http://constitution.org/constit_.htm

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Today in History:

1867 - Karl Marx' "Das Kapital," published

1908 - Henry Ford introduces Model T car (costs $825)

1934 - Adolph Hitler expands German army & navy & creates an air force, violating Treaty of Versailles

1957 - First appearance of "In God We Trust" on U.S. paper currency.

1968 - Mom is born!

 

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The Wisdom of William Shakespeare 

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Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.

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A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.

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To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.

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How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

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Today in History:

1890 - US stops minting $1 & $3 gold coin & 3 cent piece

1892 - 1st public appearance of John Philip Sousa's band (NJ)

1938 - Hitler issues ultimatum to Czech government, demanding Sudenten Land

2000 -  Lynn is born!

 

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Better to illuminate than merely to shine,

to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.

Thomas Aquinas

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Lessons from the Greats

 

James Madison

Recently, historians have begun to pay more attention to Madison, seeing his handling of the war as similar to Lincoln's wartime management. Madison's government marshaled resources, faced down secessionist threats from New England, and proved to the British the folly of fighting wars with the Americans. He established, once and for all, respect for American rights on the high seas and emerged from the war with more support than he had when he was first inaugurated in 1808. Had Madison been assassinated by a British sympathizer a week after the Battle of New Orleans or killed by the British in resisting their attack on the White House, he would have died a national hero.

Also, historians note in Madison a flexibility of temperament—equaling Jefferson's practical mood—which did not undermine his basic principles.

http://millercenter.org/president/madison/essays/biography/9

 

 



 

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Today in History:

1796 - George Washington's farewell address as president

1849 - 1st commercial laundry established, in Oaklan, California

1928 - Mickey Mouse's screen debut (Steamboat Willie at Colony Theater NYC)

1947 - Jackie Robinson is named 1947 "Rookie of Year"

 

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A nation divided against itself cannot stand.

Abraham Lincoln

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The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796

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Read the Rest of G. Washington's Speech! 

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp

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Today in History:

1793 - Pres Washington lays cornerstone of Capitol building

1810 - Chile declares independence from Spain (National Day)

1850 - Congress passes Fugitive Slave Law as part of Compromise of 1850

1895 - Booker T Washington delivers "Atlanta Compromise" address

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All the great things are simple, and many can be expres

sed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
-Winston Churchill

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Lessons from the Greats

 

Atlanta Compromise, 1895

A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal,“Water, water; we die of thirst!” The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” A second time the signal, “Water, water; send us water!” ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” And a third and fourth signal for water was answered, “Cast down your bucket where you are.” The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River. To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in a foreign land or who underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southern white man, who is their next-door neighbor, I would say: “Cast down your bucket where you are”— cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded. -Booker T. Washington

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/39/

 

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Today in History:

1630 - The city of Boston, Massachusetts is founded.

1787 - US constitution adopted by Philadelphia convention

1862 - Battle of Antietam, bloodiest day in Civil War (Sharpsburg Md), 23, 110 die

1939 - Russia invades Eastern Poland, takes 217,000 Poles prisoner

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We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. 

-Albert Einstein

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Lesson from the Greats

Domestic Affairs

       In Thomas Jefferson's mind, the first order of business for him as President was the establishment of a "wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another" but which would otherwise leave them alone to regulate their own affairs. He wanted a government that would respect the authority of individual states, operate with a smaller bureaucracy, and cut its debts. Jefferson also felt that the country should eliminate Hamilton's standing army by relying on a "disciplined militia" for national defense against invasion. Most importantly, he believed that good government would promote "the encouragement of agriculture." Commerce, in his mind, should be the "handmaiden" of agriculture rather than its driving force.

     Accordingly, he reduced, though not substantially, the 316 employees subject to presidential appointment while leaving intact most of the nation's 700 clerks and 3,000 postal workers. The Army was cut to two regiments, one infantry and one artillery (3,500 total), with similar reductions in the Navy. He pressured Congress to abolish the direct tax of 1798 and to repeal the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were still in operation. To emphasize his opposition to the acts, Jefferson personally pardoned the ten victims of those laws who were still in prison. Even after paying $15 million in cash for the Louisiana Purchase (see Foreign Affairs section), the national debt fell from $80 million to $57 million during his two years of service.

http://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/essays/biography/4

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Today in History:

1321 - Dante Alighieri, Italian poet (Divine Commedy), dies at 56

1741 - George Frederick Handel finishes "Messiah" oratorio, after working on it non-stop for 23 days

1814 - Francis Scott Key inspired to write "Star-Spangled Banner"

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"America will never be destroyed from the outside.  If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Abraham Lincoln
***
Lessons from the Greats

Taking a Global Position

In 1789, the French Revolution sent shock waves across the Atlantic. Many Americans, mindful of French aid during their own struggle for independence, supported returning the favor. At the same time, the British were once again inciting Native Americans to attack settlers in the West, hoping to destabilize the fledgling Republic. American anger in response to these attacks served to reinforce sentiments for aiding France in any conflict with Great Britain. Washington was leery of any such foreign entanglement, considering his country too weak and unstable to fight another war with a major European power. His insistence on neutrality in foreign quarrels set another key precedent, as did his insistence that the power to make such a determination be lodged in the presidency.
Within days of Washington's second inauguration, France declared war on a host of European nations, England among them. Controversy over American involvement in the dispute redoubled. The Jefferson and Hamilton factions fought endlessly over the matter. The French ambassador to the U.S.—the charismatic, audacious "Citizen" Edmond Genet—had meanwhile been appearing nationwide, drumming up considerable support for the French cause. Washington was deeply irritated by this subversive meddling, and when Genet allowed a French-sponsored warship to sail out of Philadelphia against direct presidential orders, Washington demanded that France recall Genet.

*http://millercenter.org/president/washington/essays/biography/5

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Today in History:

122 - Building begins on Hadrian's Wall

1224 - Francis of Assisi is afflicted with stigmata.

1847 - American-Mexican war: US Gen Winfield Scott captures Mexico City

 

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"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius -and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."

Albert Einstein

 

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Today in History:
1624 - 1st submarine tested (London)
1940 - 4 teens, following their dog down a hole near Lascaux France discover 17,000-year-old drawings now known as Lascaux Cave Paintings
1953 - Sen John F Kennedy, 36, marries Jacqueline Bouvier, 24

A Saint's Feast Day:  St Guy de Anderlecht

As a child Guy had two loves, the Church and the poor. The love of prayer growing more and more, he left his poor home at Brussels to seek greater poverty and closer union with God. He arrived at Laeken, near Brussels, and there showed such devotion before our Lady's shrine that the priest besought him to stay and serve the Church. Thenceforth, his great joy was to be always in the church, sweeping the floor and ceiling, polishing the altars, and cleansing the sacred vessels. By day he still found time and means to befriend the poor, so that his alms-giving became famous in all those parts. A merchant of Brussels, hearing of the generosity of this poor sacristan, came to Laeken, and offered him a share in his business. Guy could not bear to leave the church; but the offer seemed providential, and he at last closed with it. Their ship, however, was lost on the first voyage, and on returning to Laeken, Guy found his place filled. The rest of his life was one long penance for his inconstancy. About the year 1033, finding his end at hand, he returned to Anderlecht, in his own country. As he died, a light shone round him, and a voice was heard proclaiming his eternal reward.
Daily Quotes:

"Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn." -Benjamin Franklin

"Corruption is worse than prostution.  The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country." -Karl Kraus

Today in History:
1557 - Catholic & Lutheran theology debated in Worm
1941 - Construction of the Pentagon begins (completed 15 Jan 1943)
2001-Terrorists hijack two passenger planes crashing them into New York's World Trade Towers causing the collapse of both & death of 2,752 people
-Terrorists hijack a passenger plane and crash it into the Pentagon causing the death of 125 people
-Attempt by passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93 to retake control of their hijacked plane from terrorists causes plane to crash in Pennsylvania field killing all 64 people onboard

 

"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.  These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve." -George W. Bush

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Paphnutius

The holy confessor Paphnutius was an Egyptian who, after having spent several years in the desert under the direction of the great St. Antony, was made bishop in the Upper Thebaid. He was one of those confessors who under the Emperor Maximinus lost the right eye, were hamstrung in one leg, and were afterwards sent to work in the mines. Peace being restored to the Church, Paphnutius returned to his flock, bearing all the rest of his life the glorious marks of his sufferings for the name of his Crucified Master. He was one of the most zealous in defending the Catholic faith against the Arian heresy and for his holiness. As one who had confessed the Faith before persecutors and under torments, he was an outstanding figure of the first General Council of the Church, held at Nicaea in the year 325. Paphnutius, a man who had observed the strictest continence all his life, is said to have distinguished himself at the Council by his opposition to clerical celibacy. Paphnutius said that it was enough to conform to the ancient tradition of the Church, which forbade the clergy marrying after their ordination. To this day it is the law of the Eastern Churches, whether Catholic or dissident, that married men may receive all Holy Orders below the episcopate, and continue to live freely with their wives. St. Paphnutius is sometimes called "the Great" to distinguish him from other saints of the same name; the year of his death is not known.  (catholic.org)

"The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten."

-Calvin Coolidge

Today in History:
1846 - Elias Howe patents sewing machine
1919 - NYC welcomes home Gen John J Pershing & 25,000 WW I soldiers1950 - Joe DiMaggio becomes 1st to hit 3 HR in a game at Griffith Stadium

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Frrancis de Morales

Dominican martyr of Japan. A native of Madrid, Spain, he served in the Dominican mission in Satsuma, Japan, for two decades. In 1608, he went to Fushima and in 1614 to Nagasaki. He was burned alive with Blessed Charles Spinola and companions. Francis was beatified in 1867.  (catholic.org)


Daily Quotes:

"Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty." -Plato

"There is danger from all men.  The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty." -John Adams

Today in History:

1492 - Columbus' fleet sets sail west
1776 - Continental Congress renames "United Colonies," "US"
1850 - California becomes 31st state

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Peter Claver

St. Peter Claver was born at Verdu, Catalonia, Spain, in 1580, of impoverished parents descended from ancient and distinguished families. He studied at the Jesuit college of Barcelona, entered the Jesuit novitiate at Tarragona in 1602 and took his final vows on August 8th, 1604. While studying philosophy at Majorca, the young religious was influenced by St. Alphonsus Rodriguez to go to the Indies and save "millions of perishing souls."

In 1610, he landed at Cartagena (modern Colombia), the principle slave market of the New World, where a thousand slaves were landed every month. After his ordination in 1616, he dedicated himself by special vow to the service of the Negro slaves-a work that was to last for thirty-three years. He labored unceasingly for the salvation of the African slaves and the abolition of the Negro slave trade, and the love he lavished on them was something that transcended the natural order.

Boarding the slave ships as they entered the harbor, he would hurry to the revolting inferno of the hold, and offer whatever poor refreshments he could afford; he would care for the sick and dying, and instruct the slaves through Negro catechists before administering the Sacraments. Through his efforts three hundred thousand souls entered the Church. Furthermore, he did not lose sight of his converts when they left the ships, but followed them to the plantations to which they were sent, encouraged them to live as Christians, and prevailed on their masters to treat them humanely. He died in 1654.

 

Daily Quotes:

 

"Behavior is the mirror in which everyone shows their image." -Goethe

Today in History:
1504 - Michelangelo's David is unveiled in Florence
1926 - League of Nations Assembly voted unanimously to admit Germany
1930 - Richard Drew creates Scotch tape
1943 - Gen Eisenhower announce unconditional surrender of Italy in WW II

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Adrian

It is said that while presiding over the torture of a band of Christians, he asked them what reward they expected to receive from God. They replied, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). He was so amazed at their courage that he publicly confessed his faith, though he had not himself yet been baptised. He was then immediately imprisoned himself. He was forbidden visitors, but accounts state that his wife Natalia came to visit him dressed as a boy to ask for his prayers when he entered Heaven.^[4] Later, Christians took Adrian's body and buried him on the outskirts of Byzantium, at Argyropolis.
Natalia went to live there herself, taking one of Adrian's hands which she
had recovered. When she herself died, she was buried with the martyrs.

Daily Quotes:

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." -Abraham Lincoln

Today in History:

70 - Roman army under Titus occupies & plunders Jerusalem
1813 - "Uncle Sam" was 1st used to refer to US (Troy Post of NY)
1822 - Brazil declares independence from Portugal (National Day)
1936 - Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) begins operation

A Saint's Feast Day:   St. Cloud

On the death of Clovis, King of the Franks, in the year 511 his kingdom was divided between his four sons, of whom the second was Clodomir. Thirteen years later he was killed fighting against his cousin, Gondomar, leaving three sons to share his dominions. The youngest of these sons of Clodomir was St. Clodoald, a name more familiar to English people under its French form of Cloud from the town of Saint-Cloud near Versailles. When Cloud was eight years old, his uncle Childebert plotted with his brother, to get rid of the boys and divide their kingdom. The eldest boy, Theodoald was stabbed to death. The second, Gunther fled in terror, but was caught and also killed. Cloud escaped and was taken for safety into Provence or elsewhere.

Childebert and his brother Clotaire shared the fruits of their crime, and Cloud made no attempt to recover his kingdom when he came of age. He put himself under the discipline of St. Severinus, a recluse who lived near Paris, and he afterwards went to Nogent on the Seine and had his heritage where is now Saint-Cloud. St. Cloud was indefatigable in instructing the people of the neighboring country, and ended his days at Nogent about the year 560 when he was some thirty-six years old. St. Cloud's feast day is September 7th.   (catholic.org)

 

Daily Quotes:

 

"History is a relentless master.  It has no present, only the past rushing into the future.  To try to hold fast is to be swept aside."  -John F. Kennedy

 

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom.  I hope you will make good use of it. -John Quincy Adams

Today in History:

1866 - Frederick Douglass is 1st US black delegate to a national convention
1899 - Carnation processes its 1st can of evaporated milk
1941 - All Jews over age 6 in German territories ordered to wear a star

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Eleutherius

A wonderful simplicity and spirit of compunction were the distinguishing virtues of this holy man. He was chosen abbot of St. Mark's near Spoleto, and favored by God with the gift of miracles. A child who was possessed by the devil, being delivered by being educated in his monastery, the Abbot said one day: "Since the child is among the servants of God, the devil dares not approach him." These words seemed to savor of vanity, and thereupon the devil again entered and tormented the child.

The Abbot humbly confessed his fault, and fasted and prayed with his whole community till the child was again freed from the tyranny of the fiend. St. Gregory, the Great, not being able to fast on Easter-eve on account of extreme weakness, engaged this Saint to go with him to the church of St. Andrew's and offer up his prayers to God for his health, that he might join the faithful in that solemn practice of penance.

Eleutherius prayed with many tears, and the Pope, coming out of the church, found that he was enabled to perform the fast as he desired. It is also said that St. Eleutherius raised a dead man to life. Resigning his abbacy, he died in St. Andrew's monastery in Rome about the year 585.

 

Daily Quotes: 

 

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."

-Alexis de Toqueville

 

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." -James M. Barrie

 

Today in History:

1774 - 1st Continental Congress assembles, in Philadelphia
1839 - The First Opium War begins in China.
1914 - Battle of Marne (WW I) begins: Germans chase out Russians
1939 - FDR declares US neutrality at start of WW II in Europe

A Saint's Feast Day:  Bledded Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta,^[1] born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was an Albanian–born Indian Roman Catholic nun. "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."^[2] In late 2003, she was beatified, the third step toward possible sainthood. A second miracle credited to Mother Teresa is required before she can be recognized as a saint by the Catholic church.^[3][4] Mother Teresa was fluent in five languages, Bengali, the local language of the people of Calcutta (Kolkata),^[5] English, Albanian, Serbo-Croat, and Hindi.^[6]
Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic religious congregation, which in 2012 consisted of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries. Members of the order must adhere to the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and the fourth vow, to give "Wholehearted and Free service to the poorest of the poor". The Missionaries of Charity at the time of her death had 610 missions in 123 countries including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programmes, orphanages and schools. (wikipedia)

Daily Quotes:

"We all want progress, but if you're on the rong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive." -C.S. Lewis

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy." -Isaac Newton

Today in History:

1882 - 1st district lit by electricity (NY's Pearl Street Station)
1886 - Apache Chief Geronimo surrenders ending last major US-Indian war
1893 - English author Beatrix Potter 1st tells the story of Peter Rabbit

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Rosalia

St. Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, was a descendant of the great Charlemagne. She was born at Palermo in Sicily. In her youth, her heart turned from earthly vanities to God. She left her home and took up her abode in a cave, on the walls of which she wrote these words: "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." She remained there entirely hidden from the world.

She practiced great mortifications and lived in constant communion with God. Afterward she transferred her abode to Mount Pellegrino, about three miles from Palermo, in order to triumph entirely over the instincts of flesh and blood, in sight of her paternal home. She is said to have appeared after death and to have revealed that she spent several years in a little excavation near the grotto. She died alone, in 1160, ending her strange and wonderful life unknown to the world. Her body was discovered several centuries later, in 1625, during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII. Her feast day is September 4th.

 

                      Daily Quotes:

"Keep love in you heart.  A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead."

-Oscar Wilde

 

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."
-Henry David Thoreau

 

 

 

Today in History:

590 - St Gregory I begins his reign as Catholic Pope
1783 - Treaty of Paris signed (ending US Revolutionary War)
1791 - French Constitution passed by French National Assembly
1939 - Great Britain & France declare war on Germany after invasion of Poland

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Pope Gregory the Great

St. Gregory, born at Rome about the year 540, was the son of Gordianus, a wealthy senator, who later renounced the world and became one of the seven deacons of Rome. After he had acquired the usual thorough education, Emperor Justin the Younger appointed him, in 574, Chief Magistrate of Rome, though he was only thirty-four years of age.

After the death of his father, he built six monasteries in Sicily and founded a seventh in his own house in Rome, which became the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew. Here, he himself assumed the monastic habit in 575, at the age of thirty-five.

After the death of Pelagius, St. Gregory was chosen Pope by the unanimous consent of priests and people. Now began those labors which merited for him the title of Great. His zeal extended over the entire known world, he was in contact with all the Churches of Christendom and, in spite of his bodily sufferings, and innumerable labors, he found time to compose a great number of works. He is known above all for his magnificent contributions to the Liturgy of the Mass and Office. He is one of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church. He died March 12, 604. He is the patron of teachers.

 

Daily Quotes:

 

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."  -Aristotle

 

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence." -Abigail Adams

 

"People usually think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and ingrained opinions, but generally act according to custom." -Francis Bacon

Today in History:

31 BC - Final war of the Roman Republic: Battle of Actium - off the western coast of Greece, forces of Octavian defeat troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra
1666 - Great Fire of London begins at 2am in Pudding Lane, 80% of London is destroyed
1789 - US Treasury Department established by Congress
1901 - VP Theodore Roosevelt advises, "Speak softly & carry a big stick"

A Saint's Feast Day:       St. Antoninus

Martyr and hermit. Antoninus is listed as a stonemason in Aribazus, Syria. He denounced the pagan practices of his fellow townspeople and went to live as a hermit for two years. Antoninus then returned to his village and destroyed the pagan idols. He fled the town and built a church in Apamea, Syria, where he was murdered. Both Apamea and Pamiers claim this saint.

Daily Quotes:

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.  Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."  -Helen Keller

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared."  -Buddha

Today in History:
 
69 - Traditional date of destruction of Jerusalem
1715 - King Louis XIV of France dies after a reign of 72 years—the longest of any major European monarch.
1752 - Liberty Bell arrives in Philadelphia
1807 - Aaron Burr acquitted of charges of plotting to set up an empire
1939 - WW II starts, Germany invades Poland, takes Danzig
 
A Saint's Feast Day:   St. Giles
 

St. Giles is said to have been a seventh century Athenian of noble birth. His piety and learning made him so conspicuous and an object of such admiration in his own country that, dreading praise and longing for a hidden life, he left his home and sailed for France. At first he took up his abode in a wilderness near the mouth of the Rhone river, afterward near the river Gard, and, finally, in the diocese of Nimes.

He spend many years in solitude conversing only with God. The fame of his miracles became so great that his reputation spread throughout France. He was highly esteemed by the French king, but he could not be prevailed upon to forsake his solitude. He admitted several disciples, however, to share it with him. He founded a monastery, and established an excellent discipline therein. In succeeding ages it embraced the rule of St. Benedict. St. Giles died probably in the beginning of the eighth century, about the year 724.

 
 
Daily Quotes:
 
"Wisdom begins in wonder." -Socrates
 
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second by imitation, which is easiest; and Third by experience, which is bitterest."  -Confucius

Today in History:

1422 - Henry VI, becomes King of England at the age of 9 months.
1535 - Pope Paul II deposed & excommunicated King Henry VIII
1895 - 1st pro football game (QB John Brallier paid $10 & won 12-0)

A Saint's Feast Day:   St. Aidan

Aidan of Lindisfarne, born in Ireland, may have studied under St. Senan before becoming a monk at Iona. At the request of King Oswald of Northumbria, Aidan went to Lindisfarne as bishop and was known throughout the kingdom for his knowledge of the Bible, his learning, his eloquent preaching, his holiness, his distaste for pomp, his kindness to the poor, and the miracles attributed to him. He founded a monastery at Lindisfarne that became known as the English Iona and was a center of learning and missionary activity for all of northern England. He died in 651 at the royal castle at Bamburgh.   (catholic.org)

Daily Quote:  
"Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is."  -Francis Bacon

    

Today in History:

1682 - William Penn left England to sail to New World
1854 - John Fremont issues proclamation freeing slaves of Missouri rebels
1967 - US Senate confirm Thurgood Marshall as 1st black justice

A Saint's Feast Day:   St. Bononius

Saint Bononio (or Bononius) (died August 30, 1026) was a Benedictine abbot and saint of the Catholic Church. A native of Bologna, he was a disciple of Saint Romuald. Romuald sent him to preach in Egypt and Syria.
Bononio settled in Cairo. Here he assisted the local population build a few Christian churches. When Peter, bishop of Vercelli, was captured by Arab forces after the Battle of Stilo, Bononio assisted in the bishop's release. Bononio returned to Italy after spending some time in the Sinai as a hermit, and was named by Peter abbot of the monastery of Lucedio. At Lucedio, he restored discipline amongst the monks and provided for the surrounding population.  (wikipedia)

Daily Quotes:

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to stay silent."
-Victor Hugo

"Music is the shorthand of emotion." -Leo Tolstoy

"There's nothing like music to relieve the soul and uplift it."  -Mickey Hart

Today in History:

1786 - Shay's Rebellion in Springfield, Mass
1898 - The Goodyear tire company is founded.
1949 - USSR explodes its 1st atomic bomb

A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Candida

A martyr of the Ostian Way, Rome. Candida's remains are enshrined in St. Praxedes church, and were blessed by Pope St. Pasehal I in the ninth century. She was one of a group of martyrs
slain on the Ostian Way outside the gates of Rome.

Daily Quotes:

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." -Douglas Adams

"Experience without theory is blind, but theory without experience is mere intellectual play."
   -Immanuel Kant

Today in History:
 
1883 - Slavery banned throughout British Empire
1907  - UPS is founded by James E. Casey in Seattle, Washington.
2005 - Hurricane Katrina hammers the south eastern United States, especially New Orleans, Louisiana, and coastal Mississippi
 
A Saint's Feast Day:  St. Augustine of Hippo
 
This famous son of St. Monica was born in Africa and spent many years of his life in wicked living and in false beliefs. Though he was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived and though he had been brought up a Christian, his sins of impurity and his pride darkened his mind so much, that he could not see or understand the Divine Truth anymore. Through the prayers of his holy mother and the marvelous preaching of St. Ambrose, Augustine finally became convinced that Christianity was the one true religion. Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Antony, and he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"
St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often and prayed with great fervor right up until his death. "Too late have I loved You!" he once cried to God, but with his holy life he certainly made up for the sins he committed before his conversion.  (catholic.org)
 
 
Daily Quotes:

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."  -C.S. Lewis
 

"When you choose your friends, don't be short-changed by choosing personality over character."  -W. Somerset Maugham