The first 911 call was made in 1968. Nylon was patented in 1937 by Wallace H. Carothers. Fidel Castro became Prime Minister of Cuba in 1959. The first computer bulletin board system went online in 1978. Kim Jong-il was born in 1941. Other events include Joseph Stalin scolding the UN in 1951, NBC airing its first nightly newscast in 1948, the French government passing a standardization law in 1859, and Chopin playing his last concert in 1848. The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk was founded in 1868.
The first 911 call was made. (1968) A national emergency number had not really been needed until the 1960s, as most telephone calls were still connected by operators. The first 911 call was made by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite to Tom Bevill, who was on hold at the city police station. The first 911 phone was a bright red model, to differentiate it from a regular phone.
Joseph Stalin scolded the UN. (1951) Stalin issued a statement saying the UN was getting too aggressive and was being controlled by “warfighters” in the West. He also said that a world war “wasn’t inevitable at this time,” although it could become so if Western warmongers continued their actions. It was his first comment on the Korean War, which had been going on for about a year, and was seen as a secret request for negotiations by Western analysts.
Nylon has been patented. (1937) The now common synthetic material was patented by Wallace H. Carothers, a researcher for DuPont. He also helped produce the first synthetic rubber, neoprene, and was instrumental in the development of synthetic silks. Sadly, Carothers committed suicide after a long battle with depression by drinking cyanide-laced lemon juice.
NBC aired its first nightly newscast. (1948) The program was called Camel Newsreel Theater and consisted of 10 minutes of Fox Movietone newsreels. It was one of the first nightly newscasts and its successor, the Camel News Caravan was the first newscast to show color footage.
The French government has passed a standardization law. (1859) Act placed A above middle C at a pitch of 435 hertz, and was one of the first widely accepted pitch standards. The law was apparently passed in response to singers who complained that the pitch of the concert was raising and straining their voices.
Fidel Castro sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba. (1959) Former dictator, Batista, had fled the country the month before after massive riots. Castro’s rise to power was welcomed by Cubans, but not by the United States, which responded quickly with a trade embargo on the country that lasted well into the 21st century.
The first computer bulletin board system (CBBS) went online. (1978) CBBSs were the predecessors of modern chat rooms, and there were many differently themed and members-only CBBSs. Although they really reached their peak in the 1980s, some CBBSs were still active in the 2000s.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elk was founded. (1868) Colloquially known as the Elks, the fraternal order has over 1 million members. Famous moose include Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, Lawrence Welk and Vince Lombardi.
Chopin played his last concert. (1848) Frédéric Chopin was a quintessential Romantic composer and was known for his emotional and soulful pieces. Chopin’s death a few months later, although tragic, was not unexpected: his painter friend Hector Berlioz said: “He was dying all his life”.
Kim Jong-il is born. (1941) Kim Jong-il is the son of the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung. He became the head of the country when his father died, and became the figurehead of a cult of personality, much like the one that had surrounded his father.
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