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The Surgeon General’s report declared nicotine as addictive as cocaine (1988), the Cultural Revolution began in China (1966), the first Academy Awards were held (1929), Andrew Johnson was acquitted of impeachment charges (1868), Edgar Allen Poe married his cousin (1836), root beer was invented (1866), Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette met for the first time (1770), the Sedition Act of 1918 was passed and later repealed, SpaghettiOs® were introduced (1965), and Junko Tabei became the first woman to climb Everest (1975).
A US Surgeon General’s report came out stating that nicotine is addictive just like cocaine. (1988) The addictive properties of nicotine were still a matter of debate in the 1980s and the report came as a shock to many.
The Cultural Revolution began in China. (1966) Mao Zedong’s government issued the May 16 Notification, which stated that the “Great Cultural Revolution” had been launched, with warnings against “revisionist” thinking. The notification was originally available only to the highest-ranking party members, but was widely circulated within a year, leading to mass demonstrations where books and belongings representing the old society were destroyed.
The first Academy Awards ceremony was held. (1929) The winners had been announced three months earlier in trade magazines, so the event didn’t have the suspense element it has now. Tickets for the event cost $5 US Dollars (USD), and the silent film Wings took home the Best Picture Oscar.
Andrew Johnson was acquitted of “high crimes and misdemeanors”. (1868) The deeply unpopular Johnson had been charged with 11 articles of impeachment. The Senate was one vote short of convicting Johnson, and he was acquitted of all charges.
Edgar Allen Poe married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia. (1836) The two were devoted to each other until her death of tuberculosis some ten years later. Virginia was the inspiration for some of Poe’s most famous poems, including Annabel Lee, Ulalume and Lenore.
Root beer is said to have been invented. (1866) One of the most popular forms of root beer is said to have been invented by Charles Elmer Hines during his honeymoon on this day. Although similar drinks were already being made all over the United States, Hines’ version was the first to make it big.
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette met after being married for almost a month. (1770) The two had been married by proxy on April 19, but met for the first time in France on this day when Antoinette’s guardians handed Louis over to her.
The Sedition Act of 1818 was passed. (1918) Act made it illegal to criticize the United States government, flag, or military in wartime, with a prison sentence as a possible punishment. The act was repealed two years later.
SpaghettiOs® has arrived on the market. (1965) The canned spaghetti product was meant to be a more “kid-friendly” option due to the round “o” shape. A lot of research went into determining the perfect shape of SpaghettiOs® and rejected designs included stars, astronauts, sport shapes and cowboy shapes.
The first woman to climb Everest. (1975) Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei was the first Japanese woman and person to reach the top of the mountain. In 1992 she became the first woman to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
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