On this day in 1812, a Boston-Gazette political cartoon coined the term “gerrymander” to describe bizarre salamander-shaped voting districts designed to help incumbents win. The practice is called gerrymandering because, like salamanders, the majority of politicians are slimy, cold-blooded lizards.
On this day in 1981, a jury awarded Carol Burnett $1.6 million from a libelous “National Enquirer” tabloid story. However, the Alien Space Baby secretly adopted by Hillary Clinton is still awaiting justice.
On this day in 1827, legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven died in Vienna; since then he has been resting peacefully in his grave; however, he has been known on occasion to roll over.
On this day in 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk went on CBS Radio to announce that he had developed a vaccine against polio. When he mentioned that the cure required a vaccine injected with a needle … nobody started a nationwide anti-vax crusade. (Note: Polio was deemed officially eliminated in the U.S. in 1979, but now is reportedly making a comeback.)
On this day in 1892, poet Walt Whitman died at age 72 after catching a wicked case of polio from rolling around on his lawn while updating his masterpiece “Leaves of Grass.” (Video: Robin Williams summons the enduring art and spirit of “Dead Poet” Whitman by reading “Oh Me, Oh Life” to his students and asking / challenging them, “What will your verse be?”)
Today’s Birthdays:
Tennessee Williams (1911-1983): playwright, born in Mississippi, where childhood friends included Virginia Slim, Washington Irving and Minnesota Fats.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930–2003): first woman Supreme Court Justice; received Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama in 2009, an award now tarnished because Trump gave one to Rush Limbaugh, a raging bigot who called women “feminazis.”
Diana Ross, 80: singer with the Supremes, hit the bottom of the charts in 1970 with “Ain’t No Gutter Low Enough.”
Steven Tyler, 76: rock singer; his band Aerosmith won a Grammy in 1994 for “Livin’ on the Edge,” but is now soooo old … they just got a Grampy nomination for “Assisted Livin’ on the Edge.”