There is always much to learn from quotes and their historical significance. Read on for a collection of quotes and general history from October 20th – 26th.
October 20, 1973
“There is no doubt that the Sydney Opera House is his masterpiece. It is one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, an image of great beauty that has become known throughout the world – a symbol for not only a city, but a whole country and continent.”
– The Pritzker Prize for architect Jørn Utzon
On October 20, 1973, the Sydney Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the complicated structure was one of the first uses of computer-aided design (CAD). Design challenges put the project 10 years late and more than 13X over budget, costing 102 million Australian dollars, but ultimately delivered one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century. Today, the Sydney Opera House is a UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by more than 8 million people each year!
October 21, 1805
“England expects that every man will do his duty.”
– Horatio Nelson
The Battle of Trafalgar was fought on October 21, 1805, between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the Napoleonic Wars. The British fleet, led by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, lost none of their ships while sinking or capturing 22. This discrepancy was due in large part to Nelson’s departure from the typical naval strategy of the time. Instead of a single line of ships engaging parallel to the enemy fleet, Nelson used two lines and attacked perpendicular to the enemy’s line. Although the British were victorious, Nelson was shot and died during the battle.
October 22, 1935
“The Long March is a manifesto. It has proclaimed to the world that the Red Army is an army of heroes, while the imperialists and their running dogs, Chiang Kai-shek and his like, are impotent. It has proclaimed their utter failure to encircle, pursue, obstruct and intercept us. The Long March is also a propaganda force. It has announced to some 200 million people in eleven provinces that the road of the Red Army is their only road to liberation.”
– Mao Zedong
On October 22, 1935, the Long March ended with the arrival of the Communist Party of China’s Red Armies in Shaanxi, known in China as the “union of the three armies”. While retreating from Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) army, the Long March reportedly traveled more than 5,600 miles (9,000 km) over 370 days. Although only about 10% of the Red Army completed the journey, Mao Zedong’s leadership established himself as the new leader of the party for the following decades. Roderick MacFarquhar called the Long March “the greatest strategic retreat in military history”.
October 23, 1911
“So it was that the war in the air began. Men rode upon the whirlwind that night and slew and fell like archangels. The sky rained heroes upon the astonished earth. Surely the last fights of mankind were the best.”
– H. G. Wells, “The World Set Free”, 1914
The first use of airplane reconnaissance occurred on October 23, 1911, during the Italo-Turkish War. The mission was flown over the Turkish lines in Libya by Italian pilot Captain Carlo Piazza. Although aerial reconnaissance began in the 1860s using balloons, airplanes quickly became the preferred method during World War I.
October 24, 1648
“There shall be a Christian and universal peace, and a perpetual, true, and sincere amity, between his Holy Imperial Majesty, and his most Christian Majesty [the king of France]; as also, between all and each of the allies…”
– The Peace of Westphalia
On October 24, 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was finalized, ending the Thirty Years’ War and most other European wars of religion. In the decades prior, overlapping religious wars throughout Europe claimed the lives of approximately eight million people. Following the treaties signed in Westphalia, a new era of political order rose in Europe with peaceful coexistence between sovereign states. Westphalian principles, particularly the idea of sovereign states, have since become central to international law.
October 25, 1929
“I have no trouble with my enemies. I can take care of my enemies in a fight. But my friends, my goddamned friends, they’re the ones who keep me walking the floor at nights!”
– President Warren G. Harding
On October 25, 1929, President Warren G. Harding’s former Secretary of the Interior, Albert B. Fall, was convicted of accepting bribes in the Teapot Dome scandal. The bribes came from private oil companies in exchange for cheap leases of oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming and two locations in California. Fall was the first presidential cabinet member to be convicted of a crime committed while in office. As a result of the investigation, Congress passed legislation allowing the House and Senate the power to subpoena tax records of any US citizen. Prior to Watergate, the Teapot Dome scandal was often considered the most sensational scandal in the history of American politics.
October 26, 1881
“Wyatt Earp stood up and fired in rapid succession, as cool as a cucumber, and was not hit.”
– The Tombstone Epitaph
The famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral happened on October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. In just 30 seconds, about 30 shots were fired between lawmen and a group of outlaws called the Cowboys. The lawmen were Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday. On the side of the Cowboys were Tom and Frank McLaury, Billy and Ike Clanton, and Billy Claiborne. Both McLaurys and Billy Clanton were killed, while Virgil, Morgan, and Doc were wounded. Initially, the shootout did not receive much publicity. However, since the publication of Stuart Lake’s biography “Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal”, it has become one of the most famous shootouts of the American Wild West. Interestingly, the shootout did not actually take place at the O.K. Corral but has been known by that name ever since the 1957 film “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral”.
In case you missed last week’s quotes, see History October 13th – 19th.
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