Good morning.

Wednesday will bring an even chance of thunderstorms and a high of eighty to Whitewater. Sunrise was at 5:21 a.m. and sunset will be at 8:25 p.m. We’ll have a waning gibbous moon with 73% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1953, an exploration triumph:

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth. The two, part of a British expedition, made their final assault on the summit after spending a fitful night at 27,900 feet. News of their achievement broke around the world on June 2, the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and Britons hailed it as a good omen for their country’s future….

On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary set out, setting up high camp at 27,900 feet. After a freezing, sleepless night, the pair plodded on, reaching the South Summit by 9 a.m. and a steep rocky step, some 40 feet high, about an hour later. Wedging himself in a crack in the face, Hillary inched himself up what was thereafter known as the Hillary Step. Hillary threw down a rope, and Norgay followed. At about 11:30 a.m., the climbers arrived at the top of the world.

On this day in 1848, America adds another state:

1848 – Wisconsin Enters the Union
On this date Wisconsin became the 30th state to enter the Union with an area of 56,154 square miles, comprising 1/56 of the United States at the time. Its nickname, the “Badger State,” was not in reference to the fierce animal but miners who spent their winters in the state, living in dugouts and burrowing much like a badger. [Source: “B” Book I, Beer Bottles, Brawls, Boards, Brothels, Bibles, Battles & Brownstone by Tony Woiak, pg. 37]

Google-a-Day asks a question of religion (and politics): “What entity appointed the 11th Panchen Lama, the second-ranked religious leader to Tibetans?”

Good morning.

Tuesday will be a day of thunderstorms and a high of seventy for Whitewater. We’ll have rainfall accumulations between a quarter and half of an inch.

On this day in 1754, Lt. Col. George Washington finds himself at the beginning of the Seven Years’ War:

…a 22-year-old lieutenant colonel of the Virginia militia named George Washington successfully defeats a party of French and Indian scouts in southwest Pennsylvania as Virginia attempts to lay claim to the territory for its own settlers. The action snowballed into a world war and began the military career of the first American commander in chief.

The Ohio Valley had long been a contested territory among French Canadians, various Indian groups and the British colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia. When the French began to establish fortifications along the river and refused Virginia’s written demand that they depart, Virginia’s governor, Robert Dinwiddie, dispatched Washington to complete and defend a Virginian fort at the forks of the Ohio.

Upon their arrival, Washington discovered that a scouting party led by the French ensign, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville was nearby. Fearing that Jumonville was planning an attack, Washington struck first, successfully ambushing the small party. In one of history’s murkier moments, Jumonville was murdered by Washington’s Indian ally, Tanaghrisson, while the monolingual Washington struggled to interrogate the French-speaking Canadian….

Google-a-Day poses a history question: “What was the title of the father of the first child born to the sister of the British monarch who ascended the throne in February 1952?”

Good morning.

Memorial Day holds an even chance of showers for Whitewater, primarily in the afternoon. The holiday will be otherwise cloudy with a high of sixty-one.

On this day in 1703, Peter the Great founds St. Petersburg:

After winning access to the Baltic Sea through his victories in the Great Northern War, Czar Peter I founds the city of St. Petersburg as the new Russian capital.

The reign of Peter, who became sole czar in 1696, was characterized by a series of sweeping military, political, economic, and cultural reforms based on Western European models. Peter the Great, as he became known, led his country into major conflicts with Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Sweden. Russian victories in these wars greatly expanded Peter’s empire, and the defeat of Sweden won Russia direct access to the Baltic Sea, a lifelong obsession of the Russian leader. With the founding of St. Petersburg, Russia was now a major European power–politically, culturally, and geographically. In 1721, Peter abandoned the traditional Russian title of czar in favor of the European-influenced title of emperor. Four years later, he died and was succeeded by his wife, Catherine.

On 5.27.13, explorers Marquette & Joliet reach Green Bay:

Towards the end of May, 1673, the two explorers reached the site of modern Green Bay. “Embarking then in our canoes,” Marquette wrote in his journal, “we arrived shortly afterward at the bottom of the Bay des Puants, where our Fathers labor successfully for the conversion of these peoples, over two thousand of whom they have baptized while they have been there.” Read what they encountered there, as well as what the old French name “Puants” means, in our [Wisconsin Historical Society] pages devoted to Historic Diaries.

Google-a-Day asks about architecture: “Of what type of architecture is the Paris Cathedral that in 1970 was the site of Charles de Gaulle’s funeral?”

Good morning.

Sunday brings partly cloudy skies, and a high of sixty-seven, to Whitewater.

On this day in 1927, it’s the last day of a production run (1908-1927) at Ford Motor Company:

…Henry Ford and his son Edsel drive the 15 millionth Model T Ford out of their factory, marking the famous automobile’s official last day of production.

More than any other vehicle, the relatively affordable and efficient Model T was responsible for accelerating the automobile’s introduction into American society during the first quarter of the 20th century. Introduced in October 1908, the Model T—also known as the “Tin Lizzie”—weighed some 1,200 pounds, with a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. It got about 13 to 21 miles per gallon of gasoline and could travel up to 45 mph. Initially selling for around $850 (around $20,000 in today’s dollars), the Model T would later sell for as little as $260 (around $6,000 today) for the basic no-extras model.

Google’s daily question asks about mythology: “Ancient myth believed that beneath Mount Etna a mighty giant was buried. Who was believed to have hurled this giant from heaven?”

Good morning.

We’ll have a high of fifty-nine and a one-third chance of showers for Saturday. Sunrise was at 5:23 AM, and sunset will be at 8:21 PM. Moonrise is at 9:08 PM, with a waning gibbous moon having 100% of the its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1977, Star Wars opens:

The incredible success of Star Wars–it received seven Oscars, and earned $461 million in U.S. ticket sales and a gross of close to $800 million worldwide–began with an extensive, coordinated marketing push by Lucas and his studio, 20th Century Fox, months before the movie’s release date. “It wasn’t like a movie opening,” actress Carrie Fisher, who played rebel leader Princess Leia, later told Time magazine. “It was like an earthquake.” Beginning with–in Fisher’s words–“a new order of geeks, enthusiastic young people with sleeping bags,” the anticipation of a revolutionary movie-watching experience spread like wildfire, causing long lines in front of movie theaters across the country and around the world.

The trailer’s a true curiosity, but it’s stilted compared to the film, and misstates the setting of the film’s events, ones that took place “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”

Google-a-Day asks about a musical: “What musical made its world premiere in October 1986, at 57 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4QL?”

Good morning.

The end of the week, and beginning of our holiday weekend, brings sunny skies and a high of fifty-nine. It’s sunset at 8:20 p.m. and the end of twilight at 8:54 p.m. We’ll have a full moon tonight at 11:26 p.m.

On this day in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was first opened to traffic.

Still beautiful:

Brooklyn Bridge from Danariza on Vimeo.

Google has a musical question for us: “What musical period is best described as an era of contrasts; e.g., between loud and soft, fast and slow?”