Good morning, Whitewater.
We’re seven days into the new year, and the seventh of those days arrives in whitewater with an even chance of rain and a mild high of thirty-six. Sunrise is 7:25 and sunset 4:37, for 9h 12m 28s of daytime. The moon today is a waning crescent with 7% of its visible disk illuminated.
Every so often, someone will write to me and ask why the Daily Bread post often includes moments in history from other places in Wisconsin or America. (Thanks, as always, for those questions.) There are two reasons: first because it seems to me to be interesting, and second because I believe a hyper-local focus without daily reflection on events in faraway places leads to myopia. Local policy is made better when one begins with a reminder of the obvious: that we are no mere place of beauty, but a place of beauty made incomparably lovelier by its connection to a continental culture and civilization.
On this day in 1945, General Montgomery unjustifiably claims credit for himself, but eleven days later Prime Minister Churchill rightly sets the record straight:
On this day, British Gen. Bernard Montgomery gives a press conference in which he all but claims complete credit for saving the Allied cause in the Battle of the Bulge. He was almost removed from his command because of the resulting American outcry….
Montgomery had already earned the ire of many American officers because of his cautiousness in the field, arrogance off the field, and willingness to disparage his American counterparts. The last straw was Montgomery’s whitewashing of the Battle of the Bulge facts to assembled reporters in his battlefield headquarters—he made his performance in the Ardennes sound not only more heroic but decisive, which necessarily underplayed the Americans’ performance. Since the loss of American life in the battle was tremendous and the surrender of 7,500 members of the 106th Infantry humiliating, Gen. Omar Bradley complained loudly to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who passed the complaints on to Churchill. On January 18, Churchill addressed Parliament and announced in no uncertain terms that the “Bulge” was an American battle—and an American victory.
On this day in 1901, Fighting Bob first takes office as Gov. La Follette:
1901 – Robert Marion La Follette Inaugurated as Governor
On this date Robert M. La Follette was inaugurated as governor after winning the November 6, 1900 election. La Follette was born in Dane County in 1855. A Wisconsin Law School graduate and three-term member of congress, La Follette was renowned for his oratorical style. He was the first Wisconsin-born individual to serve as governor.
Here’s the Thursday game from Puzzability‘s week-long Sweet Sixteen series:
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This Week’s Game — January 4-8
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Sweet Sixteen
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Happy 2016! For each day this week, we’ll give an eight-letter word or phrase and a trivia question. The 16-letter answer to that question (a title, name, or place) uses only the eight letters given.
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Example:
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HISTOGEN: What Rod Stewart song was his first U.S. #1 after “Maggie May,” five years later?
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Answer:
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“Tonight’s the Night”
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What to Submit:
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Submit the 16-letter title, name, or place (as “Tonight’s the Night” in the example) for your answer.
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Thursday, January 7
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