Good morning,
Whitewater’s forecast for today calls for scattered thunderstorms with a high of eighty-four degrees.
The Wisconsin Historical Society recalls that on this date in 1832:
Atkinson enters the Trembling Lands
On this date, General Atkinson and his troops entered the area known by the Native Americans as “trembling lands” in their pursuit of Black Hawk. The area was some 10 square miles and contained a large bog. Although the land appeared safe, it would undulate or tremble for yards when pressure was applied. Many of the militiamen were on horses, which plunged to their bellies in the swamp. The “trembling lands” forced Atkinson to retrace his steps back toward the Rock River, in the process losing days in his pursuit of Black Hawk. [Source: Along the Black Hawk Trail by William G. Stark]
Wisconsin’s indoor smoking ban begins today. One might have allowed private establishments, and patrons, to decide for themselves: no-smoking, some in some areas, or smoking in all areas. The state, instead, now bans comprehensively and those choices aren’t available.
It’s the anniversary of the bikini, this date being attributed to the creations of a designer and an engineer in France. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has details on the development:
Fashion designer Jacques Heim and mechanical engineer Louis Reard both claim to be the first to launch the bikini on the French Riviera in Cannes in the summer of 1946. The design, two triangles on top, positioned to cover the bosom and two triangles, one front, one back, on the bottom, was basic. Though Reard patented his version and Heim is now remembered as a couturier and an early supporter of sportswear, there is much debate over who “invented” the bikini. A likely scenario is that both gentlemen had seen the local jeunes filles of Cannes sunning themselves in the most abbreviated beach costumes in order to achieve the bronze of the newly fashionable suntan. The bathers had pushed the fashion to the acceptable social limit, and both businessmen took advantage of this show of youthful daring. Officially, the first time the bikini appeared in a fashion event was at a poolside show at the Piscine Molitor in Paris on July 5, 1946.