Good morning, Whitewater.

Our month ends with scattered thunderstorms and a high of eighty-two.  Sunrise is 5:18 AM and sunset 8:26 PM, for 15h 07m 57s of daytime.  The moon is a waning crescent with 28.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1859, the clock on Elizabeth Tower (the tower named as such in 2012) goes into operation:

The name Big Ben is often used to describe the tower, the clock and the bell but the name was first given to the Great Bell.

The Elizabeth Tower, which stands at the north end of the Houses of Parliament, was completed in 1859 and the Great Clock started on 31 May, with the Great Bell’s strikes heard for the first time on 11 July and the quarter bells first chimed on 7 September….

Until installation in 1859, the clock was kept at Dent’s factory. Denison made many refinements including inventing the ‘Double Three-legged Gravity Escapement’. This was a revolutionary mechanism, ensuring the clock’s accuracy by making sure its pendulum was unaffected by external factors, such as wind pressure on the clock’s hands.

Denison’s invention has since been used in clocks all over the world. It is also known as the ‘Grimthorpe Escapement’ as Denison was made Baron Grimthorpe in 1886.

The clock was installed in the Clock Tower in April 1859. At first, it wouldn’t work as the cast-iron minute hands were too heavy. Once they were replaced by lighter copper hands, it successfully began keeping time on 31 May 1859. It was not long before the chimes of the Great Bell, also known as Big Ben, joined in.

On this day in the last year of the nineteenth century, a Bible society is founded after a meeting in Beaver Dam:

1899 – The Gideons International Founded
On this night two salesmen, John H. Nicholson and Samuel E. Hill, crossed paths a second time, in Beaver Dam. The pair had first met eight months before in the Central Hotel in Boscobel and discussed the need for some way to provide Christian support to traveling businessmen. During this second meeting in Beaver Dam the two decided to “get right at it. Start the ball rolling and follow it up.” They invited their professional contacts to an organizational meeting to be held in Janesville on July 1, 1899, at which the organization was formally named and chartered. By 1948, The Gideons had distributed over 15 million bibles world-wide. View more information about the founding of the Gideons elsewhere at wisconsinhistory.org [Source: Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles]

A Google a Day asks a science question: “If the Saffir-Simpson Scale had existed at the time, the storm described in Erik Larson’s 1999 book would have been rated as what?”

Good morning, Whitewater.

Memorial Day in town will be sunny with a high of eighty-four. Sunrise is 5:19 AM and sunset 8:25 PM, for 15h 06m 40s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 39.3% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Memorial Day parade begins at 10:30 AM, traveling from the corner of Main and Fremont Streets to American Legion Post 173 at 272 Wisconsin Street.

On this day in 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 takes place.

On this day in 1971, Mariner 9 leaves for Mars:

Mariner 9 (Mariner Mars ’71 / Mariner-I) was an unmanned NASA space probe that contributed greatly to the exploration of Mars and was part of the Mariner program. Mariner 9 was launched toward Mars on May 30, 1971^[1][2] from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and reached the planet on November 14 of the same year,^[1][2] becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet^[3] — only narrowly beating the Soviets’ Mars 2 and Mars 3, which both arrived within a month. After months of dust storms it managed to send back clear pictures of the surface.

Mariner 9 returned 7329 images over the course of its mission, which concluded in October 1972.

Good morning, Whitewater.

Sunday in town will be partly sunny with a high of seventy-nine.  Sunrise is 5:19 AM and sunset 8:25 PM, for 15h 05m 21s of daytime.  The moon is in its third quarter, with 50.2% of its visible disk illuminated.

Friday’s FW poll asked about weekend grilling choices (with multiple selections possible).  Respondents picked beef most often, followed with chicken selected about half as often.

On this day in 1953, two explorers reach the top of the world:

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 this day in 1848, Wisconsin becomes America’s 30th 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]

Good morning, Whitewater.

Saturday will be cloudy with scattered thunderstorms and a high of eighty-one. Sunrise is 5:20 PM and sunset 8:24 PM, for 15h 03m 57s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 61.1% of its visible disk illuminated.

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….

Good morning, Whitewater.

Friday in town will see scattered thunderstorms and a high of seventy-seven. Sunrise is 5:20 AM and sunset 8:23 PM, for 15h 02m 30s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 71.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

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.

A Google a Day asks a history question: “What Frankish ruler is associated with the Carolingian Renaissance?”

Good morning, Whitewater.

Thursday will bring scattered thunderstorms and a high of eighty-six to Whitewater. Sunrise is 5:21 AM and sunset 8:22 PM, for 15h 01m 01s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 80.5% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Seed Capital Screening Committee meets at 3:30 PM, and the Community Development Authority Board at 5 PM.

On this day in 1927, a production run (1908-1927) at Ford Motor Company ends:

…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.

A Google a Day asks a question about architecture: “What is the most famous design in Rome by the architect credited with introducing High Renaissance style to the city?”

Good morning, Whitewater.

Midweek in town will be warm with scattered thunderstorms, and a high of eighty-two. Sunrise is 5:22 AM and sunset 8:21 PM, for 14h 59m 28s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 88.1% of its visible disk illuminated.

Whitewater’s Tech Park Board meets at 8 AM.

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.

A Google a Day asks a question on music: “What musical period is best described as an era of contrasts; e.g., between loud and soft, fast and slow?”

Good morning, Whitewater.

Tuesday in town brings a high of eighty-three and a chance of late afternoon thundershowers.  Sunrise is 5:22 AM and sunset 8:20 PM, for 14h 57m 52s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 93.8% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1883, an engineering wonder opens to the public:

After 14 years and 27 deaths while being constructed, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River is opened, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Designed by the late John A. Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date.

1864 – (Civil War) Second Day of the Battle of North Anna, Virginia
On the second day of fighting at Hanover Junction, Virginia, Union troops crossed the North Anna River but were turned back. The 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 36th Wisconsin Infantry regiments participated in this battle.

A Google a Day asks about pop culture & animation: “What comedians were the inspiration for the names of the two hungry cats in the short that marked Tweety Bird’s first appearance?”

Good morning, Whitewater.

Monday in town will be sunny and warm, with a high of eighty-two. Sunrise is 5:23 AM and sunset 8:19 PM, for 14h 56m 14s of daytime. The moon is a waning gibbous with 97.7% of its visible disk illuminated.

On this day in 1934, notorious bank robbers and murderers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow meet their end in Louisiana:

Shreveport, La., May 23 — Clyde Barrow, notorious Texas “bad man” and murderer, and his cigar-smoking, quick-shooting woman accomplice, Bonnie Parker, were ambushed and shot to death today in an encounter with Texas Rangers and Sheriff’s deputies.

The 24-year-old desperado, who was accused of twelve murders in the last two years, and his companion whizzed along a little-traveled, paved road near Gibsland, about fifty miles east of here, at eighty-five miles an hour in a high-speed gray automobile, rushing into a carefully-laid death trap.

Before they could use any of the weapons in the small arsenal they had with them, the Rangers and others in the posse riddled them and their car with a deadly hail of bullets.

The onrushing machine, with the dead man at the wheel, careened crazily for an instant and then catapulted into an embankment. While the wheels of the wrecked machine still whirled, the officers, taking no chances with the gunman who had tricked them so often, poured another volley of bullets into the machine.

The Wisconsin Historical Society records today in 1854 as a transportation first:

1854 – First Railroad Reaches Madison

On this date the Milwaukee and Mississippi railroad reached Madison, connecting the city with Milwaukee. When the cars pulled into the depot, thousands of people gathered to witness the ceremonial arrival of the first train, and an enormous picnic was held on the Capitol grounds for all the passengers who’d made the seven-hour trip from Milwaukee to inaugurate the line. [Source: Waukesha Chronicle, May 24, 1854; Wisconsin State Journal, June 1, 1924]

A Google a Day asks a science question: “The founder of the annual medical science awards that are often called “America’s Nobels” is also considered the founder of what field?”