Good morning, Whitewater.

The weekend begins with partly cloudy skies and a daytime high of fifty-one. Sunrise is 7:12 AM and sunset 6:08 PM. The moon is a waning crescent with twenty-four percent of its visible disk illuminated.

What’s an easy way to draw a circle freehand? Dave Hax has the answer:

On this day in 1867, America takes possession of Alaska:

Alaska Purchase

Financial difficulties in Russia, the desire to keep Alaska out of British hands, and the low profits of trade with Alaskan settlements all contributed to Russia’s willingness to sell its possessions in North America. At the instigation of U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, the United States Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000. on August 1, 1867. This purchase was popularly known in the U.S. as “Seward’s Folly,”, “Seward’s Icebox,” or “Andrew Johnson’s Polar Bear Garden”, and was unpopular at the time, though the later discovery of gold and oil would show it to be a worthwhile one and be come the 49th state.

After Russian America was sold to the U.S., all the holdings of the Russian–American Company were liquidated.

The Department of Alaska (1867-1884)

The United States flag was raised on October 18, 1867 (now called Alaska Day). Changed from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, for residents, Friday, October 6, 1867 was followed by Friday, October 18, 1867—two Fridays in a row because of the date line shift.

During the Department era, from 1867 to 1884, Alaska was variously under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army (until 1877), the United States Department of the Treasury (from 1877 until 1879) and the U.S. Navy (from 1879 until 1884).

When Alaska was first purchased, most of its land remained unexplored. In 1865, Western Union laid a telegraph line across Alaska to the Bering Strait where it would connect, under water, with an Asian line. It also conducted the first scientific studies of the region and produced the first map of the entire Yukon River. The Alaska Commercial Company and the military also contributed to the growing exploration of Alaska in the last decades of the 19th century, building trading posts along the Interior’s many rivers.

On this day in 1967, demonstrators protest at UW-Madison:

1967 – Police and Student Activists Clash in Madison
On this date club-wielding Madison police joined campus police to break up a large anti-war demonstration [against Dow Chemical, maker of napalm] on the UW-Madison campus. Sixty-five people, including several officers, were treated for injuries. Thirteen student leaders were ordered expelled from school. State Attorney General Bronson La Follette criticized the police for using excessive brutality. [Source: They Marched Into Sunlight]

Good morning, Whitewater.

The work week ends with mostly cloudy skies, only a slight chance of rain, and a high of fifty-six.

On this day in 1777, British Gen. Burgoyne surrenders at Saratoga:

Burgoyne’s strategy to divide New England from the southern colonies had started well, but slowed due to logistical problems. He won a small tactical victory over General Horatio Gates and the Continental Army in the September 19 Battle of Freeman’s Farm at the cost of significant casualties. His gains were erased when he again attacked the Americans in the October 7 Battle of Bemis Heights and the Americans captured a portion of the British defenses. Burgoyne was therefore compelled to retreat, and his army was surrounded by the much larger American force at Saratoga, forcing him to surrender on October 17. News of Burgoyne’s surrender was instrumental in formally bringing France into the war as an American ally, although it had previously given supplies, ammunition and guns, notably the de Valliere cannon, which played an important role in Saratoga.[9] This battle also resulted in Spain joining France in the war against Britain.

Google-a-Day asks a zoology question:

What does the name given to the Aldabra giant tortoise, considered one of the longest-living animals on record at the time of his death, mean in English?

Good morning, Whitewater.

Thursday brings a cloudy morning but a sunny afternoon to the Whippet City. We can expect a high of about fifty-five, and no more than a ten-percent chance of rain.

The Fire & Rescue Task Force meets again tonight at 6:30 PM.

Perhaps you’ve watched a letter or bank statement travel through a pneumatic tube and wondered, ‘what’s that look like from the inside?’ More likely, you’ve not wondered, but someone has. Here’s their video depicting the journey:

On this day in 1976, the song Disco Duck hits number one on U.S. pop charts, confirming (if one needed confirmation) that the 70s were a troubled time:

Google-a-Day has question about a different kind of music for today:

The Curatorial Director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum authored a book describing 50 years of what rock band?

Good morning, Whitewater.

Wednesday in Whitewater will be an occasionally rainy day with a high of fifty-five.

On this day in 1989, Wayne Gretzky breaks a longstanding record:

During a game against his old team, the Edmonton Oilers, Canadian ice hockey great Wayne Gretzky breaks Gordie Howe’s National Hockey League career scoring record of 1,850 points.

Gretzky dominated professional hockey during the 1980s, setting numerous records and leading the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories. In 1988, the “Great One” was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he continued to excel as one of the National Hockey League’s foremost players. He retired in 1999 as a New York Ranger, holding records for most career goals, 894; most career assists, 1,963; and most career points, 2,857.

Here are some of his top moments on ice:

Google-a-Day asks a question about baseball:

In what year did the manager and team depicted in the blockbuster film “Moneyball” finally win their first playoff series?