MST3K episode "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians" airs 1991

One of the best television shows of all time riffed one of the worst movies of all time December 21, 1991 when Mystery Science Theater 3000 featured Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Joel and the bots sit through a poorly-acted, poorly-written movie with a lame plot.  Martians kidnap Santa Claus and take him back to Mars because there isn't anyone there to give presents to the children. It marked the film debut of Pia Zadora.

Vega 2, Venus and Halley's Comet spacecraft, launched 1984

 

Vega 2, launched December 21, 1984 by the Soviet Union, visited Venus and Halley's Comet.  The descent module was released from the flyby probe on June 13, 1985 and reached Venus two days later.  It consisted of a surface lander and a balloon explorer.

The lander touched down in the northern region of Aphrodite Terra.  Pressure was 91 atm and the temperature was 865° F or 463° C. The lander transmitted data for 56 minutes. The balloon explorer floated at a stable altitude of 53-54 km where the pressure was about 0.5 atm and the temperature of 95° - 109° F or 35° - 43° C. It transmitted for almost two days, during which it travelled 11,100 km or 6900 mi.   until the final transmission.

The Vegas' motherships were redirected to intercept Halley's Comet and reached its destination on March 9, 1986. The encounter lasted about 3 hours at its closest approach at 8030 km or 4990 mi.   Contact with Vega 2 was lost on March 24, 1987 after it measured dust as it passed through orbits of Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa, Biela's Comet and Comet 289/Blanpain.

https://youtube.com/shorts/mRZbpLc1NT0?si=HxvXIaM11n7in_s-

First issue of "Captain America" published 1940

The first issue of Captain America was published on December 20, 1940, although the cover had a date of March 1941. The issue focuses on the creating of Captain America by injecting a super-serum into the scrawny form of Steve Rogers, who, as a result, becomes the super-hero Captain America.  The issue ends with the scientist who created the super-serum is killed by a Nazi sympathizer.  The assassin is electrocuted in his attempts to escape an attack from Captain America. 

The cover art shows Captain America hitting Adolph Hitler.  After publication, members of an American Nazi organization sent threatening letters and phone calls to Timely, the publishers of Captain America. New York City police were assigned to ensure the employees of Timely.  

Glenn Miller disappears 1944

One of the biggest mysteries of the twentieth century is what happened to Glenn Miller. He was on an unscheduled flight from London to Paris on December 15, 1944, after his reservation the previous day was cancelled.  He stood by for an earlier flight on December 13, but it was cancelled as well.  

He was frustrated and worried that he would miss his engagements in Paris, so he managed to get on a Norseman airplane, with Lieutenant Colonel Normal Baesell of the Eighth Air Force Service Command  piloted by Flight Officer John Stuart Morgan.  His orders did not allow him to board a 'casual' flight, and he did not report this change in schedule to his superiors, so no one knew where he was that day.

Shortly after takeoff, while they were over the English Channel, the plane and its occupants disappeared and were never seen again.  The next morning the Germans launched a new attack that became the Battle of the Bulge, so nobody realized Glenn Miller was missing until three days later.

The Eighth Air Force Board of Inquiry determined that the cause of the plane's disappearance was due to a combination of human error, mechanical failure, and weather.  The weather that day made the pilot fly lower than normal because of the cloud cover, and the prevailing theory is icing brought the plane down.  Of course, nothing has been proven and won't be unless the wreckage is ever found. 

The X-Files episode "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" airs 1998

I'm always looking for horror-comedies, so the sixth episode of the sixth season of the X-Files How the Ghosts Stole Christmas is a treat. It aired December 13, 1998.  Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) explore a haunted house.  Apparently, two lovers killed each other in a lovers' pact some 81 years before, but it seems they still reside there.

Lily Tomlin had previously mentioned her interest in appearing in an episode and Ed Asner was also on board for the episode.  Scares and laughs abound.  It is a great episode and I look forward to watching it again.

Happy birthday, astronaut Frank Rubio!

Francisco "Frank" Rubio, born December 11, 1975 in Los Angeles, California, went in to space aboard Soyuz MS-22, in September 2022 to the International Space Station.  While on board he participated in Expeditions 67-69.  His mission was scheduled to last about six months, but damage to the spacecraft extended his mission.  He returned to Earth on Soyuz MS-23 in September 2023, spending almost 371 days in space. He is the first American to spend more than a year in space.  

Happy birthday, Inspiration4 astronaut Hayley Arceneaux!

Hayley Arceneaux, born December 4, 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, went into space aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Resilience, as part of the Inspiration4 crew. Resilience was launched in September 2021 and she spent almost 3 days in space.  She is the youngest person to orbit the Earth.

She survived a bout with cancer when she was 10 years old, and the experience sparked her interest in working with cancer patients. She works as a Physician's assistant, working with patients suffering from leukemia and lymphoma.  She is the first astronaut to launch with a prosthesis.  

The Naked Gun released 1988

Naked Gun, the first of three movies from the Files of Police Squad, was released in the US December 2, 1988.  It starred Leslie Nielsen as Lt. Frank Drebin, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, 'Weird Al' Yankovic, and disgraced professional athlete OJ Simpson.  

The movie followed Ricardo Montalban's character trying to attempting to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II, and Frank Drebin trying to stop him.   The result is a hilarious non-stop ride of slapstick humor and dark comedy.  

It opened to pretty positive reviews with a 90% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.  Naked Gun spawned two sequels.  

Endeavour (STS-61) launched 1993

STS-61 crew

Front row (L-R): Ken Bowersox, Kathryn Thornton, Story Musgrave, Claude Nicollier

Back row (L-R): Richard Covey, Jeffrey Hoffman, Thomas Akers

STS-61 mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-61), launched December 2, 1993, was the first Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.  Its crew consisted of Commander Richard Covey, Pilot Ken Bowersox, Kathryn Thornton, Claude Nicollier (ESA), Jeffrey Hoffman, Story Musgrave, and Thomas Akers. The crew conducted 5 EVAs during the mission.  Musgrave and Hoffman conducted three EVAs for a total of around 22 hours.  Thornton and Akers performed two spacewalks for about 13 hours.  

They returned to Earth December 13, after spending almost 11 days in space. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Jean Hager, author of Cherokee mystery novels

Jean Hager, born June 2, 1932 in May wood, Illinois, is the author of two series of mystery novels featuring Cherokee sleuths in Oklahoma. One series features Police Chief Mitch Bushyhead, and another feature civil rights investigator Molly Bearpaw.  Both series have been critically acclaimed, and Hager has been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame.  

I've read all of them and need to read them again!

Remembering astronaut Mary Cleave (1947-2023)

Astronaut Mary Cleave, born February 5, 1947 and went into space twice, passed away November 27, 2023 at age 76. She flew on Atlantis (STS-61-B) as mission specialist in November-December 1985, and on Atlantis (STS-30) as mission specialist in May 1989.  She spent almost 11 days in space.

She retired in 2007

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Sand Creek Massacre 1864

More history you didn't learn in school.  

On November 29, 1864, nearly 700 volunteer soldiers from the Third Colorado Cavalry under the command of Colonel John Chivington attacked peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado Territory, killing anywhere between 69-600 people, mostly women and children.

The 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie between the US and seven Native American nations gave the tribes land that included southeastern Wyoming, southwestern Nebraska, most of eastern Colorado, and western Kansas.  However, when gold was discovered in Colorado in November 1858, the US pushed the Treaty of Fort Wise on the local tribes, substantially reducing the amount of land given to the tribes. 

This led to much dissension among the tribes, but in 1864, a coalition of Sioux, Comanches, Kiowas, Cheyennes, and Arapahos engaged in hostilities to drive the whites out of their country.  But since the American Civil War was going on, the US government was more concerned with defeating the Confederates. Native Americans continued to attack.

In September 1864, the Cheyenne met with Governor John Evans at his invitation.  He told them that this was not to secure peace, but to offer protection to Native Americans who were friendly.  

Chief Black Kettle, led Southern Cheyenne and some Arapahos to Fort Lyon in compliance with a peace parley held in Denver in September 1864.  But they were told to relocate to Big Sandy Creek about 40 miles away. Black Kettle flew a US flag with a white flag underneath it to show he was friendly and hope to forestall any attack by Colorado soldiers. 

On November 29, 1864, Col. Chivington, despite being warned to attack a peaceful camp, gave the order to attack.  Captain Silas Soule and Lt Joseph Cramer refused to obey and told their men to hold fire.  Chivington's men ignored the white flag and murdered as many Native Americans they could find, including women, children, and infants.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: William Paul, first Native legislator in Alaska

William Paul, born May 7, 1885 in Tongass Village, Alaska, was a member of the Raven (Tlingit) moiety.  He and his brothers attended Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and William received his Bachelor of Arts from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. 

He and his brother Louis founded the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB), which pressed for voting rights, desegregation, social services, and advancing land claims for Tlingit in Alaska.  He was the first Alaska Native to become an attorney, the first to be elected to the Alaska Territorial House of Representative, and the first to serve as an officer in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

He was a major player in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, signed by President Nixon in December 1971.  The law established Alaska Native claims to land by transferring titles to twelve Alaska Native regional corporations and two hundred village corporations.

Paul died in Seattle, Washington in March 1977.

Celebrating Native American Heritage: The Washita River Massacre 1868

The Washita River Massacre (also the Battle of the Washita River) happened on November 27, 1868 in Indian Territory, near present-day Cheyenne, Oklahoma. The 7th US Calvary attacked a Cheyenne camp, killing men, women, and children, and taking many captives.  

In October 1867, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes had to relocate from Kansas and Colorado to Indian Territory, by the Medicine Lodge Treaty from the US Congress.  It forced them to move from their traditional hunting grounds where buffalo were plentiful, to the western Oklahoma plains, where buffalo were scarce and the land was infertile.

In November 1868, Black Kettle, a leader of the Cheyenne tribe, had camped with other tribes along the Washita River, which they called Lodgepole River, after the local pine trees.  Black Kettle and other leaders had been pleading for peace between their people and the US Government. However, the younger warriors seemed pleased that peace had not been made. They claimed that the Lakota and other northern bands would come down the following spring to "clean out the entire country." 

Colonel William Hazen, who had been involved in the negotiations, took the young warriors seriously and requested two more companies of the 10th Cavalry to Fort Cobb. Other generals such as Philip Sheridan and George Custer considered the Cheyenne and Arapaho to be "hostile" and planned a winter campaign against the tribes.

On the night of November 26, 1868, Custer divided his force into four parts, surrounding Black Kettle's village.  They attacked at daybreak, catching the village unawares.  The conflict was soon over but Custer had to quell remaining resistance which took longer.  

Black Kettle and his wife Medicine Woman were shot in the back while fleeing.

Estimates of the Cheyenne casualties range from 13 to 150 killed, with dozens of women and children captured.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Stephen Graham Jones, Native American (Blackfeet) horror/mystery writer

Stephen Graham Jones, born January 22, 1972 in Midland, Texas, is a Blackfoot Native American author of horror, crime fiction, and science fiction.  He earned a BA from Texas Tech University and then earned his Master of Arts degree in English from the University of North Texas in 1996. He completed his Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1998.

He wrote The Fast Red Road as his dissertation and it was published in 2000 as his debut novel.  He's won the Jesse Jones Award for Fiction in 2005, and the Bram Stoker Award for Long fiction in 20217.

He contributed an X-Men story to Marvel Comic's Marvel's Voices: Indigenous Voices #1.  

I've included hm since my co-author Max Griffin have used him as the inspiration for our character, Montana Psionic Officer Graham Keller, who will be featured in the upcoming novel, Out of the Ashes.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Diane Humetewa, first Native American federal judge

 

Diane Humetewa, born December 5, 1964 in Phoenix, Arizona, is the first Native American woman to serve as federal judge. She was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2014 to be the United States District Court of the District of Arizona.

Humetewa is an enrolled member of the Hopi tribe and graduated from Arizona State University in 1987.  She then attended Arizona State's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1993. 

She served as deputy counsel for the US Senate's Committee on Indian Affairs from 1993-1996. Starting in 1996, she served as the Tribal Liaison in the US Attorney's for Arizona. She was confirmed as a United States Attorney for Arizona in December 2007, becoming the first Native American woman to serve as US Attorney. 

In September 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Humetewa to serve as US district judge for Arizona. On May 14, 2014, the US Senate was confirmed as a US federal judge. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w00-Hs36VJE

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: David Pendleton Oakerhater, first Native American Episcopal saint

David Pendleton Oakerhater, born in 1847 in Indian territory (Oklahoma), was the first Native American (Cheyenne) to be designated as a saint by the Episcopal Church. He participated in the Native Americans fighting against the European invaders.  He was taken prisoner after the Red River War in 1874-1875. 

He was sent to Fort Marion, near St. Augustine, Florida.  While there he began creating art, along with other Native American prisoners, becoming a prolific artist. He was given the name "Making Medicine" when he was arrested.

In 1877, Mary Douglass Burnham, an Episcopal deaconess, arranged for their release, and Oakerhater was sent to St. Paul's Church in New York.  Reverend J. B. Wicks provided Oakerhater's religious teachings, where he took  the Christian name David and he was baptized in 1878.  He became a deacon in 1881. 

He went to Indian Territory and Dakota Territory.  He encouraged the Cheyenne population near El Reno, Oklahoma to attend Episcopal services. He traveled to Anadarko, visiting and caring for ailing people of different tribes. 

In 1887, he built the Whirlwind Mission in Fay, near Watonga, Oklahoma. He remained there until he retired in 1918.  He moved to Clinton, Oklahoma and then back to Watonga, where he passed away in 1931. 

In 1985, the Episocpal Church designated Oakerhater as a saint, based on his work as a missionary and his ministries.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Jerry Elliot High Eagle, Osage Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee

Jerry Elliott High Eagle, born in 1943 in Oklahoma City, was one of the first Native American employed at NASA.  His contributions as lead retrofire officer during the Apollo 13 disaster earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Although facing racial discrimination from the professors at University of Oklahoma, he received a degree in physics, being one of the first Native Americans to achieve such an accomplishment. He joined NASA as a flight mission operations engineer in 1966.  He was Program Staff Engineer during the Apollo-Soyuz Program.

He was the only Native American in mission control during Apollo 11's successful moon landing.  He was lead Retrofire Officer during the Apollo 13.  For his work on helping bring the astronauts home safely, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Richard Nixon.

His name "High Eagle" was given to him by tribal elders when he turned 41.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Moses Yellow Horse, 1920s MLB player

Moses J. Yellow Horse, born January 28, 1898 in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), was a full-blooded Pawnee, who played two seasons in Major League Baseball. He began playing baseball when he attended the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School. After leaving Chilocco, he pitched for the Little Rock Travelers, a minor league team in the Southern Association.  He helped the team win its first championship in 1920. 

In 1921, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates.  His MLB debut was on April 15 when he relieved pitcher Peter Hamilton.  The Pirates won the 3-1 over the Cincinnati Reds.  Later that year, he injured his arm and the surgery forced him to sit out for two months.  In 1922, he injured his arm a second time.  In his two years with the Pirates, he compiled a record of 8 wins and 4 losses.

With his major league career over, Yellow Horse moved to the minors, but his career was plagued with injuries and alcoholism.  He played for the Sacramento Senators of the Pacific Coast League. He was traded to Fort Worth but then soon was returned to Sacramento.  They sold him to Omaha.  He pitched his final game May 16, 1926. 

In 1945, he stopped drinking, which had created a divide between him and the Pawnee tribe, and found steady work.

He passed away in Pawnee, Oklahoma in April 1964.

Benny Hill and Alien actress Helen Horton born 1923

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the shrewish wife with the shrill, cackly voice on the Benny Hill Show was also the flat voice of Mother, the computer in Alien. Helen Horton, born November 21, 1923 in Chicago, Illinois, appeared in the Poirot episode One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Superman III, and Miss Marple's At Bertram's Hotel.

Helen passed away in September 2007 in Vero Beach, Florida.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Johnston Murray, first Native American governor in the US

 Johnston Murray, born July 21, 1902 in the Chickasaw Nation, in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), was the first Native American to be elected as governor in the United States. His mother Mary Alice Hearrell was one-eighth Chickasaw, but Johnston never opted to enroll as a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.  

His father William Murray was an advisor to Governor Douglas Johnston of the Chickasaw Nation, and served as ninth governor of Oklahoma from 1931-1935.

Johnston Murray attended public schools in Tishomingo, Oklahoma and attended college at the now Murray State College (named for his father), graduating in 1924.

He became active in state politics with the Democratic Party, and in 1940, he was elected chairman of the Oklahoma Electoral College. He then served as the Democratic chair of Oklahoma's 8th Congressional District.

Murray was elected Governor of Oklahoma in November 1950, taking office January 21, 1951. He was the first Oklahoma governor to be elected as Chairman of the Southern Governors Conference.  He funded the Turner Turnpike, which connected Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  The project had been approved by the legislature in 1947, and it was completed during his administration.  Murray was instrumental in purchasing the state fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. 

After leaving politics he worked in Fort Worth, Texas for a while, before returning to Oklahoma City, in 1960.  He passed away in April 1976 after a surgery for a ruptured abdominal blood vessel.

"Frankenstein" released 1931

The first movie adaption of Mary Shelley's classic 1818 Victorian horror novel Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, opened across US theaters November 21, 1931.  Boris Karloff played the titular character after Bela Lugosi had turned it down. Colin Clive appeared as Henry (not Victor) Frankenstein, and James Whale directed. 

It was considered a commercial success upon its release and was well-received by critics and audiences. It has spawned numerous sequels.  The movie takes some creative liberties from Shelley's original novel but it continues to scare.  

In 1991, Frankenstein was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".  

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Occupation of Alcatraz begins 1969

On November 20, 1969, eighty-nine Native Americans and their supporters landed on Alcatraz Island and maintained a presence until June 11, 1971. The organizers of the protest, Richard Oakes, LaNada Means, and John Trudell, claimed that under the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1951 between the US and the Lakota tribe, all retired, abandoned, or federal land no longer in use, was to be returned ot the Indigenous people who once occupied it.  Since the penitentiary had been closed since March 1963 and the land had been declared surplus federal property in 1964, the Red Power activists felt the island belonged to the Native Americans.

They began the occupation late on November 20, and despite a Coast Guard blockade, fourteen managed to land on the island.  At the height of the occupation, four hundred people lived on the island.  They set up a daycare, a health clinic, and a school.  Doctors volunteered their services and Native and non-Natives brought necessary supplies to the island to support the occupiers.

Coast Guard blockades made it increasingly more difficult to reach Alcatraz, but the occupation began receiving a lot of support from around the world.

In January 1970, Oakes' stepdaughter feel to her death, which prompted Richard and his wife to leave the island. A hippie and drug scene moved to the island creating problems until non-Indians were prohibited from staying over night.  The government cut off electrical power, water, and telephone service to the island.  In June 1970, a fire destroyed numerous buildings on the island.  After that, the number of occupiers began to dwindle.  On June 11, 1971, government officers removed the last fifteen people.

The Occupation of Alcatraz established a precedent for Indian activism and spurred such actions as the Trail of Broken Treaties in 1972, the Wounded Knee incident in 1973, and the Longest Walk in 1968. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Juanita Howling Buffalo, first woman chair of Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

Juanita Howling Buffalo, born September 6, 1930 in Canton, Oklahoma, became the first woman to chair the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. After finishing her education she served in the Women's Army Corps where she met John W. Learned, whom she married and had 10 children with.

In 1965, she was a write-in candidate for the Cheyenne-Arapaho Business Committee and was not elected.  She obtained an injunction and was successful. A new election was held in 1966, and she and two other women won council seats. 

She became the first woman to serve as tribal chair in 1982.  During her term, she led protest against closing of the Concho Indian School and managed to obtain an injunction, but the school closed in 1983. 

Learned went to Washington DC with other tribal leaders in 1990 to reclaim the land and facilities of Fort Reno (near El Reno, Oklahoma) which had been vacated by the military in 1948 and transferred to the Dept. of Agriculture. In 1991, she helped reorganize the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

She passed away in Oklahoma City in 1996.

"Oklahoma!" released nation-wide 1956

The movie adaptation of  Rodgers and Hammerstein's wildly successful Broadway musical Oklahoma! opened in theaters across the US, November 16, 1956, the forty-ninth birthday of the state.  It had premiered in Los Angeles and Chicago the previous year. 

It starred Gordon MacRae as Curly and Shirley Jones as Laurey.  Eddie Albert, James Whitmore, and Rod Steiger also appeared.

Oklahoma! was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two: Best Sound Recording and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.  The two other nominations were for Best Cinematography, Color and Best Film Editing. 

On the centennial birthday of Oklahoma, November 16, 2007, the movie was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Jay Silverheels, first Native American to get star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Jay Silverheels, born Harold Jay Smith, May 26, 1912 on the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, was an actor, stunt man, athlete, and poet.  His grandfather was a Mohawk Chief and his mother was a Mohawk and paternal Seneca.  

He is best known as his role as Tonto in the television series The Lone Ranger, which ran from 1949 to 1957.  He reprised his role in two movies The Lone Ranger and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold. He continued to be typecast to portray Native Americans throughout his career.

He became an outspoken activist for Native American rights and established an acting school for Native American actors. 

He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, July 19, 1979, making him the first Native American (Mohawk) to receive such an honor.

He passed away in March 1980 from a stroke in California.  His ashes were returned to Six Nations Reserve in Ontario.

Happy birthday, Anni-Frid Lyngstad!

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, born November 15, 1945 in Ballangen, Norway, is one-fourth of the Swedish super-group ABBA. She's the only non-Swedish member of the group.  

She had a moderately successful singing career in Sweden, but it wasn't until she joined ABBA that she reached international fame.  She was married to fellow bandmate Benny Andersson for three years.  ABBA went on to sell 150 million albums and singles world-wide.

Her first solo album following the end of ABBA, Something's Going On, was released in 1982 and reached #1 in Sweden, and the single went to #1 in Belgium and Switzerland.  It is one of the best selling solo album of the ABBA members. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Peter Pitchlynn, Choctaw Ambassador to US

Peter Pitchlynn, born January 30, 1806 in Noxubee County, Mississippi, was a member of the Choctaw Nation.  He graduated from the University of Nashville in 1827 in a graduating class of 12 students. 

Because of his Choctaw and European-American ancestries, he served as an interpreter and liaison between the Choctaw and US Government.  He was relocated to Indian Territory in the 1830s with his family, including his mother, who died there.  Hers is the oldest known grave in Oklahoma.

He was in Washington DC addressing national affairs of the Choctaw when the Civil War started.  He returned to the Choctaw Nation, hoping to stay neutral, but their territory was invaded in May 1861 and were forced into an alliance with the Confederacy.

He became the Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation in 1864 and returned to Washington in 1866 to reestablish diplomatic relations with the US.  He hoped to avoid attempts to colonize Indian Territory.  

He met with Queen Emma of Hawai'i at some point, conducting a cultural exchange. It is the only time in history of bilateral relations between the Choctaw Nation and the Hawai'ian kingdom.

Pitchlynn passed away in 1881 in Washington and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery.  

Fourth Academy Awards ceremony 1931

The fourth Academy Awards ceremony was held November 10, 1931, and Cimarron became the first western to win Best Picture, a distinction it would hold until 1990.  It also received a then-record seven nominations and won three.  

It took home Outstanding Production, Best Adaption (based on the novel by Edna Ferber), and Best Art Direction.

Jackie Cooper was nine years old when he was nominated for Best Actor for his role in Skippy.  He remains the only Best Actor nominee under the age of eighteen. 

Lionel Barrymore won Best Actor for his role in A Free Soul.  He had previously been nominated for Best Director at the 2nd Academy Awards for Madame X.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Mattel honors Chief Wilma Mankiller with Barbie

Mattel has created a Barbie doll in the image of Wilma Mankiller, the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.  Take THAT, Oklahoma! Mattel has been issuing a line of Barbie Inspiring Women, which has included Rosa Parks and Susan B. Anthony.  

Mankiller served as Principal Chief for ten years.  During that time, she revitalized the Cherokee Nation's government, and advocated for improved healthcare and housing services.  While in office, infant mortality declined and educational achievement rose.

https://kfor.com/news/local/mattel-creates-barbie-of-first-female-principal-chief-of-the-cherokee-nation/?utm_source=T.co&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=referral

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: State of Oklahoma bans "Killers of the Flower Moon" from schools

 

Although Oklahoma's state measure HB 1775 doesn't specifically ban David Grann's award-winning novel Killers of the Flower Moon about how dozens of members of the Osage Nation were killed by white settlers who wanted in on the oil profits, its wording is so vague that teachers are afraid to include it in their school curricula.  The measure prohibits schools from 

"teaching the idea that “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously” or that “any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex.”"

Educators fear that assigning the book will result in them being punished or fired.  Oklahoma school districts are not longer to use terms including 'diversity' and 'white privilege' in classrooms.  To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned and teachers are to teach students that slavery was 'beneficial' to African Americans.  

Oklahoma, where the hate comes sweeping down the plain.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Bill Miller, winner of 5 Native American Music Awards 1999

At the second annual Native American Music Awards ceremony, held November 6, 1999, artist Bill Miller won five awards.  He took home the awards for Song of the Year for Ghostdance, Artist of the Year, Best Male Artist,, and Songwriter of the Year.  I cannot find a complete list of awards for that year, so I do not know what the fifth award was.

Listen to his award winning song:

Third Academy Awards ceremony 1930

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held the third ceremony November 5, 1930, just seven months after the second Academy Awards ceremony.  All Quiet on the Western Front took home the awards for Outstanding Production and Best Directing.  Norma Shearer was awarded Best Actress for her performance in The Divorcee.  She was also nominated for the same award for her work in Their Own Desire.  Gloria Swanson was also a nominee that year. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Thunderbird, superhero Apache member of the X-Men

John Proudstar, also known as Thunderbird, is a superhero that appeared with the X-Men in the Giant-Size X-Men #1 in May 1975. As a mutant, Proudstar possesses superhuman athletic ability.  Unfortunately, he died on the second mission. After his death, his brother James became Thunderbird and later Warpath.

Proudstar was born into the Apache tribe in Camp Verde, Arizona.  When he became a teenager, he realized he possessed superhuman senses, strength, speed, stamina, and sturdiness. He was drafted into the Marine Corps and served during the Vietnam War.  He returned to his tribe after the war, having changed significantly  

Professor Charles Xavier recruited him to join his third group of X-Men.  Due to his bad temper and individualism, he clashed with Cyclops.  He was killed when he refused to jump off a jet plane, pursuing Count Nefaria.  The plane exploded and Thunderbird was killed.

Star Trek: Voyager episode Endgame wins two Primetime Emmys 2001

The series finale of Star Trek: Voyager Endgame won two Primetime Emmys at the 53rd annual ceremony held November 4, 2001.  It took home the trophies for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore), and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. The episode Workforce was nominated for the same two awards.  Star Trek: Voyager was also nominated Outstanding Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series, Outstanding Makeup for a Series, and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series.

The X-Files won the award for Outstanding Makeup for a Series for Deadalive, tying with The Sopranos.  The series was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single Camera Series.

The mini-series Dune won Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special for Part I, and Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie for Part II.  Part III was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or Special.

8th Circuit Court of Appeals (anti-science, clueless) repeals ban on dangerous pesticide

The Hill reported yesterday that the 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ban on chlorpyrifos, an insecticide used for protecting crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and fruit trees.  Chlorpyrifos has also been linked to lower IQ in children, impaired working memory, and negative effects on motor development.

The EPA instituted the ban in 2021, after the previous administration refused to when then-EPA administrator Scott Pruitt said further studies were warranted. As if he understood the big words and stuff.  This was after Pruitt had a closed meeting with the manufacturers of chlorpyrifos, in which no other EPA staff were in attendance.  So much for the “transparency” he promised.

 Organizations, including the United Farm Workers, celebrated the ban. However, a Republican senator from North Dakota called the lifting of the ban “a victory for our farmers”.  Clearly, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.  As with Pruitt, it comes down to pure, simple greed.  I’ll bet the good senator is also a “pro-lifer” since it is obvious he doesn’t care about the health of children.

The 2021 ban came after a prior court ruling that gave the EPA just 60 days to find a safe use for chlorpyrifos or ban it completely.  They determined this deadline contributed to a rushed decision that was ultimately “arbitrary and capricious”. 

The 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals said the ruling does not preclude the agency from reinstating the ban in the future, saying, the EPA needs to “give greater consideration to whether there are cases where the pesticide could be used safely”.  Why is it up to the EPA to find out if it can be used safely?

More tRumpism, cronyism, and anti-science in our government, bogging down the pursuit of safety, for the purpose of money.  Two of the judges were appointed by Shrub, Jr. and the third from that previous guy. 

Finding other uses for chlorpyrifos is NOT the job of the agency!  That’s the job of the manufacturers.  The EPA only has to determine if their applications are safe or not.  The manufacturers are the ones who have to go back to the drawing board to find out how their creation can be used safely.  They need to determine how to prevent health problems in children. 

Are the judges of the 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals in the pesticide manufacturer’s pocket, too? 

This is like someone coming up to you and saying, “here’s my pet rattlesnake. YOU have to find out what it’s good for.”

The EPA needs to send this back to the chlorpyrifos manufacturers and charge THEM with finding out safer uses and applications. 

This isn’t my baby, so don’t leave it crying in my arms.

 https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4291117-court-tosses-epa-ban-pesticide/

 https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/568439-epa-bans-use-of-pesticide-linked-to-neurotoxicity-in-children/

 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Lyda Conley, first Native American woman to argue before the US Supreme Court

Eliza Burton "Lyda" Conley, born 1869, was the first Native American (Wyandot) to argue a case before the US Supreme Court. She was raised on a farm in what is now Wyandotte County in Kansas.  Lyda graduated from the Kansas City School of Law in 1902 and was the first woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association. 

In the late 19th century, the US government was offering citizenship, but only if they gave up their tribal institutions.  Many Wyandots accepted these terms and stayed in Kansas but many did not and moved to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).  In 1906, the Wyandotte Nation in Indian Territory approved the sale of the Huron Cemetery in Wyandotte County where Lyda Conley's ancestors were buried.  

Lyda and her two sisters rejected the sale and began to protect it, even building a structure in it for them to live in, so they could protect the cemetery around the clock.  Lyda finally took her case to the US Supreme Court. She lost her case but her cause had gained much support.  In 1916, Kansas Senator Charles Curtis (Kaw/Osage/Prairie Potawatomi) introduced a bill in Congress that precluded the sale of the cemetery and designated it a federal park.

Lyda passed away in 1946 due to injuries from an attack, in which a man hit her on the head and stole her purse.  She was buried in the cemetery she fought so hard to save.

In 1971, the Huron Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  In December 2016, it became a National Historic Landmark.

Remembering astronaut Ken Mattingly (1936-2023)

Thomas "Ken" Mattingly, an American astronaut who went into space three times, passed away October 31. He was 87.  

Born in Chicago, Illinois, he moved with his family to Hialeah, Florida and soon, airplanes became an early fascination.  He graduated from Miami Edison High School in 1954 and received a BS degrees in aeronautical engineering from Auburn  University in 1958.  He then joined the navy and in 1966 he was selected as an astronaut.

He was scheduled to be the Command Module Pilot on the Apollo 13 mission, but he was removed form the mission because he had been exposed to German measles (which he didn't catch) and was replaced by Jack Swigert.  Mattingly did play a large role in helping the crew get safely back to Earth.

He was placed onto the crew of Apollo 16, the fifth lunar landing mission with John Young and Charlie Duke.  Mattingly and Young were the only two Apollo astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle missions.  Mattingly carried out an EVA to retrieve film and data packages from the science bay on the side of the service module.

Mattingly served as commander of Columbia (STS-4) in June 1982, the fourth and final orbital test of Columbia.

He served as commander on Discovery (STS-51-C), a Department of Defense mission, in January 1985.

He retired from the Navy in 1986 as Rear admiral.  He passed away in Arlington, Virginia.

Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-man and Dr. Strange, born 1927

Steve Ditko, born November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a comic book artist and is credited with co-creating Spider-man and Dr. Strange.  Growing up, Ditko's father sparked his interest in newspaper comic strips and when Steve served in the military, he drew comic strips for a military newspaper.

After his discharge, he enrolled in what is now the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1950, graduating in 1953. In 1955, he went to work for Atlas Comics, which is now Marvel Comics, illustrating stories written by Stan Lee. 

In 1962, Spider-man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, a collaboration between Ditko and Lee.  But it seemed that Lee was getting most of the credit for the superhero instead of Ditko.  This led to a years long feud between the two.  

Lee eventually complied and gave Ditko credit for his contributions.  Ditko also worked for DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Defiant Comics. 

He was reclusive and rarely gave interviews.  He never married or had children.  He passed away in June 2018 from a heart attack.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Robert L. Owen, first Native American US Senator from Oklahoma

Actually, Robert Owen was one of first two senators from Oklahoma when it became a state in 1907. Born in Lynchburg, Virginia February 2, 1856, Owen grew up a child of privilege, living in a mansion, and attending private schools in Lynchburg and Baltimore, Maryland.  His father died in 1873, after the Panic of 1873 financially ruined his father's wealth. However, he managed to graduate from Washington and Lee University as valedictorian in 1877. 

Owen's mother, Narcissa Chisholm Owen was part Cherokee and she wrote memoirs about her life being raised among the Cherokee.  Robert Owen moved to what is now Salina, Oklahoma and was accepted as a member of the Cherokee Nation. After being admitted to the bar in 1880, Owen served as the secretary of the board of education of the Cherokee Nation from 1881-1884.

He argued many significant cases dealing with Native American land issues.  He took the case of the Eastern Cherokees against the US government, seeking compensation for them under a treaty of 1835 for land they lost at the time of the Native American removals.  He finally won the case after 6 years and obtained almost $5M for the Eastern Cherokees. 

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, he was elected as one of the first two US senators to represent the new state.  He served from December 1907 to March 1925.

Owen passed away in July 1947 in Washington DC from complications from prostate surgery and is buried in Lynchburg, Virginia. 

He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1941.

The "gay panic" Candlestick Murder 1958

November 1, 1958, Jack Dobbins was murdered by John Mahon in Charleston, South Carolina. Dobbins attended a Halloween Party with several friends, and reportedly left the party at 2am.  He went to Club 49, a mixed bar where he met Mahon.  They had a few drinks, but left Club 49 to go to the Elbow Cocktail Bar.  Mahon was denied entry because he did not meet their dress code.

They went to Dobbins' house. Later that morning, the maid Elizabeth Brant found Dobbins naked and dead on the living room sofa. Dobbins' housemate Edward Otey called the police.

The autopsy revealed that Dobbins had been struck nine times with a brass candlestick, but the coroner found no signs to indicate a struggle had taken place.  This suggests that it was a surprise attack on Dobbins.

Mahon turned himself into the police, admitting to the murder, but claiming self defense.  He alleged that Dobbins served him whiskey and made improper advances to him.  Mahon said he ran upstairs and grabbed a candlestick, using it to kill Dobbins.

Mahon went to trial on December 9, 1958 (that was quick), and the all-male jury found him not guilty under the argument of self-defense. There was never an indication that Dobbins had "forced himself" on Mahon.

The verdict caused the gay community to distrust the justice system. Billy Camden, a member of the Charleston gay community, said "...those in Charleston looking to maintain the old social order of veiled white supremacy and racial segregation". 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Raven Chacon, first Native American to win Pulitzer Prize for music

Raven Chacon, born 1977 in Fort Defiance, Arizona, is the first Native American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music.  In 2021, Chacon composed Voiceless Mass, written for the pipe organ at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. and it premiered there November 21, 2021.  It was this composition that won him the award in 2022. 

He has won numerous awards for his music, including the Berlin Prize by the American Academy in Berlin.

Happy birthday, Rick Allen!

Rick Allen, born November 1, 1963 in Derbyshire, England, is the drummer for one of my favorite bands Def Leppard.  He joined the band on his 15th birthday, replacing Tony Kenning.  He dropped out of school to concentrate on his music career.

In December 1984, he crashed his car and lost his left arm.  Doctors reattached the arm but it had to be amputated afterwards due to an infection.  He has continued playing drums on specially designed drum kits. 

The UK website Gigwise lists Allen as #7 on the Greatest Drummers of All Time list.

Watch his drum solo:

Happy birthday, Electra Woman!

Diedre Hall, born October 31, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is best known for her work on Days of Our Lives, for which she has won numerous awards.  However, I know her best as her role as Electra Woman on the Saturday morning TV show Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, a campy, low-budget superhero show that ran for 16 episodes in late 1976, with Judy Strangis as Dyna Girl.  The show has become a cult classic.

She also appeared in an episode of Murder, She Wrote. 

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Aleksandr Poleshchuk!

Aleksandr Poleshchuk, born October 30, 1953 in the former Soviet Union, went into space aboard Soyuz TM-16, launched in January 1993 to the space station Mir. He was flight engineer and spent over 179 days in space with fellow cosmonaut Gennadi Manakov.  He returned to Earth in July 1993.

Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Midnight Train To Georgia" reaches #1 1973

Gladys Knight & the Pips' single Midnight Train to Georgia reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 October 27, 1973.  It stayed at the top for two weeks.  It is the most famous recording of the song written by Jim Weatherly and also recorded by Cissy Houston. 

Knight's performance won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1974.  In 1999, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Rolling Stone has ranked it on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. 

Happy birthday, Challenger astronaut Terry Hart!

Terry Hart, born October 27, 1946 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, went into space aboard Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-41-C) in April 1984 as mission specialist. During the mission he used the Canadarm to capture a satellite and place it in Challenger's payload bay.

Hart spent almost 7 days in space. 

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" wins 5 Saturn Awards 2021

The latest installment of the Star Wars franchise, The Rise of Skywalker, won 5 Saturn Awards at the 46th ceremony of the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, October 26, 2021.   It had been nominated for a total of 12 awards.

It won Best Science Fiction Film Release, Best Film Director for J. J. Abrams, Best Film Music for John Williams, Best Film Makeup, and Best Film Special/Visual Effects.  It was nominated for Best Film Writing, Best Actress in a Film for Daisy Ridley, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Adam Driver and Ian McDiarmid, Best Film Editing, Best Film Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

Knives Out, a much better movie to me, won four Saturns: Best Thriller Film Release, Best Supporting Actress in a Film for Ana de Armas, Best Film Editing, and Best 4K Film Release.  It was nominated for Best Actor in a Film for Daniel Craig, Best Supporting Actor in a Film for Chris Evans, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Film Music.

Patrick Stewart won the Award for Best Actor on Television for his performance as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard.  Picard was nominated for Best Science Fiction Television Series, Best Performance by a Younger Actor on a Television Series for Isa Briones, and Best Guest Performance on a Television Series for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine.

Star Trek: Discovery won two Saturns: Best Science Fiction Television Series and Best Supporting Actor on Television for Doug Jones. Sonequa Martin-Green was nominated for Best Actress on Television. 

Godzilla even won a Saturn for Best DVD/BD Collection: Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975.  Gamera: The Complete Collection was nominated for the award.