On this day in:
2010: We celebrate Memorial Day. Today is the day that we honor the sacrifice of those who have given their lives for our country and the freedoms we enjoy. It is not a "happy" holiday, like Independence Day, Christmas, or Easter. It is a day of remembrance; treat it as such, and not just another great sale at Kohl's or an excuse to get drunk at a picnic. Do your best to attend a Memorial Day ceremony or visit the graves of our veterans, and wear your red poppy.
1958: US government performs an atmospheric nuclear test near the Bikiki Atoll in the . Code name "Sycamore", this 92 kiloton bomb test was a part of Operation Hardtack 1. As a result of the many atmospheric nuclear bomb tests performed at Bikini, the island was considered unihabitable until 1997. However, further tests revealed that the ground was still too contaminated to safely grow food.
1868: First Memorial Day parade held in Ironton, Ohio. General John A. Logan, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, declared May 30, 1868, as Decoration Day, a day to honor the Civil War dead. Decoration Day was renamed Memorial Day in 1967 and now honors the fallen for all of our wars, not just the Civil War. Ironton's 142-year- old tradition is recognized as the oldest continuously held Memorial Day parade in the United States.
1864: General Sheridan's cavalry seized Cold Harbor, VA, allowing Grant to push between General Lee and the Confederate capital of Richmond. It took another year before the Federals actually took Richmond, effectively ending the war on April 9, 1865.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment