Very Important Day

You may not realize it, but today is a BIG day.  Not only is it the day that falls between the Ides of March and St. Patrick’s Day, this day has been witness to many monumental events in the history of the world.  It’s such an important date that Guster immortalized it in their song “Jesus on the Radio”, which begins, “5AM, March 16…”  And here is just a sampling of why:

• On this day in 1802, The United States Military Academy was founded.  Thrilling, I know.
• In 1850 The Scarlet Letter was published.  High school English students have been cursing the day ever since.
• In 1926 Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket.  This might come in handy if you’re ever on Jeopardy.
• In 1986 Gui’s mom and stepdad got married.  Happy Anniversary Gloria and Denny!
• In 1995 Mississippi formally abolished slavery by ratifying the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution.  No, that is not a typo.  It really was 1995, therefore cementing Mississippi’s status as the most backward state in the union.
• In 2005 a jury acquitted Robert Blake, star of the 1970s television detective show Baretta, of killing his wife, thereby confirming what OJ Simpson had proven a decade earlier:  if you have enough money and/or fame, you can get away with murder.
• Several notable people were born on this date.  We’ve got two White House residents: James Madison, our fourth President and the “Father of the Constitution”, and former First Lady Pat Nixon.  There are musicians Nancy Wilson of Heart and Flavor Flav, the rapper known for wearing a full-sized clock on a chain around his neck.   There are several stars of the small screen:  Victor Garber of Alias; Erik Estrada, the Latino heartthrob from CHiPs; Lauren Graham, the mom from Gilmore Girls and game show host Chuck Woolery, best known for Love Connection.  And then there’s Jerry Lewis, who is in a category of his own (although I’m not quite sure what it is). 
• And last but not least, on this day in 2009 I began this blog, marking the beginning of my public writing career.  (I had been writing privately since I was old enough to write.)  It may not seem like a big deal now, but just wait until I’m a published author.  Someday in the distant future, undoubtedly long after I’m dead and gone, high school English students will have a second reason to curse this day.