July 10, 2020
Day 192 of 366

 

July 10th is the 192nd day of the year. It is Independence Day in the Bahamas, commemorating their separation from the United Kingdom in 1973.

 

In the United States, today is “celebrated” as National Clerihew Day, National Kitten Day, National Piña Colada Day, and Collector Car Appreciation Day (which changes annually).

 

Historical items of note:

• In 988, the Norse King Glúniairn recognized Máel Sechnaill mac Domnaill, High King of Ireland, and agreed to pay taxes and accept Brehon Law. This is considered to be the founding of the city of Dublin.
• In 1553, Lady Jane Grey took the throne of England.
• In 1895, German composer and educator Carl Orff was born.
• In 1913, the temperature in Death Valley, California, hit 134 °F (57 °C). It is the highest verified temperature ever to be recorded on Earth.
• In 1920, journalist David Brinkley was born.
• In 1925, the so-called “Monkey Trial” began in Dayton, Tennessee against John T. Scopes, a young high school science teacher accused of teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act.
• In 1926, actor Fred Gwynne was born.
• In 1943, tennis player and journalist Arthur Ashe was born. In the early 1980s, he is believed to have contracted HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart bypass surgery. He worked to educate the public about HIV and AIDS, and he founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his death from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 49 on February 6, 1993.
• In 1945, actor Ron Glass was born.
• In 1962, Telstar, the world’s first communications satellite, was launched into orbit.
• In 1966, the Chicago Freedom Movement, led by Martin Luther King, Jr., held a rally at Soldier Field in Chicago. As many as 60,000 people attended.
• In 1970, actor John Simm was born.
• In 1977, actor Chiwetel Ejiofor was born.
• In 1978, ABC World News Tonight premiered on ABC in the United States. Anchor Max Robinson was the first black anchorman on a network newscast in the country.
• In 1980, singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer Jessica Simpson was born.

 

In 1856, Nikola Tesla was born.

The Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. He’s also a fixture in science fiction, both in the historical and alternate history subgenres.

There is so much to talk about in Nikola Tesla’s life and it’s impossible to cover it all here. I wholeheartedly recommend doing some reading about his life and accomplishments.

His birthday is unofficially celebrated as Tesla Day.

 

The Thing About Today is an effort to look at each day of 2020 with respect to its historical context.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.