Category: Our Universe

The Thing About Today – January 13

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 13, 2020
Day 13 of 366

 

January 13th is the thirteenth day of the year. It is New Year’s Eve for countries operating on the Julian calendar, as well as a day of sidereal winter solstice’s eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as Korean American Day, National Peach Melba Day, National Rubber Ducky Day, National Sticker Day, and National Clean Off Your Desk Day. The last one is typically celebrated on the second Monday in January.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1830, The Great Fire of New Orleans began.
  • In 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, DC.
  • In 1919, actor Robert Stack was born. I know him best from years of watching Unsolved Mysteries as a kid.
  • In 1926, Michael Bond was born. An English soldier and author, he created Paddington Bear.
  • In 1942, the first use of an aircraft ejection seat was conducted during World War II by a German test pilot flying a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter.
  • In 1943, actor Richard Moll (Bull from Night Court) was born.
  • In 1949, Indian commander, pilot, and astronaut Rakesh Sharma was born.
  • In 1968, Johnny Cash performed live at Folsom State Prison.

 

January 13th also marks Stephen Foster Memorial Day, a day that celebrates the life of “the father of American music” on the anniversary of his death.

Stephen Collins Foster was born on July 4, 1826. He wrote more than 200 songs, many of which are considered classic American music including “Oh! Susanna”, “Hard Times Come Again No More”, “Camptown Races”, “Old Folks at Home” (also known as “Swanee River”), “My Old Kentucky Home”, “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”, and “Beautiful Dreamer”.

Many of his songs were included in blackface minstrel shows. To that end, his music is considered to be disparaging to African Americans. His work is often considered childhood songs since they are typically included in elementary curricula, and most of his original manuscripts have been lost over time.

Foster came down with a fever in January 1864. He fell in his hotel and accidentally cut his neck. He died three days later at the age of 37.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 12

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 12, 2020
Day 12 of 366

 

January 12th is the twelfth day of the year. It is National Youth Day in India and Memorial Day in Turkmenistan.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Curried Chicken Day, National Kiss a Ginger Day, National Marzipan Day, National Pharmacist Day, and National Sunday Supper Day. The last one typically occurs on the second Sunday in January.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1866, the Royal Aeronautical Society was formed in London.
  • In 1876, American novelist and journalist Jack London was born.
  • In 1895, the National Trust was founded in the United Kingdom.
  • In 1908, a long-distance radio message was sent from the Eiffel Tower for the first time.
  • In 1930, Tim Horton was born. A Canadian ice hockey player and businessman, he was the founder of the Tim Horton’s coffee chain.
  • In 1932, Hattie Caraway became the first woman elected to the United States Senate.
  • In 1958, journalist Christiane Amanpour was born.
  • In 1966, Batman debuted on ABC.
  • In 1967, Dr. James Bedford became the first person to be cryonically preserved. He remains preserved at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation with the intent of future resuscitation.
  • In 2004, RMS Queen Mary 2 made its maiden voyage. It is the world’s largest ocean liner.

 

In 1962, Joe Quesada was born. He was the editor-in-chief of Marvel Entertainment from 2000 to 2011 before being promoted to Chief Creative Officer.

Quesada was born in New York City to Cuban-born parents. The first comic book of which he was an ardent fan was The Amazing Spider-Man. He graduated with a BFA in illustration from the School of Visual Arts in 1984 and began working with DC Comics in 1990. He worked on Ninjak, Solar, and Man of the Atom at Valiant Comics, and co-created the updated Ray and Azrael with DC Comics.

In 1998, he worked on the Marvel Knights line, including Daredevil, Punisher, The Inhumans, and Black Panther. Two and a half years later, he moved up to editor-in-chief and helped to establish the Ultimate line which appealed to new readers by stepping outside of continuity. He moved to the Chief Creative Officer role in June 2010, becoming a prominent member of the Marvel Studios Creative Committee. This also included creative oversight over Marvel’s various divisions.

In 2019, Quesada took the role of Marvel Entertainment’s Executive Vice President and Creative Director.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 11

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 11, 2020
Day 11 of 366

 

January 11th is the eleventh day of the year.

It is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – targets are subject to force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor, including prostitution – regardless of age, race, gender, and nationality. Language barriers, fear of law enforcement, and fear reprisal from the traffickers keep victims silent and the crime hidden. Developing awareness and understanding of key indicators can help identify victims and save lives.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Arkansas Day, National Milk Day, National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day, and National Vision Board Day. The last one typically occurs on the second Saturday in January.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1569, the first recorded lottery in England occurred.
  • In 1755, Founding Father, Federalist Papers author, and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, was born in Charlestown, Nevis, British Leeward Isles.
  • In 1759, the first American life insurance company was incorporated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • In 1787, William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.
  • In 1805, the Michigan Territory was created.
  • In 1908, the Grand Canyon National Monument was created.
  • In 1922, the first recorded use of insulin to treat diabetes in a human patient occurred.
  • In 1935, Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
  • In 1949, KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania went on the air. The signal connected east coast and midwest television programming, creating the first networked television broadcasts.
  • In 1964, the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States was published by Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, MD. This was the report declaring that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.
  • In 1986, the Gateway Bridge, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia was officially opened.

 

In 1923, Jerome Bixby was born. He was the editor at Fiction House for Planet Stories, Jungle Stories, Action Stories, Two Western Romances, and Two Complete Science-Adventure Books in the early 1950s. His 1953 short story “It’s a Good Life” was adapted as a teleplay for The Twilight Zone, was revisited in the 1983 Twilight Zone film, and was parodied by The Simpsons in their 1991 Halloween episode.

His best-known television works are for the original Star Trek series. In particular, he introduced the mirror universe with “Mirror, Mirror”. He also wrote “Requiem for Methuselah”, “Day of the Dove”, and “By Any Other Name”.

He conceived the idea behind 1966’s Fantastic Voyage. He wrote the original screenplay for 1958’s It! The Terror from Beyond Space, which was the inspiration for the 1979 classic Alien. His final work, a screenplay called The Man from Earth, was started in the early 1960s and completed on his deathbed in 1998. It was filmed in 2007.

“The Emperor’s New Cloak”, the seventh season mirror universe episode for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was dedicated to his memory.

 

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.

 

 

Culture on My Mind – Hans Zimmer Has No Time to Die

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind
Hans Zimmer Has No Time to Die
January 10, 2020

This week, the thing that I can’t let go of is Hans Zimmer joining No Time to Die, the twenty-fifth James Bond film.

No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s fifth (and final?) outing as secret agent 007 is due to theaters on April 10th. Surprisingly, according to Variety, the production team has replaced composer Dan Romer (Beasts of No Nation) with Hans Zimmer. The ever-popular Hollywood chestnut of “creative differences” was cited as the reason for the divorce.

According to the Variety piece, Zimmer has a full plate at the moment, including Wonder Woman 1984, Top Gun: Maverick, and Dune. That means that he might need help, to get No Time to Die done before mid-February to meet production deadlines, possibly from collaborators like Benjamin Wallfisch or Lorne Balfe.

I don’t see Hans Zimmer as the typical Bond composer. While I enjoy his work, it usually strikes me as synthy (Broken Arrow, The Rock), percussion-heavy (the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Gladiator, Crimson Tide, The Dark Knight Trilogy), or downright experimental (Inception, Interstellar). In fact, The Lion King (both versions), Hidden Figures, and A League of Their Own stand out among his more “traditional” scores, and none of those is really on pace with something like a James Bond film.

No, I’m not forgetting his work in the DC Comics Snyderverse films.

When I think of Bond, my mind goes to David Arnold (who got very synth-heavy at times) and the late John Barry (who scored eleven Bond films). Thomas Newman did well with his two outings, but his scores weren’t my favorites.

Understandably, the shoes of a Bond composer are hard to fill after 58 years of action. If I were driving the Aston Martin, I would have sided with Michael Giacchino, John Powell, Alan Silvestri, Christopher Lennertz, or Rachel Portman.

Portman stands out, especially since the industry needs more female film composers.

Hey, you know, even if Lorne Balfe gets the job from Zimmer, his work on Mission: Impossible – Fallout was solid enough for me. In the end, Hans Zimmer wouldn’t have been my first choice, but April 2020 will be a good opportunity to see if he does right by the 007 legacy.

At least it’s not Goldeneye all over again, right?
cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

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

The Thing About Today – January 10

Michael Falkner1 Comment

January 10, 2020
Day 10 of 366

 

January 10th is the tenth day of the year. It is Traditional Day (also known as Fête du Vodoun, Vodoun Festival, and Traditional Religions Day) in Benin, which celebrates the nation’s history surrounding the West African religion of Vodoun.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Bittersweet Chocolate Day, National Cut Your Energy Costs Day, National Oysters Rockefeller Day, and National Save the Eagles Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 9 AD, the Western Han dynasty came to an end when Wang Mang claimed that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for it. He immediately replaced it with his own Xin dynasty.
  • In 1776, Thomas Paine published his pamphlet Common Sense, which advocated independence for the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain.
  • In 1863, the Metropolitan Railway opened between Paddington and Farringdon. The stretch of rail is the world’s oldest underground railway and marked the beginning of the London Underground.
  • In 1904, Ray Bolger was born. He portrayed the Scarecrow and farmhand Hunk in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.
  • In 1920, the Treaty of Versailles took effect, officially ending World War I.
  • In 1927, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis was released in Germany. It was among the first feature-length science fiction films.
  • In 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations opened in London, representing fifty-one nations of the world.

 

In 1967, majority rule was gained in The Bahamas for the first time.

The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718 during the suppression of piracy in the region. After the American Revolution, the Bahamas saw an influx of British loyalists, solidifying the colony’s connections to the crown. Nearly two hundred years later, the Bahamas started moving toward independence. After World War II, local political parties started to form and by 1964 a new constitution was enacted that granted more local autonomy for citizens.

Assembly elections were held on January 10, 1967. The Progressive Liberal Party and the ruling United Bahamian Party both won 18 seats, and Labour MP Randol Fawkes sided with the Progressive Liberal Party to enable majority rule for the first time in Bahamian history. To commemorate the event, Majority Rule Day was made into a public holiday in 2014 to symbolizing the promise of equality, a level playing field, and fair play for all Bahamians.

It stands alongside emancipation from slavery in 1836 and gaining independence from Great Britain in 1973 as one of the country’s most important historical events.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 9

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 9, 2020
Day 9 of 366

 

January 9th is the ninth day of the year. It is Non-Resident Indian Day in India.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Apricot Day, National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and National Static Electricity Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1349, the Basel Massacre took place. As part of the Black Death persecutions of 1348-1350, the Jews of Basel were accused of having poisoned the local wells with the plague due to their perceived lower mortality rates. The population of 600 Jews, including the community’s rabbi, were burned at the stake. Adding further insult to injury, 140 Jewish children were forcibly converted to Catholicism.
  • In 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • In 1909, Ernest Shackleton planted the British flag 112 miles from the South Pole. It took place during the Nimrod Expedition and was the farthest anyone had ever reached at that time.
  • In 1935, actor Bob Denver was born. He would later become legend for a certain three-hour tour. (A three-hour tour…)
  • In 1939, actress Susannah York was born. She portrayed Kal-El’s mother Lora in 1978’s Superman and two sequels.
  • In 1955, actor J.K. Simmons was born (to play J. Jonah Jameson in several Spider-Man films).
  • In 1956, Imelda Staunton was born. Among so many other roles, she was Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films.
  • In 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone at the Macworld keynote in San Francisco.

 

In 1992, Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail made the first discoveries of extrasolar planets.

The planets are located around pulsar PSR B1257+12 (previously PSR 1257+12), also known as Lich. The pulsar is 2,300 light-years from our Sun in the constellation of Virgo. The planetary system has three known planets: Draugr (PSR B1257+12 A), Poltergeist (PSR B1257+12 B), and Phobetor (PSR B1257+12 C). Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first two planets discovered while Draugr was discovered two years later.

The grouping has roots in undead and beastly mythology – A lich is a fictional undead creature known for controlling other undead creatures with magic, the name draugr refers to undead creatures in Norse mythology, a poltergeist is a supernatural being that creates physical disturbances (German for “noisy ghost”), and Phobetor (from Ovid’s Metamorphoses) is one of the thousand sons of Somnus (Sleep) who appears in dreams in the form of beasts. – and Draugr is the lowest-massing planet yet discovered by any observational technique. In fact, it has less than twice the mass of Earth’s moon.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 8

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 8, 2020
Day 8 of 366

 

January 8th is the eighth day of the year. It is celebrated as Commonwealth Day in the Northern Mariana Islands.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Argyle Day, National Bubble Bath Day, National English Toffee Day, National JoyGerm Day, and National Winter Skin Relief Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1790, President George Washington delivered the first State of the Union Address in New York City.
  • In 1835, the United States national debt is zero for the first and only time. The debt was paid off by President Andrew Jackson, and the action precipitated one of the worst financial crises in history.
  • In 1867, African American men were granted the right to vote in Washington, DC.
  • In 1877, Crazy Horse and his warriors fought their last battle against the United States Cavalry. The battle took place at Wolf Mountain in the Montana Territory.
  • In 1908, actor William Hartnell was born. He went on to originate the titular role in Doctor Who.
  • In 1926, Milton Supman was born. Professionally, he was known as comedian Soupy Sales.
  • In 1935, singer and actor Elvis Presley was born.
  • In 1947, revolutionary singer-songwriter, actor, and producer David Bowie was born.
  • In 1975, Ella T. Grasso became the Governor of Connecticut. She was the first woman to serve as a Governor in the United States other than by succeeding her husband.
  • In 1977, actress, writer, director, and producer Amber Benson was born.
  • In 2005, the USS San Francisco (SSN-711) collided with an underwater seamount at full speed. One sailor was killed, 98 sailors were injured, and the boat was nearly lost at sea.

 

In 1937, Welsh singer Shirley Bassey was born in Cardiff. She was known for her strong singing voice, and her career began in 1953 with £10 for two performances. She took up a few more performances over the following years until she was noticed by Jack Hylton in 1955 and was asked to feature in Such is Life in the West End.

Philips record producer Johnny Franz offered her a recording contract in 1956, and she had her first hit with “The Banana Boat Song” in 1957. She also worked with Columbia Records in 1957, and had her only US Top 40 Billboard Top 100 hit with the title theme to 1965’s Goldfinger, the third James Bond film.

She continued to work through the 1960s and 1970s, including singing the title themes to Bond films Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on December 31, 1999 by Queen Elizabeth the II, and she has continued to perform to this 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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 7

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 7, 2020
Day 7 of 366

 

January 7th is the seventh day of the year. It is celebrated as Tricolour Day in Italy in honor of its iconic flag.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Bobblehead Day and National Tempura Day. I have a craving for some tempura, now.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1610, Galileo Galilei made his first observation of the four largest moons orbiting Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa. They would later be called the Galilean moons in his honor.
  • In 1894, William Kennedy Dickson received a patent for motion picture film.
  • In 1904, the “CQD” distress signal was established, using land telegraph code “CQ” to identify a message of interest to all followed by “D” for distress. It was replaced two years later by the “SOS” signal.
  • In 1924, Gene L. Coon was born. He is best remembered for his work as a writer and producer on the original Star Trek series.
  • In 1927, the first transatlantic telephone service was established between New York City and London.
  • In 1948, American singer and songwriter Kenny Loggins was born.
  • In 1999, the Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton began.

 

In 1903, Alan William Napier-Clavering was born. Known professionally as Alan Napier, he was born in England and spent a decade performing in West End theatres before entering a long film career in both British and American entertainment.

His West End career spanned 1929 to 1939, during which he expressed a particular affinity for the work of George Bernard Shaw. He didn’t have much success in film before he connected with the British expatriate community in Hollywood. His career accelerated afterward, and he added television to his résumé in the 1950s.

In 1965, he was the first actor cast in the live-action Batman television series. Despite never having read comics, he spent three seasons as Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s butler and keeper of the Caped Crusader’s secret identity. He became an icon of the series and a benchmark for portrayals of the character.

Having lived a full and prosperous life, Alan Napier died on August 8, 1988. He was 85.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 6

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 6, 2020
Day 6 of 366

 

January 6th is the sixth day of the year. It is observed as Epiphany (Three Kings’ Day) or Theophany in Western and Eastern Christianity, respectively.

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Bean Day, National Cuddle Up Day, National Shortbread Day, National Technology Day, and National Thank God It’s Monday Day. The last one typically falls on the first Monday in January.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1412, French martyr and saint Joan of Arc was born.
  • In 1540, King Henry VIII of England married Anne of Cleves.
  • In 1839, The Night of the Big Wind swept across Ireland. This was the most damaging storm in 300 years and damaged or destroyed more than twenty percent of the houses in Dublin.
  • In 1893, the Washington National Cathedral was chartered by Congress, signed by President Benjamin Harrison.
  • In 1903, Greek-American pianist and conductor Maurice Abravanel was born.
  • In 1912, New Mexico was admitted as the 47th U.S. state.
  • In 1925, John DeLorean, the American engineer and businessman who founded the DeLorean Motor Company, was born. The vehicles he produced had enough style to become a famous time machine.
  • In 1946, the first-ever general election was held in Vietnam.
  • In 1955, Rowan Atkinson was born. An English actor, producer, and screenwriter, Atkinson is probably best known for his roles in the Blackadder and Mr. Bean television series.
  • In 1969, American actor Norman Reedus was born.
  • In 1973, Schoolhouse Rock premiered on ABC.
  • In 1975, Wheel of Fortune premiered on NBC.
  • In 1982, English actor Eddie Redmayne was born.
  • In 1984, actress and comedian Kate McKinnon was born.

 

In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered the Four Freedoms speech during his State of the Union address. The speech was delivered eleven months before the surprise attack by Japanese forces on Pearl Harbor, the event that forced the United States to declare war on Japan during World War II.

The speech outlined four fundamental freedoms that people everywhere in the world should enjoy: Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The first two freedoms were inspired by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, but the latter two freedoms went beyond the typical Constitutional values and bases. The basic human right to economic security was enshrined decades later as the human security paradigm in social sciences, and the freedom from fear was a key element of the United Nations which the president was establishing.

The Four Freedoms Speech was part of Roosevelt’s hope that the United States would abandon the isolationist policies that emerged from World War I. The speech also established the ideological basis for involvement in World War II, framed in terms of individual rights and liberties. It lived on for decades as a frame for remembrance of those lost in the war, as well as a staple for values central to American life and exceptionalism.

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium.

It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation.

That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb.

Interestingly enough, while President Roosevelt declared that the Four Freedoms embodied “rights of men of every creed and every race, wherever they live,” he was also the leader who authorized Japanese-American and Italian-American internment camps during World War II. Racial segregation also continued in the United States for decades to follow.

 

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.

 

 

The Thing About Today – January 5

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

January 5, 2020
Day 5 of 366

 

January 5th is the fifth day of the year. It is the twelfth of the Twelve Days of Christmas, National Bird Day in the United States, and Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day in Australia (or at least Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane).

In the United States, it is “celebrated” as National Bird Day, National Keto Day, National Screenwriters Day, and National Whipped Cream Day.

 

Historical items of note:

  • In 1874, Nobel Prize laureate, physiologist, and academic Joseph Erlanger was born.
  • In 1875, the Palais Garnier was inaugurated in Paris, France. It one of the most famous opera houses in the world and has inspired artwork and architecture around the world.
  • In 1914, actor and director George Reeves was born. He portrayed Superman on television during the 1950s.
  • In 1933, construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began in San Francisco Bay.
  • In 1941, 37-year-old pilot Amy Johnson disappeared after bailing out of her plane over the River Thames. She was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia.
  • In 1945, cartoon character Pepe LePew debuted in “Odor-able Kitty”.
  • In 2005, the most massive and second-largest known dwarf planet in our solar system was discovered. It was named Eris after the Greek goddess of strife and discord.

 

In 1914, the Ford Motor Company made the (then) radical announcement that they would institute eight-hour workdays and a minimum daily wage of $5 in salary plus bonuses. The previous standard was nine-hour workdays and half that wage, and the new standards were contingent on workers maintaining certain “character standards.”

This wasn’t the first step toward an eight-hour workday, but it was a significant one. Workers had been lobbying for fair working hours in the United States since at least 1971 when Philadelphia carpenters went on strike to achieve a ten-hour workday. The history of the United States is littered with protests and strikes for fair labor practices, and even with Congressional action and a proclamation by President Ulysses Grant in 1868 and 1869, the eight-hour workday wasn’t a reality for many workers until 1937’s Fair Labor Standards Act as proposed under President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

The move by Ford in 1914 wasn’t popular within the industry, but when Ford’s productivity increased and their profit margin jumped from $30 million to $60 million in two years, most of Ford’s competitors followed suit. The die was cast.

 

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.