2005—Barbara Bush says Hurricane Katrina was “working very well” for thousands of homeless refugees.
2002—Portsmouth loses Jay Smith, creator of the Press Room, Patron Saint of The Music Hall, &c. RIP.
1991—The D.C. home of Sen. Jesse Helms [R-N.C.] is covered by a giant condom, courtesy of ACT UP.
1990—Los Angeles Police Chief Darryl Gates tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that “casual drug users should be taken out and shot.”
1934—N.C. Gov. John Ehringhaus [Dem.] calls out the National Guard to break a textile strike. Other states follow with pro-plutocracy actions.
1931—Con-Ed worker George Metesky, injured on the job, is denied worker’s comp. “The Mad Bomber” plants 32 bombs over the next 16 years.
1930—Carl Panzram to Leavenworth’s hangman: “Hurry it up you Hoosier bastard. I could hang a dozen men while you’re screwing around.”
1925—Colonel Billy Mitchell blames the recent crash of the Shenandoah on the “almost treasonable negligence” of the Navy & War Dept.’s top brass.
1917—The Justice [Hah!] Department raids Socialist Party and IWW offices nationwide and shuts down the newspaper American Socialist.
1813—USS Enterprise captures HMS Boxer off Pemaquid. Captains William Burrows and Samuel Blyth are both killed in the battle; their graves, in Portland, lie side by side.