January 22, 2019
Good morning dearest readers. Today’s On This Date items are from 1506 and 1973, Your Hit Parade chronicles the #1 songs from this date in 1972 and today Philosophy 101 is about the benefits of keeping quiet.
THE DAILY ALMANAC
On This Date:
In 1506 – The first elements of the Swiss Guard, 150 strong, arrive at the Vatican to serve Pope Julius II, who had requested the mercenaries, though the papal/Swiss alliance actually went back to 15th century when the Swiss were used in wars, though sometimes their alliances varied. For their part, Swiss males of the era were willing to serve as mercenaries because the Swiss cantons were rather overpopulated, and soldiering for others offered as good a way as any to make a buck or two and they still serve the papacy today and recruits must still be Swiss Roman Catholics, between 19 and 30-years-old.
In 1973 – The US Supreme Court issues the landmark Roe v Wade ruling which legalized abortion in the US. The decision overturned a Texas law that had made it a crime to aid a woman in having an abortion. Writing for the majority, Justice Harry Blackmun said, in part, the “right of privacy…is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy”. The vote was 7-2, with justices Byron White and William Rehnquist dissenting.
Your Hit Parade
#1 songs on this date in 1972:
Hot 100 – American Pie – Don McLean (2nd of four weeks)
Soul Chart – Let’s Stay Together…Al Green (3rd of nine weeks)
Country Chart – Carolyn…Merle Haggard (2nd of three weeks)
Album Chart – American Pie…Don McLean (1st of seven weeks)
– Chart data courtesy of Billboard.
Numbers Racket
10,625: the continuous number of days the US has been at war.
21.952: the number of dollars, in trillions, of America’s national debt. – Source: usdebtclock.org
654: days until 2020 election.
Philosophy 101
No risk attends the rewards that silence brings.
Augustus
It’s OK to keep quiet. OK, but not always easy. It’s the way the world is built: someone says this and we feel we must say that, which usually leads to that someone saying more things that we usually feel requires a response and it never ends. This is completely in step with human nature.
We must overcome ourselves, however. In fact, it might seem we spend an awful lot of time overcoming ourselves and, indeed, we do. So much of our instincts are geared for survival and self-preservation and are not always useful for getting along with others.
There are rewards for keeping quiet. The self-control and restraint showed brings a wonderful dividend of peace and leads to increased patience. It also keeps others on their toes, wondering what you are thinking. This is one of the privileges of wisdom, a benefit the years provide those willing to heed it: knowledge is power, including knowledge we reserve for ourselves.
It is rare when you will regret keeping quiet. You can always talk, One words are issued, however, they cannot be taken back.
Have a good day, and many thanks for reading.
xoxoxo
Kaitlyn