1770 Königsberg, Philosophy: Immanuel Kant was appointed a professor logic and metaphysics. At the time this city was the seat of Prussian monarchs, but now it is in Russia, having previously been Kaliningrad in the Soviet Union where attack submarines were stationed. There is a series of krimis that involve Herr Doktor Professor Kant, starting with Michael Gregorio, ‘The Critique of Criminal Reason’ (2006). Never been there.
1836 London, Literature: The twenty-four year old Charles Dickens published the first instalment of the ‘Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club’ under the pseudonym of Boz. The illustrations by Sol Eytinge, Junior, added to the fun. We have been full of the Dickens at times.
1854 Nagoya (Japan), Trade: Commodore Matthew Perry signed a treaty permitting American trade with two ports, Shimoda and Hakodate. We spent a few days in Nagoya once upon a time.
1930 The Motion Production Code was instituted to head-off government censorship, imposing strict guidelines on the treatment of sex, crime, religion and violence in film until everyone lost interest in 1968 or so. Police officers and judges were to be shown as able and competent. Criminals, including adulterers, must come to a bad end. Sex is no more than a short kiss. Corrupt fools did not become president. That is the world of fiction. The Hayes Office enforced it with certificates. No certificate, no screening.
1949 St Johns, Politics: Newfoundland gave up independence, after refusing to join the Canadian federation in 1867, and joined after a referendum that barely passed, insuring that Joey Smallwood would be premier forever. He spent the rest of his long career attacking the rest of Canada, while demanding financial aid. The rest of Canada did not consent to this adhesion of the Goofie Newfies. Been there a couple of times. That was enough.
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