1842 Prague, Science: Christian Doppler presented the Doppler Effect to the Royal Bohemian Academy. It refers to the interaction of sound and movement as when a police car with its siren blaring approaches and recedes. At Mach 1+ an aircraft precedes the sound wave it generates.
1878 London, Music: Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera ‘HMS Pinafore’ premiered. It was their first major success. Seen it on the boards a couple of times.
1911 Venice, Literature: Thomas Mann visited the Lido in Venice and that inspired his short novel ‘Death in Venice.’ Read it more than once. The film is true to the book thanks to Luchino Visconti’s genius though it makes the writer into a musician so that Mahler’s music features.
1961 Washington D.C., Politics: Before a joint sitting of Congress President John Kennedy proposed sending a man to the Moon before the decade was out. Mission accomplished.
1977 Entertainment: ‘Star Wars’ screened. The Force has been with us since.
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