January 31



Amber pages


On yesterday’s page I suggested that some days in history appear to have themes, and outlined one - tyranny against the individual - with some examples. To which I could easily add, on today's date:

the expulsion of Trotsky from the Communist Party, today in 1929 - he was first deported to Alma-Ata in Central Asia, then forced to emigrate, and finally hunted down and assassinated in Mexico in 1940; but you can read all that on August 20 


 So today, the inversion of the theme, the overthrow of tyrannies:
the execution of Guy Fawkes in 1606 - but see my essay on this fraudulence on November 5
the abolition of slavery in the United States: the 13th amendment, passed by Congress today, in 1865, ratified on December 6th of the same year, (sadly still awaiting full implementation in most states, today, in 2024) - and see several other entries, especially March 1, June 23 and August 1, to realise just how far behind the rest of the world the US was with this.

the instigation in the United States of Social Security payments, today in 1940 (the tyranny of poverty)
and some would include the opening of the first MacDonald's in Russia, in 1990 (and some would argue that it was opened yesterday, on the 30th), but really that is just the partnering of one form of tyranny with another, and it has not yet been proven which was the more damaging to humanity in the long run, though I think we can safely guess (it was shut down during the Russia-Ukraine war of 2022, and I have no doubt most Russians were only too pleased to see the backside of it).


 And then, among the waxworks in the creative section:
Franz Schubert, composer, born today in 1797
Freya Stark, travel writer, born today in 1893 (and made it to 100! yet another of the long, long list of extraordinary women of extraordinary achievements, who don't get on the pub-quiz lists let alone the school or university syllabuses, and always for the same old reason; that's her at the top of the page, in full bernous on her Arabian adventure)
John O'Hara, short story writer, born today in 1905 (not to be confused with Frank O'Hara, poet and curator at MOMA, for whom see March 27)

And in addition:
the première of Anton Chekhov's play "Three Sisters" in Moscow, today in 1901
Luna 9 launched, today in 1966
Apollo 14 launched, today in 1971
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