California’s Cannibalism, Alcatraz Plumbing & Ballooning Around the World – Have YOU Heard?
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Have YOU heard about the day California accidentally legalized CANNIBALISM due to a typo in their state constitution?! …STAY TUNED!
On March 21, 1850, California’s first state constitution was completed with what might be history’s most unfortunate typographical error! The document was supposed to outlaw “dueling,” but someone accidentally wrote “devouring” instead! This meant that for nearly 22 years, dueling was perfectly legal in California, while eating human flesh was explicitly banned! The error wasn’t discovered until 1872 when legal scholar John Norton Pomeroy was reviewing state laws and noticed the bizarre prohibition. The state legislature quickly amended the constitution, officially outlawing dueling and removing the unnecessary cannibalism clause – though to be clear, eating people was and still is illegal under other laws! Still, for over two decades, any literal law-and-order types in California had to admit that technically, you could challenge someone to a pistol duel at dawn, but sharing a neighborly barbecue with human ribs was strictly forbidden!
[SOURCE: California Historical Society and LexisNexis Legal Archives]
Today we’re celebrating National Common Courtesy Day! In a world of ever-fading social niceties, March 21st is dedicated to reminding us all that “please,” “thank you,” and not taking the last donut in the break room without asking are still important! Studies show that experiencing common courtesy can actually trigger the release of oxytocin – the same chemical your brain produces when you cuddle puppies! A University of California study found that witnesses to acts of courtesy were 40% more likely to perform acts of kindness themselves, creating a ripple effect of positivity. So maybe being polite isn’t just nice – it’s scientifically contagious! The practice of formally teaching courtesy dates back to medieval times, when knights followed elaborate “chivalry codes.” So the next time you hold the door for someone, you’re basically being a knight in shining armor – just with fewer dragons to slay and more doors to hold!
[SOURCE: nationaldaycalendar.com]
On this day in 1999, balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones completed the first non-stop circumnavigation of the Earth in a hot air balloon! After 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes floating through the sky, the pair landed in the Egyptian desert, having traveled 25,361 miles! Their balloon, the Breitling Orbiter 3, stood taller than the Statue of Liberty at 180 feet high when fully inflated! During their record-breaking journey, they reached speeds of up to 105 miles per hour and altitudes of nearly 36,000 feet – where temperatures plummeted to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit! The two men lived in a pressurized capsule the size of a minivan for nearly three weeks, sleeping in shifts of four hours each. Talk about social distancing before it was cool! I guess you could say they really took the expression “rising to the challenge” to new heights!
[SOURCE: onthisday.com]
Today I found out that on March 21, 1963, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary – America’s most notorious prison – closed permanently after 29 years of operation! Despite housing infamous criminals like Al Capone and “Birdman” Robert Stroud, the prison’s downfall wasn’t security concerns – it was plumbing! The island facility’s pipes were being severely corroded by saltwater, causing raw sewage to pollute the San Francisco Bay. Combined with exorbitant operating costs of nearly three times more per inmate than other federal prisons, the government decided to shut it down! Here’s a mind-blowing fact: in its entire history, not a single prisoner ever successfully escaped! Of the 36 men who tried, 23 were captured, 6 were shot and killed, 2 drowned… and 5 went missing and were presumed drowned – though conspiracy theories about their potential survival persist to this day! I guess you could say that for most inmates, Alcatraz was literally a “sink or swim” situation!
[SOURCE: todayifoundout.com]
Watch, Learn and Enjoy!
Troy W. Hudson
💚🎤 #haveyouheard