Christmas Every Day

1184 BC The Fall of Troy

Along with the Bible, the story of the fall of Troy provides the foundation of Western literature. As described first by Homer in his epics The Iliad and The Odyssey, the ten-year siege of Troy and its destruction was the basis for countless other legends, plays, novels, poems, operas, and films.

The events beneath the walls of Troy (Christopher Marlowe’s “topless towers of Ilium”) took place because of the kidnapping of a Greek queen, Helen of Sparta, by a Trojan prince, Paris. The city-states of the Greek world banded together under the leadership of Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, to recover Helen but despite the contribution of the almost-invincible warrior of Achilles, it took ten years to bring Troy down. Even after a decade of battles, it was a cunning ploy by the wiliest of the Greeks, Ulysses, that brought about the end of the Trojan monarchy — a hollow horse filled with Greek soldiers was brought into the city by unsuspecting citizens who believed their enemies had abandoned their siege. Once inside, the Greeks opened the gates and a general massacre and sack ensued.

For centuries it was believed that the Trojan war was entirely fictional but that was before the efforts of amateur archaeologist and Homer fanatic, Heinrich Schliemann (1822-90). With the money made from his career as a successful merchant, Schliemann excavated a site on the Troas peninsula which he believed fitted the description of the landscape described by Homer. He uncovered a series of cities built throughout the ages on top of each other and announced that one of these was the historic Troy. Unfortunately his crude techniques (which involved the use of dynamite) and his choice of archaeological layer have been criticized — Schliemann thought that Homer’s Troy was the city found on level II when modern researchers opt for levels VI or VIIa.

Today the existence of ancient Troy is taken as certain — its location would have allowed it to dominate the entrance to the Dardanelles and grow rich on tolls and trade — but the dating is uncertain. The genius Eratosthenes of Alexandria compiled an ancient chronology and place the destruction of Homer’s great city to 1184 BC.

1871 American attack on Korean forts

By the 1870s Western powers had ventured into Asia and forced most nations to open themselves to trade and diplomatic relations, not always with happy results. The American gunboats that forced Japan to encounter the outside world prompted civil war and a process of modernization; in China the Opium Wars produced more civil war and weakness of the Qing dynasty. One country that was determined to keep closed was Korea, the “Hermit Kingdom”, which forbade most foreign contact.

In 1866 the American merchant ship General Sherman attempted to sail deep into Korean territory, ostensibly to trade, but was attacked and the crew killed. An American expedition of their Asiatic Squadron was sent to the peninsula in 1871 to learn more of the fate of the doomed ship and to negotiate treaties with the Korean government. The reply was to refuse talks and to fire on the American fleet, whose commander demanded an apology with 10 days. When that was not forthcoming by June 10, troops were landed and several Korean forts on Gangwha Island were taken at the cost of 3 American dead and 243 Korean casualties. The enormous banner of the commanding officer was captured (see above).

Despite these losses the Korean government refused to negotiate and it was not until 1882 that Korea opened itself up to foreign diplomacy and trade. The flag (the only one of its kind surviving) was returned to Korea in 2015.

632 

The Death of Muhammed

The Islamic prophet and warlord Abū al-Qāsim Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim was born in Mecca about 570. Orphaned at an early age he was raised by an uncle. In his middle age he began to see visions, in which he claimed that the archangel Gabriel was speaking to him. (See the 14th-century Persian illustration above.) In 610 he began to proclaim these messages which centred around the utter oneness of God, a viewpoint which made him unpopular in Mecca which enjoyed a thriving pilgrimage trade to the shrines of various pagan deities. In 622 he and some followers fled to Medina where he struggled for political dominance and the unity of various tribes. In 630 he returned in force to capture Mecca. By the time he died in 632 he had succeeded in uniting most of the tribes of the Arabian peninsula under the banner of his new religion, Islam.

His death sparked a struggle for succession to the headship of the Islamic world. Though many opted for the title of Caliph (“successor”) to Muhammed’s cousin and son-in-law Ali, the majority were for the position to go to Abu Bakr. Ali was again denied the caliphate in 634 after the death of Abu Bakr and the reigns of Umar (d. 644) and Uthman. It was only in 656 after Uthman’s assassination that Ali was recognized but in 661 he himself was assassinated and the Muslim realm fell into the Sunni Shi’a conflict which has yet to be resolved.

A momentous day in history

70

The siege of Jerusalem

On this day, Roman legions under the future emperor Titus breached the second wall of besieged Jerusalem, occupied by Jewish rebels. When, after vicious street-fighting the city was taken, Titus ordered it and its great Temple obliterated. The historian Josephus who had been used by the Romans as a mediator described the destruction:

There was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it [Jerusalem] had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.
And truly, the very view itself was a melancholy thing; for those places which were adorned with trees and pleasant gardens, were now become desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down. Nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judaea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change. For the war had laid all signs of beauty quite waste. Nor had anyone who had known the place before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again. But though he [a foreigner] were at the city itself, yet would he have inquired for it.

1832

Rebellion in Paris

A rebellion in 1830 had ended the Bourbon dynasty in France and replaced it with what was hoped to be a new, modern constitutional monarchy under Louis-Philippe, thought to be a friend to democracy. By 1832 a number of forces were united in their distaste for this new Orleanist king: Bonapartists wanted the descendants of Napoleon to reign; Legitimists wanted the Bourbons back; and republicans wanted an end to kings altogether. Economic hard times, outbreaks of cholera, and accusations of corruption added fuel to the fire. Republican cells used the funeral of a popular general to start riots that they would would bring down the government as in the disturbances of 1830 but this time the army and the king stood firm and put down the insurgents. This rebellion was the inspiration for Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

1968

The assassination of Robert Kennedy

After the murder of his brother John in 1963, Robert Kennedy became the darling of liberal Democrats who saw in him a chance to replace the despised Lyndon Johnson as president. In 1968 Kennedy held back from challenging Johnson in the primaries until he saw that Eugene McCarthy’s candidacy had revealed a dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War that he might capitalize on and in March he announced that he would join the race. Johnson’s surprise decision not to run again left Kennedy the media favourite in a field that included McCarthy and Vice President Hubert Humphrey who led in delegates. On June 5 after winning the California primary, Kennedy was shot dead in the Ambassador Hotel by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan who hated Kennedy for his support of Israel. His diary read: “”My determination to eliminate RFK is becoming more and more of an unshakable obsession. RFK must die. RFK must be killed. Robert F. Kennedy must be assassinated….. Robert F. Kennedy must be assassinated before 5 June 68.” [That date was the anniversary of the start of the Six Day War].

In the 1968 election Richard Nixon was elected president.

1940 Winston Churchill defies Hitler

On June 4, 1940 things were looking pretty grim for Britain and western civilization. Belgium, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands had been overrun by the German army, France was near collapse and close to surrender, while the British Expeditionary Force had been thrashed and sent fleeing back to England, saved only by a series of miracles and the sacrifice of the rearguard at Dunkirk.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill, whose brief time in office had seen nothing but calamity after calamity, rose to sum the situation up in Parliament. His speech was a catalogue of the setbacks the armed forces had suffered but he put a brave face on it all, and made the most of a horrible situation, rallying his people in the famous final two paragraphs.

I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our Island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of His Majesty’s Government-every man of them. That is the will of Parliament and the nation. The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail.

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

1967 Sgt. Pepper arrives

What was called “the most important and influential rock and roll album ever recorded” appeared on this day in 1967.

The Beatles began their careers singing a mixture of light-weight pop ballads and covers of American rhythm and blues numbers but had gradually matured, writing their own material and experimenting with different musical approaches and technologies. They had also grown disenchanted with touring, singing the same old songs over the ear-splitting shrieks of their female teenage fans. Moreover, their music had grown more complicated and reliant on studio effects so that it could not be satisfactorily performed live.

Inspired by Brian Wilson’s concept album “Pet Sounds” for the Beach Boys, the Beatles conceived in 1966 of a collection of songs as if it were performed by an early-twentieth century military band. The budget for this album was enormous, allowing for hiring the London Symphony Orchestra and endless studio time, and the technological manipulation of sound by producer George Martin was cutting-edge. Critics speculated on the reasons for the lengthy delay in releasing the LP and many concluded that the Beatles had run out of ideas but the five months of production would prove to be fruitful.

“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” emerged as a bewildering mixture of genres: rock and roll, Indian, psychedelia, music hall, and jazz, combining in a way to suggest an extended drug trip. Indeed, a number of the cuts were banned from the BBC for being too suggestive of drug use. It was instantly hailed as a musical marvel; it would sell 32 million copies around the world. Its album jacket inspired a whole new genre of pop music consumerism. Rolling Stone placed the record at the top of the list of the 500 greatest of all time.

1916  Battle of Jutland

In the prelude to World War I, both of the great and hostile alliances spent extravagantly on the development of a new type of battleship, the dreadnought — heavily armoured, carrying all big guns (11-inch or larger). Both sides planned on huge naval battles that would see whole fleets of dreadnoughts encountering each other. The Battle of Jutland, however, was the only time this occurred.

By 1916 the German High Fleet had not ventured forth from its bases on the North Sea, penned in by the British Grand Fleet operating from bases in Scotland. It was the intention of German Admiral Reinhard Scheer to lure the British out and destroy them in one great action, allowing his navy access to the North Atlantic. To do so he dangled as bait a detachment of battle cruisers — lighter and faster than dreadnoughts — under Admiral Franz Hipper who was to sail across the path of the British and lead them on to the guns of Scheer’s main force. The British took the bait; Admiral Beatty’s squadron pursued Hipper and ran into the German main force which mauled his ships and forced them to withdraw. The Germans pursued, thus blundering into the bigger British armada, and a battle ensued.

The British outnumbered and outgunned their opponents and proved to be more accurate, but the German ships were more “survivable” and could take greater punishment without sinking. Moreover, British shells lacked the penetrating power of German artillery, because of different explosives used. In the melee that followed, the Royal Navy suffered over 6,000 dead, and lost 3 battlecruisers, 3 armoured cruisers, and 8 destroyers while the German casualty list was 2,500 dead, while losing 1 battlecruiser, 1 pre-dreadnought battle ship, 4 light cruisers, and 5 torpedo-boats. As night fell, the fighting ended with the Germans retreating to their home ports.

Both sides claimed victory; the Germans had certainly done better in the battle, but they had failed to break the British naval blockade of Germany and their fleet never ventured out again. The future lay in submarine attacks for the rest of the war.

1999 Leonardo’s restored “Last Supper” is back on display

This is the painting that keeps on wanting to disappear. Commissioned by Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, it took Leonardo from 1495 to 1498 to complete. Unfortunately, humidity began eating away at the picture almost as soon as it was completed. Within 50 years it was almost invisible and observers felt it was ruined; no one seems to have objected when builders created a doorway through the mess on the wall and later bricked it up. Numerous attempts at restoration were made, based on several excellent copies that had been made, but these were not successful and more damage was done by occupying French troops in the days of Napoleon. In 1943 the convent that housed it was hit by Allied bombs; though the painting had been walled by sandbags the vibration of the explosions did more damage.

In 1978 a twenty-year restoration project began. The site was sealed and made climate-controlled; centuries of dirt were removed; and the old repair work was removed. Some areas were beyond repair and are marked by pastel watercolour effects. When it was unveiled to the public 1999, some critics were horrified at the colours and facial shapes. “There may now be a serious misrepresentation of Leonardo’s final design”, said one; “a distinctly mongrel work showing alarmingly little original paint and very much alien ‘compensatory‘ and ‘reintegrating‘ new paint”, said another.

A 1520 copy is shown below to illustrate the differences.

1933 Walt Disney releases “The Three Little Pigs”

The most successful animated short of all time, it won an Academy Award in 1934. The song “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” had been written by Frank Churchill who went on to become head of music for Disney. The cartoon wolf was originally given a Jewish voice but the version below has been redubbed to make him a “Fuller Brush Man” working his way through college.

The birthday of two great musicians:

1904 George Formby

The first great British film comedian was born blind to the family of a successful music hall performer. He recovered his sight but never learned to read or write. He wished to follow his father on the stage but his family decreed that “one fool was enough” so he became an apprentice jockey, aided by his very small frame.After his father’s death in 1925, his mother allowed him to pursue a career in the footlights, which he did by imitating his father’s routines — not very successfully as he was often booed off the stage.

Two things changed his future: he took up playing the ukulele and married the very forceful Beryl Ingham, a clogdancer who became his manager. Under her guidance Formby became the premiere music hall act of his generation, making movies and records between his lucrative tours. His greatest hit was “When I’m Cleaning Windows”, a racy little number banned by the BBC. He died in 1961.

1940 Levon Helm

Raised in Turkey Scratch, Arkansas, Levon Helm wanted to be a musician from an early age. By the time he was in high school his drumming was of professional caliber. He joined rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins in Canada where he was an important part of The Hawks with Robbie Robertson and Rick Danko. After leaving Hawkins, the group backed up Bob Dylan in his new electric phase and became known as The Band, famous for “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, “The Weight” and “Up on Cripple Creek”. After success in Hollywood, solo performances and tours, Helm lost his voice for time in 1990 after a bout with throat cancer but regained to resume his career. His died of cancer in 2012.

Here is a tribute to him by the great Marc Cohn: