Today in History – 12 December

we live in a slightly mad world

——————————————————————————–

Dec 12 1915

Francis Albert Sinatra’s birthday. We’ve been asked not to bring up his mafia connections, so today we will not be resorting to that cheap gimmick to slander the Chairman of the Board.

Dec 12 1917

The worst train wreck in history, leaving 543 Frenchmen dead.

Dec 12 1937

US gunboat Panay is sunk by the Japanese military on the Yangtze River by a combined action of bombing, dive bombing, and strafing. Japan apologized, disciplining those involved and paying $2.2M reparations.

Dec 12 1980

“Whip It” earns Devo a gold record. It is the first distinction of its kind for any song about masturbation. Whip it good.

Dec 12 1989

Leona Helmsley fined $7 million and sentenced to jail for 21 months for tax evasion. They made the bitch serve 900 hours of community service.

Dec 12 1991

Richard Gere (claims he is not gay) marries supermodel Cindy Crawford (ditto). Widespread rumors that Gere was intimate with a gerbil have yet to be verified.