Welcome to another installment of WayBackWednesday.  More information that you didn’t know that you didn’t know…(think about it, I didn’t type that twice on accident).  Here we go:

• 1790 :: Joseph Guillotine proposed a “more humane” way of execution.
• 1903 :: Harry Houdini escaped from a police station in Amsterdam. (Ocean’s 12 anyone?)
• 1979 :: the Pittsburgh Steelers became the 1st team to win 3 Super Bowls
• 1998 :: Pres Clinton said…”I did not…

There it is.  Just 4 this week.  I’m sure there were some famous people born today.  Maybe even you!

• Dead Air divx

Here we go.  More useless trivia to add to the growing pile already on your brain.  One of these days this info may actually be useful, or lead to exciting dinner conversation. Maybe even a job interview.  Then you’ll thank me (through the comment section, of course), and I’ll simply say “You’re welcome”.

On this day, January 14th:

• 1949 :: the US gov’ment (say that with me) got involved in busting up AT&T so that they wouldn’t run a monopoly on telecommunications (read: phones) and electric power.  AT&T focused their efforts on phones.  Now they have a monopoly on the iPhone.  How ironic.  Speaking of irony, wouldn’t it be fun if in the board game “Monopoly”, whenever a player is on the verge of winning, the other players could file anti-trust suits, get the gov’ment to bust it up, other players would be allowed back in the game…game continues.  Yes?
• 1784 :: the continental congress got together in Annapolis, MD (home of the US Naval Academy – Shelly and I have played there a few times) ratifying the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the American Revolution…in turn, making the USofA a sovereign nation
• 1951 :: the 1st NFL Pro Bowl game was played in Los Angelos, CA.  The Pro Bowl is still inconsequential.
• 1990 :: “The Simpson’s” premiered on FOX.  I wasn’t allowed to watch it as it fit into the “filth/trash” category.  To this day, I won’t watch the show out of fear that my mom or dad may walk in the room and find it on.  They trained me well.

So there you have it.  What other important things happened?

Because you don’t have enough information swirling around in your head already, today’s post will add to that pile.  I’ve heard it said that we’re (apparently all of us Americans) losing our grasp on history and are having a hard time understanding that there have been people that have gone before us…You know, the “me” generation.

OK, confession time.  I’ve actually never heard anyone say that.  But I’m sure you can imagine…

So here goes.  Way back in the day…

• 1610 :: Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter with his telescope (that he had just invented) Talk about whoa..
• 1927 :: the 1st telephone line between New York and London began operating.
• 1714 :: Henry Mill patented the first typewriter :: Can we say blogging is born?
• 1990 :: the Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed because people were worried it might fall over…

What other interesting things happened?  Hope you all learn something in the process…