Tag Archives: Society and Culture

I hope you don’t mind indulging me for a minute.  Today marks the 30th anniversary of our wedding ceremony.  I’m not sure if it’s persistence or laziness (as in, too lazy to break up), but 30 years, 2 kids, a few dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, frogs, and who-knows-what-else-is-under-the-couch later, here we are.

All sorts of interesting and appropriate things happened on this date.  In 1791 – Louis XVI was suspended from office until he agreed to ratify the constitution.   I’m passionate about our leaders – business and political – not being above the rule of law (or corporate governance).  In 1951 – J.D. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye,” was first published. It’s one of my favorite books and my eldest daughter’s as well.  1969 – Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, FL, and began the first manned mission to land on the moon.  Less than 10 years later, we undertook our impossible (seemingly) mission to become partners for life.  So far, so good!

1973 – Alexander P. Butterfield informed the Senate committee investigating the Watergate affair of the existence of recorded tapes.   What an unreal summer that was, but good, our Constitution, and a free press prevailed.  Today, it’s a good reminder to everyone that in this Internet age, we all leave tracks everywhere and those funny Facebook photos may not be what employers are wanting.

A year after our wedding, in 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq after forcing Hasan al-Bakr to resign.  Nice to know we lasted longer than he did.  Some other bad things happened on July 16- JFK Jr.’s plane went down, a bad Philippine earthquake, France rounded up a bunch of Jews for the Nazi’s, and Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed.

My favorite tidbit is that 1774 Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed the treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardji, ending their six-year war.  Why is it a fave?  Because it’s about the joining of two on a day when we did the same.  Hopefully we’ll last as long as it has!