On this day in history, December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party takes place when a group of angry patriots, the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians dump the tea from three ships into Boston Harbor to protest Parliament's tax on tea. In 1767 the Townshend Acts placed a tax on tea and other items for the first time, leading to boycotts of English goods in the colonies. The Townshend Acts were finally repealed in 1770, except for the tea tax, which Parliament left in place to assert that it did indeed have the right to tax the colonists.
By 1773 the British East India Company, the main importer of tea to England and the colonies, was suffering a severe financial crisis. The Indemnity Act of 1767, which removed certain taxes on the Company, had expired, causing the price of tea to go up. Tons of tea that could not be sold at the higher price sat in warehouses in London. In order to rescue the Company, Parliament passed the Tea Act of 1773, which removed taxes on the Company, allowed it to export directly to the colonies, thereby bypassing middlemen who raised the price and raised the tax on end-consumers.
The Tea Act actually lowered the price of tea in America, but the colonists stood on the principle that it was unjust for Parliament to tax them at all, because they were not represented in Parliament. Seven tea ships left England for America that year. Patriots at Philadelphia and New York successfully prevented the ships from unloading, while the ship at Charleston, South Carolina was confiscated by patriots and the goods resold to aid the patriot cause.
The term Boston Tea Party was not used for nearly another century. In fact many Americans looked down upon the event for the first several decades after the Revolutionary War because it involved the destruction of private property. Eventually though, the event came to represent a moment of pride in American history as a revolt against tyranny.
A Resolution from President General, John Dodd in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. You are encouraged to celebrate at 8:00 PM Boston time on Saturday, December 16, 2023!
"The only thing we can be sure of about the future, is that it will be absolutely fantastic."
Dec 16, 1917: Writer, futurist and inventor Arthur C. Clarke was born.
In 1964, he appeared on Horizon and gave some astonishing predictions about the future. "The most intelligent inhabitants of that future world won't be men or monkeys. They'll be machines."
Who needs a Tesla when you got one of these...Get in!
GM built the Firebird III in 1958 and debuted it at Motorama in 1959. It is an extravagant concept with a fiberglass body and seven short wings and tail fins (which were tested extensively in a wind tunnel). It is a two-seater powered by a 225 hp (168 kW) Whirlfire GT-305 gas turbine engine, with a two-cylinder 10 hp (7.5 kW) gasoline engine to run all the accessories. Its exterior design features a double-bubble canopy and technical advancements to make it more practical, such as cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and air conditioning. It also featured "Space-Age" innovations, such as special air drag brakes like those found on aircraft, which emerged from flat panels in the bodywork of the car to slow it from high speeds; an "ultra-sonic" key that signaled the doors to open; an automated guidance system to help avoid accidents; and "no hold" steering. The driver controlled the steering with a joystick positioned between the two seats.
GM Firebird lll Gas Turbine Car Promo Film - 1958
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKOdux6Gjno
1958 GM Firebird III news film - stock video (GettyImages) "This is a short promotional film about GM's experimental, gas-turbine engine concept car, the Firebird III. The Firebird III was a Space Age experiment in the area of autonomous, self-driving cars." GM test track in Phoenix, AZ.
Dec 16, 1977: the Charles Bronson Cold War thriller TELEFON opened. "Dial 800 (Toll Free) T-E-L-E-F-O-N for the secret of The most explosive picture of the year!" The number had been disconnected by Dec. 20, 1977.
The name of the poem used as the code spoken over the telephone to activate sleepers was 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' by Robert Frost. This poem was originally published in 1923 in his collection titled 'New Hampshire'. The exact lines from the poem heard in the movie each time were: "The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."
Long ago and far away: Dec 31, 2001...
What the Swifty hell is happening?
What do you get if you go back one letter in the alphabet for each of the letters in IBM?
By 1773 the British East India Company, the main importer of tea to England and the colonies, was suffering a severe financial crisis. The Indemnity Act of 1767, which removed certain taxes on the Company, had expired, causing the price of tea to go up. Tons of tea that could not be sold at the higher price sat in warehouses in London. In order to rescue the Company, Parliament passed the Tea Act of 1773, which removed taxes on the Company, allowed it to export directly to the colonies, thereby bypassing middlemen who raised the price and raised the tax on end-consumers.
The Tea Act actually lowered the price of tea in America, but the colonists stood on the principle that it was unjust for Parliament to tax them at all, because they were not represented in Parliament. Seven tea ships left England for America that year. Patriots at Philadelphia and New York successfully prevented the ships from unloading, while the ship at Charleston, South Carolina was confiscated by patriots and the goods resold to aid the patriot cause.
The term Boston Tea Party was not used for nearly another century. In fact many Americans looked down upon the event for the first several decades after the Revolutionary War because it involved the destruction of private property. Eventually though, the event came to represent a moment of pride in American history as a revolt against tyranny.
A Resolution from President General, John Dodd in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. You are encouraged to celebrate at 8:00 PM Boston time on Saturday, December 16, 2023!
"The only thing we can be sure of about the future, is that it will be absolutely fantastic."
Dec 16, 1917: Writer, futurist and inventor Arthur C. Clarke was born.
In 1964, he appeared on Horizon and gave some astonishing predictions about the future. "The most intelligent inhabitants of that future world won't be men or monkeys. They'll be machines."
Who needs a Tesla when you got one of these...Get in!
GM built the Firebird III in 1958 and debuted it at Motorama in 1959. It is an extravagant concept with a fiberglass body and seven short wings and tail fins (which were tested extensively in a wind tunnel). It is a two-seater powered by a 225 hp (168 kW) Whirlfire GT-305 gas turbine engine, with a two-cylinder 10 hp (7.5 kW) gasoline engine to run all the accessories. Its exterior design features a double-bubble canopy and technical advancements to make it more practical, such as cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and air conditioning. It also featured "Space-Age" innovations, such as special air drag brakes like those found on aircraft, which emerged from flat panels in the bodywork of the car to slow it from high speeds; an "ultra-sonic" key that signaled the doors to open; an automated guidance system to help avoid accidents; and "no hold" steering. The driver controlled the steering with a joystick positioned between the two seats.
GM Firebird lll Gas Turbine Car Promo Film - 1958
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKOdux6Gjno
1958 GM Firebird III news film - stock video (GettyImages) "This is a short promotional film about GM's experimental, gas-turbine engine concept car, the Firebird III. The Firebird III was a Space Age experiment in the area of autonomous, self-driving cars." GM test track in Phoenix, AZ.
Dec 16, 1977: the Charles Bronson Cold War thriller TELEFON opened. "Dial 800 (Toll Free) T-E-L-E-F-O-N for the secret of The most explosive picture of the year!" The number had been disconnected by Dec. 20, 1977.
The name of the poem used as the code spoken over the telephone to activate sleepers was 'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening' by Robert Frost. This poem was originally published in 1923 in his collection titled 'New Hampshire'. The exact lines from the poem heard in the movie each time were: "The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep."
Long ago and far away: Dec 31, 2001...
What the Swifty hell is happening?
What do you get if you go back one letter in the alphabet for each of the letters in IBM?
“World War III is a guerrilla information war with no division between military and civilian participation.” — Marshall McLuhan, from Culture Is Our Business, 1970