7/4/09

How Will Christopher Columbus Be Seen In 2362 A.D.? (1927)

From the July 4, 1927 Fresno Bee (Fresno, CA):
It is to wonder what the people of the year 23;62 A.D. will make of the exploits of Byrd over the North Pole and Lindbergh over the Atlantic.

The year 2362 is 435 years hence: 435 years before 1927 Christopher Columbus was making his voyage and getting his name into history. Of Columbus' mysterious past there has been much speculation. Obscure as have been his antecedents, his deed remained glorious until now, when a French biographer, Marius Andre, comes forward with the charge that Columbus was no navigator, that he was no sailor, no captain, no hero, no conquistador -- nothing but a fraud, a profiteer, a slave dealer, a liar of no mean ability, a discoverer whose major achievements were in his imagination.

All this finding is in style with the newer trends of historical research -- to tear down any glamour that any man has acquired through the centuries. Defenders of Columbus will of course rush forward to clean the smudge from the shield of their idol, but it is really unnecessary. The accomplishment of the man, which can not be effaced by any besmirching of character, make his position secure.

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7/2/09

Happy Birthday America? (1976)


Since I was just a twinkle in my father's eye in 1976 (that's creepy-speak for "not born yet") I'm always amazed when I come across bizarre "down-but-not-out" advertisements celebrating the U.S. Bicentennial.

This ad for the Grand Prairie State Bank appeared in the July 4, 1976 Grand Prairie Daily News (Grand Prairie, TX). Are there any comparable ads being put out today, given the tough economic times we face?

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