Time for a lighter read- unless you click around to dig deeper of course!

It's been awhile since I've done a "this day in history" post so since I had an hour before the Farmer's Market opens, I thought I'd pop in! Of course, this may keep me from the market as I always end up scurrying down some rabbit holes. But that's ok!

Let's get started on August 3rd. Keep reading and take a peek back in time.

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Narrow pathway in Colonial Williamsburg.

Historical summary of August 3rd.

• 1492 - No matter where you stand on the man and the expedition, it's notable that August 3rd is the date Christopher Columbus set sail for America. Us GenX types remember learning about the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria in grade school- it was a thing in the 70s. To learn more about the expedition, click here. He kept a detailed journal and thank goodness! Those bits of historical record-keeping help us understand history- the good and the bad. And yes, in this case, some ugly.
• 1797- Jeffrey Amherst died at age 80. He was an English army general who commanded British forces in North America. And also the Royal Governor of Virginia (1759-1768), the largest of the 13 British Colonies. In 1877, the first Mayor of Chicago, William Butler Ogden, who was also president of Union Pacific from 1862-63, died at age 72.
• 1861- Harper's Weekly reports, in detail, the famous Civil War Battle of Bull run. Click here to see the images of the report. I love old newspapers so to me, this is a gem of a find!
• 1900- Harvey Firestone founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron Ohio. Click here to learn more and here if you want to check out in his own words, a book on business by the man behind the innovation.
• 1926- Tony Bennett, a legendary voice and entertainer we lost last year, was born in Queens, New York. Sharing his birthday, the also-legendary quarterback Tom Brady born in 1977 and "domestic goddess" Martha Stewart, born in 1941.
• 1949- Today is the birthday of the NBA (National Basketball Association). I've been to many a Pistons game back in my political days, and reading that today is the birthday of the NBA brought back a few memories for sure. Did you know the NBA is actually a merger of two leagues? Click here to dig deeper - and see the original teams including the Detroit FALCONS.
• 1958- The U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus (the first one by the way!) achieved something super-cool: the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. Click here to learn more and here if you are into U.S. Naval history and want to have it at home.
• 1996- The number one song: the Macarena. Oh the memories on that one! Want a quick listen? Click here. What memories does this bring to you who were around for it? For me, in my 20s, it was a bar song and some of you on my subscriber list may remember dancing at the Silver Dollar in Lansing Michigan?



Reconstructed Governor's Palace where Jeffrey Amherst would reside.

Closing it out.

You can use the links above to get more information on any of the events I listed. And please share any of your August 3rd events with us! History is so full of interesting bits, every day of the year, and I'd love to see yours in the comments or by email (subscribe to the blog and let's connect).

Today's words from history- remarks of the weather from the Washington papers. I chose this little entry because today is the same as August 3, 1768 and it caught my attention as I look out the window. To read in full, with notes and citations- click here.

Remarks—of the—Weather [August 1768]

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There is a huge practical disclaimer to the content on this blog, which is my way of sharing my excitement and basically journaling online.

1) I am not a historian nor an expert. I will let you know I’m relaying the information as I understand and interpret it. The employees of Colonial Williamsburg base their presentations, work, and responses on historical documents and mainly primary sources.

2) I will update for accuracy as history is constant learning. If you have a question about accuracy, please ask me! I will get the answer from the best source I can find.

3) Photo credit to me, Daphne Reznik, for all photos in this post, unless otherwise credited! All photos are personal photos taken in public access locations or with specific permission.