On this date in 1783, the Montgolfier brothers (Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne) gave a public demonstration of their invention: the hot-air balloon. It was unmanned, flew for about ten minutes, and covered about a mile. (At top, floating above these words, is a contemporary depiction of the event.)

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The Centers for Disease Control published an article with the title, “Pneumocycstis Pneumonia—Los Angeles,” 35 years ago today. It described the appearance of cases of a rare form of pneumonia in five gay men in Los Angeles. This article is acknowledged as the first reporting of cases in the AIDS epidemic.

The report concludes: “Pneumocystis pneumonia in the United States is almost exclusively limited to severely immunosuppressed patients. The occurrence of pneumocystosis in these 5 previously healthy individuals without a clinically apparent underlying immunodeficiency is unusual. … All the above observations suggest the possibility of a cellular-immune dysfunction related to a common exposure that predisposes individuals to opportunistic infections such as pneumocystosis and candidiasis.”

National media began publishing articles about the story, and within days, doctors began to contact the CDC with information about their own patients.

* * * *
President Ronald Reagan died on this date in 2004.

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Green, how I want you green.
Green wind. Green branches.
The ship out on the sea
and the horse on the mountain.
With the shade around her waist
she dreams on her balcony,
green flesh, her hair green,
with eyes of cold silver.
Green, how I want you green.
Under the gypsy moon,
all things are watching her
and she cannot see them.—Federico García Lorca, “Romance Sonambulo”

Federico García Lorca was born on this date in 1898. Spalding Gray was born on this date 75 years ago.

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Bill Moyers is 82 today. Martha Argerich is 75 today. Robert Kraft is 75. John Carlos is 71 today. Sir David Hare is 69. Laurie Anderson is 69. Ken Follett is 67. Suze Orman is 65. Kenny G is 60. Mark Wahlberg is 45. Chuck Klosterman is 44.

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