Today in History: August 23

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

The execution of the Scottish independence fighter Sir William Wallace (above) was considered so important that even though it took place more than seven centuries ago, we know that it took place on precisely this date in 1305.

Wallace’s main argument in his own defense was that he needed no defense against the charge of treason because he had not committed treason—”I could not be a traitor to [King] Edward, for I was never his subject”—which was considered treasonous in itself. The manner of his execution was brutal and has not been performed in almost two centuries in Great Britain (which means that it was performed for almost five more centuries). Post-execution, Wallace’s body parts were displayed for decades after.
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Hindsight is 50/50

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

One of my favorite expressions, one that I used to employ frequently but no longer do, is, “This is X number of minutes I am never getting back.” I would say this after experiencing something incredibly boring and frustrating, like waiting on line only to discover that I was waiting on the wrong line the entire time, or when I was in a traffic jam in which I learned that the hold-up was people gawking at an accident which by itself would not have created the traffic jam.

The worst, the most empty and useless, four-word sequence in the English language is, “You should have done … .” It is hindsight—something no one likes to be accused of using—masquerading as foresight, something everyone likes to be credited with possessing. “You should have driven this route instead of the one with the traffic accident-gawking crowd that no one knew was going to show up.” It is really a way of saying, “I knew better.” Those particular three words are more honest and would be welcomed if they were said more often, but more honest punches might be thrown more frequently as a result.
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Today in History: August 22

Posted on by Mark Aldrich

On this date in 1902, the presidential motorcade was born.

In 1899, President William McKinley became the first president to ride in a car, a Stanley Steamer, but it was President Theodore Roosevelt who was the first to do so publicly. On August 22, 1902, while in Hartford, Connecticut, he rode in a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton. Because the car could reach thirteen miles per hour, the police could not keep up on foot, so they rode horses in front and bicycles alongside.

American automobile manufacturing was in its infancy in 1902, so designs were many and many designs were experimental/guesses at what might work or be popular: about half the cars on the market were electric and the other half gasoline-fueled. Roosevelt rode in a Hartford-built Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton, which seated the driver in an external box behind the passengers at the rear of the car; two 20-volt batteries that totaled approximately 800 pounds; rubber tires; and car offered the driver four speeds, with the maximum speed thirteen miles an hour. The driver controlled the vehicle with a tiller, seen in the photo at top.
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