August 9 must be one of those special dates in history. Several popped out today as I leafted through the papers.
35 years ago today -August 9, 1974 President Richard Nixon resigned from office as a result of the Watergate Scandal. (and last week Watergate went begging. No one even bid on it.)
40 years ago today-August 9, 1969 Helter Skelter Actress Sharon Tate (wife of Roman Polanski) and her friends were the victims of gruesome, violent, heinous, ritualistic murders in Tate’s home. Tate was 8 and a half months pregant. The Charles Manson ‘family’ was responsible. The nation was horrifed that human beings could commit these kinds of acts on each other.
Mansion has listened to the Beatles Helter Skelter in December 1968. Read more about Mansion and the song. Beatles’ Helter Skelter.
Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.From Bye Bye Miss American Pie
64 years ago today-August 9, 1945 An atomic bomb was dropped on Nagisaki, Japan, killing approximately 74,000 people. Many more died later on from the effects of radiation. The dropping of this second atomic bomb led to the surrender of Japan thus ending WWII. More than 5000 Japanese marked this solemn occassion in Peace Park in Nagasaki. (picture omitted because of technical difficulties.)
I am sure I have omitted other important August 9ths. I certainly would not call it a lucky day. While all of these August 9’s have come and gone, how do each of them impact us today? Has there been historical fall out from which we will never escape? How much does music influence us as a society? How much does it influence our crime rate?
