History & Comment for April 21, 2025

A look at historical and current events on this day, comment and humor so dry it would make a camel thirsty. 

Transcript

This is History and Comment for Monday the 21st of April 2025

The top story this morning is the passing of Pope Francis, in a way unexpectedly after a public schedule on Easter.   This will begin a complex process to select his successor.   Over the past few months there has been speculation of who are the front runners.   Francis made a lot of waves departing from a more traditional position.   The question is, will the next Pope continue that path or turn further away.    Some of the suggestions are far less traditional than even Francis.   

Romulus is more famous than his twin brother Remus.  Tradition tell us that on this day in 753 BC the brothers founded the city of Rome.    The story is deep in roman mythology.   They were of the line of Kings in the region at the time, but said to be the sons of the God Mars and the Kings Daughter.   As with any story of Roman lineage, it is complete with political intrigue.    Their grandfather had been deposed by his brother.   And the brother fearing a rivalry ordered the boys killed.   They were rescued by a wolf and nursed until they were discovered by a Shepard.  

Here in the west we are more familiar with the Greek and Roman pantheon.   Or a long list of gods and demigods.    Romulus would have been a demigod, the offspring of a God and a human.    The concept also appears in the Norse pantheon.   The concept largely has no parallel in the Judea-Christian view.     Some would argue that Christ would fit the concept.   I am of the view there are very distinct differences.    Jesus claims prior existence and knowledge for one.    Second, revolves around his divinity.     Third, the Jews were having issues with him claiming to be God.   

But, hold on for a moment.    There is a passage that the Jews and nearly all Christians today skip over very quickly.     Genesis Chapter 6 talks about the Sons of God and the daughters of Men.   There is a great deal of debate about who each of these were.   Some preachers will gloss over the passage and claim Sons of God refer to humans who are devout and loyal to God.  Think Church vs World.    While others will suggest and offer support to the idea that the Sons of God were angelic beings.    Specifically,  a segment of the fallen angels who went another step further.   Most Pastors do not want to contend with this theory as it raises far more questions than it answers.   While others will use the concept to offer suggestions as to who were the evil spirits spoken of in the Gospels.  The subject is very complex and not within the comfort zone of most folks.    It is an interesting discussion, but one where there are very few hard answers and many speculations.    I will contend the Spirit world is far more complex than we can comprehend.  The key point is we should not attempt to interact with it in any manner outside of worship and seeking God alone.   We have our own domain and should stay within those bounds.    Crossing those borders are universally punished and severely.  

Henry the 8th ascends to the Throne in 1509.   Henry gets a lot of press, for his eight wives and he is the point where England unlike much of Europe build a wall between itself and the Catholic Church.    Henry the 8th was the son of Henry the 7th.   The genealogy is typically intertwined and connected to the various political factions in play at the time.  

Our Political system was just getting established in 1789.   The First Vice President John Adams is sworn in on this day.  Meanwhile George Washington is still traveling to New York City, and stops for a reception in Trenton, New Jersey. He will be sworn in nine days later. 

The final battle in the Texas Revolution is an 18 minuet affair on this day in 1836.   General Santa Anna escapes and is captured the next day.  While held as a prisoner of war, he agrees to allow Texas to be independent of Spain and Mexico.       While he is commonly known as Santa Anna, his full given name was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.   Names originating on the continent especially southern Europe,  used this convention.    You have the name Antonio Lopez, then the location is added de or of Santa Anna.   This is far less common in the Germanic languages and English.   

The United States begins a blockage of Cuban ports. The US and Spain are contending for the island and a number of Spanish holding around the world.    This is in 1898.   Cuba will get independence and do nothing with it but fall into communism in the 1960’s.

There is a distinct chance that all you know about WW I flying ace Manfred von Richthofen is from Snoopy’s delusions or a song from 1966 that embellished the cartoon narrative.     The title Baron was an inherited title that meant Free Lord.   Von Richthofen was not truly german but from an arostocrate family in Prussia, now part of Poland.   His pilot training began in October of 1915, at first his flying skills were questioned. He crashed the first time he had the controls.    But he learned quickly.    Over two and a half years, he is credited with 80 kills.   That number was not out of line for WW I, there were six pilots with more than 60 and number two was a Frenchman with 75. 

But back to Manfred,   on this day in the skies over France his skill or luck ran out.   There is some debate, he was in a dog fight at the time with a Candian Squadron, but the post-mortem suggest he was struck by ground based AA fire.   Either way the life of the German hero was ended.   He was 11 days short of his 26th Birthday.  

The iconic Photo of the Loch Ness Monster is published in 1934.   Sixty years later is was revealed as a hoax. 

The Seattle Worlds Fair opens in 1962.   Portion still remain in place. Most notably the Space Needle.   I have had the privilege of visiting downtown Seattle several times and never toured the Needle.    Three years later the New York Worlds Fair opens. 

Expo 2025 opened last week in Osaka Japan and will run for the next six months.   If you miss this one, Expo 2030 will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.   I think the setting will be nicer in Japan.   

It is over in South Vietnam in 1975.   The United States had failed to keep its promise to supply the South with arms, bullet for bullet.   Seeing the weakness, the Viet Cong moved to take over the South.    On this day, the South Vietnamese President abandons Saigon. 

Baseball has a lot of querks and obscure rules.    The idea of a relief pitcher and saves is one.   Until the 1970s the role was almost unheard of.   Rollie Fingers pioneered the role and on this day early in the 1980 season he records number 300.    The first pitcher to reach that mark.     Today, he is 15th on the list,  with a current player on his heels.   The top spot is at 652.  Illustrating how the game has changed.   

One record of Fingers that is doubtful to be eclipsed is the most iconic mustache.   His was well waxed and right out of the early days of Baseball. 

Getting a large birthday cake today in broadcaster James Dobson.  He is 89.   The Wiki Article on him is lengthy, but a good read.   I would suggest that you look to see if there is a slant in the tone.   Others might say it is honest and fair.   My thought is, it is more in tone than what is said.   He is also not an evangelist and has never claimed to be.  Again, slant and tone.   

He is not some far-right pulpit pounder. He has an earned Ph.D in  Psychology and Child development.  He spent almost two decades on the attending staff at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Working in Child Development and Medical Genetics.  

There is just a wide swath of society that does not like his message as it is counter to theirs and he has not shied away from the hot button issues of marriage, family, abortion and the whole rainbow spectrum.   I find he has some reasonable ideas and a resume to back them up.    I also like many of the media offerings that have come from organizations he has had a part in.   

                                                                                        21