GhostDancer

On or about this date in 1752, it is believed Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity. This is the traditional date; the exact date is unknown.

Donald Duck first appeared [this day] in the 1934 cartoon The Wise Little Hen which was part of the Silly Symphonies series of theatrical cartoon shorts. The film's release date of June 9 is officially recognized by the Walt Disney Company as Donald's birthday despite a couple in-universe contradictions.Donald's appearance in the cartoon, as created by animator Dick Lundy, is similar to his modern look — the feather and beak colors are the same, as is the blue sailor shirt and hat — but his features are more elongated, his body plumper, and his feet smaller. Donald's personality is not developed either; in the short, he only fills the role of the unhelpful friend from the original story. -Wikipedia

Here's wishing the happiest of birthdays to THE SPIRIT, who made his comics debut on this date in 1940. From Wikipedia... "The Spirit is a fictional masked crime fighter created by cartoonist Will Eisner. He first appeared June 2, 1940 in "The Spirit Section", the colloquial name given to a 16-page Sunday supplement, distributed to 20 newspapers by the Register and Tribune Syndicate and reaching five million readers during the 1940s. From the 1960s to 1980s, a handful of new Eisner Spirit stories appeared in Harvey Comics and elsewhere, and Warren Publishing and Kitchen Sink Press variously reprinted the feature in black-and-white comics magazines and in color comic books. In the 1990s and 2000s, Kitchen Sink Press and DC Comics also published new Spirit stories by other writers and artists. "The Spirit chronicles the adventures of a masked vigilante who fights crime with the blessing of the city's police commissioner Dolan, an old friend. Despite the Spirit's origin as detective Denny Colt, his real identity was virtually unmentioned again, and for all intents and purposes he was simply "the Spirit". The stories range through a wide variety of styles, from straightforward crime drama and noir to lighthearted adventure, from mystery and horror to comedy and love stories, often with hybrid elements that twisted genre and reader expectations. "The feature was the lead item of a 16-page, tabloid-sized, newsprint comic book sold as part of eventually 20 Sunday newspapers with a combined circulation of as many as five million copies. "The Spirit Section", as it was colloquially called, premiered June 2, 1940, and continued until October 5, 1952. It generally included two other, four-page strips (initially Mr. Mystic and Lady Luck), plus filler material. Eisner worked as editor, but also wrote and drew most entries—generally, after the first few months, with such uncredited collaborators as writer Jules Feiffer and artists Jack Cole and Wally Wood, though with Eisner's singular vision for the character as a unifying factor." Eisner's incredible talent and vision notwithstanding, I think one element of the regard for the Spirit is often overlooked. It's simply this: Denny Colt was a good guy. Readers could and still can relate to him. In a sense, he's one of us, an everyman having the adventures we wish we could have, taking punches and always trying to do the right thing. So, here's to you, Denny and Will, with thanks for decades of wonderful comics. -Tony Isabella

Tokugawa Ieyasu met Englishman William Adams 420 years ago today, May 12, 1600, in Osaka Castle. The 37-year-old Adams was the Pilot-Major of the Liefde, a Dutch ship of 300 tons with a crew of 110. The Liefde was one of five ships that had set out two years earlier in the hopes of reaching Japan to commence trading. Only Adams's ship reached the shores of Japan, the first to do so by the Pacific route. Ieyasu, through an interpreter asked the man about his country and if it was at war with any other nation. He asked about the King of England, about the foreigner's religion, about seafaring, navigation and trade. Besides the Englishman, of particular interest to Ieyasu were the ship’s 18 cannons and its cargo, listed as some 500 matchlocks, 300 chain shot, 50 hundredweight (approximately 2,540 kg) of gunpowder, and 5,000 cannonballs. Ieyasu ordered the ship be brought to Uraga, where he himself intended to inspect it. He especially wanted to see the cannon, as he had just secretly ordered some 15 of them from the famed smiths of Kunitomo village in Omi. These weapons and the gunpowder would be engaged at the Battle of Sekigahara, only 5 months away. Adams, who was to spend the rest of his life in Japan as a loyal servant of Ieyasu, was fortunate enough to find a patron in the man who would win the Battle of Sekigahara and become shogun. Adams was treated as a personal advisor to Ieyasu in a number of matters. Ieyasu made the man a hatamoto, a high ranking samurai with direct access to Ieyasu and the Shogun. Ieyasu even gave him a new name, Miura Anjin. Adam's story was borrowed upon heavily and re-imagined in the 1975 James Clavell novel, and 1980 TV mini series, Shogun.

Today is the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, generally known as VE Day (United Kingdom) or V-E Day (US), is a day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945, marking the end of World War II in Europe. VE Day is celebrated across Western European states on 8 May, with several countries observing public holidays on the day each year, variously called Victory Over Fascism Day, Liberation Day or simply Victory Day.

Are hexes for mapping measurements cited in Champions Now?

1429, Joan of Arc arrived to relieve the Siege of Orléans. 2017, Shannon Longstreth (now Geiger) married me.

NATIONAL SUPERHERO DAY National Superhero Day is observed annually on April 28. This is a day to honor superheroes, both real and fictional. Batman, Superman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Iron Man, Hulk and Spiderman are just some of the superheroes whose names we recognize. Even though they are fictional, these superheroes are great role models for our children. They serve and protect while fighting evil. Our real-life superheroes may not have super powers or wear capes, but they are also great role models who serve and protect while fighting evil. Military and medical personnel, police officers, firefighters, EMS, 9-1-1 dispatchers and service workers are just a few of the heroes who protect us on a daily basis. HOW TO OBSERVE Send your favorite superhero lunch and say thank you for all they do. Post photos on social media using #NationalSuperheroDay. HISTORY National Superhero Day was created in 1995 by Marvel Comics employees. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RxYwE8KQc0euGT0bzs_nEy4Gy_0OXFo0/view

1777, during the American Revolutionary War, sixteen-year-old Sybil Ludington rode forty miles through the night to warn militiamen under her father Henry's command that British troops were planning to invade Danbury, Connecticut: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_Ludington

1876, the first game in the history of the National League was played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia. This game is often pointed to as the beginning of Major League Baseball. Smash-and-Blast-Baseball-2.webp

1911, American cartoonist Winsor McCay released the silent short film Little Nemo, one of the earliest animated films

1904, Longacre Square in midtown Manhattan was renamed Times Square after The New York Times.

Here's wishing the happiest of birthdays to the always entertaining Jackie Chan, born this date in 1954. The Hong Kong actor and martial artist is like a fun action comic book come to life. I love the guy. - Tony Isabella

1948, The World Health Organization was established by the United Nations.

Thanks, y'all!