Wednesday, March 20, 2019

linchpin \LINCH-pin\, noun:

1. something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together: The monarchy was the linchpin of the nation's traditions and society.
2. a pin inserted through the end of an axletree to keep the wheel on.

Linchpin, a portmanteau of lynch and pin, comes from the Old English lynis. While the literal sense entered English in the late fourteenth century, the figurative sense has supplanted the original sense in most contexts since the 1950s.

 

Battery Battle

• The comparing of two or more peoples cell phone battery charge to see which person needs the charger more. The person with the lowest battery percentage on their phone will be entitled to the charger.

Person 1: Dude, I need the charger. My phone is like seriously low.

Person 2: This is the only phone charger and I need it!

Person 1: Chill, we'll just have a Battery Battle. How much do you have?

Person 2: 33%

Person 1: 15%, I win.

History

• Dutch East Indies Company: megacorporation was formed; it grew to control most of the European trade with Asia before expiring, bankrupt, after 200 years (1602)
• Uncle Tom's Cabin: antislavery novel was published by Harriet Beecher Stowe, whom Lincoln called "the little woman who started this big war" (1852)
• "I shall return": was spoken by Gen. Douglas MacArthur as he left the Philippines during WWII; he did return, two years later (1942)
• John Lennon: wed Yoko Ono in Gibraltar (1969)
• Tokyo subway gas attack: Aum Shinrikyo group released sarin, killing 12 and injuring thousands (1995)

Birthdays

• George Bingham 1811
• Henrik Ibsen 1828

  
• Frederick Winslow Taylor 1856
• Lauritz Melchior 1890
• B.F. Skinner 1904
• Ozzie Nelson 1906
• Sir Michael Redgrave 1908
• Wendell Cory 1914
• Dame Vera Lynn 1917
• Marian McPartland 1920
• Carl Reiner 1922 - Director, producer
• Ray Goulding 1922
• Larry Elgart 1922
• Jack Kruschen 1922
• Fred "Mr." Rogers 1928
• Sonny (Santo) Russo 1929
• Hal Linden 1931 - Actor ("Barney Miller")
• George Altman 1933
• Ted Bessell 1935 - Actor
• Jerry Reed 1937 - Singer, actor ("Smokey and the Bandit")
• Don Edwards 1939 - Country singer
• Brian Mulroney 1939 - Canadian prime minister

  
• Paul Junger Witt 1943 - TV producer
• Pat Riley 1945
• Ranger Doug 1946 - Country musician (Riders in the Sky)
• Bobby Orr 1948 - Hockey player
• Marcia Ball 1954 - Blues singer, musician
• William Hurt 1950 - Actor
• Jimmy Vaughn 1951 - Musician (Fabulous Thunderbirds)
• Carl Palmer 1950 - Musician (Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Asia)
• Jimmy Seales 1954 - Country musician (Shenandoah)
• Spike Lee 1957 - Movie director
• Theresa Russell 1957 - Actress

  
• Vanessa Bell Calloway 1957 - Actress
• Holly Hunter 1958 - Actress
• John Clark Gable 1961 - Actor, auto racer
• Slim Jim Phantom 1961 - Musician (The Stray Cats)
• Kathy Ireland 1963 - Model
• Tracy Chapman 1964 - Musician
• Adrian Oxxal 1965 - Musician (James)
• Liza Snyder 1968 - Actress ("Yes, Dear")
• Michael Rapaport 1970 - Actor ("Boston Public")
• Alexander Chaplin 1971 - Actor
• Chester Bennington 1976 - Singer (Linkin Park)
• Michael Genadry 1978 - Actor ("Ed")
• Bianca Lawson 1979 - Actress