Big Ben is the bell, not the clock tower.

May 31st
On this day in 1859 Big Ben rang for the first time in London atop St. Stephen's tower. The London icon is accurate to 1 second every day and rings every 15 minutes a different chime so even if you can't see the clock face you will know what time it is.

On this day in 1889 the Johnstown flood occured in western Pennsylvania killing 2,200 people when the South Fork dam collapsed. A 60-foot high wall of water obliterated the town. The dam had fell into neglect after the canals in the area became obsolete because of the railroad industry. It was one of the largest earthen dams in the country before it failed.

On this day in 1916 the battle of Jutland occurred 60 miles off the coast of Denmark. Fought between the British and German navies, this was the largest naval battle of WWI involving 100,000 men, 250 ships and lasted 72 hours. The Germans lost 11 ships and 3,058 men and the British lost 14 ships and 6,784 men. Despite the Germans losing less in this battle it is viewed as a draw because their navy never again posed a threat to the allied nations.

On this day in 1977 the BBC bans "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols. The song marked a huge step in the fight against censorship tackling the taboo of criticizing the monarchy. The ban only help popularize the song, the band, and the punk rock movement.

The greatest French soldier was a 16 year old girl

May 30th

On this day in 1431 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresy. She was the daughter of a tenant farmer who would lead the French to victory in the 100 years war after hearing voices that commanded her greatness. The war was fought to rid France of English rule after many years of co-mingling of the royal families. After helping France win some key victories she was sold out by her own countrymen and sold to the English.
Did you know one of our presidents was a murderer? Andrew Jackson killed rival horse breeder Charles Dickinson on this day in 1806 in a duel after accusing Rachael Jackson of being a bigamist. An accusation that wasn't entirely untrue as Rachael's first husband had failed to finalize their divorce papers. Jackson was said to of appeared in as many as 100 duels in his life. However I believe he was only involved in 13, still alot for a man who would live a long life full of hating his fellow man.

On this day 100 years ago the first Indianapolis 500 was held. Known as the great American race, it has become a Memorial Day tradition. Ray Harroun won the inaugural race and collected a $14,250 purse clocking in at an average speed of 74 mph. The race lasted 6 hours and 20 mins.

Top of the world, Ma!

May 29th

On this day in 1953 sherpa Tenzing Norgay and beekeeper Edmund Hilary became the first humans to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world. Many attempts were made prior to WWII, most famously by George Mallory who went missing in an attempt in 1924. Tibet closed its borders after WWII for 4 years before any other attempts were made. Mountain climbing is a bit of a pissing contest if you ask me. "Well I climbed the north face of Everest in 7 hours." "Oh yeah, I climbed the southern route of K2 in 6 hours!" I understand the challenge within stuff that motivates people to do stuff, but now that its been done, it seems to me that it's all about braggers rights.
On this day in 1942 Bing Crosby recorded his version of "White Christmas" and would go on to sell 30 million copies, second most to Elton John's "Candle in the wind".  So next holiday season when you hear this song played hundreds of times, remember that it was recorded at the end of May in the middle of a war.

On this day in 1997 singer Jeff Buckley disappeared when he went for a swim in the Mississippi River. He was waiting for his band to arrive in Memphis and took a spontaneous swim in the river while sing the chorus to Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". His death was ruled an accident with no mysterious circumstances.

Phil Hartman, we hardly knew ye!

May 28th

Comic genius isn't something I throw around very often, there are plenty of funny people around, but few who do what it takes to be on many different levels. On this day in 1998 one such comedian was killed by his wife. Phil Hartman was only 49, but he had an extensive resume'. He was a member of Saturday Night Live for a record 153 episodes. He specialized in being the go-to character actor of the cast, playing many different roles. He won an Emmy award for writing on the show in 1989. His work on the Simpson's was my particular favorite. He and Paul Reubens created Pee Wee's Playhouse together and went on to entertain millions of children every Saturday morning. Many people don't know that he also designed the logo for the band Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young.

On this day in 1957 Major League Baseball announced that its owners agreed to allow the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers to move to California, thus opening up the game to the entire nation. I believe baseball lost a bit of its innocence that day. It had broken hearts before with it's Black Sox scandal, but here it broke the hearts of millions. It would do it again with the strike of 1994 and the steroid scandal of the last decade, but the first cut is the deepest...ugh, Sheryl Crow quote!
On this day in 1937 Volkswagen was founded. In the midst of Nazi Germany came one of the most popular car companies of all time. I really wouldn't care too much, but now I drive an awesome Volkswagen, and my sisters first car was a VW bus. I was always good at "slug bug" too!

Golden Gate Bridge

March 27th
On this day in 1937 the Golden Gate Bridge was opened. This engineering marvel is an icon of not only San Francisco, but of America. It's a symbol of America's drive to achieve during the great depression. On a side note, it now attracts people from all around the world who want to kill themselves by jumping off of it. Not something its designers wanted to be associated with it.

On this day in 1941 the British navy sunk the Bismarck. After sinking the British battleship HMS Hood, it became a priority to sink the pride of the German navy. The Bismarck had been damaged in the battle and was trying to make it to a port in occupied France. But a seaplane spotted it and hit its rudder with a one in a million shot with a torpedo. Unable to navigate, the Bismarck was now a sitting duck and was finished off by a number of the British navy.
On this day in 1692 the Salem witch trials began. One of the darker hours of early American history, these trials represented the fear of the unknown and the power of accusation.

Dracula musical!

May 26th
On this day in 1897 Bram Stoker's Dracula went on sale in London for the first time. We owe all this sexy vampire craze to this guy. Sure, he didn't invent the vampire. It wasn't even appreciated in his time, but his work inspired many who thought up shiney vampires, vampire slayers, plastic vampire teeth, count chocula, vampires obsessed with counting, and lest we forget those idiots who sharpen their teeth so they can pretend to be vampires. Thanks Bram, can't thank you enough!

The official beginning of the so-called "British Invasion" occurred on this day in 1962 when Mr. Acker Bilk had the first #1 single in the United States by a British artist with his single "Stranger on the shore".  You just can't make this stuff up!

On this day in 1907 John Wayne was born. Yes, I can do the math, he would be 104 if he were still alive. Instead he died in 1979.
On this day in 1959 Harvey Haddix pitched 12 innings of perfect baseball only to lose the game in the 13th inning. For those of you who don't know, a perfect game is not allowing a hitter to reach base at all for an entire game. It is much harder to do than a no hitter, which a pitcher can attain by allowing walks and hit batsmen. This poor bastard does the impossible for 12 innings only to have his teammates let him down. Give the guy some run support!

I will take you to heaven, before I send you to Hell!

May 25th
On this day Gilbert and Sullivan debuted HMS Pinafore. Apparently this was the duos first hit and is one of the most popular musicals of all time. I really couldn't care less. Musicals aren't my bag, baby. However, this musical provided a backdrop for a memorable Simpson's episode. And I'm nothing, if not a Simpson's geek. This is all I could find:

On this day in 1961 president John F. Kennedy announced that he wanted a man on the moon before the end of the decade, meaning 1970. If you believe what the "media" tells you, then we succeeded!

On this day in 1895 Oscar Wilde is sent to prison for sodomy. Things were a little different 110 years ago. Now we only deny gays the right to get married. They can have all the sex they can handle and it doesn't matter where they put it. Wilde was questioned extensively on the subject of the "love that dare not speak its name". Some consider Wilde one of the greatest geniuses to ever live. "All women become like their mothers, that's their tragedy. No man does. That's his.". Genius.
And on this day in 1977 the world was introduced to Luke Skywalker and his butt-chin. Sci-fi movies haven't been the same since.

If you believe that, I have a bridge for sale.

May 24th
On this day in 1883 the Brooklyn Bridge opened. At the time Manhattan and Brooklyn were separate cities linked only by ferry boat. With the building of the bridge both cities could grow at a greater rate. At the time it was dubbed the "8th wonder of the world" because of its engineering work. It is still amongst the most famous landmarks in the United States.

On this day in 1941 the pride of the German navy, the Bismarck, sunk the pride of the British navy, the Hood. The German navy had to rely on its submarines to try and break the British blockade in both world wars, but it was able to build the most powerful battleship in the Atlantic. The engagement of these two ships was significant in that only 3 sailors survived the sinking of the Hood, that's how fast it went down. In the aftermath of the battle the cry went out to "Sink the Bismarck!".

As if things at a concentration camp weren't horribly unspeakable enough, on this day in 1943 at Auschwitz, Josef Mengele was appointed head doctor. He rightly earned the nickname "angel of death" for his terrible experiments on prisoners, often times torturing them to the point of death. Somehow he escaped capture and resided in Argentina for the rest of his life, despite the efforts of the Israeli secret service.

I want to be Tom Petty, I want to be a star.

May 23rd
On this day in 1979 Tom Petty defied his record label and filed for bankruptcy. In doing so, Petty freed himself from being in debt to the label. After scoring a few hits in previous years, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers should have been wealthy musicians, but because of their contract they had nothing to show for it. Petty found a loophole and filed for bankruptcy, therefore paving the way for his 1980's revival and a better record contract.

On this day in 1934 Bonnie and Clyde were killed by police while on the run in Louisiana. The nation had fallen in love with the story of the two young lovers with nothing better to do during the Great Depression. It was a crime spree right from the start. Bonnie Parker met Clyde Barrow while visiting her husband in jail. She soon smuggled a gun into Parker and that allowed him to escape. They then went on a crime spree for 18 months that involved murder, burglary, and kidnapping. It all came to an end when the police finally caught up to them and fired 167 bullets into their car.

On this day in 1960 Adolf Eichmann was put in Israeli custody after being caught in Argentina 15 years after the end of WWII. Eichmann was at the head of the "Final Solution" that send 6 million Jews to the gas chamber. The Israeli secret service, Mossad, had been tracking down  Eichmann's whereabouts for few years and were on the trail of other Nazi war criminals when they got a break and learned he was in the city of San Fernando working in an automobile manufacturing plant.

Nicole has dysentery.

May 22nd
On this day in 1843 a large wagon train left Independence, Missouri on its way to Oregon. After 5 months and nearly 2000 miles these settlers, 1000 strong, would start their new lives in Oregon. This great migration along the Oregon Trail would inspire many future settlers to follow and be popularized for generations with books, movies, tv shows, and video games.

On this day in 1455 the opening battle of the War of the Roses took place at St. Albans, north of London. The War of the Roses was one  between the house of York (white rose) and the house of Lancaster (red rose) over who would be the king of England. The succession to the throne was muddled when King Henry VI (house of Lancaster) went insane and left his wife in charge of ruling the country. An aide, Richard, the Duke of York was also given the title of Protectorate whilst the King recovered. Both sides amassed armies and the first battle of this civil war took place. The end result of the War of the Roses was the direct line to the throne being skewed and the eventual rise of the Tudors to the throne.

On this day in 1856 South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks beat Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner with his cane while he was at his desk. Sumner was an ardent abolitionist, and had a habit of speaking against the evils of slavery and those who supported it. Brooks was not the target of Sumner's latest verbal barrage, but his cousin was, so he took it upon himself to defend the family name. Brooks instantly became a hero in the south and Sumner became a martyr for the cause in the north.

Oceans in between

May 21st

On this day in 1927 Charles Lindbergh touched down in Paris, France aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, completing the first non-stop transatlantic flight. It took him 33 hours to complete the journey, and he instantly became the most famous person in the world. His popularity only started to wane after the death of his son and subsequent move to Europe. He then had a few pro-Nazi sympathies which put the nail in his popularity coffin.
On this day in 1932 the feat was repeated by Amelia Earhart when she touched down in a field in Ireland. Unlike Lindbergh, Earhart was already before her flight, and her later disappearance solidified her legendary status.
On this day in 1901 Connecticut enacted the first speed limit at 12 mph in cities and 15mph on country roads. Watch your speed leadfoot! This is a neighborhood!

My mother was a tailor, she sewed my new blue jeans

May 20th

On this day in 1956 the United States dropped a hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The significance of this event was that it was the first h-bomb to be dropped from a plane by the US and raised the stakes in the cold war. Before this test the bulky hydrogen bomb had to be brought to a destination and detonated on site. The Soviet Union also had an h-bomb and had conducted tests from planes in Siberia, but nothing on the scale of this. We had the bigger bomb and now had a way of bringing destruction anywhere on earth. This test also brought about environmental repercussions and forced the two countries to sign a treaty to end open air and underwater testing of nuclear weapons                                                                          

On this day in 1873 Levi Strauss, along with the help of Jacob Davis received a patent on blue jeans. Davis added the trademark rivets at key points to Strauss' jeans. It took nearly 80 years for the jeans to catch on as a fashion statement, but I can't imagine a college campus or a high school without jeans. What would everyone wear, corduroy? Would these guys look cooler in cargo pants?

And yet another cool story about the Who, on this day in 1966 in Windsor, England, Pete Townshend and Roger Daultrey grew tired of waiting for Keith Moon and John Entwistle and decided to go on stage with the drummer and bassist from their opening band. When Moon and Entwistle arrived in the middle of the show a fight broke out that involved Townshend hitting Moon over the head with his guitar. The band broke up for a week after this incident.

I hope I die before I get old

May 19th
On this day in 1965 Pete Townshend wrote "My Generation" on his 20th birthday. One of the great rock anthems of all time, "My Generation" used slurred lyrics to imitate a mod on amphetamines with Townshends feedback on guitar that influenced many guitar players. Now Townshend IS old, and had a child porn charge on his record, I bet Petey is looking back on his younger days with much fondness.
On this day in 1962 President John F. Kennedy celebrated his birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The highlight of the night was Marilyn Monroe's infamous rendition of "Happy Birthday".

On this day in 1536 Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII was beheaded on charges of adultery, treason, and incest. Henry created the Church of England in order to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, so for wife number 2 he needed a new set of excuses to be rid of her. Boleyn didn't produce the male heir that Henry so badly wanted so he moved on to the next girl...then the next...then the next, got his male heir, but she died, so he moved on to the last. Six wives!

Don't blow your top!

May 18th

 

On this day in 1980 in the state of Washington, Mount St. Helens erupted and killed 57 people. Geologists had been observing the volcano for years and knew an eruption was imminent, thus saving hundreds of lives. Although the images of the eruption are amazing and seem as though it was a huge eruption, on the scale of historic volcanic activities this was merely a small eruption. Check out the results of Krakatoa, Tambora, or even Yellowstone.
Also in 1980 Ian Curtis of Joy Division hanged himself in his apartment. The 23 year old singer was best known for "Love will tear us apart". From the ashes of Joy Division the surviving members created the band New Order.

Yesterdays blog mentioned the Brown vs Board of education ruling. That ruling reversed the results of the Plessy vs Ferguson ruling that happened on this day in 1896. If you really care, then you know I talked of it yesterday. Just a weird that both rulings happened on nearly the same day in history.

Louie Louie is dirty. The BAD kind of dirty.

May 17
On this day in 1965 the song "Louie Louie"  by Oregon's very own Kingsmen was investigated by the FBI for being obscene. It seems there are some men with very dirty little minds working for the government because I don't hear anything offensive when I hear that song. The results of the investigation were that the lyrics were "unintelligible".

On this day in 1954 the "Brown vs Board of Education" ruling by the Supreme Court ruled that "seperate but equal" was unconstitutional. Meaning that segregation of schools in the United States had to legally come to an end. It overruled the 1896 "Plessy vs Fergueson" ruling that said segregation was legal as long as long as there were equal schools in a region. Many states used this as an excuse to put African Americans in inferior schools and put them behind white children from the start.
On this day in 1945 the Memphis Belle completed it's 25th bombing run over Europe. The US Air Force had a rule in place that if a bomber crew completed 25 missions they were allowed to go home. Bombers were being shot down with such frequency that the odds against this were very large. A movie was made in 1990 about the final run of the plane.

Then let them eat cake!

May 16th
On this day in 1770, 14 year old Marie Antoinette marries 15 year old Louis-Auguste, later Louis XVI of France. Marie was an Austrian princess and the arranged marriage was made in hopes of uniting the two countries. Unfortunately for the two of them this was not a happily ever after story. Both would have their heads chopped off in the French Revolution while in their 30's. Cake indeed.

 Wussup?

On this day in 1929 the very first Academy Awards were handed out. Now days, Oscar night is a huge event that draws millions of viewers and huge amounts of money from advertisements. It is viewed by some to be the highest achievement for someone in the movie industry.
On this day in 1777 Button Gwinnett was killed in a duel with Lachlan McIntosh. Gwinnett was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and from Georgia. The fight was over who would take credit for establishing a border with Florida. To the winner go the spoils I guess!

And on this day in 1966 the Beach Boys released their masterpiece, Pet Sounds. At the time it raised the bar for how an album could be composed and influenced many of the great albums to follow, especially the Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club.

Let's just shake hands

May 15th
On this day in 1800, president John Adams orders the United States government to move to Washington DC from Philadelphia. The nations capitol didn't even exist 10 years prior to this order, it was just an empty hill on the Potomac River. It was created in a compromise of a new nation. Southern states wanted the capitol in the south, northern states wanted it in the north. Neither side could agree and it actually threatened to destroy the country before it began. What broke the deadlock was a conversation between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Because the northern states had most of the military action of the Revolutionary War, they also had most of the debt. Hamilton suggested the US government take on debt of the war. The southern states were against this because they had paid off their debt. The compromise was to build a new city on the border of Virginia and Maryland.
On this day in 1988 the Soviet Union began to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. It had occupied the country for almost 10 years. Their invasion caused the US to boycott the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Once again the US doesn't learn when it comes to trying to occupy a country that has a lot of resolve to not be occupied. Kind of Vietnam part II.
On this day in 1972 George Wallace was shot in Maryland while on campaign for president. Wallace was famous for being the governor of Alabama during the civil right era. He famously said "Segregation now! Segregation forever!" Later in life he claimed he only said that to get elected. Far be it a politician saying what the people want him to say just to get elected.

Come fly with me! Let's fly, let's fly away!

May 14th
Frank Sinatra died on this day in 1998 at the age of 82. I've always loved this guys voice, he was a classy dude too! But even though being a great singer alone would have made him great, it was all the other things that made him a legend. He was a pretty good actor in the original Manchurian Candidate amongst the other 57 films he acted in. He was the unquestionable leader of the "Rat Pack". He became the quintessential Las Vegas entertainer in the 50's and 60's, and helped build that city into what it is today. Let's not forget his ties to the mob that helped solidify his tough guy image.

On this day in 1955 the Soviet Union and the other countries of the communist block signed the Warsaw pact essentially saying if any of them went to war they would all back each other up. But the catch was the Soviets would be in charge of all of the armies. It was just another step in the escalation of the cold war. In response the United States, the United Kingdom, and the rest of western Europe created NATO.

Velcro!

Friday the 13th!
On this day in 1958 velcro was trademarked. Ever since little kids could learn to tie their shoes when they were damn well good and ready. Remember velcro wallets?

 Also on this day in 1846 the US declared war on Mexico over land disputes along the border with Texas. We showed them, not only did we take the disputed land, we decided to take half their country with it! It always makes me laugh when Californians complain about Mexicans. They've been there longer than Americans! Ever wonder "why all the Spanish names?". San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Los Gatos, El Segundo, Disneyland, Tiajuana, all Spanish names in California. Thank you very much former president Polk!
The Pope was shot in 1981. He lived for another 25 years.

 Later public appearances were made inside the "Popemobile". Yay!

A game of chicken on a global scale

May 12

On this day in 1949 the blockade on West Berlin was lifted by the Soviet Union. 11 months earlier it had established the blockade in response to the western powers uniting their parts of Berlin into one and establishing a different set of currency, thus threatening Soviet rule in the east. This blockade included fuel, water, and food from entering the city in hopes of annexing the entire city of Berlin into Soviet rule as it is entirely in East Germany. As a result of the blockade, the western powers (the United States, Great Britain and France) started the Berlin Airlift in order supply the citizens of the city. I'm not really sure who gets the credit for bravery here, the leaders who thought up the airlift or the leaders who decided against shooting down the planes.
On this day in 1932 the body of the Lindbergh baby was found some two months after being kidnapped. Although a ransom was paid to the alleged kidnappers, evidence showed the baby was killed the night it went missing. A German immigrant named Bruno Hauptmann was caught using some of the marked bills from the ransom in 1934. Although the prosecution had nothing more than Hauptmann having some of the ransom money at his house and some shotty handwriting evidence, they were able to gain a conviction and execution for the crime.

On this day in 2008 Neil Young had a spider named after him. Myrmekiaphilia neilyoungi is found in Alabama and was discovered the previous year.

You're the guy from the hamburger train, right?

May 11th
On this day in 1969 the battle for Ap Bia Mountain occurred during the Vietnam "incident". (It was never a declared war kiddies, haven't had one of those since WWII). Also known as "hamburger hill" because of the high casualty rate. The US and South Vietnamese troops were trying to stop troop movements along the Ho Chi Mihn trail into Laos. Although a victory for the US, it gave the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) more resolve to resist.

Also on this day in 1997 the IBM computer Deep Blue beat Russian chess champion Gary Kasparov in a game of chess. This was the first time Kasparov lost a professional chess match and the first time a machine beat a grand master. Although Skynet becoming self aware at 2:14 am Eastern time on August 29th, 1997 was probably the biggest moment for computers in 1997, this would have to rank a solid #2.

On this day in 1981 Bob Marley lost his battle with lung cancer. Although the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton helped globalize reggae music by dabbling in it for a song or two, it was Bob Marley and only Bob Marley who should get credit for making a career out of it and bringing it to the masses. Those white boys were just pretending.

Finally on this day in 1963 the Beatles started a phenomenal 30 week run at the top of the charts with their album "Please Please Me". This just so happens to be the longest run at #1 by an album ever.

Uncle Shelby's ABZ book

May 10
Shel Silverstein died on this day in 1999. He was only 57. Not only was he the author of beloved childrens books like The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, and Where the Sidewalk Ends, but was also an accomplished songwriter. Did you know he wrote "A Boy named Sue" for Johnny Cash? He also wrote a bunch of humorous songs that played on the Dr. Demento radio show. If he was around at the time of Youtube he would have been even bigger than he already was. He actually got started by writing for Playboy.

 

On this day in 1898 the Supreme Court of the US ruled that a tomato is a vegetable and not a fruit in the "Nix vs Hedden" case. This had more to do with tariff classification, but funny non-the-less. 

On this day in 1941 Rudolf Hess, the deputy Fuhrer of the Nazi Germany parachuted into Scotland in an attempt at negotiating a peace with the United Kingdom. This was on the eve of Germany going to war with the Soviet Union. So in his insanity, Hess was trying to avoid a two front war, which most agree was the demise of the third reich. 

Go watch Battlefield Earth and get back to me

May 9th

On this day in 1950 L. Ron Hubbard released Dianetics, thus giving birth to scientology. It filled a clear void in the self help section of book stores and threatened the establishment of the mental health community. Let's not forget that the lobotomy and electro-shock treatment were still being used to treat mental illness. Interesting concept by Mr. Hubbard, but he was a bit out there. His deciples took everything he wrote about and created with his "church" and have gone a little crazy.  I wish I were rich one day to join that cult, er, religion.
One of the saddest days of my youth occurred on this day in 1998. I was getting ready to graduate high school, spring was in the air, I was still scarred of girls, and I was unemployed. On a lonely night spent by myself in my room I watched Saturday Night Live in horror when Jimmy Page took the stage with Puff Daddy and performed this festering turd:

Where you drink champagne and it tastes just like coca cola. C-O-L-A cola.

May 8th
On this day in 1886 pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invents Coca-cola. Pharmacists would often come up with flavored drinks so their clients could take their often bad tasting medicine. The taste of that soda created 125 years ago was alot different than what we have today, but that's because some of the things they put in there were bad (cocaine amongst others) or have changed (refined sugars). I hear they drink that stuff in the south like its water!

It's also the 66th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe, or VE day in America and Brittain. This occured with the unconditional surrender of Germany and the Axis powers. Most of the German high command didn't want to be captured by the Soviet Army, as the war could have dragged out to the last man as Hitler had wished, before killing himself. Way to lead by example!