Wednesday

Mar. 29, 2000

Street Ballad

by George Barker

Broadcast Date: WEDNESDAY: March 29, 2000

Poem: "Street Ballad," by George Barker, from Street Ballads (Faber & Faber).

It was on this day in 1973 that the LAST AMERICAN TROOPS LEFT VIETNAM, just two months after the Treaty of Paris had been signed, bringing and end to the American involvement in the war.

It's the birthday of the man who succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of Great Britain: JOHN MAJOR, born 1943 in London. He worked as a bank manager for twenty years before being elected to parliament; he served as Prime Minister for seven years.

It was on this day in 1912 that the British explorer ROBERT FALCON SCOTT MADE THE LAST ENTRY IN HIS DIARY during his expedition to the South Pole. He wrote, "Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far. It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more." On the way back his expedition was hit by a nine-day-long blizzard, and the party froze to death in their tent.

It's the birthday in 1872 of ALBERT VON TILZER, born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He composed the tune for the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," in 1908, even though he'd never been to ball game, and didn't get to one for twenty years.

It's the birthday, in 1867, of baseball great CY YOUNG, born Denton True Young, in Gilmore, Ohio. He pitched more innings and won more games than anyone else in major league history.

It was on this day in 1848 that an enormous ice-jam on the eastern shore of Lake Erie brought NIAGRA FALLS to a complete stop.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®

 

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