The Mysteries of History (February 10 Edition)
French and Indian Wars, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Spy Swap, Ralph Nader, Computer Chess Champion
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, 1905
1763 — French and Indian Wars / Seven Years War Ends
public domain image from wikimedia commons
Three of Europe’s most powerful countries, in particular, vied for control of America, and had the upper hand at various times: Britain, France, and Spain (although The Netherlands, Sweden and others tried to wrest control of America away from the others at various times, too).
What was called both the Seven Years War (1756-1763) and the French and Indian Wars (because that was who Britain was fighting against: France and its Native American allies, who tolerated the French more than they did the British).
France seemed to be winning during the early part of the war, but Britain ultimately emerged victorious, which was made official when The Treaty of Paris was signed on this day in 1763.
Questions: What land did France have to give up as a result of losing its war against Britain in the Americas? How did Spain's influence in the region wane as a result of the Treaty of Paris? How were the European residents of the 13 American Colonies benefited by Britain's victory? How were the Native Americans affected by Britain's victory? Did all of the Native Americans support France, or were some backers of Britain, and others neutral (unsure which power would be more of a bane to them)?1957 — Laura Ingalls Wilder Dies
public domain images from wikimedia commons: Laura Ingalls Wilder on the left, her parents Caroline and Charles Ingalls on the right
Three days after turning 90, Laura Ingalls Wilder died in Mansfield, Missouri on this date in 1957. Born in Wisconsin (near John Muir’s [1838-1914] boyhood home), Laura Ingalls also lived in Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota with her parents, who often moved in search of better opportunities.
In South Dakota Laura met and married Almanzo Wilder; they later relocated to the Ozarks community of Mansfield, Missouri, in the southwestern part of the “Show Me” State.
Ingalls Wilder wrote her first book, Little House In The Big Woods, about her first home in Wisconsin, in 1932 while in her mid-60s. Finding a ready audience, she followed that up with Little House on the Prairie (which was much later made into a very popular TV series), On the Banks of Plum Creek, The Long Winter, and others.
Side note: The actor who portrayed Eddie Haskell in the late-1950s and early-1960s TV show Leave It To Beaver (Ken Osmond) was, while a boy, a neighbor of the Wilders in Missouri. As Ingalls Wilder did not find fame until her later years, Ken was famous before Laura was.
Questions: Have you ever lived in or visited any of the States where LIW lived? Have you read any of her books? Have you seen the television series Little House on the Prairie? Where was it filmed (was it one of the States in which she had resided)?1962 — A Spy for a Spy
public domain image from wikimedia commons
American spy pilot Francis Gary Powers, who had been shot down over Russia while on a CIA mission, was exchanged on this date in 1962 for a Russian spy, Rudolf Ivanovich Abel. The Russian spy had been captured by the U.S. years earlier and spared execution by America so that he could be used as a bargaining chip with Russia later — a prescient decision, as it turned out.
The exchange of Powers and Abel was made on Glienicker Bridge, which connected East Germany to West Germany. Once repatriated, both men wrote books about their experiences.
Questions: What type of plane was Powers flying? How long was he in captivity in Russia, and how long a sentence had he been given by the Russians? What movie was made of this prisoner swap? Have you seen it?1966 — Nader Raids Corporate Detroit
image on left public domain image from wikimedia commons; image on right generated using Bing Image Creator
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader (soon to turn 91) testified before Congress on this date in 1966. He had written a book about the dangers of American cars, the Chevrolet Corvair in particular, titled Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile. Nader claimed that American automobile manufacturers emphasized style and power over safety.
GM (General Motors) hired detectives to spy on Nader in an effort to discredit him. When this effort on their part came to light, it only served to cause more copies of Nader’s book to be sold, making it a bestseller, and for Ralph Nader to become a household name.
As a result of Nader’s work on behalf of consumers (that’s you and me, folks), safety belts (“seat belts”) became standard for all passengers. The wearing of seat belts has been estimated to save over 400,000 American lives since they became de rigueur in American automobiles. One of those lives saved may have been your own or that of a loved one. While once viewed as a meddler and a pain in the auto industry’s neck (or other body part), Nader should instead be acknowledged as a true hero and protector of his fellow man.
Questions: What other causes has Nader been involved in during his career as a lawyer and consumer advocate? Who are or were "Nader's Raiders"? Has Nader ever run for public office?1996 — Wetware Vs Software
image on left generated using Bing Image Creator; image on right of Garry Kasparov is a public domain image from wikimedia commons
John Henry started to shift uneasily in his grave on this date in 1996 as a computer, named Deep Blue, defeated human chess champion Garry Kasparov in the first game of their match. Deep Blue was programmed (by human engineers, of course) to be able to analyze 200 million chess moves per second. Kasparov could calculate potential moves quickly, but not at that lightning-fast speed.
Ultimately, though, Kasparov bested Deep Blue, never losing again in the six-game marathon outwitting-your-opponent session. Kasparov won three times to Deep Blues’ single initial victory; the other two games ended in a “tie” (a stalemate, rather than a checkmate).
In either scenario, though (whether Kasparov or Blue had defeated the other), humans were the real victors, as it was really a case of a team of programmers (who were probably very good at chess) versus the world chess champion.
Questions: In which country was Kasparov born? Where does he live now? What has Kasparov's chess career been since his takedown of the machine? How did subsequent man-vs-machine contests end for Kasparov? Do you think machines/robots will ever exceed human intelligence? What qualities and attributes do humans have which are impossible for machines to possess? Does AI seem promising to you, or terrifying, or some of both?
