Thursday

Mar. 11, 1999

March Blizzard

by John Tagliabue

Broadcast Date: THURSDAY: March 11, 1999

Poem: "March Blizzard," by John Tagliabue, from New and Selected Poems, 1942-1997 (National Poetry Foundation).

It's the birthday of writer DOUGLAS ADAMS, born 1952 in Cambridge, England, author of the mock science-fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started as a 12-part radio series on the BBC in 1978.

It was on this day in 1941 that the U.S. Congress passed the LEND-LEASE ACT of 1941, mainly intended to provide food and weapons to Britain, which was unable to pay cash for them. Churchill later said that the Lend-Lease act was "the most unselfish and unsordid financial act of any country in all history."

It was in the early hours of this day that the GREAT BLIZZARD OF 1888 started to whip up—one of the most severe blizzards in American history which lasted three days and killed over 400 people.

It's the birthday of the discoverer of Neptune, URBAIN-JEAN-JOSEPH LE VERRIER, born 1811 in St. Lô, France.

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

 

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