Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
The Maundy Monday Newsletter - This Week in History January 1 - 7.
Welcome back, my Okay History Friends!
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. It’s 2024, which means all of us will have a birthday this year. It’s fun to think about how old everyone will be, isn’t it?
People born in 1974 turn 50 this year. People who were born in 2003 are now of legal drinking age, and kids born in 2011 are now teenagers.
Americans born in 1989 are now eligible to become president. This means that next year, we add another decade of citizens who can run for the chief executive position.
Next Sunday is my birthday. Anonymous is throwing me a party that begins at 4:00 because although I’m not exactly 80, I act that way when it comes to staying out late. I look forward to wrapping up the festivities before the sun goes down.
I’m actually turning 48, which is the same age Franklin Pierce was elected. I’m two years older than Ulysses S. Grant was when he won the White House and one year younger than James Garfield and James Polk when they took office.
Joe Biden became president at 78, which is a thirty-year difference. Thirty years is the same amount of time since I graduated from high school, and now you must ask yourself:
Isn’t math fun?
Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. Here's what I got:
Rudolph Guliani was inaugurated as mayor of New York City on January 2, 1994. Rudi would become known as America’s Mayor after the attacks on 9/11. He would run for the United States Senate and the President, losing both. He now runs from his shame and reputation that he built over thirty years ago.
Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked on January 6, 1994. Her rival Tonya Harding plotted with conspirators to bash Nancy's knee and prevent her from competing in the Olympics. Nancy would ask, “Why?” and I still don’t think we know the answer.
3. George Washington married Martha Custis on January 6, 1759. Martha was a widow with two small children when George came a calling. She was also a few months older and considerably wealthier. Washington scored his first of several major victories in his life when he snagged this lady.
Okay History will soon turn three, and what a three-year run it has been. 2024 will prove to be another building block of mediocre and somewhat entertaining takes concerning United States History. I have a few significant projects lined up and hope I can deliver them on time.
Thank you for beginning another year of supporting Okay History. I’ll be back on Friday with an emergency Ask Me Anything segment. It was such an emergency that it’s taken me about two weeks to get it out.
Anonymous got us a wonderful gift for Christmas this year – a hand-stenciled portrait of our boy. You can see it below, but Blue looks very distinguished. It’s funny; I met the artist a few years ago, even bought a book he wrote about his father or something (It will shock you to learn that I haven’t read it), and always had this idea in my back pocket.
Somehow, Anonymous got a hold of the information and beat me to the punch. It turned out great. If you are interested in getting one of these for your pet, shoot me an email at chris@okayhistory.com, and I’ll set you up. Joe is based in Maryland, in case you are wondering.
Happy birthday to everyone, and if you become a paid subscriber, I will give you a present concerning your special day. You can just give me the day and not the year in case you dislike math.
Have a great first week of the new year!
Okay,
Chris
