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Boston Globe
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Today in History: Twin Tower tightrope walk
In 1789, the US Department of War was established by Congress. In 1942, US and other Allied forces landed on Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major Allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II. In 1960, Côte d'Ivoire gained independence from France. In 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers in dealing with reported North Vietnamese attacks on US forces. In 1971, the Apollo 15 moon mission ended successfully as its command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. In 1974, French highwire artist Philippe Petit performed an unapproved tightrope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York, over 1,300 feet above the ground; the event was chronicled in the Academy Award-winning documentary 'Man on Wire.' Advertisement In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared the Love Canal environmental disaster in Niagara Falls, N.Y., a federal health emergency; it would later top the initial list of Superfund cleanup sites. In 1989, a plane carrying US Representative Mickey Leland, D-Texas, and 15 others disappeared over Ethiopia. The wreckage of the plane was found six days later; there were no survivors. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush ordered US troops and warplanes to Saudi Arabia to guard the oil-rich desert kingdom against a possible invasion by Iraq. In 1998, terrorist bombs at US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. In 2007, San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit home run No. 756 to break Hank Aaron's storied record with one out in the fifth inning of a game against the Washington Nationals, who won, 8-6. In 2012, to avoid a possible death penalty, Jared Lee Loughner agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison, accepting that he went on a deadly shooting rampage at an Arizona political gathering in 2011 that left six people dead and 13 injured, including US Representative Gabby Giffords. In 2015, Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was spared the death penalty in favor of life in prison after a jury in Centennial failed to agree on whether he should be executed for his attack on a packed movie premiere that left 12 people dead.
Chicago Tribune
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Department of War established
Today is Thursday, Aug. 7, the 219th day of 2025. There are 146 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 7, 1789, the U.S. Department of War was established by Congress. Also on this date: In 1942, U.S. and other allied forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II. In 1960, Cote d'Ivoire gained independence from France. In 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers in dealing with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces. In 1971, the Apollo 15 moon mission ended successfully as its command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean. In 1974, French highwire artist Philippe Petit performed an unapproved tightrope walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York, over 1,300 feet above the ground; the event was chronicled in the Academy Award-winning documentary 'Man on Wire.' In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared the Love Canal environmental disaster in Niagara Falls, N.Y. a federal health emergency; it would later top the initial list of Superfund cleanup sites. In 1989, a plane carrying U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, D-Texas, and 15 others disappeared over Ethiopia. (The wreckage of the plane was found six days later; there were no survivors.) In 1990, President George H.W. Bush ordered U.S. troops and warplanes to Saudi Arabia to guard the oil-rich desert kingdom against a possible invasion by Iraq. In 1998, terrorist bombs at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 224 people, including 12 Americans. In 2007, San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit home run No. 756 to break Hank Aaron's storied record with one out in the fifth inning of a game against the Washington Nationals, who won, 8-6. In 2012, to avoid a possible death penalty, Jared Lee Loughner agreed to spend the rest of his life in prison, accepting that he went on a deadly shooting rampage at an Arizona political gathering in 2011 that left six people dead and 13 injured, including U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords. In 2015, Colorado theater shooter James Holmes was spared the death penalty in favor of life in prison after a jury in Centennial failed to agree on whether he should be executed for his attack on a packed movie premiere that left 12 people dead. Today's Birthdays: Singer Lana Cantrell is 82. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is 81. Actor John Glover is 81. Actor David Rasche is 81. Former diplomat, talk show host and activist Alan Keyes is 75. Country singer Rodney Crowell is 75. Actor Caroline Aaron is 73. Comedian Alexei Sayle is 73. Actor Wayne Knight is 70. Rock singer Bruce Dickinson is 67. Actor David Duchovny is 65. Actor Delane Matthews is 64. Actor Harold Perrineau is 62. Jazz musician Marcus Roberts is 62. Country singer Raul Malo is 60. Actor David Mann is 59. Actor Charlotte Lewis is 58. Actor Sydney Penny is 54. Actor Greg Serano is 53. Actor Michael Shannon is 51. Actor Charlize Theron is 50. Rock musician Barry Kerch is 49. Actor Eric Johnson is 46. Actor Randy Wayne is 44. Actor-writer Brit Marling is 43. NHL center Sidney Crosby is 38. MLB All-Star Mike Trout is 34. Actor Liam James is 29.
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First Post
07-08-2025
- Politics
- First Post
History Today: When the Swadeshi movement was launched in Calcutta by boycotting British goods
On August 7, 1905, Indian leaders formally launched the Swadeshi Movement at Calcutta Town Hall, passing a boycott resolution against British goods and mobilising domestic industry. The Swadeshi Movement became a foundational campaign in India's independence struggle pioneering grassroots resistance read more The Swadeshi Movement was launched at the Town Hall in Calcutta (now Kolkata, West Bengal), India, on August 7, 1905. File Image As part of Firstpost's History Today series, we take a look at a few events of August 7 focusing on the formal inauguration of the Swadeshi Movement in Calcutta. We also take a brief look at Philippe Petit's iconic tightrope walk in New York, George Washington establishing the predecessor to the Purple Heart, and Côte d'Ivoire gaining independence from France. Launch of the Swadeshi Movement On August 7, 1905, the Swadeshi Movement was formally proclaimed at a massive meeting held at Calcutta Town Hall. At this historic gathering, delegates passed a landmark Boycott Resolution calling for the rejection of British goods — especially Manchester cloth and Liverpool salt — and the revival of domestic manufacture. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Swadeshi ('own-country') represented not just a boycott, but a clarion call for economic self-sufficiency (Atma‑shakti) — a concept later heralded by Mahatma Gandhi as the very 'soul of Swaraj'. In July 1905, the British announced the Partition of Bengal, citing administrative difficulty. In practice, it was aimed at splitting Bengali unity along communal lines — an explicit 'Divide and Rule' strategy. Nationalists, outraged, responded with petitions, press campaigns and protest meetings. But it soon became clear that symbolic opposition was insufficient. Leaders like Krishnakumar Mitra, through his journal Sanjivani, first proposed a boycott in July; that call gained traction and culminated in the August 7 Town Hall declaration. At the Town Hall meeting, Mitra's proposal was formalised: a mass ban on British goods together with pledges to support Indian industry. The resolution, backed by leading moderates — Surendranath Banerjee, Ananda Mohan Bose, and others — was momentous in shifting the movement from agitation to action. Immediately after the meeting, leaders travelled across Bengal forming samitis (volunteer associations) to publicise boycott pledges. In small towns and villages, community gatherings became platforms for mass resistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Initially, Swadeshi was led by Moderates, who hoped economic pressure might persuade Britain to repeal the partition. Their tools: petitions, constitutional appeals, press campaigns via Hitabadi, Sanjibani, and Bengalee newspapers, and formal resolutions in local Congress branches. But as repression intensified — arrests, press bans, and bans on public gatherings — the Extremist wing (the 'Garam Dal') rose in influence. Patriotic leaders like Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh, and Madan Mohan Malaviya advocated passive resistance, university boycotts, and strong organisational discipline. The movement became more confrontational and expansive after the Calcutta Congress session of 1906 declared Swaraj (self-rule) as its formal goal. Examples of methods and mobilisation included: Picketing shops selling British cloth, public bonfires of imported textiles. Promotion of Khadi (homespun cotton) and Gramodyog (village industries) as patriotic duty. Rakhi Bandhan unity rituals (August 16, 1905) symbolising Hindu-Muslim solidarity undermining partition lines. Mass processions singing 'Vande Mataram', bathing in the Ganges, fasting — public expressions of defiance. Formation of the National Council of Education (1906), Bengal National College and Technical Institute under Satish Chandra Mukherjee and Aurobindo Ghosh to counter British curriculum reliance. Indian entrepreneurs started businesses like Bengal Chemicals, Banga Lakshmi Mills, Margo soap factory to provide Swadeshi alternatives to British products. Swadeshi resonated beyond economics — fostering literary, artistic, and spiritual nationalism. Rabindranath Tagore composed 'Amar Sonar Bangla' in response to partition. Poet Rajanikanta Sen wrote songs urging Bengalis to accept 'coarse cloth offered by your mother' as a symbol of national pride and sacrifice — lyrics that became galvanising. Universities, clubs like Dawn Society, and cultural forums became centres of nationalist education. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Beyond Bengal, the movement reached other provinces: Maharashtra : Tilak used Ganapati and Shivaji festivals to mobilise masses. Punjab : led by Lala Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh. Madras : under VO Chidambaram Pillai. Delhi: via Syed Haider Raza. The British government responded with force as the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908, and press censorship (Newspaper Act) suppressed dissent. As well as violent crackdown on students, arrests of leaders, and bans on singing Vande Mataram under police and Seditious Meetings Act regulations. Swadeshi shifted Indian National Congress rhetoric from consent-based moderation to demand-led assertion of self-rule. By 1908, the movement had subsided amid Congress factionalism (Surat Split of 1907), but it laid groundwork for mass movements under Gandhi's later leadership. The movement's core principle — economic self-sufficiency — lives on in modern initiatives such as Khadi festivals, village co-operatives, and the recent Make in India campaign launched on August 7, 2015 — the anniversary of the Swadeshi launch. Gandhi incorporated Swadeshi into his Satyagraha campaigns; the spinning wheel became symbolic of Indian independence. Today, August 7 is observed in India as National Handloom Day, celebrating the indigenous textile heritage and honouring the pioneering spirit of the original Swadeshi activists. Philippe Petit walks between Twin Towers On August 7, 1974, French high-wire artist Philippe Petit executed one of history's most audacious performances. Without authorisation or safety equipment, he walked on a tightrope stretched between the roofs of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center, roughly 1,350 feet above Manhattan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For 45 minutes, Petit crossed eight times, danced, knelt, and lay on the wire — captivating a crowd below and cementing the event in performance lore. Petit planned the stunt over six years — building models, scouting towers, smuggling equipment — and evaded authorities until after completion. While arrested, he was released after agreeing to perform for children in Central Park. His 1974 walk inspired films like Man on Wire and remains celebrated as 'the artistic crime of the century'. George Washington establishes Badge of Military Merit (Purple Heart) On August 7, 1782, General George Washington, commanding the Continental Army at Newburgh, New York, established the Badge of Military Merit, an honour worn over the left breast — a purple, heart‑shaped cloth edged in silver. It recognised 'instances of unusual gallantry…extraordinary fidelity…essential service' by enlisted soldiers and non-commissioned officers — a radical departure from tradition where only officers received battlefield recognition. Only three soldiers received the honor during the US Revolution. The award was largely forgotten until revived in 1932 as the modern Purple Heart, now the US military's oldest decoration, awarded to those wounded or killed in service Côte d'Ivoire Gains independence On August 7, 1960, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) officially declared independence from France, ending nearly 67 years of colonial rule. Under leader Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who had earlier served in the French Parliament, the country transitioned from a French Overseas Territory (from 1958) to full sovereign republic within two years — achieved with minimal conflict relative to its neighbours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Celebrated annually as national independence day, Côte d'Ivoire observes military parades, flag ceremonies in Yamoussoukro, and cultural festivals across its major city Abidjan. Since independence, the country has become a major cocoa exporter and maintained relative political stability under Houphouët-Boigny's long presidency (1960-1993). With inputs from agencies
Newsroom
01-07-2025
- Newsroom
A fraying tightrope? NZ's Great Power relations
Analysis: 'My journey has always been the balance between chaos and order.' So said Philippe Petit, the Frenchman who made history in the 1970s for his unauthorised tightrope walks between the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral, the World Trade Center, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Washington Post
19-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Colum McCann's ‘Twist' drags us to the depths of the ocean
In 2009, Colum McCann published a curious book called 'Let the Great World Spin' that had everybody looking up. The novel, which went on to win both a National Book Award and the International Dublin Literary Award, presents several apparently disparate stories while a tightrope-walker modeled after Philippe Petit tiptoes between the twin towers on a wire.
