Latest news with #TheCatcherintheRye
Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Today in History: Trinity nuclear weapon test
Advertisement In 1862, Flag Officer David G. Farragut became the first rear admiral in the US Navy. In 1945, the United States exploded its first experimental atomic bomb in the desert of Alamogordo, N.M.; the same day, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis left Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California on a secret mission to deliver atomic bomb components to Tinian Island in the Marianas. In 1951, the novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger was first published by Little, Brown and Co. In 1957, Marine Corps Major John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record by flying a Vought F8U Crusader jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds. In 1964, as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Barry M. Goldwater declared that 'extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice' and that 'moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.' Advertisement In 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida on the first manned mission to the surface of the moon. In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard. In 2004, Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement by a federal judge in New York for lying about a stock sale. In 2008, Florida resident Casey Anthony, whose 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, had been missing a month, was arrested on charges of child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. (Casey Anthony was later acquitted at trial of murdering Caylee, whose skeletal remains were found in December 2008; Casey was convicted of lying to police.) In 2015, a jury in Centennial, Colo., convicted James Holmes of 165 counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges in the 2012 Aurora movie theater rampage that left 12 people dead. In 2017, 10 people died at a popular swimming hole in Arizona's Tonto National Forest after a rainstorm unleashed a flash flood. In 2018, after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, President Trump openly questioned the finding of his own intelligence agencies that Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to his benefit. (Trump said a day later that he misspoke.)
Chicago Tribune
16-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Martha Stewart sentenced
Today is Wednesday, July 16, the 197th day of 2025. There are 168 days left in the year. Today in History: On July 16, 2004, Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement by a federal judge in New York for lying about a stock sale. Also on this date: In 1790, a site along the Potomac River was designated the permanent seat of the United States government; the area became Washington, D.C. In 1862, Flag Officer David G. Farragut became the first rear admiral in the United States Navy. In 1945, the United States exploded its first experimental atomic bomb in the desert of Alamogordo, New Mexico; the same day, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis left Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California on a secret mission to deliver atomic bomb components to Tinian Island in the Marianas. In 1951, the novel 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger was first published by Little, Brown and Co. In 1957, Marine Corps Maj. John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record by flying a Vought F8U Crusader jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds. In 1964, as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Barry M. Goldwater declared that 'extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice' and that 'moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.' In 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida on the first manned mission to the surface of the moon. In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy, plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. In 2008, Florida resident Casey Anthony, whose 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, had been missing a month, was arrested on charges of child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing a criminal investigation. (Casey Anthony was later acquitted at trial of murdering Caylee, whose skeletal remains were found in December 2008; Casey was convicted of lying to police.) In 2015, a jury in Centennial, Colorado, convicted James Holmes of 165 counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges in the 2012 Aurora movie theater rampage that left 12 people dead. In 2017, 10 people died at a popular swimming hole in Arizona's Tonto National Forest after a rainstorm unleashed a flash flood. In 2018, after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, President Donald Trump openly questioned the finding of his own intelligence agencies that Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to his benefit. (Trump said a day later that he misspoke.) Today's Birthdays: International Tennis Hall of Famer Margaret Court is 83. Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is 77. Actor-singer Ruben Blades is 77. Rock composer-musician Stewart Copeland is 73. Playwright Tony Kushner is 69. Dancer Michael Flatley is 67. Former actor and teen model Phoebe Cates is 62. Actor Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell is 60. Actor-comedian Will Ferrell is 58. Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders is 57. Actor Corey Feldman is 54. Actor Jayma Mays is 46. Retired soccer star Carli Lloyd is 43. Actor AnnaLynne McCord is 38. Actor-singer James Maslow (Big Time Rush) is 35. Actor Mark Indelicato is 31. Pop singer-musician Luke Hemmings (5 Seconds to Summer) is 29.
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First Post
16-07-2025
- Science
- First Post
History Today: When Oppenheimer tested the first atomic bomb
The first atomic bomb, nicknamed 'The Gadget', was launched at the Trinity test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. Led by physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, the launch ushered in a new era - the nuclear age. The test was part of the Manhattan Project, which brought together some of the greatest scientific minds of the time, including Enrico Fermi, Richard Feynman and Niels Bohr read more World's first atomic bomb was detonated in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. Image Courtesy: The world entered the nuclear age on July 16, 1945, with the detonation of the first atomic bomb, which was tested in the New Mexico desert. Code-named Trinity, it was part of the Manhattan Project, a massive scientific and military effort by the United States to develop nuclear weapons during World War II. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On this day in 1951, JD Salinger's iconic novel, The Catcher in the Rye, was published. The book introduced the world to the unforgettable teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Here is all that took place on this day across the world. The first atomic bomb exploded One of most important events of the 20th Century took place on July 16, 1945. The first atomic bomb was successfully tested by the United States in Alamogordo, New Mexico. And with this, the world entered the nuclear age. The bomb, nicknamed 'The Gadget,' used plutonium-239 and was detonated at 5:29 am. The explosion created a blinding flash, a fireball that reached temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and a mushroom cloud that rose over seven miles (11 kilometres) into the sky. It produced an energy equivalent of about 21 kilotons of TNT. A man sits next to The Gadget, the nuclear device created by scientists to test the world's atomic bomb, at the Trinity Site in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Wikimedia Commons Led by physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project brought together some of the greatest scientific minds of the time, including Enrico Fermi, Richard Feynman and Niels Bohr. The successful test confirmed that nuclear fission could be weaponised, changing the course of history. After witnessing the explosion, Oppenheimer famously quoted the Bhagavad Gita, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' Just three weeks later, the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. The Trinity test not only marked the dawn of nuclear warfare but also triggered decades of arms races, Cold War tensions and ethical debates about the use of such destructive technology. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Catcher in the Rye published JD Salinger's only full-length novel, The Catcher in the Rye, was published by Little, Brown and Company on this day in 1951. With the launch of the book, the world was introduced to the unforgettable teenage protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Set in post-World War II America, the novel follows Holden over the course of three days in New York City after being expelled from prep school. Disillusioned by the 'phoniness' of the adult world and struggling with grief over the death of his younger brother, Holden narrates his journey in a raw, confessional tone that was both controversial and groundbreaking at the time. JD Salinger's classic novel, which gave life to Holden Caulfield. File image/AP While initial reviews were mixed, the book quickly gained popularity among young readers and became a bestseller. Its honest portrayal of teenage alienation, mental health, and rebellion struck a chord with postwar youth and sparked widespread debate. Salinger, who became famously reclusive after the novel's publication, never allowed a film adaptation and published little afterward. Yet his lone novel became a literary icon and has sold over 65 million copies worldwide. This Day, That Year Chicago officially opened its Millennium Park on this day in 2004. In 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq. Apollo 11 lifted off from Nasa's John F Kennedy Space Center in Florida on this day in 1969.
Scroll.in
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Sunday book pick: ‘The Catcher in the Rye' by JD Salinger, a novel I have read 11 times
'I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy.' The first time I read JD Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye was a few weeks after my school finishing exams. That was 11 years ago. Since then, I have read the book once a year every year. Usually during the summer, when it is especially pleasurable to read about the brutal New York City winter that 16-year-old Holden Caulfield finds himself in after being expelled from school for failing his exams. The novel ranks number one on the list of my top five books of all time. At home nowhere But Holden is not devastated by the expulsion. If anything, it was expected – he has never lasted for too long at any school. The boys are 'phoney', the teachers too, and he has no particular interest in academics or extra-curricular activities. He enjoys reading while considering himself 'quite illiterate.' He sounds rather mature for his age too. Almost everything he says is punctuated by expletives – 'sonuvabitch', 'goddamn', 'bastard' – and on top of that, he is a heavy smoker and already has greys in his hair. He also likes to treat himself to alcohol whenever he can get away with it. Holden is hardly a role model for Salinger's young readers, and it is also foolish to expect him to be. Instead, the foul-mouthed, moody, and academically uninterested protagonist is a terrific portrayal of teenage angst. My own teenage years far behind me, Holden's insolence brings me great relish. This is a novel that has never failed to crack me up. This is a boy who is clearly disinterested in everything around him and has already given up at an age when children are only beginning to familiarise themselves with the ways of the world – Holden's drollness comes at the price of heightened self-awareness. As he roams the streets of New York City (he cannot go home yet without disappointing his parents), Holden sees the megalopolis from the eyes of the unwanted. Despite coming from a wealthy family, Holden has little money in his pockets. He checks into a shady hotel where all sorts of 'perverts' have put up, gets into trouble with a prostitute and her pimp, and survives on coffee, liquor, and cigarettes. He kills time by ringing up old girlfriends and acquaintances and asking them to hang out with him, only he doesn't feel 'too hot' around them and almost every time gets 'depressed' soon after or worse, ends up picking a fight. While only a small portion of the novel is set in Pencey Preparatory Academy, we see how ill-suited Holden is to the school. He sees the pretentious ways of the elite, how teenage boys treat girls, and the boastfulness of the rich. He is not interested in any of it. Throughout the novel, Holden holds a very cynical view of the kind of people he went to school with. While he belongs to the same social class, he maintains that he is not like them. He has no interest in fancy cars, making a lot of money, or being 'too sexy' with girls. In fact, he seems to be fond of nothing and no one except his older brother DB, his ten-year-old sister Phoebe, and his dead brother Allie. DB is a writer in Hollywood now and though he is the best writer in the world as far as Holden is concerned, he cannot help but rue his brother's 'prostituting himself' to the movies. Phoebe is a 'smart' kid and incredibly intelligent in his eyes. In fact, it is only with her that Holden is able to speak truly of his feelings and when he makes a plan to run away, Phoebe offers to join him. Allie died of leukaemia a few years earlier and was something of a poet – he wrote poems on his baseball glove. It is his siblings that Holden views as his emotional anchors, who, unlike adults, are capable of genuine wonder, kindness, and spontaneity. A new world Perhaps the most obvious trait of Holden's personality is his obstinacy. He is hard to reason with and disregards almost all advice and reprimands from adults. He seems to have very little understanding of decorum and even if he did, he certainly doesn't care for it. What appears to be futile rage or impudence is not really so. Holden is nearly of age in the years right after the Second World War. Gloom and doom are still heavy in the air, and while Holden might not have experienced the horrors of the front line, his childhood was overshadowed by times of great uncertainty and upheaval. In addition to the depressing political climate were personal losses of magnificent proportions. Losing his brother to cancer, witnessing the suicide of a classmate, and being the victim of 'perverty' men (quite likely sexual abuse) has left a deep wound on his young, impressionable mind. Holden thinks like an adult but acts his age. There is no need for him to be good; if anything, it is a relief that Salinger just lets him be. As an adult reader, I feel sorry for Holden but I also feel no desire to rescue him – this is his rite of passage, this is everything he must suffer and overcome to get to tomorrow. By the end of the novel, Salinger does not promise that his protagonist will mature into a fine, respectable man. We are only told that he is attending another school and sometimes misses his 'phoney' classmates. 'What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it,' says Holden. I wish I had JD Salinger on my speed dial; I would call him up every year.
Los Angeles Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Local educators bring Teach Truth movement to Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach residents have always found fresh produce at a farmers market each Saturday right outside City Hall, but they were also recently offered some food for thought. As the public passed a misfit booth at the market a week ago, many stopped and talked with those who had set up a table seeking to start conversations about defending the freedom to learn. Local educators had decided to put out the pop-up exhibit, joining the fifth annual Zinn Education Project Teach Truth day of action. The discussions centered around book bans across the country, as well as teaching an accurate history of the nation. The Teach Truth movement aims to shed light on laws and policies that place restrictions on education. 'We want to make sure that all students feel safe and welcome and their humanity is affirmed in the classroom, no matter their gender [or] immigration status,' said Heather Hanson, a European history teacher at Laguna Beach High. 'The Teach Truth event is about raising awareness about legislation that has been introduced federally, most currently the executive actions which would seek to ban teaching the truth about the role of racism, sexism [and] heterosexism oppression throughout history, and various book bans throughout the country.' Among the books displayed at the table, some found titles they had read in their school days were now subjected to bans. Those included George Orwell's 'Animal Farm,' J.D. Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye,' and Kurt Vonnegut's 'Slaughterhouse-Five.' 'I think every single person that stopped was surprised to see what kinds of books were being banned and what kinds of topics were under fire,' Hanson added. The installation featured interactive elements such as selfie props and a board where people could write down the ways they can commit to supporting librarians, teachers and schools. There were more than 200 actions planned nationwide for the Teach Truth movement on June 7, Hanson said. Zoe Tran, a junior at Laguna Beach High, was among the students who volunteered at the event. It represented a lesson in civics, as Tran and her peers learned the power of advocacy. 'I think it was definitely a great opportunity for us to be taking action and sort of advocating for the pressing issue that I feel like is affecting primarily students my age across the country,' Tran said. 'At least in our district, we're really fortunate that there haven't really been book bans, and a lot of these books that we see being banned across the country are actually part of our curriculum. 'It's really important that we get the opportunity to kind of speak up and advocate against book banning and bring awareness to this.' David Milton, an exhibitor at the Sawdust Art Festival and a proponent of the cause, paid a visit to the Teach Truth stand. He noted the importance of making varying perspectives available for public consumption. 'If we're to have liberty in the world, and especially in America, we need to make free speech actually available to everyone from every perspective,' he said. 'It's got to be open 100%.' Milton has created artwork concerning the matter, including a painting that has been reproduced on clothing, posters and other products. The proceeds from those sales, he said, go to the American Library Assn. 'About a year and a half ago, I came up with the idea of doing a painting that would feature the most banned books in the world,' Milton said. ''1984,' as it turns out, is actually the world's most-banned book, and someone would say, 'Well, how Orwellian is that?'' One of the attendees wore a shirt showcasing the design, which includes a dozen books. 'What I wanted to do was portray the idea that the very books that most people read in an English course in high school, or grammar school, are now actually banned books,' Milton added. 'How outrageous is that, that classics of American and European literature would be actually considered off limits and not a good thing for young people, or anybody for that matter, to know about? 'I put the [books] together, and I found a piece of rusty barbed wire to circle the books. If you look at the shirt, there's a wire around it to give a symbolism of off limits.'
