This day in history...

Pulp Fiction? For that matter, any Quentin Tarrantino? Samuel L?

 

Rhett Butler didn't give a damn, but David O. Selznick paid for one.

 

On June 28,1972, President Richard Nixon announces that draftees will no longer be sent to Vietnam. Further troop replacements will be made only with volunteers for hazardous duty. There will be no more troop increases; Nixon announces in the same statement that the U.S. military presence in Vietnam will be reduced by 10,000 - leaving a total of 39,000 - by September 1.


On June 28, 1836, James Madison, fourth President of the United States, dies at his Virginia tobacco plantation. Madison's guidance at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 earned him the nickname "Father of the Constitution." Following its ratification, Madison championed its acceptance with the population by penning (with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay) "The Federalist Papers," a series of pamphlets arguing the Constitution's merits. Perhaps most influential was "Federalist No. 10", written by Madison himself, which laid out how the proposed federal government would best protect individual rights and freedoms.


On June 28, 2006, DaimlerChrysler announces it will introduce the Smart Car to the U.S. in 2008. A collaborative effort of Mercedes-Benz and fashion watch maker Swatch (the name stands for Swatch Mercedes ART), the Smart Fortwo is a 2-seater that measures just 8 feet in total length and averages 40 miles to the gallon. It debuted in Germany in 1997 and nine other European countries the following year. Though popular for its ability to navigate the narrow streets of Europe's major cities, the Smart Car was not profitable, and Swatch soon pulled out of the partnership. Daimler stepped into the breach, expanding the car's market to Canada in 2004 before making the move to the U.S. Although it has gone through several design generations, the Smart Fortwo never achieved the success DaimlerChrysler hoped for, and U.S. and Canadian sales were terminated in 2019.

 

This post was liked by everyone in America.

 

On July 3, 1940, the British Royal Navy - without provocation - attacks a French naval squadron (including 4 battleships) anchored at Mers-el-Kebir, in French Algeria. The attack was the major thrust of Operation Catapult, the British move to prevent Germany from taking possession of the French navy. The French had signed an armistice with Germany a week earlier. More than 1,300 French sailors were killed in the attack by the Royal Navy's renowned Force H. The British also attempted to capture French ships that had sailed into British ports following the armistice. The Germans made propaganda hay of the attack, which Force H commander Admiral James Somerville later described as "the biggest political blunder of modern times." But the attack also demonstrated Britain's resolve in the wake of France's surrender, and the Germans' November, 1940 attempt to capture another French squadron at Toulon in violation of the armistice proved the Admiralty's fears were well-taken.


On July 3, 1844, the first modern attempt at endangered species protection fails, as the last living pair of great auks are killed on Eldey Island off the Icelandic coast. The large flightless bird of the genus Pinguinis (they were slightly related to penguins, which were not discovered by man until years later) was hunted heavily throughout its northern habitats for hundreds of years, both as a food source and for its warm down feathers. Scientists began asking governments to protect the birds in the mid 16th century, noting its dwindling numbers. Ironically, the attempt to save them may have hastened their extinction, as collectors began seeking them as trophies. (the photo is of one of the last two killed; both were taken for trophy purposes) Surviving remains today include about 75 skins, a roughly equal number of eggs, and about two dozen complete skeletons.