| Saturday, June 20, 2009 |
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| Lizzie Borden |
SpotlightOn a hot August day in 1892, someone took an axe and brutally murdered Andrew and Abby Borden of Fall River, Massachusetts. Circumstantial evidence pointed a finger of guilt at Andrew's 32-year-old daughter Lizzie; some ten months later, she was brought to trial for the crime. The national press had a field day with the story of the spinster schoolteacher and the particularly heinous way her father and stepmother met their demise. The defense rested largely on the issue of reasonable doubt. No one could explain how Lizzie could have accomplished the murders without splattering herself with blood, or how she could clean herself up so quickly. On this date in 1893, the jury found Lizzie Borden innocent of the axe murders of her father and stepmother.
Quote"Lizzie Borden took an axe/And gave her mother forty whacks./When she saw what she had done/She gave her father forty-one."
Question of the DayIs capital murder the same thing as first degree murder?
"Capital" murder means that if the defendant is found guilty, there is the possibility of his or her being executed for the crime (which is called "capital punishment").
"First degree" usually means that the murder was premeditated (planned substantially ahead of time), though there are a number of other things that can make an unpremeditated murder "first degree," such as killing a police officer. In some states, (e.g. California, New York), the premeditation of a crime can become the premeditation of the murder if anyone accidently dies during the commission of that crime. For instance, if someone premeditates arson, say, to collect insurance, and somebody else dies as a result of the fire, the death can be considered premeditated murder even though the criminal only premeditated arson.... More
Word of the dayweisure
The blending of work and leisure time has resulted in weisure, as smartphones and other technology allow and encourage people to use their free time to communicate with business colleagues even as they hang out with friends and family.
Last week, on June 10, English was supposed to have passed the one-million-word mark, according to this story by the Global Language Monitor. The word neologism, or "new word," was coined at the start of the 19th century, making it a neologism at the time. This week let's take a look at some newer neologisms.
Today's History
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| 'Jaws' |
- Great Seal of the United States: was adopted by Congress (1782)
- Flight to Varennes: faced with anti-royalty hostility during the French Revolution, King Louis XVI tried unsuccessfully to flee the country (1791)
- Queen Victoria: longest-reigning British monarch succeeded to the throne (1837)
- Hot line: Moscow-Washington line of direct communication was established following the Bay of Pigs standoff (1963)
- Jaws: Steven Spielberg's thriller was released, chilling viewers and shattering box office records (1975)
Today's Birthdays
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| Lionel Richie |
- Stephen Frears (68): director of The Queen; director Robert Rodriguez (41) was also born on this date
- Lionel Richie (60): singer/songwriter, "
Endless Love "; also, musicians Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), Brian Wilson (67), Anne Murray (64), André Watts (63), Michael Anthony (55) and John Taylor (49) - Vikram Seth (57): Indian poet and author of A Suitable Boy; also, writer Lillian Hellman (1905-1984)
- Nicole Kidman (42): Oscar-winner for The Hours; also, actors Errol Flynn (1909-1959), Martin Landau and Olympia Dukakis (both 77), Danny Aiello (76), John Mahoney (69), John McCook (64), John Goodman (57) and Josh Lucas (38)
