A new study by researchers, tracking the progress of 20 public elementary schools in Hawaii, may suggest what parents of children in the Powerful Words Character Development and Martial Arts training at Sidekicks Family Martial Arts Centers in Lithia, FL already know – that students participating in a “character-building” program may in fact perform better academically. The schools were randomly assigned to participate in a new “character-building” program that taught kids life-skills in managing your moods, getting along with others, and making choices that improve your sense of well-being very similar to the Powerful Words Character Development program used everyday in our martial arts classes. The schools that were assigned the character-building program for up to four consecutive years, and student achievement was tested at several points throughout the study. The results were compared with outcomes in control schools.

Initially, the schools without the character building program were better off than the ones that had the control schools happened to be better off. They had higher test scores overall. In fact, their scores were higher than the Hawaiian state average, which the schools participating in the study were not.  However, by the end of the study, the situation had flipped. The schools participating in the character-building program were now outperforming the control schools.

Maybe Benjamin Franklin had it right, “Taking charge of your emotional life, adopting a “can-do” attitude, and learning good people skills doesn’t just make you more popular. It can also improve your intellectual performance.”

For the past five years, Sidekicks Family Martial Arts Centers has made immense use of the Powerful Words Character Development Program. We strive to be more than just a punch and kick school.  We are always looking for ways to enhance the learning experience of children and teens here at Sidekicks Family Martial Arts Centers.  We feel that our students deserve a full curriculum that helps to develop  children socially and cognitively as well as physically.

This is why we teamed up with Child and Adolescent Development Specialist, Robyn J. A. Silverman, PhD.  Dr. Robyn provides us with a multitude of resources to the families of our school for the betterment of our children.

Dr. Robyn, as many call her, had developed a comprehensive character development curriculum called Powerful Words!  Powerful Words provides easy-to-follow lessons for children ages 4-6 and 7-12 years and teens–lessons that give each student the strength to explore and the foundation to succeed.  Here at Sidekicks Family Martial Arts Centers, such a character education program used within the context of our organized martial arts lessons, can invite students to listen, share, discover, and reflect on the ways to become upstanding members of our community as well as confident individuals in their own right.

You will notice some very exciting enhancements taking place at our academy.  Our bulletin boards will  offer our parents a one stop information center to keep you updated as to what the children will be learning, in addition, you’ll be receiving monthly editions of Parent’s Perch, Dear Dr. Robyn, and Powerful Projects (which are required for advancement).  The Parent’s Perch is a letter that describes the Powerful Word of the Month and how we will be teaching it at our academy.  this can serve as a great discussion starter for you and your kids!  The Dear Dr. Robyn column is kind of like “Dear Abby” for parents of the martial arts…I know you’ll find it helpful!  Each month our students will have the opportunity to be positively recognized for completeing a powerful Project.  These projects are age apporpriate, very educational, and fun to do!  You’ll also notice that at the end of every class our students will get to take part in a PowerChat that will help them to solidify their understanding of the Powerful Character Word of the Month.  Dr. Robyn has written this curriculum specifically for use in our martial arts academy, so our students will actually getting two world class programs for the price of one!

To learn more about how the instructors at Sidekicks Family Martial Arts in Lithia, FL teach character in children, please visit: http://www.kidslovemartialartslithiafl.com

Henry Ford said, “whether you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you’re right.” The power of your mind is nearly infinite, there is no computer that has the computing power that your brain because those are finite technologies, there’s no chance to “expanding your computer” the way you can expand your mine. However, computers were designed to function the way the brain does, making the brain the ultimate computer. Like a computer your brain processes inputs (your experiences) and produces outputs (your thoughts and beliefs). So, it stands to reason that if you put garbage in, you get garbage out. These things shape our focus.

What you focus on determines your outcome. If you stop and tell yourself that you’re not worthy, you’re just this way, you can’t do this, or any other limiting belief you’re right. Like what Henry Ford said, if you tell yourself that you can’t do something you’ve defeated yourself before you even get started. In my opinion we shouldn’t even go so far as to call ourselves normal, average, or even good. We shouldn’t want to be good, we should be OUTSTANDING and we should work within ourselves to lead outstanding lives.

Choongsil, our philosophy of Constant and Never-ending Improvement, begins with the focus that we as human beings have unlimited potential—that there is nothing that we can’t accomplish. The first step in developing this idea as the mantra of your life is by telling yourself two things: first, that you are a worthy person who deserves the rewards that come with hard work, strong values, and a deep spiritual life. The second thing you must tell yourself is that nothing is out of reach, that you CAN do anything you set out to do.

Obviously, as I’ve said before, you can’t just tell yourself these things you must back up what you’re telling yourself with your actions. Get up right now and do something that you’ve never thought you could do. If you want to run marathons start by focusing on the fact that you can run a marathon, that there is no reason you can’t run a marathon, and then go take a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood. Wait Mr. Cabrera, I can’t run a marathon because I have an injury, or I’m out of shape, or the one I fall prey to…I don’t have time. There’s those limiting beliefs again. When you back up what you tell yourself with your actions you begin to reinforce those things that you tell yourself and as you do it and do it and do it the I can’s begin to automatically replace the I cant’s.

What you focus on is the beginning of leading a Black Belt Life. I have to tell you, I’m not speaking from up high on the mountain either. For me, focusing on the idea that constant and never-ending improvement is possible and necessary is still a daily task that I must always work on and I’ve been doing the martial arts for my entire life and grew up in a world of I CAN. A lot of times I’ll focus on what I did wrong and completely ignore what I did right. Such as when a student leaves the school, I may stop and think about the last few times I interacted with that student and wonder what it is that we did to drive that student away when if may not be us at all, it could be them.

Another way that I place limiting ideas on myself, like I alluded to before is the “I don’t have time…” or the “I’m too tired…” excuse. The time when I get to do my own practicing is usually after all the other classes are over, or during the day before classes start. During the hours we hold class, as should be the case, we devote to fulfilling the needs of our students. However, there are times when I don’t practice because I’ve told myself that I don’t have time (during the day) because I have this newsletter to right, or this person to talk to or this business to visit. And other times I tell myself that I’m just too tired after teaching classes from 1:30 in the afternoon straight through until 7:30, because teaching does require a lot of energy.

The thing that I catch myself in is that there is always time. If I really don’t have time during the day, there’s certainly time when I can practice after classes. The point is that I change what I tell myself and focus on why I can, rather than why I can’t. You can do this too. It’s simply a matter of how you focus

As children, we were taught the saying, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” In its most basic form this is the key success principle of perseverance. Perseverance is the persistence to continue with what you’re doing, until such time as you have succeeded or finished. As martial artists, we know all about perseverance on the training floor, had any one of our black belts quit when they realized it would take a while to master a side kick they would never have benefited from the full benefit of the martial arts. However, beyond just what we do in Taekwon-Do, the ability to persevere is one of the paramount tools for success, so much so it is a tenet we ask our students to live by.

The reasons to persevere are based upon some simple truth’s about life that each of us must encounter and master to lead a Black Belt Life. First, rarely does anything worthwhile in life comes easily or quickly. Second, people who persevere understand that follow through and the work put into achieving something is just as rewarding as the achievement itself and creates a greater appreciation for that thing. Third, those who persevere have the greatest impact on the world around them because they persevere through to hold to convictions.

To be successful you have to stick with it. The most rewarding things in life aren’t without some sacrifice or struggle. The most successful businesses, churches, nations, and relationships took time, effort and had their ups and downs. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington and his troops spent a very cold, very beleaguered winter encamped at Valley Forge. They were poorly supplied, poorly clothed, and many didn’t even have anything that would pass as shoes. It wasn’t uncommon to see bloody footprints left in the snow. The harsh weather had nearly crippled the supply line of the already struggling Continental Army. I certainly won’t be able to do justice to the sad state these brave soldiers in this e-mail. While Washington and his men had faced defeat at the hands of the British this was nearly the straw that broke the camel’s back.

It would have been easy at this point to pack it in and go home to their farms, towns, warm fires, and food. However, Washington, who always put his men first and suffered alongside them, was able to get his men through the winter a large part based on convincing them of the belief that living and dieing as free men was the ultimate reward. I believe that this winter where the army fought an enemy far greater than the British and persevered galvanized the army and enabled them to go on to the success and freedom you and I enjoy right now. Had they cut and run, this great nation would be very different from what it is today.

A war like the one for independence is a very big example of the power of perseverance because it was long, many soldiers died on both sides, and more than once the future of the American colonies came down to the will of a few brave men and women who put it all on the line to achieve the goal of freedom. My hope is that your need for perseverance won’t come down to a life and death struggle, but at the root, that’s the most basic type of perseverance—survival.

Perhaps you heard the story of Colonel Sanders who took his chicken recipe to thousands of restaurants receiving a “no” so many times everyone thought he was crazy to continually set himself up for failure and disappointment. However, Sanders knew that if he continued on his path until someone said yes, that would make all the difference in the world. Today, even after his death, Kentucky Fried Chicken is still a powerhouse in the fast food industry. A similar story of perseverance can be said of the late Dave Thomas who founded Wendy’s.

I’m sure, just like me, you can think of dozens of examples, no matter how small, where persevering for something made it more rewarding than had it just been given to you. What many people find as perseverance becomes a staple in their life is that the path they took was in its own way as rewarding as the goal itself. Take for instance the journey to black belt. Students go through many times of discovery, learning, trials, satisfaction and experience belonging to the martial arts spirit, long before they ever tie the black belt around their waist.

Several years ago, we took a group of students to the Grand Nationals tournament of the organization we were a member of; they were held that year in Hot Springs, AR. We went up there in two vans, pulling a U-Haul trailer filled with our sparring gear and luggage. To this day, rather than be a simple trip to a tournament, it’s know amongst our group as the legendary journey to the Grand Nationals. During this trip we encountered one hilarious anecdote after another from the sad state of one of our hotel rooms (the walls were wet); the greatest pizza in the state of Arkansas (they were after all $26 each and we ordered 9—we ate off those pizzas for a while); the big greasy short order cook who stole Elvis’s hair and was almost angry when one of our party had as much memorabilia as he did; and finally the intrepid trip home, where we were stuck on the side of the road for six hours on a two lane highway surrounded only be cotton fields in Louisiana because one of the U-Haul Specific tires had a flat. Each odd situation could have derailed our trip and sent us down the path of a terrible time, but it wasn’t. Almost everyone who went was a black belt or red belt, so we had plenty of practice with perseverance. Everything that happened we knew we could get through so it didn’t damper our spirits and the trip there and back was as much fun as the tournament (we won some trophies as well). This is a rather comical example but certainly applies to the principle of perseverance.

As I said before, I could go into a great many examples from my own life, just like you could from yours. It is, after all, the journey that matters, not the destination and perseverance helps us to develop our attitude of gratitude. Ask any black belt and they will tell you about how much more their achievement means to them because they worked hard to earn it.

Any person of conviction, will have to persevere. The very nature of having a definite belief in something means that you’ll have to remain steadfast in the face of opposition. Contrary to what you may have learned in philosophy class there is right and there is wrong. As my grandmother used to say, “right is right and wrong don’t belong to nobody.” It’s basic principles, such as the tenets of Taekwon-Do, that help us decide what is right and what is wrong to clarify what that tiny voice is shouting at us. If we did not persevere in times of difficulty and remain true to our core belief system, what good was that belief system in the first place? The people who stick to their value system, no matter what, are the ones we look to as shining examples of humanity. Take for example, Mother Theresa. Her simple belief was that all people deserve compassion and caring. Her life’s mission in the church was to bring aid to the suffering and now the whole world over, both Christians and non-Christians, know who she is. That’s because her compassion for others is an admirable trait. Had she decided to help sometimes and not others, I don’t think anyone outside of her order would know her name.

In the business world the compromising of values for a quick sale occur everyday. That’s why there’s no company loyalty, everyone is distrustful of their co-workers, money is wasted, and management is indicted. Can you think of a time when someone pressured you to do something contrary to your moral barometer? Let me give a quick example. While my entire workforce experience has been mostly in the martial arts field, my first few years of college I did a little work for one of the administrative offices at USF. The group’s mission, that I was a member of, was to provide resources and success coaching for student organizations on campus. Mrs. Cabrera and I felt this was a good opportunity to put some of the skills we’ve learned in the martial arts into practice for other college kids. Some groups on campus only had three or four members and desperately wanted to break out to the next level.

Well, this group and I went to work planning events, training seminars, one-on-one consulting programs and even a basic skills school on money management, people management and marketing called BULListic Training (USF’s mascot is the Bulls). Mrs. Cabrera, myself, and a group of about 12 people were pretty juiced about our mission and really wanted to help others. However, after we had completed a few of the tasks the office had for us we began to encounter a lot of runaround on the stuff that was our goals. We had designed it in such a way that it didn’t cost any money, so that couldn’t be the problem. We made sure that all the presenters and consultants underwent intense training so that they could be considered experts. For some reason we just couldn’t get it together.

So we had a meeting, at the time I had just been elected president of this group. During the course of the meeting we managed to get a hold of the Director for the entire department to sit down with us and explain to us why we weren’t being successful. She told us very plainly that our group wasn’t to do any of the things that were assigned to us that we felt were the important things. We were to do things like answer phones, give directions, make copies—the stuff they had paid students and staff for. She said, and I’ll never forget it, “maybe it’s my fault. I tend to tell students what they want to hear because I want to attract a certain type of person to this group.” Right then and there I realized that I had been flat out lied to, and I had stuck with this group for two years!

Well, after that I haven’t set foot in the student union there at USF except to buy my books for class. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth because I hold integrity and honesty very high and to associate with others who don’t would be the same, in my opinion, as condoning what they do even at the cost of a leadership minor that I was enjoying (the same office ran it). But, holding to my principle of integrity and persevering in times when it is tested is an example to my students whom I also want to be trustworthy and honest. If I wasn’t, I’d have no credibility to tell them to have integrity.

If you understand that rarely anything in life comes quickly or easily—then you’ll persevere and be happier because you’ve learned patience. If you understand that many times the journey is more important than the destination—then you won’t become frustrated when obstacles are set in your path. And if you stick to your guns and abide by your morals—then the perseverance you used will be a shining example to others.

Let’s all live a Black Belt Life,

Manny Cabrera III

Mrs. Cabrera, the boys, and I did the tour de Florida this Thanksgiving Weekend.  We hit both of her grandparents homes, plus the Magic Kingdom before having really good days at home and with friends.

While at her paternal grandmother’s home in Williston, FL, we stayed in the master bedroom (her grandma insisted since it was the biggest bedroom and we have TWO pack n’plays – twins remember?).  That also meant that it was the first time I had ever been in the master bathroom.  Nothing really to report there, except up in an acrylic shadow box next to the mirror was a list of ten rules to make every day a great day.  I’ve recounted them here for you with my own thoughts:

1)  Think Good Things Will Happen.

2) Express Gratitude to a Loved One.

3) Put Your Gripes Away in a box.

4) Be Patient with an Annoying Person.

5) Do Something Special for Yourself.

6) Reach Out to Someone who needs Comfort.

7) Focus Deeply on Each Moment.

Learn from a Mistake.

9) Look Closely at a flower or a tree you haven’t noticed before.

10) Smile.

What do you think?  What would you add?  How do you struggle to do these simple things?  What can we do to get out of our own self-centeredness that I see in my self and in people I encounter everyday?

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.

I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.

Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.

Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.

Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.

Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.

Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.

Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.

Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.

Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.

Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This past weekend, as part of our celebration for our 4th wedding anniversary, we decided to go to the happiest place on earth!  Walt Disney World.  For the first time, we brought our almost 10-month old twins.  Obviously, they’re too young to really understand, but since it’s one of our favorite places to go as a family, we really enjoyed taking them with us.  Aren’t they so cute?

Being of a more conservative leaning person in many issues, I hear often of our constitutional right to bear arms and I whole heartedly agree.  If you feel compelled to own a gun and are legally eligible to possess one, you should be allowed to own one. 

However, just because you own a hand gun and went to the range a few times and shot at the target doesn’t mean that if you had to pull the gun and fire it in a real confrontation you would be able to do so.  Ask any current or former law enforcement or military personnel that has had to draw their weapon in the line of duty and they’ll tell you that things are a lot different when the target is shooting back at you or trying to beat your head in.

Unfortunately, too many people are under this mistaken impression that by owning the gun and having fired it a few times that they now have some invisible force field around them that will protect them from evil doers.  Because they have a gun, they believe that they will be able to produce said firearm when needed and then fire the appropriate number of shots in order to subdue their attacker.  You just aren’t going to get that type of training going to the gun range because the standards enacted for safety are counter-intuitive to this sort of training. 

For the same reasons most of the gun “schools” out there are focused on safety and mistake marksmanship (rather, front sight and rear sight alignment) for real life application.  The majority that focus on any type of hands on “running and gunning” training are mostly devoted toward law enforcement and military applications.  All of those are valuable training tactics, but their focus is on tactics relating to their specific needs and are not always applicable to what you need if you’re attacked in your home.  Again, concerned about safety, those programs don’t usually do live-fire exercises or instead utilize Airsoft or some other means to create the realism they’re looking for.

The training that is brought to the civilian world should teach people to do what they’re going to NEED to do in order to not only survive, but protect themselves and the ones they love should they need to.  As a gun owner, you need to seek out training in these areas:

Stress Inoculation: In the martial arts industry, we’ve become better accustomed about talking about the process that happens when adrenaline is dumped into your system.  Adrenal stress response training is important because when we’re under stress we always resort to the things that we know to our core.  In most cases, fine motor skills go out the door and gross motor skills take over.  I say most because I’m sure there’s somebody out there that the idea of someone trying to kill them doesn’t elicit an adrenaline dump, however, for us mortals this is essentially the process.  We can’t do the complicated stuff that we can do when we’re at rest or in a controlled environment without years of conditioning and even then you hear stories of martial arts black belts that get beat up.  Not because they can’t fight, but because they don’t know how to emotionally and mentally cope with the real thing.  They freeze up or forget how to fight.  If you own a gun you need to be able to function with it when the adrenaline starts pumping. You need to have gross motor skill strategies in place to be able to shoot with it and then practice them so that they become automatic.

Weapon/Concealment familiarization: If you’re in the tussle of a fight and you pull your weapon and get tangled up with your opponent, you need to be familiar with your gun and your chose methods of concealed carry.  You need to practice how you’re going to get your gun working again if it misfires or jams with some big twelve sandwich eating dude trying to cave your skull in or take your gun away from you.  What steps have to be taken in order for you to draw your weapon from the holster?  If you have level 2, 3, or 4 holsters this is important because those aren’t always easy things to do with all the buttons and levers and snaps that you have to deal with in those types of holsters.  You also have to take into account things like the clothing you’re wearing.  Many people think that the gun will miraculously appear in their hand when in reality, it will probably get tangled in your shirt or caught on your belt, or worst drop on the floor.  All of this while still having to fight the bad guy (or guys).

Secondary weapon utilization: When I went through my concealed carry class and this has been backed up by all of the experts I’ve interacted with since, is the consensus that you should have a secondary weapon in addition to your gun.  This could be another gun or possibly a knife, or maybe even an expandable baton.  However, being able to use that weapon to defend yourself while reloading, clearing a jam is a must.

Shoot/No-shoot decision making:  Not everyone that you pull a gun on has to be shot.  In an active shooter environment you still have to use common sense.  Learning strategies to identify bad guys and bystanders is important.  Both to avoid a legal situation and a tragic loss of life.  Just because you’re legally allowed to shoot someone doesn’t mean you have to or should.

Close Quarters Combatives:  Just because you have a gun doesn’t mean that’s the only weapon you need.  You may still need to fight with this person hand to hand until you can draw your weapon, point it at them, and shoot them.  Knowing good fighting skills that will stay with you when you are under stress is a must and then training in an environment that will allow you to experience as close to the real thing as you can get is even better.  Continuing the fight once you get tired and out of breath is a must or you could die and you should be ready for a knock down drag out.

These are just a few of the things that you should look for when taking your responsibility of gun ownership seriously.  Since Responsibility is the Powerful Word of the month at my martial arts school at Sidekicks AND we’re hosting Counter Assault Training Systems’ gunfighting seminar on October 9th, I thought this was timely.

If you’re interested in learning more about the gun fighting for self-defense seminar on Saturday October 9th from 9 AM to 4 PM, please visit: http://www.counterassualttraining.com

As though my birthday hasn’t been fun enough for your RSS reader.  Here’s a little more.

This day in history, July 21:

July 21 Events in History - July 21 Birthdays - July 21 Deaths

2008 Radovan Karadzic arrested on war crimes after a 12 year manhunt 1997 New York Yankee Mike Whiton held in Milwaukee on charges of sexual assault 1996 125th British Golf Open: Tom Lehman shoots a 271 at Royal Lytham 1996 Dottie Pepper wins LPGA Friendly’s Golf Classic 1996 Wayne Gretzky signs a 2 year deal with New York Rangers 1995 Brian Lara completes a pair for West Indians vs. Kent 1995 Kansas City Royals set club-record of 22 singles in 15 innings 1993 Angela Kennedy swims world record 50 m butterfly stroke (26.93) 1991 120th British Golf Open: Ian Baker-Finch shoots 272 at Royal Birkdale 1991 Betsy King wins LPGA JAL Big Apple Golf Classic 1991 Sharmell Sullivan (Gary, Indiana), 20, crowned 23rd Miss Black America 1991 Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Rod Carew, Tony Lazzeri, and Bill Veeck are elected into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York 1990 Goodwill Games opens in Seattle, Washington 1990 Pink Floyds’ “Wall” is performed where Berlin Wall once stood 1989 Eastern Airlines submits a reorganization plan to creditors 1989 Greg LeMond wins Tour de France in fastest time 1989 Mike Tyson KOs Carl Williams in 1:33 for heavyweight boxing title 1988 ESA’s Ariane-3 launches 2 communications satellites (1 Indian) 1987 Kristi Addis, of Mississippi, crowned 5th Miss Teen USA 1986 Barbara Palacios Teyde, 22, of Venezuela, crowned 35th Miss Universe 1985 “Leader of the Pack” closes at Ambassador Theater New York City after 120 performances 1985 114th British Golf Open: Sandy Lyle shoots a 282 at Royal St. George 1985 Amina Fakir (Detroit), 23, crowned 18th Miss Black America 1985 Bernard Hinault wins his 5th and last Tour de France 1985 Judy Clark wins LPGA Boston Five Golf Classic 1984 1st documented case of a robot killing a human in U.S. 1984 Marita Koch of E Germany sets world women’s mark for 200m, 21.71s 1984 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear Test 1983 Polish government ends 19 months of martial law 1983 Storm cuts short free Diana Ross concert in New York’s Central Park 1983 U.S. announces Lebanon freed American hostage David Dodge 1982 France performs nuclear Test at Muruora Island 1981 Australia set 130 to win, all out 111 at Headingley Willis 8-43 1980 Jean-Claude Droyer climbs Eiffel Tower in 2 hours 18 minutes 1979 108th British Golf Open: Seve Ballesteros shoots a 283 at Royal Lytham 1979 National Women’s Hall of Fame (Seneca Falls, New York) dedicated 1978 Bolivia military coup under general Juan Pereda, President Hugo Banzer flees 1978 U.S. Postal Service and unions agree on a contract averting mail strike 1978 World’s strongest dog, 80-kg St. Bernard, pulls 2909-kg load 27 m 1977 Libyan-Egyptian border fights 1977 Sri Lanka premier Bandaranaike loses election 1976 “Guys and Dolls” opens at Broadway Theater New York City for 239 performances 1976 1st outbreak of “Legionnaire’s Disease” kills 29 in Philadelphia 1975 Billy Martin fired as Texas Rangers manager 1975 New York Met Felix Milan hits 4 singles; erased by Joe Torres 4 double plays 1974 29th U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship won by Sandra Haynie 1974 Eddy Merckx wins his 5th Tour de France 1974 House Judiciary approves 2 Articles of Impeachment against President Nixon 1973 Braves Hank Aaron hits Ken Brett’s fastball for his 700th home run 1973 France performs nuclear Test at Muruora Atoll un the Pacific 1973 U.S.S.R. launches Mars 4 for fly-by (2600 km) of red planet 1972 2 passenger trains collide head-on killing 76, Seville, Spain 1972 27.5 cm rainfall at Fort Ripley, Minnesota, state record 1972 Bloody Friday: 22 IRA-bombs explode in Belfast 1972 Dodgers release and end career of pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm 1972 In New York, 57 murders occur in 24 hours 1971 U.S. performs nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site 1970 Huge Aswan Dam opens in Egypt 1970 Libya orders confiscation of all Jewish property 1970 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear Test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R. 1970 Clay Kirby has a no-hitter going for 8 inn, but is lifted for a pinch hitter, Reliever Jack Baldschun gives up 3 hits and Padres lose, 3-0 1969 Neil Armstrong steps on Moon at 2:56:15 AM, GMT 1969 Russia’s Luna 15 impacts moon after 52 lunar orbits 1968 50th PGA Championship: Julius Boros shoots a 281 at Pecan Valley, Texas 1968 Carol Mann wins LPGA Buckeye Savings Golf Invitational 1968 Jan Janssen wins Tour de France: 1st Dutchman 1966 Gemini X returns to Earth 1966 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear Test at Semipalitinsk, Eastern Kazakhstan U.S.S.R. 1965 Pakistan, Iran and Turkey sign Regional Co-Operation pact 1964 Arnold Long takes 11 catches in the match for Surrey vs. Sussex 1964 Mildred Simpson runs female world record marathon (3:19:33) 1964 Netherlands last whaling ship Willem Barents Sea sold to Japan 1963 45th PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus shoots a 279 at Dallas AC Dallas 1962 160 civil right activists jailed after demonstration in Albany, Georgia 1962 Battles on Chinese and Indies boundary 1961 Launch of Mercury 4 (Liberty Bell) with Grissom 1960 Country of Katanga forms in Africa 1960 In Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) Sirima Bandaranaike is world’s 1st woman PM 1960 Francis Chichester arrive in New York aboard Gypsy Moth II, setting record of 40 days for a solo Atlantic crossing 1959 1st nuclear powered merchant ship, NS Savannah, christened, Camden, New Jersey 1959 Red Sox are last team to use a black player (Pumpsie Green) 1957 1st black to win a major U.S. tennis tournament, Althea Gibson 1957 39th PGA Championship: Lionel Hebert at Miami Valley Golf Club Dayton Ohio 1957 Marilynn Smith/Fay Crocker wins Hot Springs 4-Ball Golf Tournament 1956 Cincinnati Red pitcher Brooks Lawrence loses after 13 straight wins 1956 U.S. performs atmospheric nuclear Test at Enwetak 1955 1st sub powered by liquid metal cooled reactor launched-Seawolf 1954 At Geneva, France agrees to independence of North and South Vietnam 1952 7.8 earthquake shakes Kern County California, 14 killed 1952 Premier Ghavam es-Sultaneh of Persia, resigns 1951 Dalai Lama returns to Tibet 1949 Senate ratifies North Atlantic Treaty by a vote of 82-13 (NATO) 1948 WSPD TV channel 13 in Toledo, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting 1947 Indonesia begins 1st political election 1946 Jesus T. Pinerol becomes 1st native born Puerto Rican governor 1945 Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia A’s play 24 inning 1-1 tie 1944 British premier Winston Churchill flies to France, meets Montgomery 1944 General Koiso becomes premier of Japan 1944 U.S. forces land on Guam to get rid of Japanese invaders 1944 Von Kluge warns Hitler of impending collapse of front in Normandy 1942 8 die as coal waste heap slides in river valley near Oakwood, Virginia 1941 200 Jewish Torahs are burned in Ukraine 1941 Himmler orders building of Majdanek concentration camp 1940 Soviet Union annexes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania 1940 VARA-management accepts Rost of Tonningens demands 1938 Paul Hindemith and Leonide Massines ballet premieres in London 1934 113 degrees F (45 degrees C), near Gallipolis, Ohio (state record) 1933 Haifa Harbor in Palestine opens 1931 Reno race track, becomes 1st in U.S. to use daily double wagering 1930 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) at Millsboro, Delaware (state record) 1930 U.S. Veterans Administration forms 1928 1st woman to win an olympic gold medal – Halina Knonpacka of Poland 1925 Monkey Trial ends-John Scopes found guilty of teaching Darwinism 1923 Phillies score 12 in 6th and beat Cubs 17-4 1921 Indians (9) and Yankees (7) hit a record 16 doubles 1919 Anthony Fokker’s establishes airplane factory at Hamburg and Amsterdam 1919 Dirigible crashes through bank skylight killing 13 (Chicago, Ill) 1904 After 13 years, the 4,607-mile Trans-Siberian railway is completed 1904 Camille Jenatzy sets world auto speed record at 65.79 MPH 1900 Pope Leo XIII encyclical to Greek-Melkite rite 1898 Spain cedes Guam to U.S. 1897 Tate Gallery opens in England 1896 National Federation of Afro-American Women and Colored Women’s 1884 1st Test Cricket match played at Lord’s 1880 Compressed air accident kills 20 workers on Hudson River tunnel, New York 1877 U.S. Army breaks railroad strike 1873 Jesse James and James Younger gang’s 1st train robbery (Adair Iowa) 1867 City Gardens on Folsom opens 1866 Cholera-epidemic kills hundreds in London 1861 1st major battle of Civil War ends (Bull Run), Va-South wins 1846 Mormons found 1st English settlement in California (San Joaquin Valley) 1836 1st Canadian RR opens, between Laprairie and St. John, Quebec 1831 Belgium gains independence from Netherlands, Leopold I made king 1825 Java princess Dipo Negoro/Mangkubumi declare war on all non-islamics 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte wins Battle of Pyramids in Egypt 1774 Peace of Kutsjuk Kainardji (end Russian-Turkish War) 1773 Pope Clemens XIV bans Jesuits 1749 Pieter Steyn becomes pension advisor of Holland 1730 States of Holland put death penalty on “sodomy” 1669 John Lockes Constitution of English colony Carolina approved 1595 Alvara Mendana discovers Marquesas Island 1588 English fleet defeats Spanish armada 1579 Mechelen surrenders to duke of Parma 1568 Battle at Jemmingen: Alva’s troops beat Dutch rebellion 1542 Pope Paul III begins inquisition against Protestants (Sactum Officium) 1320 Count Louis of Nevers marries 8-year old daughter of Philips V 976 Emperor Otto II gives earl Leopold I, East Bavaria 905 Holy Roman Catholic emperor Louis III captured 866 John appointed bishop of the kingdom 365 Alexandria hit by Earthquake; about 50,000 die 230 St. Pontianus begins his reign as Catholic Pope