2020 Summary -- December 31, 2020

 

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2020 was a tough year. 

After our so-called president was impeached at the end of 2019, the Republican controlled Senate staged a farcical trial in January and February and acquitted him.  Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote for conviction. 

In January, we saw that the new year in the lunar calendar was the Year of the Rat. 

We were sad to learn that Mercy High School in San Francisco was going to close at the end of the school year. My mother-in-law, my wife and our daughter all went there and got an excellent education.

We celebrated the 175th anniversary of the publishing of Edgar Allan Poe's. "The Raven." We noted the 150th anniversary of the Marias Massacre. We marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of Prohibition and the founding of the ACLU. 

Pitcher Don Larsen died. 

BRExit happened and the UK left the EU.  Bad idea. 

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In February, we began to hear more about the Novel Coronavirus and COVID-19, now called the TrumpVirus.  I did a post about the related jerry collonavirus. Our so-called president insisted that the coronavirus was a hoax by the Democratic Party or nothing worse than the flu or something created in a Chinese laboratory. At the end of the month, the Archdiocese of San Francisco said wine would no longer be distributed at communion.  

We noted the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro National League. We celebrated the 75th anniversary of the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. 

We noted Babe Ruth's 125th birthday and Bob Marley's 75th on the same day. 

In March, It became clear that COVID-19 was a pandemic. Our so-called president denied that there was a problem. I knew things were serious when Catholic churches stopped having in-person masses, baseball delayed the start of its season, the NBA and NHL suspended their seasons, the NCAA cancelled March Madness, and the IOC delayed the Tokyo Olympics until next year. Other things delayed or cancelled included the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the San Francisco History Expo, Disneyland and various film festivals. Museums, movie theaters, restaurants and bars closed. 

My wife and daughter, both teachers, were ordered to switch to distance learning using the Zoom application. I was impressed how quickly they both made the transition. 

The California primary was in March this year, so our votes counted. 

I noted the 100th anniversary of the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald's first novel. 

I wrote about the 150th birthday of General George Thomas. 

Pianist McCoy Tyner died, as did trickster Mal Sharpe. 

In April we were going to start celebrating the 150th birthday of Golden Gate Park. They set up a Ferris Wheel in the Music Concourse. It did not operate until December. 

It felt strange going through Holy Week and Easter Time without going to church.  We watched masses online.  It is not the same thing. I posted a 1920 article about San Francisco's anti-mask league. 

British Army photo

On his 100th birthday, 30-April-2020, Britain and much of the world celebrated Captain Tom Moore, a veteran of World War Two. While still recovering from injuries suffered in a fall, he decided that he would walk 100 laps in his garden. He hoped to finish the walk by his birthday and raise £1,000 for the NHS. He kept going and made 200 laps and raised £32,795,065. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. 

I posted an article about the 150th anniversary of what may have been the first game played by the Chicago Cubs' franchise. 

I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I also wrote about the 75th anniversary of Pete Gray's major league debut. I wrote about the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. 

I wrote about the 100th birthday of Ken Nordine, the Word Jazz guy. 

I noted the 75th anniversary of the death of FDR. I noted the 75th anniversary of the well-deserved death of Benito Mussolini. I noted the 75th anniversary of the suicide of Hitler. 

Many people died.  Too many died from the TrumpVirus, including Ellis Marsalis, Jr, Wallace Roney Bucky Pizzarelli, John Prine, Al Kaline, Lee Konitz and Adam Schlesinger. Bill Withers died of heart trouble. Stirling Moss, Mort Drucker and Phyllis Lyon died of something other than TrumpVirus. 

In May, we saw a video of a Minneapolis policeman kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, an African-American who was supposed to resemble the description of a man who passed a counterfeit twenty dollar bill. Floyd died lying face-down in the street, after trying to tell the policeman that he couldn't breathe. Other people tried to get the policeman to lift his knee. Protests were peaceful, but after dark, anarchists, right-wing agents provocateurs and thieves rioted and looted in several cities. San Francisco declared a curfew from 8pm to 5am. The policeman who knelt on Floyd's neck was arrested after a few days.

In May, the TrumpVirus forced many changes. The Indianapolis 500 got rescheduled. Restaurants and florists lost a lot of business when they had to remain closed for Mothers' Day. US deaths hit 100,000. 

California started on phase two of reopening businesses. Some states opened up right away and had a sharp spike in infections. 

I wrote about the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony and the world heavyweight championship fight between Jem Mace and Thomas Allen.

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the death of José Martí. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of Mexican president Venustiano Carranza. 

I wrote about the 75th anniversary of V-E Day.  

I noted the 50th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre. I also mentioned the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' album Let it Be.  

I wrote about the 100th birthday of Peggy Lee and the 75th birthday of John Fogerty. 

Richie Cole and Matt Keough died, as did Jorge Santana, Jimmy Cobb, Larry Kramer, Little Richard, Betty Wright and Jerry Stiller. 

In June, protestors pulled down several statues honoring Confederate traitors. 

In June, we began seeing reports that Russia was paying a bounty to Taliban members for each coalition soldier killed in Afghanistan. Our so-called president has ignored intelligence reports about this.

SpaceX made the first launch of humans into space from the United States since the last Space Shuttle launch in 2011.

The Market Street Railway's San Francisco Railway Museum, closed because of shelter in place, got vandalized. 

I started a new series of Coca-Cola ads. 

I wrote about the 150th anniversary of Charles Dickens' death. I noted the 150th anniversary of the first loss of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the Paris-Bordeaux-Lyon auto race. I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the signing of the UN charter. 

I wrote about Jack Dempsey's 125th birthday. I wrote about the 100th birthday of Hazel Scott and Shelly Manne, who were born on the same day. I also wrote about the 100th birthday of Amos Tutuola. I wrote about Carly Simon's 75th birthday. 

Bonnie Pointer died, as did Art Curtiss, David Perlman, Vera Lynn and Mike McCormick. 

America's National Game, Albert Goodwill Spalding, 1911

In July, the major leagues began playing a 60-game season with everyone using the designated hitter. Almost immediately, members of the Florida Marlins tested positive for COVID-19.  

Our so-called president sent federal agents with no identification to snatch people off of the streets of Portland, Oregon. Many of the children locked in cages by ICE are getting sick and some are dying. 

We went to mass at Good Shepherd for the first time since March and met our new pastor, Father Suan. 

I started a new series about the paintings of Albert Bierstadt. I started a new series of items from The Annals of San Francisco.

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the start of the Franco-Prussian War. I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the Trinity Test. 

I noted the 125th birthday of Buckminster Fuller and the 100th birthday of Paul Gonsalves. I noted David Sanborn and Debbie Harry's 75th birthdays. 

Representative John Lewis died. Dr CT Vivian also died, and I did not write about him. Singers Freddy Cole and Annie Ross died. 

Cincinnati Enquirer, 15-August-1945

In August, dry lightning started wildfires all over California.  

My wife and daughter had to start the new school year with remote learning. 

Catcher Joey Bart made his debut with the Giants. 

Good Shepherd Church in Pacifica began holding mass at 11am in the lower parking lot. We attended sitting in our car. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the death of Ray Chapman, the only Major Leaguer to be killed by a pitched ball.  The next day was the 100th anniversary of the final ratification of the 19th Amendment. Detroit radio station WWJ celebrated its 100th birthday.

We noted the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the surrender of Japan. I wrote about the 75th anniversary of the demise of the Yosemite Valley Railroad. 

I mentioned the 50th anniversary of the attack on the Marin County Courthouse. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the death of bad guy John Wesley Hardin. 

I mentioned the 125th birthday of Bert Lahr.  I wrote about Charlie Parker and Ray Bradbury's 100th birthdays. 

I wrote about the 75th birthday of Van Morrison. 

September was exciting. On September 15, the sky was dark red all day, because of the many wildfires. 

Donald Trump's tax returns were published, showing he paid little if any income tax.

The Giants missed two games because of a false positive result on a COVID-19 test. Later, a series had to be moved from Seattle to San Francisco because the smoke had moved north. The Giants were in contention until the last game of the weird 60-game season, but did not make the grotesquely expanded playoffs. 

I wrote about the 175th anniversary of the boxing match between Bendigo and Ben Caunt. I noted the 150th anniversary of the conquest of Rome, the last step towards Italian unification. I noted the 100th anniversary of the Wall Street bombing and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the NFL. I noted the 75th anniversary of Japan's formal surrender during World War Two. 

I noted the 125th anniversary of George Kelly and Juan de la Cierva's birth, the 100th anniversaries of Dick Bong and William Conrad's birth and the 75th anniversary of Jessye Norman's birth. I wrote about Roger Angell's 100th birthday. 

I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the death of Jimi Hendrix. 

A bad month for baseball history. Tom Seaver and Lou Brock died. 

Toots Hibbert died, as did Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stanley Crouch. 

Brooklyn Eagle, 11-October-1920

October was an odd month as the election lurched towards its conclusion. Texas Trump supporters in trucks with flags and banners tried run a Biden/Harris campaign bus off the freeway. California Trump supporters drove their trucks through Marin City in an effort to intimidate the people of color who live there. The Texas Trump Train was incited by the elder son, and our so-called president approved and retweeted a video. 

Covid-19 infections and deaths slowed down in California, but raged in several midwestern states. Restaurants in San Mateo and San Francisco counties opened for indoor dining. 

The Dodgers won the World Series after a bizarre season. I wrote about Bill Wambsgnass making the only unassisted triple play in a 1920 World Series game, as the Cleveland Indians beat the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the train which crashed through the wall of the Gare Montparnasse in Paris. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of light heavyweight championship fight between Georges Carpentier and Battling Levinsky. I also wrote about the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Black Sox being indicted. 

I noted several 75th birthdays, including Donny Hathaway. Don McLean and Huell Howser

Hall of Famers Joe Morgan, Bob Gibson and Whitey Ford died. James Randi died. 

I wrote about the 50th anniversaries of the deaths of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. 

I noted the 100th anniversary of the death of journalist John Reed. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the death of baseball pioneer Harry Wright. 

moveon.org

Days of counting proved that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had won the presidential election, receiving the most popular votes in history. At the end of November, our so-called president was still insisting that the election was rigged and that lawsuits could overturn the result. 

COVID-19 infections were spiking all over the country. San Mateo County went from red to purple. We attended mass at Good Shepherd in our car, first listening to a low power FM broadcast and then a live stream on YouTube. Three vaccines were close to approval. 

Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy, died. Later in the month, coincidentally, I passed the third stage of the audition to be on Jeopardy. 

I wrote about the 125th anniversary of the first automobile race in the United States. I noted the 100th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, part of the Irish War for Independence.  I also wrote about the 100th anniversary of the hanging of Kevin Barry. I noted the 100th anniversary of the first formal broadcast by KDKA in Pittsburgh. 

I noted Stan Musial's 100th birthday. 

In December, our so-called president continued to claim that he won the election. There was a huge COVID-19 spike after people ignored recommendations and gathered together for Thanksgiving. Intensive Care beds in Southern California were at zero percent free. 

On Christmas Day, terrorists set a suicide car bomb in downtown Nashville. Many immediately attributed the attack the our so-called president's stochastic terrorism. 

The Cleveland Indians announced that they will change their name. The Commissioner announced that the Negro Leagues will be treated as major leagues. 

I posted an article about lynching in1920. I hope it will be the beginning of a series. 

I wrote about the 100th anniversary of the burning of Cork.

I wrote about the 50th anniversary of the death of Rube Goldberg. 

I wrote about the 100th birthdays of Dave Brubeck and Clark Terry. I wrote about the 75th birthday of Bette Midler. 

Chuck Yeager died. Wrestler Pat Patterson died, as did Phil Niekro and John le Carré. 

The Cliff House closed on the last day of the year. The operators could not make a new contract with the USPS. We drove by after dinner and saw that the sign on the roof had already been removed. 

usgs.gov

And to top off a tough year, we had an earthquake this morning. It may have awakened me, but it was pretty small. 

Beautiful Yvonne De Carlo acted, sang and danced in many Hollywood movies. I first saw her on The Munsters.