Today is August 18 again. It seems only yesterday it was August 17.

A lot of things happened on August 18. Not necessarily today, but in years past. Historic things happened. People were born. People... you know... died.

Were YOU born on August 18? If so, happy birthday! And I mean that. I certainly hope you don't DIE on August 18, at least not today. If you do, please have someone comment about it and I will write a nice piece about you in this spot.

THINGS THAT HAPPENED ON AUGUST 18:

1. The Thousand Islands Bridge was dedicated on August 18 in 1904 by Teddy Roosevelt. Ok, that's a lie. It was dedicated on August 18, 1938 by FRANKLIN Roosevelt. Of course, the Thousand Island Bridge isn't really a bridge at all (it's a salad dressing. Kidding again) it's a series of 5 bridges. It goes from New York across the St. Lawrence into Ontario and then back down to North Carolina. Or at least NY to ONT. Oh! but that area is simply gorgeous. There's also a castle on one of the thousand islands. I forget which one. Our very own Sheila did a post about it one time though, and you should go back and read it. Anyway, here's a bridge picture. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't click on it to make it slendiferously bigger:

2. On August 18, 1920 the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote in the U.S. So that was a cool August 18 thing.

PEOPLE WHO DIED ON AUGUST 18:

1. Persus Khambatta, in 1998. That sucked. Persus was a Miss India at age 17 and went on to compete in Miss Universe, but to me she will always be the exotic Deltan Lieutenant Ilia in the original Star Trek movie. Here's pictures of her:

2. Honore de Balzac, in 1850. Famous black coffee drinker and marathon writer. A favorite of mine and the more I read of him, the favoriter her gets. I could quote you some of the things he said but the whole world already knows what he said. Ask Soubriquet to tell you about the coffee. Here's Honore's picture, looking all cool and fat:

PEOPLE WHO WERE BORN ON AUGUST 18:

1. Virginia Dare, 1587. Virginia was the first English child born in the Americas.

2. Franz Josef I, Emperor of the Austrian Empire, pictured at top of this post. August 18, 1830 was when this precious one entered the world. You may recall that the Great War, WWI, began when his nephew-successor Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914 by Serb nationalists in Sarajevo. The war dragged out until the U.S. entered in 1917 and won it quickly. Then again, you may NOT recall. It's ok.

3. Robert Redford, Born August 18, 1936. It's really hard to describe all that he has done over the years. He is one of my favorite actors of all time. Even the real Sundance Kid once told me (in an afterlife postcard) that Redford was a better Sundance than he was himself. It's hard for me to believe that Robert Redford is 75 today. Damn.

4. Roman Polanski, child rapist, beloved of the liberal left, he who is too cool to be subject to justice like a regular non-artistic common man and should just be left alone because the rapee wants it so now and, God, he has suffered enough, born 1933. He is also one of the absolute best, most talented movie directors who ever lived. Incidently, Vincent Bugliosi was also born on August 18 of the very next year. How eerie is that? oooooEEEEEooooo. (Bugliosi was the LA district attorney who prosecuted Charles Manson and family for the murder of Roman Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate.)

5. Roselyn Carter, former U.S. First Lady and sweet southern Belle. Unfortunately, some say her husband was the worst President in the history of the United States. Of course, that wasn't HER fault, even if it were true. How quickly people forget Lyndon Shithead Johnson and his Great Society debacle and something else. Oh, I remember: Vietnam. So Jimmy wasn't the worst, but bad enough to get Ronald Reagan elected because he shone in comparison. Me? I vote James Buchanan as worst, simply because he could have prevented the Civil War and just sat on his ass instead. But none of those things have anything to do with August 18. Here is a picture of Roselyn and her guy: