1631 Pierre Gassendi observes transit of Mercury predicted by Kepler
 
 

Now we know that the elephant is the mascot of the Crimson Tide, the football team of the University of Alabama; a symbolism that has never been satisfactorily explained (too many versions). But how was it that an animal who uses its nose to feed and wash itself and can form a circle with others of its kind by attaching trunks to tails, became a symbol of the Grand Old Party (G.O.P.), a political party of the United States?

Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly, created a satirical drawing of an elephant about to fall into a giant hole. The elephant represented the Republican party and was used in reference to Ulysses S. Grant’s possible bid for a third term. Grant was a Republican. The symbol stuck and has been used ever since to represent the G.O.P. both in political cartoons and by the party itself.

Roll G.O.P.? Somehow, roll Tide has a better ring...
1874 1st cartoon depicting elephant as Republican Party symbol, by T Nast , 

1876 - The outcome of the election of 1876 was not known until the week before the inauguration itself. Democrat Samuel Tilden had won the greater number of popular votes and lacked only one electoral vote to claim a majority in the electoral college. Twenty disputed electoral votes, however, kept hopes alive for Republican Governor Rutherford B. (Birchard) Hayes of Ohio. When all was said and done, the Electoral college selected Hayes as the 19th President of the United States.

Percy Brandt (78), Filmschaffende/R, geboren 1922
Al Hirt (78), Filmschaffende/R, geboren 1922
 1922 - Al Hirt
musician: trumpet: Java, Sugar Lips, Flight of the Bumble Bee as theme song for TV’s The Green Hornet; played in singer Don Gibson’s band; a regular on: Make Your Own Kind of Music, Fanfare; died Apr 27, 1999, geboren