Way back when: Today in history
BY GENE CURTIS
Saturday, November 10, 2012
11/10/12 at 2:32 AM
1928 - Hirohito enthroned
Two years after the death of his father, Emperor Yoshihito, crown prince Michinomiya Hirohito was enthroned as emperor of Japan and in a ceremonial ritual of the ages asked the protection of the spirits of his ancestors and the support of millions of subjects to discharge his duties. Hirohito, who had ruled since his father's death, became the 124th Japanese monarch in an imperial line dating back to 660 B.C., before the dawn of written history. Hirohito's era was one of the most turbulent in the nation's history, including Japan's defeat by World War II Allied forces in 1945.
1938 - God Bless America
Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on her "Kate Smith Hour" network radio program and it became an instant hit. The song was written by Berlin for an Army camp show during World War I, but the show producers rejected it. Berlin retrieved it in 1938, made a few changes and it became Smith's signature song. "God bless America, land that I love..." were the words Americans needed to hear when America was in the midst of the Great Depression and war clouds were building in Europe.
1983 - Government penniless
The federal government was technically penniless because the Senate failed to meet a deadline for approving a stopgap spending bill that would keep money flowing to the government. But there was no disruption in government operations because of the Veterans Day holiday for federal workers followed by the weekend. House and Senate negotiators worked through the holiday to draft a compromise version of stopgap money bills and adopted the plan on a voice vote. A delay in enacting a new bill could have created problems for affected agencies. Under a Justice Department ruling, all federal agencies must cease all functions except those directly related to health, safety and national defense when their appropriations lapse.
1990 - Gold coins recovered
A large stash of gold coins minted between the 12th and 16th centuries were turned over to a Cairo museum after police recovered them and arrested seven suspects in their theft. The value of the 3,611 coins from Europe, Egypt and Tunisia was estimated at up to $300 million with the gold alone valued at about $170,000. "We're not going to melt the coins down for their gold," Siham el-Mahdy, a curator at Cairo's Islamic museum, said.
Associated Images:
"God Bless America" became the signature song of radio star Kate Smith. Associated Press file
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