Daily Archives: July 17, 2022

Verdes (she/they) is a queer, nonbinary dyke. She is the board president of Lambda Archives of San Diego and lives in Normal Heights.

The significance of knowing our history as queer people is that the past helps us to make sense of the present and who we are as a community. We should expect, and welcome, that people with different lived experiences dont always see the past the same way. We all use history to make meaning of our sense of identity and the role that our lives and actions play in our collective history. Its important to recognize the difference between memory and history. Memory is something that we own. History is something to be interpreted (and reinterpreted) as time goes on.

Many recognize the Stonewall Uprising, for example, as the start of our modern LGBTQ+ movement. The Stonewall Uprising occurred in response to state-sanctioned violence where the queer community fought back against police raids at the Stonewall Inn in New York City over five days in June 1969. Although it was clearly a significant historical event, there are many other well-documented events where similar raids and subsequent riots took place, thereby quashing the narrative that Stonewall was the genesis of the modern LGBTQ+ movement. Chief among these other incidents are the Pepper Hill Club Raid, Baltimore, 1955; the Coopers Do-Nuts Raid, Los Angeles, 1959; the Black Nite Brawl, Milwaukee, 1961; the Comptons Cafeteria Raid, San Francisco, 1966; and the Black Cat Raid, Los Angeles, 1967.

In June 1970, gay rights activists marked the first anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising with a march on Central Park the first LGBT Pride parade. Similar events began to develop and continue throughout the world to this day. In San Diego, our first permitted Pride did not occur until 1975, but the local gay rights movement had experienced a boost in momentum in the years leading up to what would eventually become our annual Pride parade and festival. Locally, the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was started by Jess Jessop, widely known as one of the key figures in the fight for our modern LGBTQ+ movement. Jessop, who was a student at San Diego State University at the time, started the San Diego GLF to explicitly serve gay students.

The GLFs focus expanded and, in 1973, it formed the Gay Information Center hotline, which would eventually become the San Diego LGBTQ Community Center. The following year, the center held a Stonewall Anniversary yard sale and potluck in an effort to fundraise for the fledgling LGBTQ center. This event is the backdrop of one of the most contentious aspects of our local history surrounding Pride, with some arguing that there was a spontaneous march in 1974 that many recognize as the first Pride in San Diego while others insist that the first Pride technically occurred (with the proper permits) in 1975.

Before Pride became its own nonprofit and had a board of directors, ad hoc committees would meet to plan Pride parades and rallies and eventually added a festival. Thanks to the efforts of Christine Kehoe, Neil Good and other community members, San Diego Pride hired its first ever executive director, which then led to Pride becoming its own nonprofit in 1994. Like any other worthwhile effort, it took community muscle and organizing for the organization and our movement to become what it is today.

The heated disagreement that often happens with regard to our local history is significant because it demonstrates how important it is for all of us to solidify our place within the narrative that becomes our shared history. The point is not to discredit the advances made during the Stonewall Uprising or to discredit those who claim to have marched in the first San Diego Pride March in 1974. The point is to recognize and celebrate that our queer movement, both locally, nationally and globally is, and has always been, made up of the efforts of many.

We are all a part of the fabric that makes up our collective history. This includes every memory weaved together every year during Pride. It includes the way that leather daddies, dykes on bikes and the pansexual community march alongside each other during the parade. It includes the way that our elders and transgender youth coexist at the festival. Pride is made up of all of our efforts, big and small, and although our history is shared, our individual memories at each and every Pride are ours to keep and carry with us.

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Opinion: Knowing the history of San Diego Pride helps us make sense of who we are as a community - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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The NY Giants have seen several players with immense talent come and go over the years. Linebacker is no exception, as this position has arguably seen the most talent during the Giants history.

In the greater aspect of the NFL, likely no other teams historic linebackers compare to that of Big Blue. Especially towards the top of the list.In order to, in our opinion, accurately put into order the top 10 linebackers of all time, there will be multiple different factors that come into consideration.

Something to keep in mind is that the NFL did not officially start tracking tackles until 1994, and sacks until 1982. With this some players have their tackles listed by official sites online, and others dont. However, that doesnt take anything away from the guys on our list. Here are the 10 best linebackers in NY Giants history:

While Brian Kelley, who posted eight sacks and 15 interceptions in 143 games, may be the most forgotten of the famous crunch bunch, he was still a nightmare on the field during his time. Despite not having any tackles recorded on official sites, older NY Giants fans will tell you just how great Kelley was.

After being selected in the 14th round of the 1973 NFL Draft, Kelley would not see the field that much in his first fall, only starting in six games. However, things would only go up hill for the 22 year old. After his sophomore season in the NFL, Kelley would start in every game he played in for the remainder of his career.

Kelley was a part of the legendary crunch bunch linebacker core. This featured some of the other players on this list whom of which we will not spoil.Despite never making a Pro Bowl or winning a Super Bowl, Kelley was a very special talent.

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Ranking the Top 10 linebackers in NY Giants history - GMEN HQ

BLOOMINGTON Most visitors to the McLean County Museum of Historyare there either to experience the architecture of the former courthouse or explore the local history documented within, including the area's ties to Abraham Lincoln.

But once they reach the main floor and begin to look up, another key historic space is visible but not accessible to the general public. The clocktower dome towers above the downtown Bloomington skyline;inside the museum, the rotunda rises over 100 feet in the center of the building and is finished at the top with a painting said to represent peace and prosperity.

The clocktower dome above the McLean County Museum of History formerly the county's courthouse also appears as part of the county symbol.

Museum officials last week agreed to give a tour of the dome interior to Pantagraph journalists as part of a new series, "Off Limits," that seeks to offer a glimpse into places that are typically restricted.

That's not to say that you couldn't get a peek inside the dome yourself. Museum staff offer tours as an incentive for small groups or individuals who have either won a prize in a raffle or raised money for another nonprofit.

Jeff Woodard, director of marketing and community relations, said he'll bring prospective staff members up during the interview process.

A view from inside the dome of the McLean County Museum of History.

Maybe 10 or 20 years from now, when they might even have their own kids, people will look from a distance and see this dome and theyll never look at this building the same again," he said.

Keeping county time

The museum inhabits the former McLean County Courthouse, which was built between 1900 and 1903 after the Great Fire of June 1900. In the 1960s, it was determined that the courthouse was not large enough to support all the courtrooms, government offices and employees based there.

Instead of razing and replacing the building with something newer, the courthouse was preserved, and the Mclean County Historical Society entered an agreement with the county to be a tenant of the building in 1991.

Jeff Woodard, director of marketing and community relations, speaks about the history of the dome that sits atop the McLean County Museum of History. Behind him, the signatures of former staff members and other visitors can be seen on the walls.

Inside the dome itself, names from past workers, local officials and residents line the brick walls holding up the four individual sides of the clocktower. The original "brain" of the clock sits off to the side, while the new digital system moves the hands each minute, Woodard said.

A bell and a clock were both key parts of historical McLean County courthouse buildings. The county's third courthouse the immediate predecessor to the building that now houses the history museum was built in 1868 and in service by 1871, when a bell was added to summon parties to court sessions. A clock was installed in the tower in 1878, and it was decided that the bell would toll every hour and half-hour.

In those days, the county's clock provided an important standard for its residents.

A view of the McLean County Museum of History, looking down from above.

Greg Koos, executive director emeritus at the museum, said the whole notion of having public time can be foreign concept to most, but at the time, county leaders were proud of their ability to provide a precise time to all.

For example, the board of supervisors of McLean County would set their watches to the courthouse clock, and they would bring that back to Saybrook or Arrowsmith or wherever they were from as an official county time, Koos said.

Jeff Woodard, director of marketing and community relations, walks around a narrow way to get to the interior of the dome of the McLean County Museum of History.

Preserving that piece is important to us and I think for the community as part of the overall architecture of the building; then theres a sonic component which is the bell, Koos said. The unique voice of that bell has been part of the sonic environment of downtown Bloomington since 1868.

Records said the original clock in the current history museum building was a Johnson Pneumatic Time System that would release a gallon of water every 60 seconds, creating air pressure that moved the clock hands forward.

In August 1959, lightning struck the dome, stopping the clocks at 3:39 a.m. Starting in the 1970s, the clocks didn't work reliably, and by the 1990s they didn't work at all. New driver motors were installed in 2000.

In the mid-2000s, the museum undertook extensive restoration efforts that saw the dome clad in new copper. In 2005, close to 400 residents gathered in the old courthouse to hear the bell ring for the first time in 50 years, according to museum records.

The rotunda rises over 100 feet in the center of the building and is finished at the top with an allegorical painting representing peace and prosperity.

Today, the bell no longer rings on the hour and half-hour, but can be rung on special occasions.

Koos said he worked in the history museum for 30 years, but never ran out of aspects to marvel at.

Every day there was a new way of looking at what was there, Koos said. I recall walking to work and coming on a foggy day and seeing this beautiful stone building gently unfolding itself in a deep fog. Theres just so many different ways to experience it, and it was an ever-changing opportunity to see something new.

Gathering place

In many ways, the former courthouse still remains at the heart of the county. The silhouette of the dome appears on the official McLean County symbol. A variety of community groups host events inside the building, and demonstrations of all kinds frequently take place in the plaza outside.

This door leads to a closer view of the dome at the McLean County Museum of History.

Museum Executive Director Julie Emig said one of her main goals was to get word out that the museum is not just a place to access stories and history, but a space for the community to use for events, meetings and dialogue.

Whatever the issue, whatever the topic, people come here to gather and we just ask that they give us a heads up, Emig said. I always keep the county (government) in the loop about anything thats happening because they own the building and as long as people are gathered peacefully and all of that, we love hosting for whoever needs a space.

During the month of June, the museum hung Pride flags donated by a community member off the railing of the rotunda. Currently, the Bloomington Public Library is hosting most of its programs there as the library is under construction, Emig said.

As for tours of the clocktower dome, Emig said it is something they offer as an incentive for small groups or individuals who have either won a prize in a raffle or have raised money for another nonprofit but only if the groups or individuals are physically abled to do so.

Jeff Woodard, director of marketing and community relations, speaks about the history of the McLean County Museum of History.

Another goal is to continue to partner with all religious organizations in the community and really amplify holidays that significant to them and use the dome as a centerpiece for rotating displays while providing background information, Emig said. Were really committed to revamping our entrance so its much more of a welcoming place, turning it into a plaza, making the entrance more of a centerpiece and creating more space for people to gather. All of that should really ratchet up what it is we want to communicate about what's underneath the dome.

For Woodard, the memory of first coming to the museum as a volunteer in 2000 is crystallized.

He walked in the front entrance, which was on the east side of the building on Main Street at the time, walked up the stairs to first floor and looked up.

I was just shocked because Im just a big fan of architecture and was hooked on it, but to come up here and actually see this space from the inside and see the mechanical working and all the craftsmanship that goes into it. Thats what it means to me, Woodard said.

And then have the ability to just continue to do that for people, offer that authentic experience and totally engage the public," he said. "This is the center of the county and you cant get any more central than this.

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Off Limits: Explore the dome at the McLean County Museum of History - The Pantagraph

Through far-reaching military conquests and benevolent rule, Cyrus the Great transformed a small group of semi-nomadic tribes into the mighty Persian Empire, the ancient world's first superpower,in less than 15 years.

Cyrus the Great (second from left), on a horse-drawn chariot, as he is driven into the city of Ecbatana

Photo by Science Source/Photo Researchers History/Getty Images

Born around 600 B.C., the founder of the First Persian Empire(also known as the Achaemenid Empire)belonged to the semi-nomadic Pasargadae tribe, which raised sheep, goats and cattle in the southwest of present-day Iran. Little is definitively known about the youth or lineage of Cyrus the Great (also known as Cyrus II) except that he was part of the Achaemenid royal family through either birth or marriage.

Five years after ascending to the throne in 558 B.C. as a vassal king of the Median Empire (which controlled most of present-day Iran), Cyrus united the chiefs of other Persian tribes and led a rebellion against the Median king Astyages. With the aid of the a defecting Median general, Cyrus defeatedAstyages'forces at the Battle of Pasargadae and seized the capital of Ecbatana in 550 B.C.

The once-subjugated Persians had become the conquerors. Rather than seeking vengeance, however, as ruler Cyrus demonstratedclemency and restraint. He bestowed a princely retirement upon Astyages, kept Ecbatana intact as his summer capital and gave Median nobles high positions in his court and army. But his mercy had its limits: He hadAstyages'son-in-law and grandchildren killed because he saw them as threats to his power.

The ascendancy of Cyrus troubled Croesus, the king of Lydia, which occupied the western half of present-day Turkey. As he contemplated an attack on the rising power of now-neighboring Persia, Croesus dispatched a messenger to consult the Greek Oracle at Delphi. If Croesus goes to war, he will destroy a great empire, the medium to the gods was said to have reported.

Buoyed by the divine message, Croesus led a huge army across the Halys River and attacked the Persians in 547 B.C. After an indecisive battle, Cyrus surprised the retreating Lydian forces by following them through the wintertime cold toward the capital of Sardis.

With his Persian forces outnumbered in the decisive Battle of Thymbra, Harpagus, thedefecting Median general,mounted cavalrymen on the armys baggage camels and placed them at the front of the battle line. The stench of the camels so repelled the charging Lydian horses that they bolted from the battlefield.Retreating inside the walls of Sardis, the Lydians eventually surrendered after a Persian siege.

The oracles words to Croesus had proven true. An empire had been destroyedbut it was his.

As with the Medes, Cyrus adopted a conciliatory approach to the Lydians. He kept the treasury at Sardis and brought Croesus into his court. He permitted local cultures, religions and laws to be maintained, which helped him gain the loyalty of his new subjects. Cyrus was able to quickly assimilate or take over the existing administrative structures of the places he conquered, often leaving local elites in place, says John W. I. Lee, a professor of history at University of California, Santa Barbara.

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The Persian kings leniency was hardly absolute, however. When the aristocrats in charge of the Lydian treasury revolted, Cyrus had the rebels executed and their followers enslaved. The general Harpagus followed the conquest of Lydia by brutally laying siege to Greek settlements in Ionia, forcing many to migrate to Italy and abandon entire cities.

There is a lot of myth-making, both ancient and modern, about Cyrus as a benevolent ruler, Lee says. While Cyrus was certainly tolerant of local customs and religions and although he worked with local elites, contemporary documents such as cuneiform tablets show that the Persian Empire, like all empires, was focused on extracting wealth and labor powerincluding through slaveryfrom the people it conquered.

The siege of Babylon by Cyrus the Great

Print by Gilbert. Photo by Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images

As the Persian Empire grew, its military strengthened. Cyrus developed an elite corps of mounted warriors who were skilled at shooting arrows on horseback and deployed war chariots with blades attached to the wheels. His troops seem to have been highly motivated and well trained, and Cyrus himself appears to have been an inspirational leader, Lee says. He seems to have been able to move his armies more rapidly than enemies anticipated, even during winter.

After his army vanquished territories east of Persia, Cyrus set his sights on conquering the last remaining major power in the west of Asiathe Neo-Babylonian Empire.

In 539 B.C., Persian forces invaded the wealthy, fertile empire and routed the Babylonian army to seize the strategic cityof Opison the Tigris River. A week later, the Persian army reached the walls of Babylon, the ancient worlds largest city, and seized it without a fight.

According to the Cyrus Cylinder, a barrel-shaped piece of clay with Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions that was unearthed in 1879, the Persian king triumphantly entered Babylon in peace, amidst joy and jubilation.

Shortly after Babylons fall, Cyrus liberated the Babylonian Jews who had been forced into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar II after the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem 50 years earlier. Released from their Babylonian exile, many returned to their spiritual home in Jerusalem.The Book of Isaiah in the Old Testament extols Cyrus as being anointed by God to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor.

With the conquest of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, the Persian Empire sprawled from the Aegean Sea in the west to the Indus River in the east.Cyrus had created one of thelargest empiresthe ancient worldhad ever seen and was able to boast (per the Cyrus Cylinder): I am Cyrus, king of the universe.

Little is known about the death of Cyrus, which occurred around 529 B.C. By some accounts, he died of a battlefield wound during a military campaign on the empires eastern frontier. His body was returned to Pasargadae, placed in a gold sarcophagus and laid to rest in an immense stone tomb oriented toward the rising sun.

Cyrus was succeeded by his son, Cambyses II, who continued to spread the boundaries of the empire by conquering another ancient civilization in Egypt. The Persian Empire remained prosperous and stable for two centuries until it fell in 330 B.C. to the armies of Alexander the Great.

WATCH: Engineering an Empire on HISTORY Vault

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How Cyrus the Great Turned Ancient Persia Into a Superpower - History