3:23, #517: February 24th Anytime A.D.

Just think, according to Any Day In History, back on this day in 303A.D. the first official edict to persecute Christians as being pains in the Empire was issued by Diocletian. I say it's time to turn up the heat in the USofA with Hate Speech Laws to bring about Major League Revival throughout the North American Continent. Heck, Robert Reich...spelled the same way as Hitler's little political gambit...thinks religious people are more terrorists than suicide bombers and he's some of the 'intelligentsia' writing articles and books to that effect.

Then there was Frank of Assisi getting his vocation in 1208A.D. He ended up founding the Franciscan Order...guess the name Franks would have been too reminiscent of the barbarians who had enough Gaul to become the French centuries later when Giovanni Francesco was around.

Jump ahead to 1510 and you'll see Pope Julius II...wonder if he was partial to Caesar salad?... got to excommunicate the entire republic of Venice. Venice eventually was restored to the Pope's good graces, but I guess in the midst of yet another Holy War, instead of telling people to 'go to Hell' Julius decided to make it official! ;P

Then on this date in 1581 Pope Gregory approved the calendar changes by his commission...I wonder if they all stood around and chanted their agreement?

Another leap to 1868 puts us in the U.S. House of Representatives impeaching President Andrew Johnson...it didn't work and everything was peachy after that, I guess.

And finally, in 1997 South Africa announced that it was building the largest modern day blimp. I guess B.F. Goodrich's wasn't good enough for the Super Bowl?