The United States Senate election in California, 1950 followed a
campaign characterized by accusations and name-calling. Republican
Richard Nixon defeated Democrat Helen Gahagan Douglas, after Democratic
incumbent Sheridan Downey withdrew during the primary election
campaign. Nixon won the Republican primary and Douglas the Democratic
contest, with each also finishing third in the other party's contest. A
contentious Democratic primary race left the party divided, and
Democrats were slow to rally to Douglas—some even endorsed Nixon. The
Korean War broke out only days after the primaries, and both Nixon and
Douglas contended that the other had often voted with leftist New York
Congressman Vito Marcantonio to the detriment of national security.
Nixon's attacks were far more effective, and he won the election by
almost 20 percentage points, carrying 53 of California's 58 counties
and all metropolitan areas. The campaign gave rise to two memorable
political nicknames: "the Pink Lady" for Douglas and "Tricky Dick" for
Nixon.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_California%2C_1950>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1889:
The Dakota Territory, an organized incorporated territory of the United
States, was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and
South Dakota.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dakota>
1909:
Lambda Chi Alpha, today one of the largest men's general fraternities
in North America, having initiated more than 270,000 members, was
founded at Boston University.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambda_Chi_Alpha>
1917:
British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued the Balfour
Declaration, proclaiming British support for the establishment of a
Jewish homeland in Palestine.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration_of_1917>
1947:
American industrialist and aviator Howard Hughes flew Spruce Goose ,
the largest flying boat ever built, on its maiden flight from the coast
of Long Beach, California, US.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules>
1963:
President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated, marking the
culmination of a coup d'état led by Duong Van Minh.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_and_assassination_of_Ng%C3%B4_%C4%90%C3%ACnh_Di%E1%BB%87m>
2000:
Aboard Expedition 1, American astronaut William Shepherd and Russian
cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko became the first resident
crew to arrive at the International Space Station.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
ponderous (adj):
1. Heavy, massive, weighty.
2. Serious, onerous, oppressive.
3. Clumsy, unwieldy, or slow,
especially due to weight.
4. Dull, boring, tedious; long-winded in expression
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ponderous>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Hunting hawks do not belong in cages, no matter how much a man covets
their grace, no matter how golden the bars. They are far more beautiful
soaring free.
--Lois McMaster Bujold
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lois_McMaster_Bujold>