September 17 1884: A California judge sets a record for trying criminal cases
Judge Allen disposed of the 13 criminal cases on his Oakland, California, docket in only six minutes. Although he apparently set a new record for speed, defendants in Oakland’s criminal court did not stand much of a chance of gaining an acquittal. In a 40-year period at the turn of the century, only 1 defendant in 100 was acquitted.
Although Judge Allen was notoriously speedy, the quick disposition of criminal cases was not necessarily commonplace in early American courts. In the early 1800s, criminal courts were often held up by those who used them to settle personal problems. For instance, in Philadelphia, a man named Henry Blake was prosecuted by his wife in criminal court “for refusing to come to bed and making too much noise, preventing her from sleeping.” Today, the courts would immediately dismiss such a domestic squabble.
Judge Allen disposed of the 13 criminal cases on his Oakland, California, docket in only six minutes. Although he apparently set a new record for speed, defendants in Oakland’s criminal court did not stand much of a chance of gaining an acquittal. In a 40-year period at the turn of the century, only 1 defendant in 100 was acquitted.
Although Judge Allen was notoriously speedy, the quick disposition of criminal cases was not necessarily commonplace in early American courts. In the early 1800s, criminal courts were often held up by those who used them to settle personal problems. For instance, in Philadelphia, a man named Henry Blake was prosecuted by his wife in criminal court “for refusing to come to bed and making too much noise, preventing her from sleeping.” Today, the courts would immediately dismiss such a domestic squabble.
September 17 1965: Amphibious cars arrived in Frankfurt after sailing across the English Channel
On September 17, 1965, four adventurous Englishmen arrived at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany after crossing the English Channel by Amphicar, the world’s only mass-produced amphibious passenger car. Despite choppy waters, stiff winds, and one flooded engine, the two vehicles made it across the water in about seven hours.
The Amphicar’s design, by the German engineer Hans Trippel, derived from the Schwimmwagen, the amphibious all-wheel-drive vehicle that Volkswagen had produced for the German armed forces during World War II. A company called the Quandt Group produced the Amphicars for seven years, from 1961 to1968; in all, they built about 3,900 of the little swimming convertibles.
Amphicars came in four colors–Beach White, Regatta Red, Lagoon Blue, and Fjord Green–and were powered from the rear by a 43-horsepower, four-cylinder Triumph Herald engine. On land, the cars used a four-speed-plus-reverse manual transmission. In the water, they used a transfer case that had two speeds: forward and backward. With the top and windows up, the Amphicar was remarkably seaworthy: Its front wheels acted as rudders and two nylon propellers chugged along in back. The car’s builders called it the “770,” because–in theory, at least–it could go 7 mph in the water and 70 mph on land. To see an Amphicar hit either one of these speeds was rare, however: According to one owner, it was “the fastest car on the water and the fastest boat on the road.”
The four Englishmen left London on the morning of September 16, rolled down the ramp at Dover, and headed for France. About halfway across the Channel, a blocked bilge pump flooded one of the Amphicars; the other towed it the rest of the way to shore. When they arrived at Calais, the four travelers (with the help of the crowd that had gathered to see them) managed to drag the cars over the beach and to the gas station. The next day, they headed off to Frankfurt.
About 3,000 Amphicars were imported into the United States. In fact, Quandt sold such a large proportion of the cars to Americans that in 1968, when the Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Act raised emissions standards to a level that the Amphicar couldn’t meet, the company just stopped building the cars altogether. Amphicar enthusiasts estimate that between 300 and 600 seaworthy vehicles remain on the road today.
September 17 1942 - World War II: North Africa
Despite Montgomery's plan to launch Operation 'Lightfoot' in October, Churchill ordered General Sir Claude Auchenleck, Commander-in-Chief Middle East, to move ahead and attack by the end of September. After consultation with Montgomery, Auchenleck rejects Churchill's demands, pointing out that the troops would not be ready in time.
September 17 1972
An invasion by over one thousand troops, exiled supporters of the former Ugandan President Apolo Milton Obote, attack from Tanzania.
President Idi Amin responds by bombing Tanzanian towns.
September 17 1995
Pope John Paul II began a six day tour of Africa by celebrating a papal mass in South Africa.
Source: history.com, africanhistory.about.com
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