#ut sniper

A bit of Aug 1st history...

527 - Justinian I becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire

1086 - Results of the Doomsday inquiry presented to William the Conqueror in Salisbury (the date of the compilation and the Great Doomsday are historically contestable)

1834 - Slavery outlawed in British Empire with emancipation bill

1900 - The 1st Michelin Guide is published by the Michelin brothers as a hotel and restaurant reference guide to encourage more travel and thus boost tire sales

1914 - Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany declares war on his nephew Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in WWI

1957 - US and Canada create North American Air Defense Command (NORAD)

1966 - University of Texas Tower Sniper wounds 31 and kills 16 (pictured)

1975 - Helsinki Pact guaranteeing boundaries signed by 35 nations

1981 - MTV premiers at 12:01 am

"Wyatt swung his gaze to the Tower and searched the rows of windows up to the top. The gold hands of the Tower clock marked the time at 11:51. On the high, walled deck below it, a figure appeared and then eerily vanished. A second later the figure popped into view again, aiming a glinting rifle down at the East Mall. Smoke puffed out of the barrel as the sound blasted. From below came a muted noise and a muffled, lingering shout. The figure on the deck disappeared again and then reappeared a second later. Wyatt saw the white bloom but didn’t hear the blast this time. The window beside him exploded." -- Read the full excerpt from Monday, Monday: A Novel, by Elizabeth Crook, here