A-Wop-Bop-a-Loo-Wop-a-Lam-Bam-Boom: No End to Humanity's Follies

Today is Wednesday, December 5th, the 339th day of 2007.
There are 26 days left in the year.
In 1776, the first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa, was organized at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
In 1782, the first native U.S. president, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook, New York.
In 1791, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.
In 1792, George Washington was re-elected president; John Adams was re-elected vice president.
In 1831, former President John Quincy Adams took his seat as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In 1848, President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of '49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.
In 1872, having left New York on Nov. 5, the brigantine Mary Celeste was found adrift off Portugal with no one aboard.
In 1932, German physicist Albert Einstein was granted a visa, making it possible for him to travel to the United States.
In 1933, national Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.
In 1955, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO under its first president, George Meany.
In 1991, Richard Speck, who'd murdered eight student nurses in Chicago in 1966, died in prison a day short of his 50th birthday.
In 1994, Republicans chose Newt Gingrich to be the first GOP speaker of the House in four decades.
Ten years ago: The space shuttle Columbia returned from a 16-day mission that had been marred by the bungled release of a satellite. The World Trade Organization rejected American claims that the Fuji film company had conspired with the Japanese government to keep Eastman Kodak products out of Japan.
Five years ago: Strom Thurmond, the oldest and longest-serving senator in history, celebrated his 100th birthday on Capitol Hill. (It was at this gathering that Senate Republican leader Trent Lott, in toasting Thurmond, seemed to express nostalgia for Thurmond's segregationist past; the resulting firestorm prompted Lott to resign his leadership position.) In Kansas City, Missouri, a pharmacist who'd diluted chemotherapy drugs given to thousands of cancer patients was sentenced to 30 years in prison. General Ne Win, former dictator of Myanmar, also called Burma, died in Yangon at age 91. ABC executive Roone Arledge died in New York at age 71.
One year ago: Robert Gates won speedy and unanimous approval from the Senate Armed Services Committee to be secretary of defense. New York became the first city in the nation to ban artery-clogging trans fats at restaurants.

Today's Birthdays: Little Richard, singer, musician, 75. Joan Didion, author, 73. Calvin Trillin, author, 72. J.J. Cale, musician, 69. Jose Carreras, opera singer, 61. Jim Messina, singer (Loggins and Messina, Poco) 60. Morgan Brittany, actress ("Dallas") 56. Margaret Cho, comedian, actress, 39.

Those Who Will Not Be Celebrating:
Christina Rossetti, poet (1830)
George Armstrong Custer, American military officer (1839) [One of the all-time American assholes, who got just what he deserved. — Ed.]
Bill Pickett,cowboy, rodeo star (1870 )
Walt Disney, film producer (1901)
Strom Thurmond, U.S. senator (1902)
Otto Preminger, director, producer (1906) [Underrated, or not remembered as well as he should be. — Ed.]

Entertainment Events:
In 1968, the Rolling Stones album "Beggar's Banquet" was released.
Also in 1968, Graham Nash quit The Hollies because the band wanted to do an album of Bob Dylan songs. [Hmmm. Not sure what to say. — Ed.]
In 1975, the self-titled album "Fleetwood Mac" was certified gold in the US. It was the first one with Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
In 1992, Ice Cube became the first hard-core rapper to have an album make its debut at number one on the "Billboard" album chart, with "The Predator."
In 1996, country singer Montana Slim died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, two months after being diagnosed with a stomach tumor. He was 91.
In 2003, actress Gwyneth Paltrow married Coldplay singer Chris Martin in Santa Barbara County, California. [Does anyone care? — Ed.]
In 2005, actress Valerie Bertinelli filed for divorce from Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen. [Really, does anyone care? — Ed.]