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1885 - Louis Riel, leader of a rebel group of the Métis people in western Canada, was executed for treason.

The Métis are people of mixed European and Indian ancestry who had a distinct culture and resisted expansion of English-speaking Canadians into the western territories. As usual, executing Riel made him a martyr. The Métis people ultimately gained autonomy within the province of Manitoba. Today they number more than half a million.

(I had never heard of this episode of history.)

1961 - Sam Rayburn died.

Rayburn was a U.S. Representative from Bonham. He was Speaker of the House for seventeen years between 1940 and 1961. He ran the House like a calliope when he was speaker, and he remained influential when his party was in the minority. He served a total of 48 years in Congress.

Rayburn grew up in abject poverty and never became wealthy. He remained sympathetic to the plight of the poor during the Great Depression and afterward. Along with Lyndon Johnson in the Senate, he represented the state of Texas very effectively. His long career was untouched by scandal of any sort.

For those too young to remember, Rayburn is mostly a name on buildings, roads, and parks. One of the House office buildings in Washington is named after him.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:Rayburn grew up in abject poverty and never became wealthy. He remained sympathetic to the plight of the poor during the Great Depression and afterward. Along with Lyndon Johnson in the Senate, he represented the state of Texas very effectively. His long career was untouched by scandal of any sort.

Quite the opposite of Johnson, who also grew up in poverty, but left politics as a millionaire many times over. Johnson may have represented Texas, but he mostly represented Johnson.

While Johnson may have been "untouched" by scandal, it wasn't for the lack of them, starting with the 1948 Democrat primary for Senator, which "Landslide Lyndon" won in an avalanche of rigged and fraudulent votes.

I meant Rayburn's career was untouched by scandal. He died with barely enough money in the bank to pay for his funeral.

I know all about Johnson. His career probably would have been very short in today's political environment.

- Jim

Seamus,

I love reading these 'This Day in History' posts. Thank you for posting them! I had heard of the Metis, but didn't know much about them (always heard about them living in MN).

Keep 'em coming!

-Brian

You're welcome.

I'm actually learning new things while writing them, like today. I did not know that Sam Rayburn had such a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" career. I was a little kid when he died.

There are sites where you can sign up for "This day in history" e-mails. I don't do it; I just look them up on the web.

Of course, after a year you get reruns, and you don't need someone to tell you what happened on the fourth of July.

- Jim

Interesting tidbits you come up with. You should turn these posts into a blog.

There are several "this day in history" blogs already, and I'm too lazy to do the basic research. Also, I'm idiosyncratic about what I am interested in. I couldn't care less about things like the day Queen Elizabeth I was born or Shakespeare died.

- Jim

seamusTX wrote:I meant Rayburn's career was untouched by scandal.

I know, that's why I said "Quite unlike Johnson."

Sorry for the hijack. I really appreciate and enjoy these posts of yours.

While Johnson may have been "untouched" by scandal, it wasn't for the lack of them, starting with the 1948 Democrat primary for Senator, which "Landslide Lyndon" won in an avalanche of rigged and fraudulent votes.

Now y'all know ballot box 13 is a myth.

Thanks Kevin.

I should have mentioned that the European ancestors of the Métis were largely Scots. I haven't figured out how that happened.

- Jim

"Wife-Unit" went to Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena...

I wasn't a Texan at the time, but I remember Sam Rayburn from the Nixon impeachment hearings.

seamusTX wrote:Rayburn grew up in abject poverty and never became wealthy. He remained sympathetic to the plight of the poor during the Great Depression and afterward. Along with Lyndon Johnson in the Senate, he represented the state of Texas very effectively. His long career was untouched by scandal of any sort. - Jim

Sam Rayburn was a mentor to LBJ. I read in Lady Bird's diary that, throughout the years, they kept only one photograph of a person in the LBJ living rooms. That picture was of Sam Rayburn.

The Annoyed Man wrote:... I remember Sam Rayburn from the Nixon impeachment hearings.

Sam Rayburn died years before Nixon was President.

The prominent Texan that you remember was probably Leon Jaworski, the special prosecutor.

- Jim