January 17, 2019 This day in history
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Started by metmike - Jan. 16, 2019, 11:32 p.m.
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By carlberky - Jan. 17, 2019, 7:43 a.m.
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1991 – Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins early in the morning as aircraft strike positions across Iraq, it is also the first major combat sortie for the F-117. LCDR Scott Speicher's F/A-18C Hornet from VFA-81 is shot down by a Mig-25 and is the first American casualty of the War. Iraq fires eight Scud missiles into Israel in an unsuccessful bid to provoke Israeli retaliation.

The mission of the Lockheed F-117 sub-sonic stealth "fighter" was to take out the radar installations and control centers, making it safer for the conventional bombers..

By carlberky - Jan. 17, 2019, 2:37 p.m.
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Mike, your " Popeye" reference reminded me of some trivia which might be of interest. It's regarding two nearly identical comic strips, called the Captain and the Kids and the Katzenjammer kids

Titans in the newspaper business fought for circulation in NYC and wound up in court over the strip being hijacked. It was decided that the strip belonged to the original paper, but the characters belonged to the artist.


" The Katzenjammer Kids was so popular that it became two competing comic strips and the subject of a lawsuit. This happened because Dirks, in 1912, wanted to take a break after drawing the strip for 15 years, but the Hearst newspaper syndicate would not allow it. Dirks left anyway, and the strip was taken over by Harold Knerr. Dirks' last strip appeared March 16, 1913.[5] Dirks sued, and after a long legal battle, the Hearst papers were allowed to continue The Katzenjammer Kids, with Knerr as writer and artist. He took over permanently in the summer of 1914. However, Dirks was allowed to create an almost identical strip of his own for the rival Pulitzer newspapers,[2] although he had to use a different name for the strip. 

"Initially named Hans und Fritz after the two naughty protagonist brothers, Dirks' new feature was called The Captain and the Kids from 1918 on. The Captain and the Kids was very similar to The Katzenjammer Kids in terms of content and characters, but Dirks had a looser and more verbal style than Knerr, who on the other hand often produced stronger, more direct gags and drawings. The Captain and the Kids soon proved to equal the popularity of The Katzenjammer Kids. It was later distributed by the United Feature Syndicate (while Hearst's King Features distributed The Katzenjammer Kids)"

 

By metmike - Jan. 17, 2019, 2:56 p.m.
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Thanks Carl!