1860: Abraham Lincoln became president

On election day 1860, a very divided country went to the polls.   

Lincoln got only 40% of the popular vote but defeated Southern Democrat John C. Breckinridge, Constitutional Union candidate John Bell, and Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator for Illinois.      

The election did not settle any of the differences.  By inauguration date on March 4, 1861, seven states had seceded, and the Confederate States of America had been formally established, with Jefferson Davis as its elected president. 

One month later, the Civil War began when Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard opened fire on Union-held Fort Sumter in South Carolina. 

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1532: Cabeza de Vaca landed in Texas

Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca did not set out to find Texas but he landed around Galveston on this day in 1532.

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We remember Glenn Frey (1948-2016)

We remember Glenn Frey who was born in Michigan on this day in 1948.    

Back in the 1970's, The Eagles were one of the most successful recording acts in the world.   Later, Frey was a solo artist but I loved his work with The Eagles a lot more.

We got some bad news in January 2016: Glenn Frey, one of the founders and principals of The Eagles, passed away.  He was 67.

One of my favorite songs was "A new kid in town", a # 1 song the LP "Hotel California".

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