GMT

Today in History January 11

49 BC Julius Caesar leads his army across the Rubicon River, plunging Rome into civil war.

1861 Alabama secedes from the Union.

1941 Adolf Hitler orders forces to be prepared to enter North Africa to assist the Italian effort, marking the establishment of the Afrika Korps.

2003 Illinois Gov. George Ryan commutes the death sentences of 167 prisoners on the state's death row in the wake of allegations that Chicago police detective and commander Jon Burge tortured confessions from some 200 suspects over a 19 year period.

Born on January 11

1757 Alexander Hamilton, first U.S. Secretary of Treasury, killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

1864 H. George Selfridge, founder of Selfridge and Co., Ltd., coined the phrase "the customer is always right."

1943 Jim Hightower, radio host, author, social activist; created concept of the "Doug Jones Average"—how is "Doug Jones" (i.e., your neighbor) doing financially—as a better measure of the economy than the Dow Jones Average.


JOTD

A boy is selling fish on a corner. To get his customers' attention, he is yelling, "Dam fish for sale! Get your dam fish here!" A pastor hears this and asks, "Why are you calling them 'dam fish.'" The boy responds, "Because I caught these fish at the local dam." The pastor buys a couple fish, takes them home to his wife, and asks her to cook the dam fish. The wife responds surprised, "I didn't know it was acceptable for a preacher to speak that way." He explains to her why they are dam fish. Later at the dinner table, he asks his son to pass the dam fish. He responds, "That's the spirit, Dad! Now pass the f*cking potatoes!"