Monday, September 5, 2011

September 5, 2011

Good morning! It's The Nerd's Almanac for Monday, September 5, 2011.

On this date in 1977, Voyager 1 was launched on its mission to study our solar system. It passed by Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1980, and is now just wandering the heavens, waiting for some future space travelers to discover it and play its golden record.

Today is the birthday of one our earliest nerds. ابوریحان محمد بن احمد بیرونی (Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī) was born in Persia on this date in 973 A.D. He was a mathematician, astronomer, scientist, geographer, historian, chronologist, linguist -- considered "one of the greatest scholars of the medieval Islamic era". His scholarship survives in the 146 books he wrote, mostly in Arabic and Persian.

And it's the birthday of economist Paul Volcker. He is an economist and served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve in the Carter and Reagan administrations, where he is credited with ending the inflation that plagued the U.S. economy in the 1970's and early 80's.

It's also the birthday of two actors, in roles of interest to nerds. George Lazenby was the second James Bond. Michael Keaton was one of the actors to play Batman.

Here is a quote for today...
"What's the subject of life - to get rich? All of those fellows out there getting rich could be dancing around the real subject of life."
-- Paul Volcker

And that's the almanac for today. Nerds of the world, we salute you!

Sources:
Wikipedia: September 5

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