Some Trivial, Some Not

Not So Trivial

Brown v. Board of Education was decided fifty-three years ago today, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. This overturned the 1896 Supreme Court ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson declaring that “separate but equal” facilities were in accordance with the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection. The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling was used to justify racial segregation in all public facilities, including schools.

Pictured above are (L-R) George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James M. Nabrit, lawyers who had argued against racial segregation, on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Kinda Trivial

Also on this date, just three years ago, the first legal same-sex marriage was performed in Massachusetts.

Pretty Trivial

In Hylbak family-worthy news, the first Kentucky Derby was run on this day in 1875. It was won by Aristides, ridden by Oliver Lewis, trained by Ansel Williamson and owned by Hal P. McGrath.

Really Trivial

Twenty-two years ago today, one of the most high-profile shows in television history pulled one of the biggest surprises in television history. Dallas started one of the weakest storylines of all-time when Bobby Ewing was run over by his sister-in-law Katherine Wentworth in the 1985 season finale. Actor Patrick Duffy had decided to leave Dallas at the end of the season, so his character of Bobby Ewing was killed off, leaving the show in a tailspin without one of its most popular characters. Actor Larry Hagman, who played J.R. Ewing on the show, persuaded Duffy to return a year later. So, at the end of the 1986 season, Bobby Ewing was revealed to be alive and well, taking a shower, his death literally his wife’s nightmare. I remember that reveal as being one of the dumbest I’ve ever seen (yes, I watched the show with my mother). I couldn’t believe that the 1985-86 season was rendered meaningless and null (though I didn’t really care for that season, anyway).

Oh yeah, singer Enya turns 46 today.