Does anyone here actually turn a physical calendar page anymore? Swipe to the left and it's July. In Canada, the first of July is—can you believe this?—Canada Day! Eh? It's a national holiday that marks the date in 1867 on which the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada officially joined to form the Dominion of Canada. In 1903 on July 1, the first Tour de France cycling race got underway. The course covered over 1,500 miles, from Paris to Lyon, to Marseille, to Toulouse, to Bordeaux, to Nantes, and back to Paris. Nineteen days later, the winning racer, Maurice Garin, finished nearly three hours before the second-place cyclist. He took his prize money, bought a gas station, and worked there the rest of his life.
It was a period of optimism and futuristic imagination, and 25 years later it inspired a popular song by Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen (musical link).
Happy July Fools Day!
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Meet the AuthorHi. I'm Geo the Seagull.
I'm the distinguished Park Host on South Jetty Beach at Bandon, Oregon, USA. I'm a firm believer in First Principles: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Your Lunch. Archives
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