Quite confusing to tell who held sway
‘Til Napoleon blew it away
But before that bad luck
When Pope Leo crowned Chuck
People knew who the boss was that day

Event: Charlemagne is crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor
Year: 800
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne

First he gave the Mouse King a fine smacking
Sent the whole rodent army a-packing
Then he whisked off the girl
Gave the sweet world a whirl
You could say his performance was . . . cracking

Event: The Ballet The Nutcracker premieres
Year: 1892
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nutcracker

Even after great financial loss
It was liquor, not Bill, that was boss
‘Til in bed late one night
He saw a brilliant light
And he knew he could give up the sauce

Event: Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, has the final drink of his life
Year: 1934
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_W.

Just what happened to Mary Celeste?
There were no signs of struggle–no jest!
And the cargo retained
But no soul there remained
And their fate now can only be guessed

Event: The Dei Gratia discovers the merchant brigantine Mary Celeste, still sailing toward her intended destination but with her entire crew missing
Year: 1872
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste

Since dynamite he had devised
It seemed certain that he’d be despised
As the Merchant of Death
But while he still drew breath
He made sure that his name would be prized

Event: Alfred Nobel signs his last will and testament, setting aside most of his fortune to fund the Nobel Prizes
Year: 1895
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize

How to deal with the authors of war?
Could true justice be had anymore?
Three who holocaust penned
Took their lives ‘fore the end
For the rest was a trial in store

Event: Start of the Nuremberg Trials
Year: 1945
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials

“Kiddy stuff!” modern critics all cried
“Pirate fancies unworthy of pride!”
What was wrong with those guys?
Was it really so wise
To tease Jekyll, when knowing of Hyde?

Event: Birth of Robert Louis Stevenson
Year: 1850
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Louis_Stevenson

Out of twenty-five each team was made
Between wedges and heel kicks it swayed
And the strange final score
Was a bleak six to four
Queens on top in the first game e’er played

Event: The Rutgers Queensmen (now Scarlet Knights) and College of New Jersey (now Princeton) Tigers play the first ever intercollegiate American football game. Rutgers wins 6-4.
Year: 1869
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1869_New_Jersey_vs._Rutgers_football_game

On that night, science fiction was fact
Pre-war tempers were easily cracked
In the end, though relieved
Many were still quite peeved
That they’d thought that the Martians attacked

Event: Orson Wells presents a radio broadcast of H.G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds. Because part of the show was presented in news bulletin format, many listeners believed that the events being described were real.
Year: 1938
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio_drama%29

‘Fore the battle, he did Caesar see
And for him there’d be no victory
‘Twas the end of the show
For poor Brutus and co.
But ’twas good news for Mark Antony

Event: Octavian and Mark Antony defeat Brutus at the Second Battle of Philippi
Year: 42 B.C.
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Philippi