In the wind, she would flutter a ton
Some may even have thought it looked fun
But poor Galloping Gertie
Never made it to thirty
Nor twenty, nor fifteen, nor one

Event: The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge (nicknamed Galloping Gertie) collapses
Year: 1940
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galloping_Gertie

The Pope thought his deal pretty neat
Those indulgences couldn’t be beat
But the ninety-five theses
Were as welcome as feces
To the man in the Vatican seat

Event: Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg
Year: 1517
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95_theses

In a quest to seek fortune and fame
A most bold sixty-three-year-old dame
To the wonder of all
Took a rather wet fall
And the first barrel rider became

Event: Annie Edison Taylor is the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel
Year: 1901
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Edson_Taylor

“All we wanted to do was sell booze
But this Ness guy is hard to defuse
He won’t get off our backs
‘Cuz we didn’t pay tax
There’s no offer he cannot refuse!”

Event: Al Capone is convicted of income tax evasion
Year: 1931
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone

Once the Boxers were done landing blows
To pay debts, the Qing Empire chose
To take over the rail
A plan destined to fail
When Wuchang hurled some very strong “Noes”

Event: The Wuchang Uprising, catalyst of the revolution that would end the Qing Dynasty and establish the Republic of China
Year: 1911
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuchang_Uprising

In mid-August, that seemed to be all
There was no way the Dodgers could fall
Then the Giants got hot
Still, the end it was not
Til the Shot cleared the low left-field wall

Event: Bobby Thomson hits a three-run walk-off home run, known as the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World,” prompting Russ Hodges to declare in no uncertain terms that the Giants had won the pennant
Year: 1951
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_Heard_%27Round_the_World_%28baseball%29

Though a candidate may be quite smart
One must ask, “Well, does he look the part?”
Th’answer carries great weight
Since that famous debate
Redefined our campaigning art

Event: The first televised U.S. presidential election debate pits a tanned, confident, relaxed John F. Kennedy against a pale, sickly, underweight, tired Richard Nixon
Year: 1960
Learn more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1960
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election_debates

Giles Corey to his wife was true
And in time he was called a witch, too
But, resigned to his fate
He just called out “More weight!”
Under stones, he to life bid adieu

Event: Giles Corey is tortured to death during the Salem Witch Trials
Year: 1692
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Corey

They say culture’s what animals lack
How far does this invention go back?
Most intriguing of all
Is when paint on a wall
Helps us to its development track

Event: Four teenagers discover a series of caves at Lascaux, France featuring cave paintings roughly 17,000 years old
Year: 1940
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux

Though good George’s exploits were not poor
To the story of Yorktown there’s more
Gen’ral Cornwallis failed
Cuz he couldn’t have sailed
It was French ships that won us the war

Event: The Battle of the Chesapeake, in which a French fleet prevented the British from either reinforcing or evacuating the army under Cornwallis
Year: 1781
Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Chesapeake