Gettin’ civilized’s never much fun
Not compared to a river raft run
Huck ‘n’ Jim out did slip
To the mighty Miss’ssip
Quite the tale their adventures have spun

Event: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is first published in the United States (after previously having been published in Canada and the United Kingdom)
Year: 1885
Learn more: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

VE II had the city obtained
But the tough Roman Question remained
‘Til they carved out a home
Near the center of Rome
And a Vatican City ordained

Event: The Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See sign the Lateran Treaty, establishing Vatican City as an independent city-state
Year: 1929
Learn more: Lateran Treaty
Roman Question

“Just a fad”? We can no more pretend
Now it’s redefined “like,” “poke,” and “friend”
From an Ivy League club
To the Net’s social hub
Past a billion, where will it hence wend?

Event: Facebook is founded
Year: 2004
Learn more: Facebook
The Social Network

Men of fortune, go search for a wife
To escape from your vain, snobbish life
If she seems to hate you
Don’t give up, for it’s true:
Wedded bliss may be prefaced by strife

Event: Pride and Prejudice is first published
Year: 1813
Learn more: Pride and Prejudice

Not long-lived or successful, all told
In design, though, quite famously bold
With those vertical doors
How could you not want yours?
(Flux capacitors separately sold)

Event: The first DeLorean DMC-12 (the only model ever produced by the DeLorean Motor Company) rolls off the production line
Year: 1981
Learn more: DeLorean DMC-12
Back to the Future Trilogy

Poor Toronto’d been brought to a halt
By a vigorous winter assault
Though some called it an “Oops”
Lastman summoned the troops
Armed with shovels and blankets and salt

Event: Toronto mayor Mel Lastman calls in the army to help dig out the city following a horrific blizzard
Year: 1999
Learn more: North American blizzard of 1999

Held by England two cent’ries and more
Henry II sought to Calais restore
Wentworth, forced to back down,
Gave up keys to the town
That they’d owned since the Hundred Years’ War

Event: France captures Calais, the last territorial possession of England on the European continent
Year: 1558
Learn more: Siege of Calais (1558) (not to be confused with Siege of Calais (1346, 1348, 1436, 1596, 1940, or 1944))

Now perhaps the world’s most famous ball
Needs no sport to hold viewers in thrall
Every year in the Square
Sixty seconds we stare
While the thing makes its world-famous fall

Event: The first “ball drop” held in Times Square
Year: 1907
Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square_Ball

A carol for times that lack light
That can render a twelfth month’s eve bright
Song of peace and of grace
In a gentle babe’s face
Shocking silent those gathered that night

Event: “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht” (Eng: “Silent Night”) is performed for the first time
Year: 1818
Learn more: Silent Night

Not the first ones to take to the air
The balloons had them way beat up there
But they gave us a mode
Not so wont to explode
And for that we owe much to this pair

Event: The Wright Flyer flies at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Year: 1903
Learn more: Wright Flyer
History of aviation
National Air and Space Museum