Poncho Villa Died today... Not today- today, but on this day, July 20, in history. 1923 to be precise. Amazingly, there is a woman buied in his grave, or one of them. I found this story in a bio by Steven Baldwin (I know what you are going to ask, and the answer is I don't know, maybe it is him) at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11736 :

There is disagreement of where he is buried. He was first buried in the cemetery in Parral and grave robbers stole his head in 1926. Later the president of Mexico wanted the body moved to Mexico city, but there is a story that the mayor of Parral substituted another body that was sent to Mexico City. The story of his burial(s): For many years, after his 1923 assasination, Pancho Villa's body was buried in the Pantheon de los Dolores in Parral, Mexico. In 1972, a national monument dedicated to the heroes of the Mexican Revolution was to be built in Mexico City, and the government insisted Willa's body be brought to the monument at that time. There had been many bounties on his head, including one from Americans for his attack on Columbus, New Mexico. One local seeing a wanted poster, assumed that the reward was literally for the head of Panco Villa, dug up his body and removed the head...When Don Alvarado, a local baron and friend of Pancho's heard about the robbery, he had his body moved from lot 632 to lot 10, but he had to find another body to take his place. Two years later, a woman terminally ill with cancer went to the USA for treatment, but died on the way. The men who helped move Villa's body contacted Alvarado about the possible replacement, but that it was a woman. She was chosen regardless, and her body was placed in lot 632. Many years later, when the Mexican goverment came to collect the remains, they found dress buttons, a pelvis, a femur, and a few other bones. Apparently when the chief medical examiner was handed the pelvis, he thought it was a joke, as the pelvis was obviously that of a young woman. So according to local Parral, thousands visit the Monument of the Revolution, to pay respects to an unknown woman, while Pancho rests at home.

Speaking of women and missing heads, Lizzie Bordon was born yesterday (1860), but more on her later.

Did you know Poncho Villa was also in the movies? Yep, I found a quote from that noted authority on such things, Antonio Bandares, (yes the real one) at http://goodies.freeservers.com/panchovilla.html :

The actor, Antonio Bandares, who stars as Pancho Villa in the 2003 HBO film “And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself”, states in an interview about the film... “When you tell people about this story--that there was an American crew filming Pancho Villa in battle, in 1914 in Mexico--they say that's not true, that it is a fantasy, a legend," says Antonio Banderas. "But it is true. It happened."

Another guy who appeared in the movies and had trouble with the law died today also, Bruce Lee (1973). Bruce was born in America, moved to Hong Kong, and became one of the toughest street fighters in town, but it also caused him to run afoul of the law at times. Eventually he made his way back to America and in 1961 he entered Washington University and got a degree in Philosophy. He got his start in movies as Kato, side-kick (that's a karate pun) to the Green Hornet in the TV serial. It didn't do well in America, but the Chinese loved it so back to Hong Kong to make movies. Now be surprised, Bruce Lee was also a dancer, in fact he was the cha-cha champion of Hong Kong in 1958. It has also been suggested that he paid his fare back to America in 1959 working as a dance instructor.

Bet he could also do the Fox trot, and yes, Harry Fox, inventor of the Fox trot died today (1959). Fox developed the dance style for his perfomances in the Zeigfeld Follies. [Flo missed the mark by living two days too long, dying on the July 22nd in 1932]. Fox also appeared in a few movies, often opposite the Dolly Sisters. He was a sidekick too.

Another favorite sidekick from the movies died today (2005), "Beam me up Scotty." James M Doohan played the Chief Engineer of the Starship Enterprise in those epic sixties TV adventures.

Mathematically, as long as Fermat's Last Theorem remained unsolved, I guess you could say that Bernhard Riemann was also a "second banana" in a sense. (OK, I know you suddenly wondered, as I did, so I looked up "second banana"...Top banana, second banana, etc. are 1950s, from show business slang use of banana for "comedian, especially in a burlesque show." ). Now Riemann's Hyptothesis on the distribution of Primes is the Big question of the day... and yes, he died today in 1866, long before second-banana was ever a term.

....and speaking of numbers and Math, Lizzie did NOT give her mother forty whacks... it was only thirteen or at least someone gave her thirteen whacks. Lizzie was found innocent by the way, at least in the eyes of the jury which spent only 1 hour deliberating. That's less time than it takes to sit thorugh the movie of the murders, "The legend of Lizzie Bordon" which stars Elizabeth Montgomery in the title roll. Lizzie and Elizabeth are distant relatives by the way, and that is Lizzie's connection to the movies. Gail Borden, who invented condensed milk and laid out the city of Houston, but most importantly, coined the phrase, "Remember the Alamo", is also a relative. I don't think he made it to the movies, and he did not die on this date.

The house where the murder happened is getting a renovation even as I write. They want to restore it to the authentic look at the time of the murder. It's a Bed and Breakfast, and if you really want to, you can book a room at http://www.lizzie-borden.com .

SLEEP WELL!!!