Happy Birthday Jimi Hendrix

Happy Thanksgiving!

Also on November 27, 2014, the great guitar icon Jimi Hendrix would have turned 72 if he were still with us today. Born in Seattle on November 27, 1942, Washington, James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is considered one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acknowledges him as "arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music." He passed away in London on September 18, 1970.

Postcard US-2776620 was a maxi card to Philippines showing a portrait of Jimi Hendrix with a Jimi Hendrix Forever Stamp and a first-day-of-issue postmark. USPS issued the stamp at the SXSW in Austin, Texas on March 13, 2014.

Marriage for All in Nevada

Mere one day after the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear appeals against lower courts' rulings that declared banning same-sex marriage were unconstitutional in Oklahoma, Utah, Indiana, Virgina, and Wisconsin, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Idaho and Nevada’s bans on same-sex marriage violated equal protection rights on October 7, 2014. The court's decision also covers Alaska, Arizona and Montana.

Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and State Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced this Tuesday evening that they would not appeal the ruling. The Marriage Bureau in Clark County, located at 201 Clark Avenue in the Regional Justice Center, will start to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples at 2 p.m. Wednesday October 8, 2014. Now, Las Vegas can truly claim itself as the wedding capital of the world.

Postcard US-1864037 to Germany shows the Little Church of the West Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Built out of California redwood as part of the Last Frontier Hotel in 1942, it is the oldest building on the Las Vegas Strip. It had since moved several times until it was relocated to the current location in 1996. The wedding chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 14, 1992. It is known for the 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas filmed at the Little Church of the West, where Lucky Jackson (played by Elvis Presley) and Rusty Martin (played by Ann-Margret) recited their vows.

Update: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy put the Ninth Ciruit Court's order on hold after Idaho filed an emergency request for a stay on October 8, 2014.

Update 2: Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Justice Kennedy revised his order in the afternoon on October 8, 2014,  removing Nevada (case No. 12-17668) from the hold.

Update 3: Nevada started to issue same-sex marriage licenses on October 9, 2014.

McCarran Field

Postcard US-2452337 to Australia shows a historical photo of McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

American aviator George Crockett first established Alamo Airport in 1942 on the site where McCarran International Airport is today. In 1948 Clark County purchased the airfield from Crockett to establish the Clark County Public Airport, and all commercial operations moved from the old Las Vegas Airport (now Nellis Airforce Base). It was renamed to McCarran Field for then U.S. Senator Pat McCarran  on December 20, 1948. Pat McCarran was a longtime Nevada politician who authored the Civil Aeronautics Act and played a major role in developing aviation nationwide. However, there was a recent discussion on renaming the airport when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid considered McCarran unworthy of the recognition because “Pat McCarran was one of the most anti-Semitic — some of you might know my wife’s Jewish — one of the most anti-black, one of the most prejudiced people who has ever served in the Senate,”.

The original McCarran Field sign is in front of the Signature Aviation terminal that serves as an executive terminal.