Almanac of Absurdities 1/2

On this date in 1860, at the Academie Des Sciences in Paris, Astronomer Le Verrier announces his findings that eccentricities in the orbit of Mercury indicate another planet must be in the vicinity. He names this theoretical planet “Vulcan.” Einstein proves him wrong later. On this date in1974, President Richard Nixon signs a law lowering the national speed limit to 55 in order to reduce the consumption of energy. Isaac Asimov's Birthday.