In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, a religious group’s predictions do not appear to come true, a hobby horse causes a disturbance, and more.

July 24, 1982—Najib Khuri ’82 and his “Church at Princeton” (nine students who have withdrawn from Princeton to follow Khuri) predicted a nuclear holocaust in New York on this date as punishment for the “sins of America,” but no bombs fall. One of Khuri’s followers explains that the New York holocaust did occur, but it was spiritual, not physical.

July 26, 1804—The College of New Jersey (Princeton) is awakened just after 11:00PM when a ruckus among the students erupts over a hobby horse.

July 29, 1754—Ground is broken for a new building (Nassau Hall) to house the College of New Jersey in Princeton when it relocates from Newark.

July 30, 1973—Philippine consul general Ernesto C. Pineda writes to Dean Adele S. Simmons to say that Maria Imelda “Imee” Marcos ’77, daughter of Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos, will be living off campus and driven to class by a Filipino chauffeur when she starts as a Princeton frosh.

For last week’s installment in this series, click here.

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