This Day In History [Archive] - Page 3 - Cigar Asylum Cigar Forum

MedicCook

08-10-2009, 10:30 PM

August 11th

1909
Arapahoe became the first American ship to use the S.O.S. distress signal.

1929
Babe Ruth hit his 500th career home run.

1934
The first inmates arrived at the federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.

1951
The first major league baseball game to be televised in color was broadcast. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Boston Braves 8-1.

1956
Abstract artist Jackson Pollock died in an automobile accident in East Hampton, N.Y., at age 44.

1971
Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins got his 500th and 501st home runs of his major league baseball career.

Birthdays
66 Jim Kale Rock musician (Guess Who)
56 Hulk Hogan Wrestler, actor
52 Richie Ramone Rock musician (Ramones)
42 Joe Rogan Actor, host ("Fear Factor")
41 Ashley Jensen Actress ("Ugly Betty," "Extras")
33 Will Friedle Actor
25 Melky Cabrera Baseball player (New York Yankees)

70 Alex Haley 8/11/1921 - 2/10/1992 American author

MedicCook

08-12-2009, 10:38 PM

August 13th

1521
Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortez captured present-day Mexico City from the Aztecs.

1889
German Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his "Navigable Balloon".

1942
Disney's Bambi opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

1961
The border between East and West Berlin was closed and marked with a barbed wire fence.

1995
Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle died of liver cancer at age 63.

1997
Comedy Central aired the first episode of "South Park."

2004
American chef, author and television personality Julia Child died at age 91.

2007
Baseball Hall of Fame shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto died at age 89.

Birthdays
83 Fidel Castro Former Cuban leader
60 Bobby Clarke Hockey Hall of Famer
50 Danny Bonaduce Actor ("The Partridge Family")
48 Dawnn Lewis Actress
47 John Slattery Actor
42 Quinn Cummings Actress
~ Stogeyfish Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ a2vr6 Cigar Asylum Inmate

66 Annie Oakley 8/13/1860 - 11/3/1926 American markswoman; starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show
80 Alfred Hitchcock 8/13/1899 - 4/29/1980 English-born motion-picture director
84 Ben Hogan 8/13/1912 - 7/25/1997 Professional golfer
76 Don Ho 8/13/1930 - 4/14/2007 Singer and entertainer

MedicCook

08-13-2009, 11:29 PM

August 14th

1900
International forces entered Beijing, China, in an effort to suppress the antiforeign uprising known as the Boxer Rebellion.

1935
The Social Security Act became law.

1945
Japan surrendered to the United States, ending World War II.

1979
Lou Brock (St. Louis Cardinals) got his 3,000th hit.

1997
Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing.

2002
Dave Williams lead singer of Drowning Pool died at age 30.

2003
The largest blackout in North American history hit the northeast.

Birthdays
79 Earl Weaver Baseball Hall of Famer
68 David Crosby Rock singer, musician (Crosby, Stills and Nash)
66 Jimmy Johnson Football coach & commentator
64 Steve Martin Actor, comedian
63 Larry Graham Rock singer, musician (Sly and the Family Stone)
50 Marcia Gay Harden Actress
50 Magic Johnson Basketball Hall of Famer
48 Susan Olsen Actress ("The Brady Bunch")
43 Halle Berry Actress
26 Mila Kunis Actress ("That 70's Show")
22 Tim Tebow Football player

36 Doc Holliday 8/14/1851 - 11/8/1887 American dentist, gambler and gunfighter of the American Old West, who is usually remembered for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
77 Ernest Thayer 8/14/1863 - 8/21/1940 American writer; wrote "Casey at the Bat"
77 Max Klein 8/14/1915 - 5/20/1993 American painter; invented "paint by numbers"

MedicCook

08-14-2009, 11:06 PM

August 15th

1057
Macbeth, king of Scotland, was killed by Malcolm Canmore.

1911
Proctor & Gamble Company introduced Crisco vegetable shortening.

1935
Aviator Wiley Post and actor Will Rogers were killed in a plane crash.

1939
The Wizard of Oz premiered in Hollywood.

1969
Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York.

1993
Nolan Ryan got his 324th and final victory. The Texas Rangers beat the Indians 4-1.

2001
Astronomers announced the discovery of the first solar system outside our own.

Birthdays
86 Rose Marie Actress ("The Dick Van Dyke Show")
45 Debi Mazar Actress ("Entourage," "L.A. Law")
43 Scott Brosius Baseball player (New York Yankees)
41 Debra Messing Actress
39 Anthony Anderson Actor ("Law & Order")
37 Ben Affleck Actor
30 Carl Edwards Racecar driver
20 Joe Jonas Rock singer (The Jonas Brothers)
~ NullSmurf Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ RailRunner Cigar Asylum Inmate

51 Napoleon 8/15/1769 - 5/5/1821 French general, First Consul and Emperor
91 Julia Child 8/15/1912 - 8/13/2004 American chef, author and television personality

MedicCook

08-15-2009, 11:05 PM

August 16th

1777
The Revolutionary War battle of Bennington, Vt., won by American forces.

1829
Chang and Eng, a pair of conjoined twins from Siam, arrived in Boston to be exhibited to the Western world. (The term Siamese twins became a common phrase for conjoined twins.)

1948
Baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York City at age 53.

1954
Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Inc.

1977
Elvis Presley died at Graceland, his Memphis,Tenn., home, from heart failure at age 42.

1981
Cal Ripken Jr. got his first major league hit.

1999
The first episode of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" aired on ABC.

Birthdays
79 Frank Gifford Football Hall of Famer
79 Tony Trabert Tennis Hall of Famer
76 Julie Newmar Actress ("Batman")
56 Kathie Lee Gifford TV host
55 James Cameron Director ("Titanic")
52 Tim Farriss Rock musician (INXS)
51 Angela Bassett Actress
51 Madonna Singer, actress
46 Steve Carell Actor ("The Office")
29 Vanessa Carlton Singer

MedicCook

08-17-2009, 12:11 AM

August 17

1807
Robert Fulton's steamboat, the Clermont, began its trip up the Hudson River to Albany.

1863
Fort Sumter, S.C. was bombarded by Union ships during the Civil War.

1896
Prospectors found gold in Alaska, a discovery that set off the Klondike gold rush.

1964
The Kinks "You Really Got Me" was released.

1969
After three days, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in New York came to an end.

1978
The first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight landed outside of Paris.

Birthdays
89 Maureen O'Hara Actress
66 Robert De Niro Actor
60 Sib Hashian Rock musician (Boston)
57 Guillermo Vilas Tennis Hall of Famer
52 Schlep Cigar Asylum Inmate
51 Belinda Carlisle Singer (The Go-Gos)
49 Sean Penn Actor and director
47 Gilby Clarke Rock musician (ex-GNR)
46 Jon Gruden Football coach, sportscaster
40 Donnie Wahlberg Actor, singer
39 Jim Courier Tennis Hall of Famer
38 Jorge Posada Baseball player (New York Yankees)
37 Don Fernando Cigar Asylum Inmate
26 Dustin Pedroia Baseball player (Boston Red Sox)
25 RX2010 Cigar Asylum Inmate

49 Davy Crockett 8/17/1786 - 3/6/1836 American frontiersman and politician
88 Mae West 8/17/1893 - 11/22/1980 American stage and screen actress

MedicCook

08-17-2009, 10:49 PM

August 18th

1227
Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan died in China.

1587
Virginia Dare became the first child of English parents born in North America.

1894
Congress established the Bureau of Immigration, forerunner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

1920
When Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the three-quarters of the states necessary was achieved and American women got the right to vote.

1962
Peter, Paul & Mary's "If I Had A Hammer" was released.

1986
Bon Jovi released their "Slippery When Wet" album.

Birthdays
82 Rosalynn Carter Former first lady
76 Roman Polanski Director
72 Robert Redford Actor
66 Martin Mull Actor
57 Patrick Swayze Actor
52 Denis Leary Actor, comedian ('Rescue Me')
51 Madeleine Stowe Actress
40 Edward Norton Actor
40 Christian Slater Actor
39 Malcolm-Jamal Warner Actor ("The Cosby Show")
29 Jeremy Shockey Football player

38 Roberto Clemente 8/18/1934 - 12/31/1972 Baseball Hall of Famer

MedicCook

08-19-2009, 09:28 AM

August 19th

1812
The U.S. frigate Constitution, Old Ironsides, defeated the British ship Guerriere during the War of 1812.

1921
Ty Cobb (Detroit Tigers) recorded his 3,000 career hit.

1934
Germans voted to make Adolf Hitler Fuhrer.

1977
Comedian Groucho Marx died in Los Angeles at age 86.

1981
The final episode of "Charlie's Angels was aired on ABC-TV.

1993
"Cheers" ended an 11-year run on NBC-TV. The show debuted on September 30, 1982.

Birthdays
82 L.Q. Jones Actor
70 Ginger Baker Rock musician (Cream, Blind Faith)
67 Fred Thompson Actor, former U.S. senator
64 Ian Gillan Rock singer (Deep Purple)
63 Bill Clinton 42nd President of the United States
61 Gerald McRaney Actor ("Major Dad")
58 John Deacon Rock musician (Queen)
54 Peter Gallagher Actor ("The O.C.")
47 Eric Lutes Actor
46 John Stamos Actor ("Full House," "ER")
44 Kevin Dillon Actor ("Entourage")
44 Kyra Sedgwick Actress
43 Lee Ann Womack Country singer
43 Lilian Garcia Wrestling announcer
40 Matthew Perry Actor ("Friends")
27 VirtualSmitty Cigar Asylum Inmate
23 Sanitariumite Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ kfish Cigar Asylum Inmate

76 Orville Wright 8/19/1871 - 1/30/1948 credited along with his brother with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903

icehog3

08-19-2009, 10:09 AM

August 19th

1977
Comedian Groucho Marx died in Los Angeles at age 86.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/groucho-marx.jpg

Birthdays

67 Fred Thompson Actor, former U.S. senator
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/thompson.jpg

63 Bill Clinton 42nd President of the United States
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/clinton-1.jpg

61 Gerald McRaney Actor ("Major Dad")
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/McRaney.jpg

MedicCook

08-19-2009, 10:40 PM

August 20th

1882
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture debuts in Moscow.

1938
Lou Gehrig hits his 23rd career grand slam – a record that still stands.

1977
The space probe Voyager 2 was launched. It continues to explore to this day, and is now more than 7 billion miles from Earth.

1980
Italian Reinhold Messner made the first successful solo ascent of Mount Everest and without oxygen.

1989
The first episode of "Saved By The Bell" aired on NBC.

2006
Former Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal, who had taken the iconic Iwo Jima flag-raising picture during World War II, died at age 94.

Birthdays
78 Don King Boxing promoter
65 Graig Nettles Baseball player (New York Yankees)
63 Connie Chung Broadcast journalist
61 Robert Plant Rock singer (Led Zeppelin)
55 Al Roker TV weatherman
47 James Marsters Actor ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel")
41 Mikey202 Cigar Asylum Inmate
39 Fred Durst Rock singer (Limp Bizkit)
33 Chris Drury Hockey player

67 Benjamin Harrison 8/20/1833 - 3/13/1901 23rd president of the United States
97 Al Lopez 8/20/1908 - 1/30/2005 Baseball Hall of Famer
65 Isaac Hayes 8/20/1942 - 8/10/2008 Singer-songwriter, actor and musician
38 Dimebag Darrell 8/20/1966 - 12/8/2004 Guitarist, best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan

icehog3

08-20-2009, 10:14 AM

August 20th

Birthdays
78 Don King Boxing promoter
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/king.jpg

55 Al Roker TV weatherman
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/roker.jpg

MedicCook

08-20-2009, 10:19 PM

August 21st

1878
The American Bar Association was founded in Saratoga, N.Y.

1911
The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre museum in France by an Italian waiter, Vicenzo Perruggia.

1959
Hawaii became the 50th state in the United States.

Birthdays
77 Melvin Van Peebles Actor, director
71 Kenny Rogers Country singer
70 Clarence Williams III Actor ("The Mod Squad")
60 Loretta Devine Actress
57 Glenn Hughes Rock singer (Black Sabbath)
53 Kim Cattrall Actresss ("Sex and the City")
52 Pitmaster Cigar Asylum Inmate
42 Serj Tankian Rock singer (System of a Down)
38 Liam Howlett Rock musician (Prodigy)
20 Hayden Panettiere Actress
~ Jimbo14 Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ SchizoFilly Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ D. Generate Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ chippewastud79 Cigar Asylum Inmate

82 Toe Blake 8/21/1912 - 5/17/1995 Hockey Hall of Famer
63 Wilt Chamberlain 8/21/1936 - 10/12/1999 Basketball Hall of Famer

MedicCook

08-21-2009, 11:06 PM

August 22nd

1775
King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in open rebellion.

1846
The United States annexed New Mexico.

1851
The U.S. yacht America outraced the British Aurora off the English coast to win a trophy that became known as the America's Cup.

1901
Cadillac Motor Company is founded.

1902
Theodore Roosevelt became the first United States president to ride in an automobile.

1979
Led Zeppelin released their last album together, "In Through The Out Door."

1989
Nolan Ryan strikes out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.

Birthdays
75 H. Norman Schwarzkopf Retired general :salute: :usa
70 Carl Yastrzemski Baseball Hall of Famer
69 Valerie Harper Actress ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Rhoda")
68 Bill Parcells Football executive, coach
62 Cindy Williams Actress ("Laverne and Shirley")
53 Paul Molitor Baseball Hall of Famer
51 Vernon Reid Rock musician (Living Colour)
48 Roland Orzabal Rock singer (Tears For Fears)
48 Debbi Peterson Rock musician (The Bangles)
46 Tori Amos Rock singer
42 kelmac07 Cigar Asylum Inmate :usa
34 Dean Back Rock musician (Theory of a Deadman) :banger

34 Layne Staley 8/22/1967 - 4/5/2002 Musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains

MedicCook

08-22-2009, 10:39 PM

August 23rd

1305
William Wallace, Scottish patriot, is executed for high treason by Edward I of England.

1591
Luis Ponce de León a Spanish lyric poet and an Augustinian canon, of the Spanish Golden Age died.

1904
The automobile tire chain is patented.

1914
Japan declared war on Germany in World War I.

1926
Silent film star Rudolph Valentino died in New York at age 31.

1989
Pete Rose, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball after being accused of gambling on baseball.

Birthdays
75 Barbara Eden Actress ("I Dream of Jeannie")
75 Sonny Jurgensen Football Hall of Famer
69 Richard Sanders Actor ("WKRP in Cincinnati")
60 Shelley Long Actress ("Cheers")
60 Rick Springfield Actor, singer
48 Dean DeLeo Rock musician (Stone Temple Pilots)
39 Jay Mohr Actor
31 Kobe Bryant Basketball player (LA Lakers)
28 Kommatose Cigar Asylum Inmate

38 Louis XVI 8/23/1754 - 1/21/1793 French king; guillotined in French Revolution
83 Gene Kelly 8/23/1912 - 2/2/1996 American dancer, actor, choreographer and director
86 George Kell 8/23/1922 - 3/24/2009 Baseball Hall of Famer
32 Keith Moon 8/23/1946 - 9/7/1978 Drummer of the rock group The Who
23 River Phoenix 8/23/1970 - 10/31/1993 American film actor

MedicCook

08-27-2009, 10:26 PM

August 28th

1609
Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay.

1850
Richard Wagner's opera, Lohengrin, premiered at Weimar, Germany.

1922
The first commercial to be broadcast on radio aired on station WEAF in New York City. The ten minute advertisement for the Queensboro Realty Company cost $100.

1963
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial to civil rights demonstrators.

Birthdays
69 Ken Jenkins Actor ("Scrubs")
66 Lou Piniella Chicago Cubs manager
66 David Soul Actor ("Starsky and Hutch")
52 Daniel Stern Actor
44 Shania Twain Country singer
41 Billy Boyd Actor ("Lord of the Rings" films)
40 Jason Priestley Actor ("Beverly Hills 90210)
40 Jack Black Actor, musician
30 earnold25 Cigar Asylum Inmate
27 LeAnn Rimes Country singer
~ opus Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ Dunkel Cigar Asylum Inmate

MedicCook

08-28-2009, 10:44 PM

August 29th

1533
Atahualpa, the last ruler of the Incas, was murdered as Francisco Pizarro completed his conquest of Peru.

1786
Shays's rebellion, an insurrection of Massachusetts farmers against the state government, began.

1842
The Treaty of Nanking was signed, ending the Opium Wars and ceding the island of Hong Kong to Britain.

1877
Brigham Young died in Salt Lake City, Utah at age 76.

1892
Pop (Billy) Shriver (Chicago Cubs) caught a ball that was dropped from the top of the Washington Monument in Washington, DC.

1898
The Goodyear tire company is founded.

1949
The U.S.S.R. tested their first atomic bomb.

1957
Strom Thurmond ended the longest filibuster in U.S. Senate history. He spoke for more than 24 hours, 18 minutes against a civil rights bill; the bill passed.

1964
Roy Orbison's single "Oh, Pretty Woman" was released.

1966
The Beatles played their last major live concert at Candlestick Park, California.

1967
The final episode of "The Fugitive" aired.

1970
The Kinks' single "Lola" was released.

1991
The Supreme Soviet, the parliament of the U.S.S.R., suspended all activities of the Communist Party, bringing an end to the institution.

2005
Hurricane Katrina slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast, destroying beachfront towns in Mississippi and Louisiana, displacing a million people, and killing more than 1,000.

Birthdays
73 John McCain Former prisoner of war, politician :usa
71 Elliott Gould Actor
68 Robin Leach TV host ("Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous")
59 Tim D. Cigar Asylum Inmate :usa
50 Rebecca DeMornay Actress
49 piperman Cigar Asylum Inmate
27 Darrell Cigar Asylum Inmate :usa

76 Henry Bergh 8/29/1811 - 3/12/1888 Founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
67 Ingrid Bergman 8/29/1915 - 8/29/1982 Swedish motion-picture and stage actress
50 Michael Jackson 8/29/1958 - 06/25/2009 American pop singer

icehog3

08-28-2009, 10:53 PM

August 29th

Birthdays

71 Elliott Gould Actor
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/gould.jpg

68 Robin Leach TV host ("Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous")
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa73/icehog3/Leach.jpg

Starscream

10-20-2009, 06:01 PM

October 20

1977 - Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash

RIP Ronnie!

icehog3

10-20-2009, 07:02 PM

October 20

1977 - Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed in a plane crash

RIP Ronnie!

Can't believe that has been 32 years. Wow.

Don't forget Steve's sister Cassie.

RIP to them all.

MedicCook

10-20-2009, 09:54 PM

Birthdays
99 Bob Shepherd - New York Yankees PA Announcer

faiskeoadave

12-15-2009, 07:59 AM

Hello Mr. Spammer.

Goodbye Mr Spammer.

With Love,

icehog3

Skywalker

01-17-2010, 10:51 AM

I miss this thread!!!:(

Jbailey

01-17-2010, 10:59 AM

It was never updated when Blake bought his cigars.

icehog3

01-17-2010, 01:37 PM

It was never updated when Blake bought his cigars.

Same day, two headlines:

Blake orders Cuban cigars.

Hell freezes over.

;) :r

JaKaacH

02-03-2011, 06:28 PM

On this day in 1959, rising American rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes in Iowa a few minutes after takeoff from Mason City

In response to the Cuban alignment with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy extended measures by Executive Order, first widening the scope of the trade restrictions on February 7 (announced on February 3 and again on March 23, 1962).

JaKaacH

02-15-2011, 08:41 PM

Today in History
1995 Population of People's Republic of China hits 1.2 billion
1989 Soviet military occupation of Afghanistan ends
1939 German battleship Bismarck was launched
1933 President-elect Franklin Roosevelt survives assassination attempt
1898 USS Maine sinks in Havana harbor, cause unknown, 258 sailors die

The Poet

06-01-2015, 08:10 PM

Let's see if we can keep this one awake for a while.

June 1, 1779 - Court-martial trial of Benedict Arnold begins in Philadelphia, though it is soon delayed by battle to resume only on Dec. 23 in Morristown, NJ.

June 1, 1967 - The Beatles release Sgt. Peppers album.

RWhisenand

06-01-2015, 08:25 PM

Hellen Keller died on this date.

The Poet

06-02-2015, 08:30 AM

On June 2 in 1935, Babe Ruth retired, and in 1953 Elizabeth II was crowned. Thus a Sultan stepped down and a Queen ascended on the same day.

The Poet

06-03-2015, 04:51 AM

On June 3 in 1956 the city of Santa Cruz CA bans rock and roll music, and in 1989 Chinese troops clear protesters out of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Different lyrics, same tune.

The Poet

06-04-2015, 08:58 AM

Today in 1942 the Battle of Midway began, and in 1919 the passage of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.

Well, you can't win 'em all.

shark

06-04-2015, 02:16 PM

On this day in 1896, Henry Ford first tests his "Quadricycle".

The Poet

06-05-2015, 09:44 AM

On this day in 1933, the US went off the Gold Standard, and in 1956 Elvis appeared on The Milton Berle Show.

I leave it to others to decide which had a greater cultural and economic impact on the world.

The Poet

06-06-2015, 10:27 AM

Aside from the well-known D-Day anniversary, on June 6 1933 the first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden NJ, and in 1971 the last Ed Sullivan Show aired . . . which was also about the same time TV started killing of the drive-in.

The Poet

06-07-2015, 07:48 AM

Today in 1692 the pirate haven Port Royal in Jamaica was destroyed in an earthquake. Meanwhile, today in 2015, half a world away in Australia, Johnny Depp continues in the destruction of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The Poet

06-08-2015, 10:00 AM

Guten morgan. On this date in 1948, a hand-built aluminum prototype vehicle was finished in Austria by Ferdinand Porsche, the first automobile to bear his name. And in 1986 former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim was elected president of Austria, despite charges that he had also formerly been a Nazi staff officer.

On a personal note, I met Herr Waldheim once, in Nashville back in 1976. Odd story that, which also includes me getting a wink from Dolly Parton. ;)

YankeeMan

06-08-2015, 02:46 PM

I'd rather have the wink from Dolly Parton! ;-)

The Poet

06-08-2015, 03:05 PM

It gave a whole new meaning to Dollywood. :D

The Poet

06-09-2015, 10:22 AM

Today in 1954, one Joseph effectively ended the career of another when Joseph Welch, special counsel for the US Army, famously and publicly chided Sen. Joseph McCarthy with the phrase "Have you no sense of dignity, sir, at long last?"

A cloak of many colors, even one of flag-drapery, can shelter a scoundrel only so long.

Subvet642

06-09-2015, 08:46 PM

On another day in history, understandably forgotten by most, as it was barely reported by the press: July 11, 1995, the U.S. Government, under President Clinton, released a cache of Soviet cables that had been decoded during WWII and the Cold War under Project Verona. The cables indicated that everyone charged by Sen. McCarthy was indeed a Soviet agent. Sen. McCarthy has been viciously slandered by history for doing his job, under mandate, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Operations which included the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. It was Congressman Richard Nixon, not Senator McCarthy who headed the HUAC. It is that confusion that has condemned his memory. It's a horrendous shame that Sen. McCarthy's rightful vindication has been withheld from him.

https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/h/haynes-venona.html

The Poet

06-09-2015, 09:09 PM

One can find books which praise Adolf Hitler as a champion against Communism.

June 10th update on June 10th.

Subvet642

06-09-2015, 10:09 PM

One can find books which praise Adolf Hitler as a champion against Communism.

June 10th update on June 10th.

People (many of whom feature in the decrypts), as well as the New York Times, have praised Stalin as a champion against Naziism. Both enslaved and murdered many millions of innocent people and one shouldn't use one evil to defend another. Besides, they were in cahoots with each other (Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact) until Hitler screwed his buddy by invading the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. One is reminded of two bank robbers fighting over the loot. BTW, Communism and Fascism are the same thing: Stateism, the supremacy of the State over the individual. Communism and Naziism aren't antagonists, they're rivals for the same thing. My wife's grandfather survived a Nazi concentration camp. Her grandmother and other family members fought the Nazis as partisans in Italy, and her great uncle, Walter Audisio, was the guy who killed Mussolini.

This is fun, I love history! :banger

The Poet

06-10-2015, 08:24 AM

Today in 1692, Bridget Bishop was hanged as a witch in Salem MA, and in 1752 Benjamin Franklin went a flew a kite.

The Poet

06-11-2015, 08:15 AM

On this date in 1955, towards the end of the 24 Hour race at Le Mans France, the Mercedes Benz 300SLR driven by Pierre Levegh was propelled into the air following a wreck and flew in flaming pieces into the crowd, killing the driver and 81 spectators. That race was completed despite this tragedy, though later ones in Germany and Switzerland were cancelled, and bans against racing were temporarily imposed in Spain and Mexico. A ban remains in Switzerland to this day, whereas Spain and Mexico still remain bullish on corridas.

The Poet

06-12-2015, 09:51 AM

Today in 1987, President Ronald Reagan famously challenged General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall" in a speech from Berlin. Speaking of walls, in 1994 Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were stabbed to death outside her Brentwood home. O.J. Simpson, her ex-husband, continues to search for her killer from behind the walls of the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada.

The Poet

06-13-2015, 09:25 AM

On this day in 323 BC Alexander the Great died in Babylon at the age of 33. One wonders how the flow of Western history might differ today had he been content with an empire that stretched from the Danube to the Nile and the Tigris and Euphrates, and had he not attempted a bridge too far by forging on to the Oxus and the Indus.

On the plus side, he at least outlived Bucephalus.

The Poet

06-14-2015, 07:39 AM

On this Flag Day in 1951, the first commercially-produced computer, UNIVAC, was delivered to the US Census Bureau. Within 6 months, upon my own delivery, it counted me. And in 1954 the US held a national Civil Defense alert, urging millions of Americans to duck, cover, and kiss their @$$ goodbye.

The Poet

06-15-2015, 08:47 AM

Today in 1215 King John was forced to put his seal on the Magna Carta, guaranteeing feudal rights to his barons. The common people? Eh, not so much. And in 1986 King Richard made his 1,000th start in a NASCAR race.

On a cultural note, in 1300 Dante Alighieri was named a prior of Florence, two years before he was banished from his native city. And speaking of immortal poets, in 1963 Kyu Sakamoto hit #1 on the US pop charts with his song "Sukiyaki" . . . the only time this has happened with a song sung entirely in Japanese.

The Poet

06-16-2015, 07:57 AM

If yesterday was on skates for some, today is decidedly on wheels. On June 16 1884 the first roller coaster in America opened at Coney Island NY. It roared along at a blistering 6 MPH for 600 feet, and cost a nickel . . . which, by my rough estimation, would equal in today's money about $328,614. And today in 1903, in Detroit MI the Ford Motor Company was incorporated. It is still in business today, even if Detroit is closed. Finally, at Columbia Record's Studio A in Manhattan, folk icon Bob Dylan flipped the switch back in 1965 and recorded what Rolling Stone magazine named the greatest song of all time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syNLBJ_Lq9E

jonumberone

06-17-2015, 06:13 AM

In 1994 Al Cowlings and O.J. went for a ride in a white Ford Bronco.

The Poet

06-17-2015, 08:47 AM

And in 1972, a continent removed from LA, five men were arrested in DC's Watergate Hotel for felonious burglary and possession of implements of crime.

The Poet

06-18-2015, 10:30 AM

Today, in 1923, Checker produced its first taxi at its Kalamazoo factory. Speaking of crosstown traffic and zoos, in 1967 the Monterey Pop Festival reached its climax when Jimi Hendrix set his Fender on fire.

And in 1798 John Adams passed the first of the Alien and Sedition Acts, relating to restrictions on immigration, which was opposed by many as being detrimental to American principles. Thankfully, we have evolved past such issues. :r

shilala

06-18-2015, 11:39 AM

And in 1798 John Adams passed the first of the Alien and Sedition Acts, relating to restrictions on immigration, which was opposed by many as being detrimental to American principles. Thankfully, we have evolved past such issues. :r

Oddly enough, Adams was a Federalist in a Federalist controlled government when he pulled this nonsense.
The Feds just wanted to shut up the burgeoning Democratic-Republican party and remain in power.
This move stuck a fork in the Federalists, lost them the 1800 election, and allowed Thomas Jefferson to take office.
The Alien act was repealed in 1802, and the Sedition Act was left to expire.

John Adams was a total blockhead, quite frankly.
Always on the wrong side of the fence, promoting French and English ideals, and just normally wrong.
His boy was his polar opposite and very much galvanized our independence.

On a personal basis, I really enjoy this very period of our country's history.
The whole Thomas Jefferson era, actually.
If it's okay, I'm just gonna continue to blather, Thomas.
I ****in LOVE history. :tu

The Poet

06-18-2015, 01:25 PM

Blather away, brother. You are skilled at it. :D Plus, you are correct about the whole Adams/Jefferson conflict.

shilala

06-18-2015, 01:48 PM

Mr. Thomas, on the 4th of July, will you tell everyone that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on that day in 1826?
Their friendship is such a great story. I've wanted to read their letters for quite some time, and I plan to do that soon.
My goal is to get smarter than you, stud. :tu (;))
It may be possible if I can stay alive for 50 more years and you check out relatively soon.

The Poet

06-18-2015, 01:57 PM

My goal is to get smarter than you, stud. :tu (;))

The achievement of one's goals is greatly eased by setting them worm-belly low. :r

The Poet

06-19-2015, 11:09 AM

On this day in 1972, the US Supreme Court ruled against Curt Flood in his case seeking to become a free agent, reaffirming the 1922 decision that baseball was a sport and not a business, and was thus exempt from anti-trust law. Remember this the next time you drop a few hundred on a pair of plastic seats. Flood, a star player with the Cards for a decade, never played again. Speaking of judicial matters, in 1953 Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed as spies for allegedly providing atomic bomb secrets to Soviet agents. They denied these charges until the end. In the meantime, Klaus Fuchs, a physicist who had actually confessed to such espionage, was in England's Wakefield prison, from which he was released in 1959 after serving less than 9 1/2 years of a 14-year sentence.

On a cultural note, and to return to our 5 cents theme, in 1905 about 450 people attended the opening of the first Nickelodeon in Pittsburgh PA. Remember THAT the next time you drop 15 bucks to see the newest billion-dollar blockbuster . . . and an additional 6 bucks on a nickel's worth of popcorn.

The Poet

06-20-2015, 09:44 AM

Today in history nothing much happened, or at least nothing much happened which interests me. Yes, in 1863 West Virginia joined the Union as either the 35th or the 24th state, depending on whether or not one counts the 11 states of the Secession. But this was more symbolic than significant at the time, and West Virginia remains pretty insignificant to this day. And in 1963 the US and USSR agreed to the establishment of the hotline, to ease communications in times of tension. But this also has, thankfully, proven to be symbolic, as it has never been used "in anger". Actually, its most significant usage has been as a prop in numerous movies, beginning with the dueling apocalyptic classics of Fail Safe and Dr. Strangelove.

Yet speaking of movies, one historical landmark did occur on June 20 1975. That is the release of Jaws, which became the first summer blockbuster film ever. I leave it to you to decide if this was a positive or negative development. :D

shilala

06-20-2015, 10:27 AM

Today in history they cranked up the Alaska pipeline for it's maiden voyage.
Along the 800 mile stretch, numerous sections of pipes split, and gazillions of welds failed.

Now, the tie-in to Thomas' post. Bear with me...
On this job the derisive term "Hoopie" was formed and exists to this day.
The pipeline was made of 48" diameter 1/2" thick steel.
This is super easy stuff to weld. I can tell you this because I can weld it to pass xray in one shot, and I can't weld worth a damn. What I can do is boss welders, so that's what I did for lots of years.
As you can imagine, 800 miles of pipe requires an extraordinary amount of manpower. When you hurt that hard for help, the quality of skills that come with the manpower suffers.

In the 3rd year of that 3 year project, it turned out that every able-bodied man in West Virginia was a welder. If they could make a spark, they were hired.
Problem was, a high percentage really couldn't weld to save their ass. So Aleyeska brought in chill rings. Chill rings are basically hoops that fit inside or outside pipe.
They facilitate welding in extremely difficult situations by pulling heat away from the weld, making it easier to control an arc. They have no place on any pipeline.
Then the men were babied along and taught to weld in critical situations they should have had no part in. They should have been welding bumpers on trucks.

As you'll have with guys at work, these men were teased and tortured.
Anyone who was seen anywhere near a chill ring was called a Hoopie, regardless of where they came from, their skill level, or actual tradecraft, and are still called Hoops today.
Among fitters and welders, it's much like "yanks and rebels".

You may take it from there, my crusty, old, scalawag brother. :tu

The Poet

06-21-2015, 08:33 AM

On this first Father's Day of summer, there's a ton of little things that float my boat. For instance, for Scott, who has wanted to know what France has done for US lately, in 1963 it withdrew its navy from NATO. Considering the checkered nature of its history, this may have been addition by subtraction. Speaking of armadas, in 1779 Spain followed well-worn old habits and declared war on England . . . again. In 1964, three civil rights workers disappeared near Meridian MS, later found murdered by the local KKK. No additional comment necessary, save perhaps to note that in 1788 the US Constitution was ratified. Someday it may even be enforced. ;)

On cultural fronts, in 1920 film stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were mobbed by fans on their arrival in London, a new phenomenon we have long outgrown. Who mobs celebrities these days? In 1956 playwright Arthur Miller pulled an anti-Elia Kazan by refusing to name colleagues with communist leanings to the HUAC. And in 1965 The Byrds released their hit album Mr. Tambourine Man, "borrowing" equally from Bob Dylan and The Beatles to create a smash, and a new genre of folk-rock.

Folk-rock on, folks! :banger

The Poet

06-22-2015, 09:57 AM

Nothing much of interest happened on this date. In 1611 Henry Hudson was set adrift by mutineers in the bay which now bears his name, and still hides his lost remains. And in 1937, in Comiskey Park, Joe Louis knocked out Jim Braddock in the eighth to become the heavyweight champion of the world. With all due respect to Clay/Ali's career, it can be argued Louis was the greatest ever. Also, in 1775, the Continental Congress issued $2 million in "bills of credit", a paper currency dubbed Continentals which served as promissory notes backed by unspecified future tax revenues. The issue was subject to massive inflation and led to a vast debt burden. Thankfully, the nation has not faced such a problem again. :D

With some hesitation, I also point out that in 1950 a number of dangerous Communist sympathizers were accused, including such dire threats as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Artie Shaw, and Pete Seeger.

The Poet

06-23-2015, 10:18 AM

Returning briefly to an earlier topic, today in 1959 Klaus Fuchs was released from a British prison. In 1992 John Gotti, the Teflon Don, was sentenced to life on 14 counts of conspiracy to commit murder and racketeering. In 1902 "Mercedes" was registered as a brand name, and in 1989 another brand name, Batman, hit the theater screens and became a massive one (hit, that is), boosting the careers of Michael Keaton and Tim Burton, in large part thanks to Jack Nicholson's creepy take on the Joker. The movie also holds much of the credit, or blame, for the vast success of comics-based films in recent times.

The Poet

06-24-2015, 11:39 AM

On this 9day in 1949 the fledgling NBC network in the equally youthful TV industry began airing Hopalong Cassidy films recut to fit the necessary length for broadcast, despite their strong misgivings that there would be an audience for Westerns with their viewers. NBC executives remain as insightful today as then. In 1986 Maryland star forward Len Bias died from a cocaine overdose, just two days after being drafted by the Boston Celtics. Whether he indulged in celebration or commiseration of this remains unknown. And in 1997 the US Air Force released its report on the controversial Roswell incident fifty years earlier. What the report failed to address is the question as to why advanced interstellar beings would travel dozens or hundreds of light years merely to probe the lower gastric tracts of drunken meth-heads in Arkansas trailerparks.

The Poet

06-25-2015, 11:36 AM

Today in 1950 the Korean War . . . excuse me, "police action" . . . began when North Korean troops crossed the 38th Parallel to invade the South in a surprise attack. Someday this conflict might even end, and put to the lie Frost's assertion that good fences make good neighbors. Also, in 1876 the Battle of Little Bighorn occurred, which not only outraged white Americans at the slaughter of the 7th Cavalry but also ended the colorful career of Gen. George Armstrong Custer with this, his Last Stand.

In 1956 the last Packard automobile was produced in Detroit. Ask the man who never had a chance to own one. And speaking of man, today in 1910 Congress passed the Mann Act . . . much to the chagrin of Admiral Icehog. :D

The Poet

06-26-2015, 10:59 AM

On June 26 in 1948 the Berlin Airlift began, bringing supplies to the 2 million citizens of the Soviet-blockaded of the Western zones of that surrounded city for nearly a year. And in commemoration of that massive effort in 1963, President Kennedy declared in a speech there that he was a doughnut. On the topic of transportation, and in imitation of the German Autobahn system which had been blockaded, in 1956 Congress passed the Federal Highway Act, thus laying the foundation of our present interstate highway system, and ultimately producing what is arguably the greatest monument of the Eisenhower administration. On a damper note, in 1959 the Saint Lawrence Seaway opened.

And today in 1975, the divorce of Sonny and Cher became final. I got screwed, babe.

The Poet

06-27-2015, 10:27 AM

Today American culture was affected by death and resurrection. In 1829 English scientist James Smithson died in Genoa, leaving is entire estate to his only nephew, but with the odd proviso that, were his nephew to die heirless, his bequest should go to the United States for the establishment of an institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. As his nephew did indeed die without an heir some 6 years later, this fortune founded the Smithsonian. In 1939 a relationship died and a classic was born when the "Frankly my dear" scene was filmed to wrap up production of Gone With The Wind. The line, shocking at the time, did pass the censors, though producer David O. Selznick was fined $5000 . . . as if he gave a damn. And in 1968 Elvis Presley, who had been pretty much musically irrelevant since he'd entered the Army a decade earlier, began filming his Comeback Special. Thank you very much.

Finally, in 1985, the famed Route 66, once THE link between Chicago and LA, and a part of American culture, was decertified, with its iconic signs removed. The Mighty I-40 slowly killed it, much to the despair of Tod and Buz.

Subvet642

06-28-2015, 10:53 AM

The Poet

06-28-2015, 11:00 AM

On this day in 1836 James Madison, fourth President of the nation he helped to found, vital contributor to the American Constitution, co-writer with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton of The Federalist Papers, and husband of famed cakemaker Dolly (zinger! :D) died at his Virginia plantation. In 1914 Archduke Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo by Gavrilo Princip, which led to a bit of strife. Sadly, this strife did not, as promised, end all strife.

In 1953, in Flint MI, the first Corvette was built, and became an American icon almost immediately. In 1997. Mike Tyson bit an ear, though Tyson never said it tasted like chicken. And in a bit of serendipity, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision, today marks the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riot which began outside a Christopher Street club in Lower Manhattan.

The Poet

06-29-2015, 02:35 PM

Today in 2015 I am having internet problems, so this may be truncated. In 1613 The Globe Theater burned down, a midsummer's nightmare to all Shakespeareans. In 1972 the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty. Yeah, right. By "popular demand", and in time to celebrate our Bicentennial, it was reinstated in 1976. And there was a double-dip in 1967. Firstly, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones went on trial for allowing his Redlands estate to be used for the purpose of smoking Indian hemp. The case for the prosecution hinged upon two main points . . . the smell of incense, and the fact that Marianne Faithfull was found clad in a bearskin rug. For these heinous crimes, Richards was sentenced to a year in prison. Secondly, on the same day, actress and pinup bombshell Jayne Mansfield was killed in a car accident on her way from Biloxi to New Orleans, though her three-year-old daughter (Mariska Hargitay) and two siblings survived the wreck. This was in the days before airbags . . . as if Ms. Mansfield needed those.

The Poet

06-30-2015, 11:46 AM

On June 30 1962 Sandy Koufax pitched his first no-hitter. Another swing-and-miss occurred in 1975, when Cher and Greg Allman were married. But far and away the most significant event in human history happened in 1948, when Bell Labs introduced the first transistor to the world, thus starting the evolution of silicon-based life on earth.

You question the importance of that? Feel free. Then spend one day without utilizing one, in some way or another.

The Poet

07-01-2015, 11:05 AM

At local midnight of June 30-July 1 1997 the Union Jack was replaced by the so-called Five Star Red Flag of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong, as it reverted to Chinese rule following the end of the 99-year lease signed in 1868. To the dismay of many, both in and outside the former British colony, that flag seems to fly a bit higher each day. More worryingly, few of those dismayed are citizens of mainland China, and those hold little power. By odd coincidence, in 1967 Canada became independent of Britain, sort of anyway, as it remained a self-governing entity within the British Empire.

This was one of the most contentious and deadly days in human history. In 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg began. In 1898 the Battle of San Juan Hill occurred. In 1916 the Battle of the Somme began. And in 1942 the Battle of El Alamein began. One bloody way to start the second half of any year, much less numerous ones.

In 1979 the first Sony Walkman went on sale. I still own one, and it sounds better than today's portable options. And in 1984 the MPAA introduced the new PG-13 rating, which has played a significant role in the following spate of Hollywood blockbusters. Hey, you could now shoot and blow up as many people as you wished, as long as you gave no more than a flash of boob or said the F-word more than once.

Oh, and in 1963 the Zone Improvement Plan was introduced by the US Post Office, and Mr. Zip was born.

The Poet

07-02-2015, 02:56 PM

Today in 1900 Count Zeppelin launched his first airship. It was not much of a success, but not as big a failure as was the Hindenburg. While we're talking balloons, in 1947 a weather balloon crashed outside Roswell NM. Or did it? Don't ask me, ask Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum. And while we're talking aliens and the Fresh Prince, in 1997 Men In Black premiered. And while we're already all up in the air, in 1937 Amelia Earhart . . . ?

Finally, in 1962 Sam Walton opened his first discount store in Rogers AR, and within a few decades Wal-Mart had taken the air out of many other retailers.

The Poet

07-03-2015, 02:24 PM

On this day in 1962, superstar Tom Cruise was born. As for when he was reborn into the Church of L. Ron Hubbard remains a sacred secret. And in 1985 the movie Back To The Future was released, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and a DeLorean DMC-12. Sadly, these three were not actually able to travel into the past, as on this day in 1969 Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones died in his pool, and in 1971 Jim Morrison of The Doors died in his bathtub. Had Marty McFly and Doc Brown been there, these two icons may have been saved . . . though what effect all that water may have had upon the Flux Capacitor remains unanswered.

shilala

07-04-2015, 10:56 AM

Don't forget Jefferson and Adams today, Thomas!!! :D

The Poet

07-04-2015, 11:19 AM

Don't forget Jefferson and Adams today, Thomas!!! :D

Gimme a chance, brother! I ain't forgot jack . . . nor Tom and John. :r

shilala

07-04-2015, 11:24 AM

My old buddy Jimmy Bish used to say "I KNOW JACK SH1T!!!"

shark

07-04-2015, 11:54 AM

Meyer Lansky was born today in Russia, in 1902

The Poet

07-04-2015, 12:06 PM

Aside from the historical event which is obvious to all of us, on the 50th anniversary of the symbolic foundation of the United States . . .

Mr. Thomas, on the 4th of July, will you tell everyone that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on that day in 1826?

In 1855 Walt Whitman, perhaps the most "American" poet ever, self-published the first edition of his Leaves of Grass, which grew organically (like grass?) into a lyric masterpiece of epic length. Of more popular, albeit less significant, cultural import was the birth of playwright Neil Simon on this day in 1927. In 1997, following a trip of 120 million miles, the Pathfinder probe landed on Mars, though it bounced 16 times before it actually did so. Renamed the Sagen Memorial Station, it later deployed the first interplanetary rover, Sojourner, which added an extra 171 feet to the path traversed. And in 1954, in a suburb of Cleveland OH, Marilyn Sheppard, wife of Dr. Sam Sheppard, was bludgeoned to death in their bedroom as her husband slept on the daybed in the living room. Charged and later convicted of her murder, Dr. Sheppard vehemently denied he was guilty, claiming instead that the culprit he witnessed at the scene was a one-armed man . . . uh, excuse me, a bushy-haired intruder.

Oh, and as for an international revolution of a different sort, on this date in 1976, and with likely little if any interest in America's Bicentennial celebrations by colonials across The Pond, The Clash played their first live gig at The Black Swan in Sheffield England as an opening act for The Sex Pistols. I wonder if The Black Swan's loo was as nasty as the toilet in CBGB? :D

The Poet

07-05-2015, 11:15 AM

On July 5 1921 jury selection began in the case against the 1919 White/Black Sox for throwing the World Series. Following the subsequent ban for life from baseball of many of the players involved, everyone but Pete Rose got the message. On a happier note, in 1946 designer Louis Reard unveiled a daring 2-piece woman's bathing suit at a popular Parisian pool. Modeled by an exotic dancer, Micheline Bernardini, who had little aversion to showing some skin, the new suit was named by Reard after a Pacific atoll which was in the news at that time for its role in American A-bomb tests . . . Bikini. Ohh, baby! That culture-changing event was planned and orchestrated, unlike the one which happened at Sam Phillip's Sun Records of Memphis back in 1954, when an impromptu jam session featuring a young Elvis Presley gave the world his first hit record, That's All Right. Mama!

The Poet

07-06-2015, 03:06 PM

Today in 1933, in Chicago's Comiskey Park, baseball's first All Star Game was played, won by the AL 4-2. There is no record of fans from Missouri stuffing the ballot box. In 1935, Tenzin Gyatso was born in Takster Tibet. Two years later he was proclaimed the 14th Dalai Lama. In 1957 Althea Gibson became the first African American to win at Wimbledon, though the terms used to designate her race were not as PC at the time. Of at least as significant culturally, on the same day, half a nation away to the NW, two Liverpudlians named John Lennon and Paul McCartney at the Woolton Parish Church Garden Fest, to which John's Quarry Men Skiffle Group had been invited to play. Paul was a rapt spectator who later impressed Lennon by playing his own guitar with more skill than John possessed at the time.

And in 1994 the movie Forrest Gump opened, not only becoming a smash hit but also winning Tom Hanks his second (and consecutive) Oscar for Best Actor. Run, Forrest, run!

The Poet

07-07-2015, 11:52 AM

By popular definition, July 7 was the best day ever, since in 1928 sliced bread was invented. In 1930 construction began on the Hoover Dam. According to author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, today in 1852 Dr. John H. Watson was born. Strangely, Conan Doyle died on this same date in 1930. In 1941 the US moved closer to war with Nazi Germany as it took occupational control over Iceland, while in 1958 the US changed the status of its own territorial icebox when Pres. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act. And again oddly, the US moved further away from war in 1969 with the first withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam.

And in 1962 a throwaway piece of music composed by David Rose for an obscure TV show four years earlier hit #1 on the pop charts, and the tune which became known as The Stripper entered the American psyche.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YdMaZRVUU8

The Poet

07-08-2015, 02:33 PM

Today in 1951, Paris celebrated its 2,000th birthday. I don't know if they did so just to p!$$ off Scott or not.

In 1776 the Liberty Bell tolled to summon citizens of Philadelphia to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. And in 1859 Commodore Matthew Perry sailed four American warships into Tokyo Bay in defiance of Japanese restrictions against foreigners, in a gambit to force the opening of this closed society. It is still a question as to how successful this actually turned out to be. In 1960 Francis Gary Powers was charged with espionage by the Soviet Union. Who knows why they'd think so. And in 1994 Kim Il Sung, the Great Leader of North Korea, died at the age of 82. It is remarkable how that nation has changed in the interim. :rolleyes:

The Poet

07-09-2015, 03:03 PM

On July 9 not much happened that interests me. In 1918 a heartbroken William Faulkner, whose high school sweetheart had just married another man, left Oxford MS and joined the RAF in Canada, supposedly hoping the romance of a "Foreign Legion"-type existence would succor his pain. In 1948, after 21 years in the Negro League, Leroy "Satchel" Paige made his MLB debut with the Indians at age 42. And in 1962 Bob Dylan recorded his non-protest protest song, Blowin' In The Wind, though we would not hear it until nearly a year later when he released the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Yet we already knew the song itself, since Peter, Paul, and Mary had already made it a hit. Thus the question, if not the answer, was previously on the air.

Subvet642

07-09-2015, 09:24 PM

The Poet

07-10-2015, 03:06 PM

Another slow day in history. In 1850, following the death of Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore was sworn in as President. Who?? And in 1925, in Dayton TN the Scopes Monkey Trial began. Though the trial lasted less than 2 weeks, the case itself still faces the same debate . . . which should prove that man has not evolved. :r

The Poet

07-11-2015, 03:28 PM

Today in 1804, not too far from here, Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton on the dueling grounds near Weehawken NJ, following a heated feud between them which had grown over nearly a decade. Though charged with murder in both New York and New Jersey, Vice-President (!!) Burr avoided prosecution due to his immunity . . . just like he avoided charges of treason a few years later. Meanwhile Hamilton, a key contributor to the US Constitution and the Federalist Papers, and George Washington's choice as the first Secretary of the Treasury, ended up as the face on the ten-dollar bill . . . for now, anyway.

In 1914 George Herman "Babe" Ruth made his MLB debut, pitching 7 strong innings against the Cleveland Indians for a 4-3 win by the Red Sox. He also went 0 for 2 at the plate. :r

In 1922 the Hollywood Bowl opened, hosting the LA Philharmonic. Speaking of Hollywood, in 1960 the novelty song Alley Oop, recorded by a fictitious group named for the intersection of the studio's address, became a #1 hit on the charts, and the Hollywood Argyles entered the lists as one-hit wonders.

The Poet

07-12-2015, 02:25 PM

On this day in 1389 Geoffrey Chaucer was named chief clerk of the king's work in Westminster by Richard II. I'm not sure what this meant, aside from the fact that those in power once recognized the value of poets. In 1933 the first Dymaxion car was produced in Bridgeport CT. Designed by Buckminster Fuller and styled by Isamu Noguchi, it was either ahead of its time or a product whose time will never arrive. Whichever, it was more successful as a concept than as an automobile revolution. And in 1979 the Chicago White Sox made only their second contribution to American culture (the first being the 1919 Black Sox scandal :D ) when their "Disco Demolition" promotion resulted in a riot where 9 were injured, 39 arrested, the game was forfeited to the Tigers, and disco was, with the rest of us, put out of its misery.

The Poet

07-13-2015, 02:38 PM

Today in 1793 Charlotte Corday assassinated French revolutionary Jean Paul Marat in his bathtub, by stabbing him with a knife hidden in her bodice. This event was immortalized, and is best known, by the painting of his supine corpse by Neo-classicist artist Jacques-Louis David. As for Mlle. Corday, she was guillotined 4 days later. And in 1798 William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy visited a ruined church called Tintern Abbey. The poem thus inspired, published later that year, expounded many of the principles of the Romantic school of poetry.

That's all I have today. Feel free to add your own.

The Poet

07-14-2015, 03:51 PM

With apologies to Scott, and all you other Francophobes, I would be remiss if I did not note that today, in 1789, Parisian revolutionaries and mutinous troops stormed and took the Bastille fortress, then used as a prison for the most uncommon of criminals and political troublemakers . . . such as the only French writer Scott will read, the Marquis de Sade. And speaking of the storming of fortified walls, in 1099 knights and infantry of the First Crusade captured the Holy City of Jerusalem, which they then cleansed with the blood of thousands of its Muslim and Jewish inhabitants.

In 1811 poet George Gordon (Lord) Byron returned to England after a 2-year tour of Europe and the Near East, and penned his first highly-successful work inspired by this sojourn, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. In 1968 Hank Aaron hit his 500th home run. He managed to knock a few more before he retired. And in 1995 a new file compression algorithm used to reduce the size of digital music files was dubbed MP3. Though I don't condemn it as fiercely as, say, Neil Young, I do feel it corrupts musical fidelity. Then again, considering what is being foisted off as music these days, that may not be a bad thing. Less is more, if the more so totally sucks.

Col. Kurtz

07-14-2015, 05:07 PM

Ahhh. The good old days. Before lossy digital compression. It's still ok to condemn Neil young though.

The Poet

07-14-2015, 05:30 PM

Neil Young has been a grumpy old man since he was 25 at least, so I'm used to it by now. :r

The Poet

07-15-2015, 02:50 PM

In 1606 Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn was born in Leiden. Smile, brother, smile. In 1903 the Ford Motor Company took its first order for a two-cylinder Model A, at a cost of $850, from Chicago dentist Ernst Pfenning. I don't know what 850 bucks would be today, but it is considerably more than a pfenning. In 1988 the movie Die Hard opened, making a huge star out of Jersey boy Bruce Wills. Yippie-ki-yay, motherfarker. And in 1986, after a 26-year partnership, Columbia Records dropped Johnny Cash from its label, shortly after they had done the same to another dead-beat non-performer, Miles Davis. Another man done gone, another song to sing, and flushed from the bathroom of your heart.

The Poet

07-16-2015, 02:08 PM

Today in 1769 Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra founded the first Catholic mission in Alta California, which he named San Diego de Alcala. From that point I don't know what happened to the Catholics, the Mexicans, or to San Diego. :D

In 1935, in Oklahoma City, Park-O-Meter No. 1 was installed at the corner of First Street and Robinson Avenue. Thankfully, much to the benefit of a growing automobile culture in America and worldwide, the freedom-restricting concept of paid parking did not catch on . . . much. And in 1945, in the desert near Alamogordo NM, the first atom bomb was successfully detonated, yielding the equivalent of 15-20,000 tons of TNT. This quantum leap in military capability has since resulted in a stable world order of peace and tranquility. As Robert J. Oppenheimer, one of the leading architects of the project, remarked at the time, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

The Poet

07-17-2015, 02:46 PM

On this day in 1941, in a game against the Cleveland Indians, Joltin' Joe DiMaggio failed to get a hit. Of itself, this would not be of significance, but it was the first time he hadn't in 56 consecutive games. That streak remains to this day, and likely shall for the foreseeable future. In 1938 aviator Douglas Corrigan took off from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, with a flight plan filed for a return trip to California. Twenty-eight hours later, he landed in Dublin Ireland, and thus earned the appellation "Wrong Way" . . . though his claims that he got lost were widely dismissed as a fabrication.

In 1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim CA, and you still can't manage to get in . . . unless you are a Kardashian. And in 1967 teen heart-throbs The Monkees, on a summer-long American tour, lost their opening act after only 8 shows when The Jimi Hendrix Experience suddenly left, due mainly to the guitarist (largely unknown to the US audience) getting sick of hearing the teeny-bopper crowd booing him offstage as they screamed for Davy Jones. This fiasco might have been foreseen by all but the totally myopic, even if those early dates had not included such avant-guard locations as Jacksonville, Charlotte, and Greensboro.

Subvet642

07-17-2015, 09:12 PM

The Poet

07-18-2015, 09:30 AM

I've always liked them both. :sh

I thought The Monkees were fun and put out some good catchy tunes (even though they had little to do with them), while Jimi was God, not Clapton as claimed. But they were wildly different creatures. Plus, The Fake Four were highly popular at the time with a wide, young, and heavily female fanbase. Hendrix was all-but unknown in America at the time, his look and sound was shocking and beyond confusing to the teen fans with a crush on Davy Jones, and those fans would likely have been impatient for the headliners regardless of the opening act.

No one should fault The Monkees for this epic fail. They were fans of Hendrix and simply hoped to promote his US rep by introducing him to a wider audience. But the concept was flawed. Hey, imagine One Direction having some death-metal band open?

AdamJoshua

07-18-2015, 04:18 PM

You missed the Anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch and the Soyuz docking :tu

The Poet

07-18-2015, 04:24 PM

You missed the Anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch and the Soyuz docking :tu

No, I just left it for you to post. :D

The Poet

07-18-2015, 04:51 PM

A few years back, in 64, Rome burned. I don't know how long it took to build it, nor if Nero fiddled. In 1925 Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf, which became the best-selling piece of crap writing until the likes of L. Ron and J. K. came along. In 1914 Wobbly organizer and singer Joe Hill was sentenced to death in Utah, even though the evidence of the murder charges was meager. I did not dream I saw him last night. And in the only event I witnessed, in 1999 Yankee pitcher David Cone threw a perfect game against the Montreal Expos in The Bronx. It only took Coney 88 pitches to record the 27 outs, so he definitely wasn't jerking off that day.

Subvet642

07-18-2015, 08:53 PM

I thought The Monkees were fun and put out some good catchy tunes (even though they had little to do with them), while Jimi was God, not Clapton as claimed. But they were wildly different creatures. Plus, The Fake Four were highly popular at the time with a wide, young, and heavily female fanbase. Hendrix was all-but unknown in America at the time, his look and sound was shocking and beyond confusing to the teen fans with a crush on Davy Jones, and those fans would likely have been impatient for the headliners regardless of the opening act.

No one should fault The Monkees for this epic fail. They were fans of Hendrix and simply hoped to promote his US rep by introducing him to a wider audience. But the concept was flawed. Hey, imagine One Direction having some death-metal band open?

Yes he was!:banger

I wouldn't like any of that. :r

shilala

07-19-2015, 10:35 AM

I thought The Monkees were fun and put out some good catchy tunes (even though they had little to do with them), while Jimi was God, not Clapton as claimed. But they were wildly different creatures. Plus, The Fake Four were highly popular at the time with a wide, young, and heavily female fanbase. Hendrix was all-but unknown in America at the time, his look and sound was shocking and beyond confusing to the teen fans with a crush on Davy Jones, and those fans would likely have been impatient for the headliners regardless of the opening act.

No one should fault The Monkees for this epic fail. They were fans of Hendrix and simply hoped to promote his US rep by introducing him to a wider audience. But the concept was flawed. Hey, imagine One Direction having some death-metal band open?

Here's a quasi-historical representation of this conversation. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk)
Thomas, Darren, you'll like it. :D

shilala

07-19-2015, 10:45 AM

Or is that a historical quasi-representation?

The Poet

07-19-2015, 12:00 PM

Whichever, Scott, it's dead-on. Wrong audience, bad timing. Still, I'd like to think Mozart woulda got it.

Subvet642

07-19-2015, 12:46 PM

That was amazing! Wow! :jd

The Poet

07-19-2015, 03:21 PM

In 1799 a soldier with Napoleon's Egyptian campaign found a black basalt stone near Rosetta which was inscribed with a text in ancient hieroglyphics, demotic, and ancient Greek. Though it ultimately led to the ability to translate the lost pictographic language dead for the previous 2000 years, it is still Greek to me. And in 1898, following his conviction for libel against the French army, novelist Emile Zola fled France. His crime was the publication of a letter, entitled J'Accuse, which exposed a cover-up by the military in the alleged espionage case against Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew. The nation became polarized on the affair, usually on racial grounds. Thankfully, a century of progress has moved us past such prejudice.

icehog3

07-19-2015, 04:31 PM

It only took Coney 88 pitches to record the 27 outs, so he definitely wasn't jerking off that day.

That was amazing! Wow! :jd

Agreed! Wow! :D

The Poet

07-19-2015, 04:36 PM

Agreed! Wow! :D

I'm glad somebody else understands how totally remarkable that was. :tu

icehog3

07-19-2015, 04:39 PM

I'm glad somebody else understands how totally remarkable that was. :tu

Indeed, Thomas, I thought Yankees never went a full day without jerking off.

;s :noon

The Poet

07-19-2015, 04:48 PM

Eh, the David Cone masturbation accusation actually occurred, or didn't, in the Mets bullpen. But whatever. I'm not gonna baitch as long as they are in 1st place. BTW, how's them Tiggers doin', Tom. ;)

icehog3

07-20-2015, 12:11 AM

BTW, how's them Tiggers doin', Tom. ;)

On this day in history....not so good. ;)

The Poet

07-20-2015, 02:22 PM

Today in 1919 Sir Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland NZ. Why? Because his mother was there. In 1973 martial artist and actor Bruce Lee died at the age of 32 of a brain edema, a month before his first hit movie was released in America, making him a star who had already expired. Exit the dragon. In 1976 the Viking 1 probe landed on the Chryse Planitia region of the planet Mars, becoming the first such device to successfully soft-land upon the surface of the Red Planet. This landing occurred on the seventh anniversary of another landing, in 1969, of Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle upon the surface of the Moon. It was one small step for (a) man, even though the one giant leap may yet to have been accomplished . . . at least to my satisfaction.

And on the obligatory "cultural" note, this song from California duo Jan and Dean hit #1 on the US charts in 1963.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6Cg_DHn69I

This kicked off the whole beach music trend, and helped build the swinging bikini-clad Left Coast image. Am I alone in remembering Annette and Frankie? :r

Subvet642

07-20-2015, 09:27 PM

The Poet

07-21-2015, 02:43 PM

On this day in 1959 Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green made his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox, entering as a pinch-runner for Vic Wertz in a 2-1 loss to the White Sox. This is notable because he was the first black player for Boston, which was the last team in MLB to integrate. The BoSox had given some guy named Jackie Robinson a tryout back in 1945, but did not sign him, and also passed on a chance to sign another no-name called Willie Mays in 1949. But they wisely held out for the superior talent of "Pumpsie", a lifetime .246 hitter.

Ernest Hemingway was born today in 1899, and became the world's best monosyllabic author. And in 1973 an obscure record with an Afro-Latin beat from an even more obscure Cameroonian artist Manu Dibango hit the Top 40, and began the conflagration of a disco inferno which soon consumed the music industry . . . and still burns people up to this day. You don't remember it? Consider yourself lucky. :r

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWK_Josc0Og

icehog3

07-21-2015, 05:26 PM

And in 1973 an obscure record with an Afro-Latin beat from an even more obscure Cameroonian artist Manu Dibango hit the Top 40, and began the conflagration of a disco inferno which soon consumed the music industry . . . and still burns people up to this day. You don't remember it? Consider yourself lucky. :r

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWK_Josc0Og

Had quite the influence.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VaveOTQEZg