Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON JULY 31st:

In 1715, a fleet of Spanish ships carrying gold, silver and jewelry sank during a hurricane off the east Florida coast, scattering most of their treasure along the ocean floor. Of some 2,500 crew members, more than 1,000 died.

In 1777, the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French nobleman, was made a major-general in the American Continental Army.

In 1856, Christchurch, New Zealand was chartered as a city.

In 1875, Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the U.S., died in Carter County, TN at age 66.

In 1919, Germany's Weimar Constitution was adopted by the republic's National Assembly.

Also in 1919, sportscaster Curt Gowdy was born in Green River, WY.

In 1928, Leo the Lion roared for the first time at the beginning of MGM's first talking picture, "White Shadows in the South Seas."

In 1930, the radio character The Shadow made his debut as narrator of the "Detective Story Hour" on CBS Radio. The character would be retooled into a crime fighter the following year.

In 1932, actor Ted Cassidy was born in Pittsburgh, PA, long before he started working at the Addams home.

In 1933, the radio series "Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy," made its debut on CBS radio station WBBM in Chicago. (It would run until 1950, and be heard over three different networks, respectively.)

In 1942, Oxfam International had its beginnings as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief was founded in England.

In 1948, the battleship USS Nevada was sunk by an aerial torpedo after surviving hits from two atomic bombs (as part of post-war tests) and being used for target practice by three other ships.

In 1954, Pakistan's K2 was conquered as two members of an Italian expedition, Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli, reached the summit.

In 1963, the BBC formally announced the regular cast of the upcoming series “Doctor Who”.

In 1964, the American space probe Ranger 7 reached the moon, transmitting pictures back to Earth before impacting the lunar surface.

In 1965, author J.K. Rowling was born in Yate, Gloucestershire, England. Sometime later, I’d check out her books to library patrons over and over and over again.

In 1966, the kaiju movie “Furankenshutain no kaiju: Sanda tai Gaira” was released in Japan, where it was made. Retitled “The War of the Gargantuas”, it would reach the U.S. in 1970.

In 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts Scott and Irwin become the first to ride in a Lunar Rover.

In 1972, Democratic vice-presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket with George McGovern following disclosures that Eagleton had once undergone psychiatric treatment.

In 1973, Delta Air Lines Flight 723, a DC-9, crashed while trying to land at Boston's Logan International Airport, killing all 89 people on board.

In 1989, a pro-Iranian group in Lebanon released a grisly videotape showing the body of American hostage William R. Higgins, a Marine lieutenant-colonel, dangling from a rope.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush and Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in Moscow.

Also in 1991, the comedy “Hot Shots!” was released in the U.S.

In 1999, the animated sci-fi movie “The Iron Giant”, directed by Brad Bird, premiered in the U.S.

In 2006, in Cuba, Fidel Castro handed over power to his brother Raul Castro.

In 2007, Operation Banner, the presence of the British Army in Northern Ireland, and the longest-running British Army operation ever, came to an end.

In 2012, Michael Phelps broke the record set in 1964 by Larisa Latynina for the most medals won at the Olympics, with 22 medals over three Olympiads.

In 2015, June S. Morgan passed away in Scranton, PA at age 87. She had earlier had a long career with the United States Government, and is sorely missed by her family.

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 1st:

In 1800, The Acts of Union of 1800 was passed in which the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

In 1834, slavery was abolished in the British Empire as the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 came into force.

In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th state.

In 1907, the U.S. Army Signal Corps established an aeronautical division, the forerunner of the U.S. Air Force.

In 1913, the Joyce Kilmer poem "Trees" was first published in "Poetry: A Magazine of Verse."

In 1936, the Olympics opened in Berlin with a ceremony presided over by Adolf Hitler.

In 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland, against Nazi occupation; the revolt lasted two months before collapsing.

Also in 1944, the Sherlock Holmes mystery “The Pearl of Death”, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, was released in the U.S.

In 1953, the comedy “Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, featuring Boris Karloff as Jekyll & Hyde, was released in the U.S.

In 1957, the United States and Canada agreed to create the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).

In 1958, the Tom & Jerry cartoon “Tot Watchers” was released in the U.S. It was the last Tom & Jerry theatrical short produced or directed by Hanna & Barbera.

In 1966, Charles Joseph Whitman, age 25, went on a shooting rampage at the University of Texas in Austin, killing 14 people. Whitman, who had also slain his wife and mother hours earlier, was gunned down by police.

In 1968, the monster movie “Kaiju soshingeki”, featuring an all-star Toho cast, was released in Japan. Nearly a year later, it would be released in the U.S. as “Destroy All Monsters”.

In 1971, the Concert for Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, took place at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Also in 1971, the post-apocalypse thriller “The Omega Man”, starring Charlton Heston, was released in the U.S.

In addition in 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission, astronaut Dave Scott confirmed Galileo’s theory that falling objects in a given gravity field will fall at the same rate, regardless of mass. Scott demonstrated this by dropping a hammer and a falcon feather on the Lunar surface.

In 1973, the comedy/drama “American Graffiti” had its U.S. premiere. It featured a soon-to-be-famous cast and a soon-to-be-famous director.

In 1975, a 35-nation summit in Finland concluded with the signing of a declaration known as the Helsinki Accords dealing with European security, human rights and East-West contacts.

In 1981, the rock music video channel MTV made its debut. The first video played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.

In 1986, the sci-fi adventure “Howard the Duck” was released in the U.S. It would develop a somewhat notorious reputation, which has eased a bit in recent years.

In 1994, Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley confirmed they'd been secretly married 11 weeks earlier. (Presley filed for divorce from Jackson in January 1996, citing irreconcilable differences.)

In 1997, the family comedy “Air Bud” was released in the U.S.

In 2007, the eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people.

 

Jerry Ito ("Clark Nelson") was probably my favorite villain from all of the Toho Studios monster movies.

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 2nd:

In 1776, members of the Continental Congress began attaching their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.

In 1790, the first United States Census was conducted.

In 1873, inventor Andrew S. Hallidie successfully tested a cable car he had designed for the city of San Francisco.

In 1876, frontiersman "Wild Bill" Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker at a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, by Jack McCall, who was later hanged.

In 1892, film executive Jack L. Warner, co-founder of Warner Brothers, was born in London, Ontario, Canada.

In 1905, actress Myrna Loy was born in Helena, MT. Nick and Asta came along later.

In 1909, the original Lincoln "wheat" penny first went into circulation, replacing the "Indian Head" cent.

In 1917, artist/animator/designer Wah Chang was born in Honolulu. He’s best-known for his work on the original series “Star Trek” and producer George Pal.

In 1920, writer/producer/voice actor Bill Scott was born. He’s best-known for his work on cartoons from UPA and producer Jay Ward.

In 1921, eight White Sox players were acquitted of throwing the 1919 World Series.

In 1923, Warren G. Harding, the 29th president of the U.S., died in San Francisco at age 57; Vice President Calvin Coolidge became president.

In 1934, German President Paul von Hindenburg died in East Prussia at age 86, paving the way for Adolf Hitler's complete takeover.

In 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed in the U.S., the effect of which was to render marijuana and all its by-products illegal.

In 1939, Albert Einstein signed a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt urging creation of an atomic weapons research program.

Also in 1939, President Roosevelt signed the Hatch Act, which prohibited civil service employees from taking an active part in political campaigns.

In 1943, during World War II, U.S. Navy boat PT-109, commanded by Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy, sank after being rammed in the middle of the night by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri off the Solomon Islands. Two crew members were killed.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and Britain's new Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, concluded the Potsdam conference.

In 1961, The Beatles began an engagement as the regular headliners at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. The band performed more than 300 times in the course of two years.

In 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox suffered light damage during a skirmish with North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. (This and an alleged second incident two days later led to congressional approval of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that propelled America deep into war.)

In 1967, the mystery drama “In the Heat of the Night”, starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, premiered in New York City.

In 1969, Badfinger recorded “Come and Get It”, written & produced by Paul McCartney.

In 1970, actor/filmmaker Kevin Smith was born in Red Bank, NJ.

In 1974, former White House counsel John W. Dean III was sentenced to one to four years in prison for obstruction of justice in the Watergate coverup. (Dean ended up serving four months.)

In 1979, Yankee catcher Thurman Munson died in a plane crash in Akron, OH at age 32.

In 1985, 137 people were killed when Delta Air Lines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, crashed while attempting to land at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, seizing control of the oil-rich emirate. (The Iraqis were later driven out in Operation Desert Storm.)

In 1999, the mystery thriller “The Sixth Sense” premiered in Philadelphia, PA. Written & directed by M. Night Shyamalan, it starred Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment.

In 2005, an Air France jetliner from Paris skidded off a runway while landing at Toronto's Pearson International Airport during a storm and burst into flames; all 309 people aboard survived.

In 2015, the spy-fi movie “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”, based on the TV series, premiered in Barcelona.

 

Bill Scott as the voices of Bullwinkle and DudleyDo-Right:

 

Lest we forget...

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 3rd:

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that took him to the present-day Americas.

In 1807, former Vice President Aaron Burr went on trial before a federal court in Richmond, VA, charged with treason. (He was acquitted less than a month later.)

In 1852, Harvard University won the first Boat Race between Yale University and Harvard. The race was also the first American intercollegiate athletic event

In 1863, the first thoroughbred horse races took place at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, NY.

In 1900, journalist Ernie Pyle was born near Dana, IN.

In 1914, Germany declared war on France at the onset of World War I.

In 1921, the day after being acquitted of charges they threw the 1919 World Series, Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned eight White Sox players from organized baseball for life.

In 1926, singer Tony Bennett was born in Astoria, Queens, NY.

In 1933, the Mickey Mouse Watch was introduced.

In 1934, wrestler Haystacks Calhoun was born in McKinney, TX.

In 1936, Jesse Owens won the first of his four Olympic gold medals at the Berlin Olympics as he took the 100-meter sprint.

In 1943, Gen. George S. Patton slapped a private at an army hospital in Sicily, accusing him of cowardice. (Patton was later ordered by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to apologize for this and a second, similar episode.)

In 1949, The National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed. The league was formed by the merger between the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League.

In 1955, voice actor Corey Burton was born in Los Angeles. I really don’t have room to list his credits here.

In 1955, the Alfred Hitchcock thriller “To Catch a Thief”, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1958, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.

In 1963, The Beatles appeared at the Cavern Club in Liverpool for the last time.

In 1966, comedian Lenny Bruce was found dead in his Los Angeles home at age 40.

In 1971, Pal McCartney announced the formation of his new group Wings, featuring his wife Linda and former Moody Blues guitarist and singer Denny Laine.

In 1972, the U.S. Senate ratified the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union. (The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the treaty in 2002.)

In 1977, Tandy Corporation announced the TRS-80, one of the world's first mass-produced personal computers. And your humble correspondent would later use one in his high school computer class.

In 1979, the disaster sequel “The Concorde…Airport ’79” premiered in New York City.

In 1981, U.S. air traffic controllers went on strike, despite a warning from President Ronald Reagan they would be fired, which they were.

In 1982, actor/comedian/writer Jonah Ray was born in Honolulu. He’ll soon be taking his place as the latest crewmember of the Satellite of Love.

In 1992, the Western “Unforgiven” premiered in Los Angeles. Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, it also starred Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman and Richard Harris.

In 2004, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty reopened after being closed since the September 11th attacks.

In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became President of Iran.

 

My grandfather was an engineer at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard when Nautilus was launched.

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 4th:

In A.D. 70, the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem.

In 1735, a jury found John Peter Zenger of the “New York Weekly Journal” not guilty of committing seditious libel against the colonial governor of New York, William Cosby.

In 1790, the U.S. Coast Guard had its beginnings as President George Washington signed a measure authorizing a group of revenue cutters to enforce tariff and trade laws and prevent smuggling.

In 1821, “The Saturday Evening Post” was published for the first time as a weekly newspaper.

In 1830, plans for the city of Chicago were laid out.

In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were axed to death in their home in Fall River, MA. Lizzie Borden, Andrew's daughter from a previous marriage, was accused of the killings, but acquitted at trial.

In 1901, singer/musician Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans.

In 1914, Britain declared war on Germany for invading Belgium; the United States proclaimed its neutrality in the mushrooming world conflict.

In 1915, English nurse Edith Cavell was arrested by German authorities in occupied Belgium; she was executed later that year.

In 1932, the horror movie “White Zombie”, starring Bela Lugosi, was released in the U.S.

In 1936, Jesse Owens of the U.S. won the second of his four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics as he prevailed in the long jump over German Luz Long, who was the first to congratulate him.

In 1944, 15-year-old diarist Anne Frank was arrested with her sister, parents and four others by the Gestapo after hiding for two years inside a building in Amsterdam. (Anne and her sister, Margot, died at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.)

In 1947, the fantasy/comedy movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”, starring Danny Kaye, premiered in Chicago.

In 1954, the Hitchcock thriller “Rear Window” premiered in New York City.

In 1957, the Everly Brothers introduced their upcoming single "Wake Up Little Susie" on the "Ed Sullivan Show." The song created a controversy, and some radio stations banned it.

In 1961, Barak Obama, 44th President of the U.S., was born in Honolulu.

In 1964, the bodies of missing civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found buried in an earthen dam in Mississippi.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed a measure establishing the Department of Energy.

In 1979, the musical comedy "Rock and Roll High School", featuring The Ramones, premiered in New York City.

In 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began work on the album "Double Fantasy." It ended up being Lennon's last studio effort; he was shot to death later that year.

In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission voted to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, which required radio and television stations to present balanced coverage of controversial issues.

In 1991, the Greek luxury liner Oceanos sank in heavy seas off South Africa's southeast coast; all the passengers and crew members survived.

In 1993, a Federal judge sentenced Los Angeles Police Dept. officers Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell to 30 months in prison for violating motorist Rodney King’s civil rights.

In 2007, NASA launched the unmanned Phoenix spacecraft on a mission to Mars.

In 2013, the TV special “Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the formal announcement that Peter Capaldi had been cast as the Twelfth Doctor.

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 5th:

In 1861, in order to help pay for the war effort, the U.S. government levied the first income tax as part of the Revenue Act of 1861.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Adm. David G. Farragut led his fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, AL.

In 1884, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal was laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.

In 1906, actor/director/screenwriter John Huston was born in Nevada, MO.

In 1914, what's believed to be the first electric traffic light system was installed in Cleveland, OH at the intersection of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue.

Also in 1914, Montenegro declared war on Austria-Hungary at the start of World War I.

In addition in 1914, actor Parley Baer was born in Salt Lake City, UT. Among his numerous radio roles, he’s best-remembered as Chester Proudfoot on “Gunsmoke”. And among his equally numerous TV roles, he’s well-remembered as Mayor Stoner on “The Andy Griffith Show”.

In 1921, the first play-by-play broadcast of a baseball game was done by Harold Arlin. KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, PA described the action between the Pirates and Philadelphia.

In 1924, the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" by Harold Gray made its debut.

In 1925, Plaid Cymru was formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language that was at the time in danger of dying out.

In 1930, engineer/pilot/astronaut Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, OH. He served as Command Pilot on Gemini 8, and Mission Commander on Apollo 11.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Labor Board, which was later replaced with the National Labor Relations Board.

In 1941, actor/director/producer/screenwriter Bob Clark was born in New Orleans. His prolific career included the raunchy comedy “Porky’s”, the Sherlock Holmes mystery “Murder by Decree”, the slasher movie “Black Christmas”, and the Jean Shepherd classic “A Christmas Story”.

In 1944, The Nazis began a week-long massacre of anywhere between 40,000 and 100,000 civilians and prisoners of war in Wola, Poland.

In 1953, Operation Big Switch began as remaining prisoners taken during the Korean War were exchanged at Panmunjom.

Also in 1953, the drama “From Here to Eternity” premiered in New York City.

In 1957, the teenage dance show "American Bandstand," hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on ABC-TV.

In 1959, the Isley Brothers recorded "Shout" at RCA Victor’s Music Center of the World in New York. The covers by the Beatles and Otis Day & the Knights, among others, would come later.

Also in 1960, the horror comedy “Little Shop of Horrors”, directed by Roger Corman and featuring Jack Nicholson, was released in the U.S.

In 1962,South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.

In 1965, during the Vietnam War, "The CBS Evening News" sparked controversy as it aired a report by correspondent Morley Safer showing a group of U.S. Marines torching huts in the village of Cam Ne, considered a Viet Cong stronghold, using flamethrowers and Zippo cigarette lighters.

In 1966, The Beatles released their "Revolver" album in Britain. It was released in the U.S. four days later.

In 1969, the U.S. space probe Mariner 7 flew by Mars, sending back photographs and scientific data.

In 1974, the White House released transcripts of subpoenaed tape recordings showing that President Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, had discussed a plan in June 1972 to use the CIA to thwart the FBI's Watergate investigation; revelation of the tape sparked Nixon's resignation.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired 11,359 striking air-traffic controllers who ignored his order for them to return to work.

In 1984, actor Richard Burton, CBE died in Geneva, Switzerland, at age 58.

In 2000, actor Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE died in Paddington, London England at age 86.

In 2010,ten members of a Christian medical team from the International Assistance Mission were gunned down in Afghanistan by unknown attackers.

In 2015, The Environmental Protection Agency at the Gold King Mine waste water spill released 3 million gallons of heavy metal toxin tailings and waste water into the Animas River in Colorado.

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 6th:

In 1813, during the Venezuelan War of Independence, forces led by Simon Bolivar recaptured Caracas.

In 1825, Upper Peru became the autonomous republic of Bolivia.

In 1862, the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas was scuttled by its crew on the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, LA to prevent capture by the Union.

In 1890, Cy Young achieved his first major league victory. He would accumulate 511 in his career.

Also in 1890, at Auburn Prison in New York, murderer William Kemmler became the first person to be executed by electric chair.

In 1908, actor Will Lee, best-known for playing Mr. Hooper on “Sesame Street”, was born in Brooklyn.

In 1911, actress/comedienne/producer/studio executive Lucille Ball was born in Jamestown, NY.

In 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war against Russia and Serbia declared war against Germany.

In 1917, actor Robert Mitchum was born in Bridgeport, CT.

In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, arriving in Kingsdown, England, from France in 14 ½ hours.

In 1930, New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater went missing after leaving a Manhattan restaurant; his disappearance remains a mystery.

In 1942, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands became the first reigning queen to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress.

In1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 70,000 immediate deaths, with thousands more later from burns and radiation poisoning.

In 1956, the DuMont television network went off the air after a decade of operations.

In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov became the second man to orbit Earth as he flew aboard Vostok 2.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act.

In 1970, producer/director/screenwriter M. Night Shyamalan was born in Mahe, Pondicherry, India.

In 1972, quarterback/sportscaster/Rutgers alumnus Ray Lucas was born in Harrison, NJ.

In 1973, Stevie Wonder was seriously injured when the car he was riding in crashed into a truck on I-85 near Winston-Salem, North Carolina leaving him in a coma for four days.

In 1978, Pope Paul VI died at Castel Gandolfo at age 80.

In 1986, William J. Schroeder died at at Humana Hospital-Audubon in Louisville, KY after living 620 days with the Jarvik 7 artificial heart.

In 1988, the TV-Movie “Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss”, based on the short story by Jean Shepherd, premiered on the Disney Channel.

In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover landed on the surface of Mars.

In 2015, a suicide bomb attack killed at least 15 people at a mosque in the south-western Saudi city of Abha.

In 2016, musician Pete Fountain died in New Orleans at age 86.

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 7th:

In 1782, Gen. George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, a decoration to honor wounded enlisted men and noncommissioned officers. It would later be known as the Order of the Purple Heart.

In 1789, the U.S. War Department was established by Congress.

In 1794, President George Washington invoked the Militia Acts of 1792 to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania.

In 1814, Pope Pius VII issued a bull restoring the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, four decades after the order had been suppressed by Pope Clement XIV.

In 1858, the first Australian rules football match was played between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College.

In 1882, the famous feud between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky erupted into full-scale violence.

In 1926, actor/voice artist/comedian/ad man/satirist Stan Freberg was born in Pasadena, CA.

In 1927, the already-opened Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo, NY and Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, was officially dedicated.

In 1932, Olympic runner Abebe Bikila, twice winner of the marathon (1960 & 1964), was born in Jato, Ethiopia.

In 1941, the fantasy movie “Here Comes Mr. Jordan”, starring Claude Rains and Robert Montgomery, premiered in New York City.

Also In 1941, the Abbott & Costello comedy “Hold that Ghost” premiered in New York City.

In 1942, U.S. and other allied forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II. (Japanese forces abandoned the island the following February.)

In 1957, actor/comedian Oliver Hardy died in North Hollywood, CA at age 65.

In 1959, the United States launched the Explorer 6 satellite, which sent back images of Earth.

In 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers in dealing with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces.

In 1974, French stuntman Philippe Petit repeatedly walked a tightrope strung between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center.

In 1978, filming began on “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.

In 1978, U.S. President Jimmy Carter declared a Federal emergency at Love Canal due to toxic waste that had been disposed of negligently.

In 1987, the toy-based fantasy movie “Masters of the Universe”, starring Dolph Lundgren and Frank Langella, was released in the U.S.

In 1989, a plane carrying U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, D-Texas, and 14 others disappeared over Ethiopia. (The wreckage of the plane was found six days later; there were no survivors.)

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush ordered U.S. troops and warplanes to Saudi Arabia to guard the oil-rich desert kingdom against a possible invasion by Iraq.

In 1998, terrorist bombs at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 224 people, including 12 Americans.

In 2000, Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore selected Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate; Lieberman became the first Jewish candidate on a major party's presidential ticket.

In 2010, Elena Kagan was sworn in as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

For August 6th:

 

For August 7th:

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 8th:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the remainder of his days in exile.

In 1829, the Stourbridge Lion, the first locomotive to be operated in the United States, had its first run in Honesdale, PA.

In 1863, during the Civil War, following his defeat in the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee sent a letter of resignation to Confederate President Jefferson Davis (which was refused upon receipt).

In 1885, more than 1.5 million people attended the funeral of former President Ulysses S. Grant in New York City.

In 1911, President William Howard Taft signed a measure raising the number of U.S. representatives from 391 to 433, effective with the next Congress, with a proviso to add two more when New Mexico and Arizona became states.

In 1919, producer Dino De Laurentiis was born in Torre Annunziata, Campania, Italy.

In 1929, The German airship Graf Zeppelin began a round-the-world flight.

In 1930, author/scriptwriter Terry Nation was born in Cardiff, Wales. Years later, he’d create a group of murderous pepperpot-looking things for a British sci-fi show.

In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan completed its occupation of Beijing.

In 1942, during World War II, six Nazi saboteurs who were captured after landing in the U.S. were executed in Washington, D.C.; two others who'd cooperated with authorities were spared.

Also in 1942, the Disney animated feature “Bambi” premiered in London.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed the U.S. instrument of ratification for the United Nations Charter.

Also in 1945, the Soviet Union declared war against Japan during World War II.

In 1946, the Convair B-36, the world's first mass-produced nuclear weapon delivery vehicle, the heaviest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft, with the longest wingspan of any military aircraft, and the first bomber with intercontinental range, had its first flight.

In 1953, the United States and South Korea initialed a mutual security pact.

In 1963, Britain's "Great Train Robbery" took place as thieves made off with 2.6 million pounds in banknotes.

In 1965, the monster movie “Furankenshutain tai chitei kaiju Baragon” was released in Japan. The following year, it would be released in the U.S. under the title, “Frankenstein Conquers the World”.

In 1968, the Republican national convention in Miami Beach nominated Richard Nixon for president on the first ballot.

In 1969, at a crosswalk in London, photographer Iain Macmillan took the photo that would become the cover of the Beatles album “Abbey Road”.

In 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew branded as "damned lies" reports he had taken kickbacks from government contracts in Maryland, and vowed not to resign — which he ended up doing.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective the next day, following damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal.

In 1991, astronaut/engineer James Irwin, LM pilot for Apollo 15, died in Glenwood Springs, CO at age 61.

In 1994, Israel and Jordan opened the first road link between the two once-warring countries.

In 1999, the “series finale” of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (featuring the movie “Diabolik”) was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. It would be the show’s second series finale that didn’t take.

In 2000, Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley was raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor and 30 years after its discovery by undersea explorer E. Lee Spence.

In 2007, space shuttle Endeavour roared into orbit with teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan (no relation, so far as I know) on board.

In 2008, the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics took place in Beijing.

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the U.S. Supreme Court's first Hispanic and third female justice.

 

Lest we forget...

 

Sorry, I'm on vacation and my schedule is off-kilter. Anyway, if I may...

ON AUGUST 9th:

In 1842, the United States and Canada resolved a border dispute by signing the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau's "Walden," which described Thoreau's experiences while living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts, was first published.

In 1902, Edward VII was crowned king of Britain following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.

In 1927, actor/novelist/playwright Robert Shaw was born in Westhoughton, Lancashire, England.

In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order nationalizing silver.

In 1936, Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the Berlin Olympics as the United States took first place in the 400-meter relay.

In 1944, 258 African-American sailors based at Port Chicago, California, refused to load a munitions ship following a cargo vessel explosion that killed 320 men, many of them black. (Fifty of the sailors were convicted of mutiny, fined and imprisoned.)

Also in 1944, the U.S. Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council released posters featuring Smokey the Bear for the first time.

In 1945, three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, the United States exploded a nuclear device over Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people.

In 1953, actress Roberta Tovey, known to Whovians for playing Susan in the two “Dr. Who” movies, was born in Shepherd’s Bush, London, England.

In 1963, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, the third and last child of John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy, died in Boston, MA, two days after he was born.

In 1965, Singapore became independent as it was expelled from the Malaysian Federation.

In 1968, actress Gillian Anderson was born in Chicago, IL. The rather unusual FBI investigations would come later.

In 1969, actress Sharon Tate, heiress Abigail Folger, actor Wojciech Frykowski, hairstylist Jay Sebring and high-school graduate Steven Parent were found brutally slain at Tate's Los Angeles home; cult leader Charles Manson and a group of his followers were later convicted of the crime.

In 1974, Vice President Gerald R. Ford became the nation's 38th chief executive as President Richard Nixon's resignation took effect.

In 1982, a federal judge in Washington ordered John W. Hinckley Jr., who'd been acquitted of shooting President Ronald Reagan and three others by reason of insanity, committed to a mental hospital.

In 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African American male in Ferguson, MO was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, sparking protests and unrest in the city.

In 2015, NFL Hall of Famer/sportscaster Frank Gifford died in Greenwich, CT at age 84

 

If I may...

ON AUGUST 10th:

In 1792, during the French Revolution, mobs in Paris attacked the Tuileries Palace, where King Louis XVI resided. (The king was later arrested, put on trial for treason, and executed.)

In 1821, Missouri became the 24th state.

In 1846, President James K. Polk signed a measure establishing the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1874, Herbert Clark Hoover, the 31st president of the U.S., was born in West Branch, IA.

In 1905, peace negotiations to end the Russo-Japanese War begin in Portsmouth, NH.

In 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello.

In 1929, actor Peter Diamond was born in Durham, England. He’s best-remembered as a stuntman and stunt coordinator, particularly for the original “Star Wars” trilogy.

In 1932, the Marx Brothers comedy “Horse Feathers” premiered in New York City.

In 1939, actress/writer Kate O’Mara was born in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. It was later on that she’d play the Time Lady who (we presume) caused the Doctor’s sixth regeneration (somehow), unless Big Finish has retconned this (maybe).

In 1944, American forces defeat the last Japanese troops on Guam.

In 1945, a day after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Imperial Japan conveyed its willingness to surrender provided the status of Emperor Hirohito remained unchanged. (The Allies responded the next day, saying they would determine the Emperor's future status.)

In 1948, the TV version of the radio series “Candid Microphone” debuted on ABC. It would later be re-titled “Candid Camera” and have a long run.

In 1949, the National Military Establishment was renamed the Department of Defense.

In 1956, actor Peter Robbins was born in Los Angeles. He’s best-known for his voice acting as Charlie Brown in the original “Peanuts” specials.

In 1962, the horror movie “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die” was released in the U.S. It would later serve as Mike Nelson’s inaugural experiment on the S.O.L.

In 1965, actress/writer/director/singer Claudia Christian was born in Glendale, CA. Her service on-board the last of the Babylon stations would come later.

In 1966, during a break in filming the episode “Dagger of the Mind”, William Shatner recorded the opening narration for the title sequence of the original series “Star Trek”.

In 1968, filmmaker/actor Pete Docter was born in Bloomington, MN. He’s best-known for his work on Pixar animated films, including, most-recently, “Inside Out”.

In 1969, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in their Los Angeles home by members of Charles Manson's cult, one day after actress Sharon Tate and four other people had been slain.

In 1977, in Yonkers, NY, 24-year-old postal employee David Berkowitz was arrested for the “Son of Sam” series of killings in the New York City area over the period of one year.

In 1984, the action movie “Red Dawn” was released. It was the first movie to be released in the U.S. with the new PG-13 rating (though the first movie to actually receive the classification was “The Flamingo Kid”, which was released later in the year).

In 1984, the adventure/sci-fi movie “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension!”, was released in the U.S.

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a measure providing $20,000 payments to still-living Japanese-Americans who'd been interned by their government during World War II.

In 1990, the NASA Magellan space probe reached Venus.

In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as the second female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were charged with 11 counts in the Oklahoma City bombing (McVeigh was convicted of murder and executed; Nichols was convicted of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to life in prison).

Also in 1995, Norma McCorvey, "Jane Roe" of the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, announced she had joined the pro-life group Operation Rescue.

In 2008, the animated movie “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”, which served as a pilot film for the later TV series, premiered in Hollywood.