Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON APRIL 28th:

In 1758, James Monroe, the 5th President of the U.S., was born in Westmoreland County, VA.

In 1788, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.

In 1789, there was a mutiny on the HMS Bounty as rebelling crew members of the British ship, led by Fletcher Christian, set the captain, William Bligh, and 18 others adrift in a launch in the South Pacific. (Bligh and most of the men with him reached Timor in 47 days.)

In 1878, actor Lionel Barrymore was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1923, Wembley Stadium was opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium.

In 1940, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded "Pennsylvania 6-5000" for RCA Victor.

In 1941, The Ustase massacred nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac; it was the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia.

In 1944, during World War II, nine German E-boats attacked U.S. and UK units during “Exercise Tiger”, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946.

In 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country.

In 1947, Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to prove that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia.

In 1952, war with Japan officially ended as a treaty signed in San Francisco the year before took effect.

Also in 1952, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as Supreme Allied commander in Europe; he was succeeded by Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway.

In 1963, music business publicist Andrew Oldham saw the Rolling Stones perform. The next day, the band members signed a contract that made Oldham their manager. Their first official recording session was held about two weeks later.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered U.S. Marines to the Dominican Republic to protect American citizens and interests in the face of a civil war.

Also in 1965, Barbra Streisand's first TV special, "My Name Is Barbra," aired on CBS.

In 1967, Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army and was stripped of boxing title. He cited religious grounds for his refusal.

In 1974, a federal jury in New York acquitted former Attorney General John Mitchell and former Commerce Secretary Maurice H. Stans of charges in connection with a secret $200,000 contribution to President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign from financier Robert Vesco.

In 1977, writer/producer Anthony Coburn died in Canterbury, Kent, England. Among his credits is “An Unearthly Child”, the first serial of “Doctor Who”. He also helped develop the series.

In 1988, a flight attendant was killed and more than 60 persons injured when part of the roof of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 tore off during a flight from Hilo to Honolulu.

In 1990, the musical "A Chorus Line" closed after 6,137 performances on Broadway at the Shubert Theater. It is still one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history.

In 1994, former C.I.A. counterintelligence officer and analyst Aldrich Ames pleaded guilty to giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia.

In 1996, a gunman opened fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others.

In 2015, the book “Darth Vader and Friends”, written by Jeffrey Brown, was published by Chronicle Books.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 29th:

In 1429, Joan of Arc entered the besieged city of Orleans to lead a French victory over the English.

In 1861, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 53-13 against seceding from the Union.

Also in 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, President Jefferson Davis asked the Confederate Congress for the authority to wage war.

In 1862, during the Civil War, New Orleans was captured by Union forces under David Farragut.

In 1913, Swedish-born engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken, NJ, received a U.S. patent for a "separable fastener" — later known as the zipper.

In 1916, after six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrendered to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end.

In 1923, director Irvin Kershner was born in Philadelphia, PA. Years later, he’d be one of the very few people to know, before Episode V’s release, what Vader was really saying to Luke.

In 1932, “One Man’s Family”, the longest-running serial drama in American radio history, premiered over stations in Los Angeles, Seattle and San Francisco.

In 1945, during World War II, American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp.

Also in 1945, the German army in Italy unconditionally surrendered to the Allies.

In 1955, actress Kate Mulgrew was born in Dubuque, IA. She’s well-remembered as Capt. Janeway, and (thankfully) less-remembered as Mrs. Columbo.

In 1946, 28 former Japanese officials went on trial in Tokyo as war criminals; seven ended up being sentenced to death.

In 1954, comedian/actor/writer/producer/director Jerry Seinfeld was born in Brooklyn. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

In 1957, the SM-1, the first military nuclear power plant, was dedicated at Fort Belvoir, VA.

In 1961, ABC’s "Wide World of Sports" premiered, hosted by Jim McKay.

In 1964, the horror movie “The Horror of Party Beach” premiered in New York City. Mike & the ‘bots would riff on it years later.

Also in 1964, the Toho kaiju movie “Mosura tai Gojira” was released in Japan. Later in the year, it would be released in the U.S. as “Godzilla vs. the Thing” (a.k.a. “Godzilla vs. Mothra”).

In 1967, the Aretha Franklin version of the song "Respect" was released as single by Atantic Records, nearly two years after the lesser-known Otis Redding version.

In 1968, the counterculture musical "Hair" opened on Broadway at the Biltmore Theater following limited engagements off-Broadway.

In 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of some secretly made White House tape recordings related to Watergate.

In 1975, the U.S. began to evacuate its citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover, ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

In 1979, “The Hand of God”, the last episode of the original “Battlestar Galactica”, was broadcast on ABC-TV. (However, some fans prefer to think of 1980’s “The Return of Starbuck” as the true last episode.)

In 1980, filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock died in Bel Air, CA at age 80.

In 1983, Harold Washington was sworn in as the first black mayor of Chicago.

In 1983, the fantasy movie “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, based on the novel by Ray Bradbury, was released in the U.S.

In 1986, a fire at the Central library of the City of Los Angeles Public Library damaged or destroyed 400,000 books and other items.

In 1992, rioting resulting in 55 deaths erupted in Los Angeles after a jury in Simi Valley, CA, acquitted four Los Angeles police officers of almost all state charges in the videotaped beating of Rodney King.

In 1993, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II announced that for the first time, Buckingham Palace would be opened to tourists to help raise money for repairs at fire-damaged Windsor Castle.

In 2004, Oldsmobile built its final car, ending 107 years of production.

In 2006, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “School Reunion” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, and John Leeson as the voice of K-9, in their first series appearance since “The Five Doctors” in 1983. Whovians reacted to their return rather positively.

In 2008, artist John Berkey, best-known for his space and science fiction-themed works, died in Excelsior, MN at age 75.

In 2011, Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in an opulent ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey. (Your humble correspondent and his brother Bri traded numerous quips about the ceremony via text.)

In 2015, a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox set the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore riots.

 

And on the 29th...

 

And just because...

 

At one point, Bri sent me a text that, when the Royal couple was in the horse-drawn carriage, he was waiting for Ben-Hur to pull past them in his chariot. And, later, I sent him a text that I kept having this image of the reception at Buckingham Palace...with Luca Brasi waiting outside the gates, practicing his speech to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

 

If I may...

ON APRIL 30th:

In 1789, George Washington took the oath of office in New York as the first president of the United States.

In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million.

In 1812, Louisiana became the 18th state of the Union.

In 1900, engineer John Luther "Casey" Jones of the Illinois Central Railroad died in a train wreck near Vaughan, MS after staying at the controls in a successful effort to save the passengers.

Also in 1900, Hawaii became a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.

In 1916, actor Phil Brown, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Uncle Owen in “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope”, was born in Cambridge, MA.

In 1923, actor Al Lewis, known for his roles on “Car 54, Where Are You?” and “The Munsters”, was born in New York City.

In 1927, the first ceremony at Grauman's Chinese Theater immortalizing the stars' hand/footprints in cement occurred. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. left their imprints.

In 1938, the first televised FA Cup Final took place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End.

In 1939, the New York World's Fair officially opened with a ceremony that included an address by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Also in 1939, NBC inaugurated its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Roosevelt’s speech.

In addition in 1939, Lou Gehrig played his last game with the New York Yankees. He had played in 2,130 consecutive games.

In 1943, during World War II, the submarine HMS Seraph surfaced in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Spain to deposit a dead man planted with false invasion plans and dressed as a British military intelligence officer. Part of Operation Mincemeat, it would later be recounted in the book The Man Who Never Was, later made into a (fictionalized) movie.

Also in 1943, the mystery movie “Sherlock Holmes in Washington”, starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, was released in the U.S.

In 1945, as Soviet troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide along with his wife of one day, Eva Braun.

In 1948, actor Perry King, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Han Solo in the radio adaptations of the Original Trilogy, was born in Alliance, OH.

In 1950, the mystery/suspense movie “D.O.A.”, starring Edmund O’Brien, was released in the U.S.

In 1957, Elvis Presley recorded the song “Jailhouse Rock” at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

In 1958, the American Association of Retired Persons (later simply AARP) was founded in Washington, D.C., by Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus.

In 1964, the FCC ruled that all TV receivers should be equipped to receive both VHF and UHF channels.

In 1968, New York City police forcibly removed student demonstrators occupying five buildings at Columbia University.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon announced the resignations of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean, who was actually fired.

In 1975, the Vietnam War ended as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces.

In 1976, The Who's drummer Keith Moon paid nine cab drivers to block-off both ends of a New York street so he could throw the contents of his hotel room out of the window.

In 1988, Gen. Manuel Noriega, waving a machete, vowed at a rally to keep fighting U.S. efforts to oust him as Panama's military ruler.

In 1990, hostage Frank Reed was released by his captives in Lebanon; he was the second American to be released in eight days.

In 1993, tennis player Monica Seles was stabbed by Gunter Porsche, an obsessed fan of fellow tennis player Steffi Graf. Porsche had run out onto the court after her match and stabbed Seles in the upper back. Seles survived the attack and eventually recovered.

In 1999, Star Wars Celebration 1 started in Denver, CO. As your humble correspondent (who was there) can attest, the day was mainly noteworthy for the rotten, rainy weather and the way Anthony Daniels, who hosted the opening ceremonies, kept everyone’s spirits up and saved the day.

In 2005, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Dalek” was broadcast on BBC 1. It marked the first appearance of the Doctor’s arch enemy in the revived series, as well as first presenting details on the end of the Time War, and the Doctor’s role in it.

In 2016, Franky Zapata broke the Guinness World Record for the farthest flight by hoverboard by flying 2,252.4 meters (7,389.76 ft) in 3 minutes and 55 seconds at speeds reported to be up to 55 km/h (the previous record was set by Alexandru Duru in August of 2014 at 275.9 m).

 

I remember seeing the news footage of what happened to Seles on the news that day. Though she did eventually make it back onto the court, her career was never the same after that and you can't help but wonder at the 'What ifs?' because she was well on her way into becoming a tennis great in her own right. And it still appalls me that security still isn't as tight as it could be as fans still find their way onto the freaking court!

 

If I may...

ON MAY 1st:

In 1707, the Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.

In 1786, Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premiered in Vienna.

In 1851, Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition in London.

In 1898, Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish squadron in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.

In 1915, during World War I, a German submarine torpedoed and severely damaged the SS Gulflight, an American tanker near Britain's Scilly Isles, even though the United States was still neutral in the conflict.

Also in 1915, the RMS Lusitania set sail from New York, headed for Liverpool, England (it was torpedoed and sunk by a German sub off the coast of Ireland six days later).

In 1918, comedian/TV host Jack Paar, best-known for his successful run as host of “The Tonight Show” from 1957-1962, was born in Canton, OH.

In 1924, actor/TV host Art Fleming was born in New York City. He’s best remembered as the original host of “Jeopardy!”, with Don Pardo as his announcer.

In 1925, astronaut/aquanaut M. Scott Carpenter was born in Boulder, Co. One of the Mercury Seven astronauts, he was the pilot of Aurora 7, then later served on the Navy’s SEALAB II mission.

In 1930, the Lowell Observatory announced that the ninth PLANET in the solar system would be named Pluto.

In 1931, New York's 102-story Empire State Building was dedicated.

Also in 1931, singer Kate Smith made her debut on CBS Radio on her 24th birthday.

In 1941, “Citizen Kane”, Orson Welles’ controversial drama, premiered in New York City.

In 1942, the Disney cartoon “Donald Gets Drafted” was released in the U.S. This cartoon revealed, via Donald Duck’s induction notice, that his middle name is Fauntleroy.

In 1945, Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda committed suicide in the Reich Garden outside the Fuhrerbunker. Their children were also killed by having cyanide pills inserted into their mouths by their mother.

Also in 1945, a day after Adolf Hitler took his own life, Admiral Karl Doenitz effectively became sole leader of the Third Reich with the Goebbels’ suicide.

In 1948, The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) was established, with Kim Il-sung as leader.

In 1956, the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was made available to the public.

In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

In 1961, the Hammer Horror movie “Curse of the Werewolf”, starring Oliver Reed, was released in the U.K.

Also in 1961, the uncredited Hammer Horror movie “Shadow of the Cat”, starring Barbara Shelley and Andre Morell, was released in the UK.

In 1974, the regeneration scene, from Jon Pertwee to Tom Baker, for the last episode of the “Doctor Who” serial “Planet of the Spiders” was videotaped.

In 1975, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Brewers broke baseball's all-time RBI record previously held by Babe Ruth during a game against the Detroit Tigers (Milwaukee won, 17-3).

In 1977, the first publically-shown preview of the original “Star Wars” was shown at the Northpoint Theater in San Francisco. Admittance was by invitation only, and the theater marquee listed the movie title as “Alaska”,

In 1982, the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, was opened by President Ronald Reagan.

In 1990, in a case that drew much notoriety, Gregory Smart was shot to death in his Derry, NH home by Billy Flynn, the teenage lover of Smart's wife, Pamela. (Flynn was paroled in 2015; Pamela Smart is serving a life sentence for being an accomplice to first-degree murder.)

In 1991, the “Star Wars” novel Heir to the Empire, written by Timothy Zahn, was published. The first book of a trilogy, the succeeding parts (Dark Force Rising and The Last Command) would be published on May 1st of 1992 and 1993 respectively.

In 1999, the cartoon series “SpongeBob SquarePants” premiered on Nickleodeon.

In 2002, producer John Nathan-Turner, best-known for his work on the last period of the original run of “Doctor Who”, died in Brighton, East Sussex, England at age 54.

In 2003, in what becomes known as the “Mission Accomplished” speech, on board the USS Abraham Lincoln (off the coast of California), U.S. President George W. Bush declared that "major combat operations in Iraq have ended".

In 2011, Pope John Paul II was beatified by his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2015, actress/singer Grace Lee Whitney, best-known for her role as Janice Rand on the original series “Star Trek”, died in Coarsegold, CA at age 85.

 

The Chronicle's front pages from May 2, 1945, and May 2, 2011, cover the deaths of Adolf Hitler and Osama bin Laden, respective

 

If I may...

ON MAY 2nd:

In 1536, Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, was arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.

In 1611, the King James Bible was published for the first time in London, England, by printer Robert Barker.

In 1670, King Charles II of England granted a permanent charter to the Hudson’s Bay Company to open up the fur trade in North America.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later.

In 1885, “Good Housekeeping” magazine was first published in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

In 1890, the Oklahoma Territory was organized.

In 1908, the original version of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," with music by Albert Von Tilzer and lyrics by Jack Norworth, was published by Von Tilzer's York Music Co.

In 1920, in Indianapolis, the first game of the National Negro Baseball League was played.

In 1925, actor/director Roscoe Lee Browne was born in Woodbury, NJ. He had a long and varied career, but your humble correspondent remembers his narration of the LP “The Story of ‘Star Wars’”.

In 1932, comedian Jack Benny’s radio show aired for the first time, sponsored by Canada Dry over the NBC Blue network.

In 1936, "Peter and the Wolf," a symphonic tale for children by Sergei Prokofiev, had its world premiere in Moscow.

In 1941, The Federal Communications Commission agreed to let regular scheduling of TV broadcasts by commercial TV stations begin on July 1, 1941. This was the start of network television.

Also in 1941, actor Paul Darrow was born in Surrey, England. Years later, one of his characters would lead Blake’s 7, long after Blake was gone.

In 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies reported the surrender of German troops in Italy.

Also in 1945, the US 82nd Airborne Division liberated Wobbelin concentration camp, finding 1000 dead prisoners, most of whom starved to death.

In addition in 1945, a death march from the Dachau concentration camp to the Austrian border was halted by the segregated, all-Nisei 522nd Field Artillery Battalion of the U.S. Army in southern Bavaria, saving several hundred prisoners.

In 1946, the film noir “The Postman Always Rings Twice” was released in the U.S. It starred Lana Turner and John Garfield, and was based on the novel by James M. Cain.

In 1947, the original “Miracle on 34th Street”, starring Edmund Gwen as Kris, was released in the U.S. The reasoning behind the release date of this Christmas movie is…interesting.

In 1957, Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (R-WI) died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland at age 48.

Also in 1957, the Hammer Horror movie “The Curse of Frankenstein” was released in the U.K. It was the first Frankenstein movie from Hammer Films, the first Frankenstein movie filmed color, and the first time Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein.

Flag on the Moon. How did it get there? In 1961, “The Beast of Yucca Flats”. Released in the U.S. Starred Tor Johnson. Directed by Coleman Francis. Touched a button. Things happened.

In 1963, the Children's Crusade began in Birmingham, Alabama, as more than 1,000 black schoolchildren skipped classes and marched downtown to protest racial segregation; hundreds were arrested.

In 1965, Intelsat 1, also known as the Early Bird satellite, was first used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic.

In 1967, filming began on the episode “Catspaw” for the original series “Star Trek”. It was also the first day of filming with Walter Koenig playing Ens. Chekov.

In 1968, the movie “The Odd Couple”, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, premiered in New York City.

In 1970, jockey Diane Crump became the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby; she finished in 15th place aboard Fathom. (The winning horse was Dust Commander.)

In 1974, the Hammer Horror movie “Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell” premiered in London. It was the last (to date) Frankenstein movie made by Hammer Films, the last time Peter Cushing played Baron Frankenstein, and the last movie directed by Terrence Fisher.

In 1980, producer/animator George Pal, best-known for sci-fi and fantasy movies, died in Los Angeles at age 72.

In 1982, the Weather Channel made its debut.

In 1984, producer/director/animator Bob Clampett, best-known for his work with Warner Bros. Animation, died in Detroit, MI at age 70.

In 1994, Nelson Mandela claimed victory in the wake of South Africa's first democratic elections; President F.W. de Klerk acknowledged defeat.

In 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by elite American forces at his Pakistan compound, then quickly buried at sea after a decade on the run.

Also in 2011, the Marvel superhero movie “Thor”, starring Chris Hemsworth, premiered in Hollywood. It was released in several other countries the previous week.

 

If anybody is in Ohio on May 17, go check out the unveiling of the original newly restored Memphis Belle at the Air Force museum.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Up...aVW9VYWRxRVBNRzlNQXdcL1VjZ1hDZzJHTFRUTlwvIn0=

 

A long time ago at a living history event on Sully Plantation (located in Fairfax County), our company of Union infantry took on the Rebels in a game of baseball, played according to the Massachusetts rules.

 

That is something I would like to see, but the unveiling I really want to attend is when they finish restoring The Swoose, an early model B-17 D variant that fought in the Philippines campaign and is the only type of its kind left.

 

Where is the Swoose? I didn't know there were any of the early versions of the B-17 still around. Most people might not even recognize anything before an E model as a B-17, Boeing almost made it a whole new airplane after the D model.

 

@Sarge: The Swoose is also at the National Museum of the Air Force, undergoing a lengthy restoration.
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vi...splay/Article/196864/boeing-b-17d-the-swoose/

 

I was there in October, 2016 to see one of the last intact B-36 Peacemakers. And, yes, this was after I'd seen "Strategic Air Command" with James Stewart.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 3rd:

In 1765, the first school of medicine in the American colonies, the Medical School of the College of Philadelphia (now the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania), was founded.

In 1791, Poland adopted a national constitution.

In 1802, Washington D.C. was incorporated as a city.

In 1903, actor/singer Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma, WA.

In 1910, author/screenwriter/producer Norman Corwin was born in Boston, MA. He’s best-known for his work in radio on programs including “The Columbia Workshop” and “Columbia Presents Corwin”.

In 1915, the poem “In Flanders Fields” was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

In 1916, Irish nationalist Padraic Pearse and two others were executed by the British for their roles in the Easter Rising.

In 1919, singer/activist Pete Seeger was born in Patterson, NY.

In 1929, the Marx Brothers comedy “The Coconuts”, their first sound movie, premiered in New York City.

In 1933, Nellie T. Ross became the first female director of the U.S. Mint.

Also in 1933, singer James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, was born in Barnwell, SC.

In 1935, inventor/entrepreneur Ron Popeil was born in New York City. Those of us of a certain age still remember his all-but-omnipresent commercials.

In 1936, Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees made his major league debut. He got three hits.

In 1937, Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, "Gone With the Wind."

In 1944, the comedy-drama movie “Going My Way”, starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, premiered in New York City.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied forces recaptured Rangoon (Yangon) from the Japanese.

In 1952, the Kentucky Derby was televised nationally for the first time on CBS; the winner was Hill Gail.

In 1957, Walter O’Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, agreed to move the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. The borough has never forgiven him.

In 1960, the Harvey Schmidt-Tom Jones musical "The Fantasticks" began a nearly 42-year run at New York's Sullivan Street Playhouse.

In 1971, the radio program “All Things Considered” was first broadcast over NPR.

In 1975, America's oldest operational aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, was commissioned.

In 1979, Conservative Party leader Margaret Thatcher was chosen to become Britain's first female prime minister as the Tories ousted the incumbent Labor government in parliamentary elections.

In 1986, in NASA's first post-Challenger launch, an unmanned Delta rocket lost power in its main engine shortly after liftoff, forcing safety officers to destroy it by remote control.

In 1991, the last episode of the original series "Dallas" aired on CBS-TV. The series would be revived in 2012 on TNT.

In 1999, some 70 tornadoes roared across Oklahoma and Kansas, killing 46 people and injuring hundreds.

In 2000, Cardinal John J. O’Connor, archbishop of Scranton, PA from 1983-84, and archbishop of New York from 1984-2000, died in New York City at age 80.

In 2002, Star Wars Celebration II began in Indianapolis, IN. Your humble correspondent was there, and mainly remembers that the weather was better than Celebration I, but the lines for the Celebration Store were very, very long.

Also in 2002, “Spider-Man”, starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi, was released in the U.S.

In 2004, actor Anthony Ainley died in Harrow, London, England at age 71. He’s well-known to Whovians for playing the Master on “Doctor Who” from 1981-1989.

In 2005, the first democratically elected government in the history of Iraq was sworn in.

In 2007, astronaut/aviator Walter M. Schirra, Jr., pilot of Sigma 7, command pilot of Gemini 6A and commander of Apollo 7, died in La Jolla, CA at age 84.

In 2013, the Marvel superhero movie “Iron Man 3”, starring Robert Downey, Jr., was released in the U.S.

In 2015, two gunmen launched an attempted attack on an event in Garland, TX, which was held in response to the “Charlie Hebdo” attack. The attackers wounded a security officer, then were both shot and killed by a police officer.

In 2016, eighty-eight thousand people were evacuated from their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada as a wildfire ripped through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings.

 

Lest we forget...