Fun On this date in history...

In 1759, during the final French and Indian War, the British defeated the French on the Plains of Abraham overlooking Quebec City.

In 1788, the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election, and declared New York City the temporary national capital.

In 1803, Commodore John Barry, considered by many the father of the American Navy, died in Philadelphia.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, British naval forces began bombarding Fort McHenry in Baltimore but were driven back by American defenders in a battle that lasted until the following morning.

In 1857, businessman Milton S. Hershey, founder of the Hershey Chocolate Co., was born in Derry Twp., PA.

In 1899, Henry Bliss was the first person in the United States to be killed in an automobile accident.

In 1908, actress Mae Questell, best-known for providing the voices of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl, was born in the Bronx.

In 1931, actress Barbara Bain was born in Chicago. The Secretary has disavowed any knowledge of her alleged actions involving the IMF.

In 1937, animator Don Bluth was born in El Paso, TX.

In 1946, producer/director Frank Marshall was born in Glendale, CA.

In 1948, Republican Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was elected to the U.S. Senate; she became the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress.

In 1971, a four-day inmates' rebellion at the Attica Correctional Facility in western New York ended as police and guards stormed the prison; the ordeal and final assault claimed the lives of 32 inmates and 11 employees.

In 1974, the TV series "Chico and the Man," starring Jack Albertson and Freddie Prinze, "The Rockford Files," starring James Garner, and "Police Woman," starring Angie Dickinson, all premiered on NBC.

In 1977, conductor Leopold Stokowski died in Nether Wallop, Hampshire, England at age 95.

In 1989, Fay Vincent was elected commissioner of Major League Baseball, succeeding the late A. Bartlett Giamatti.

In 1990, the TV series Law & Order premiered on NBC.

In 1993, at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands after signing an accord granting limited Palestinian autonomy.

Also in 1993, the TV series "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" premiered on NBC.

 

And one more thing...


In 1999, the Moon was blasted out of Earth’s orbit. Initially attributed to an accident involving nuclear waste disposal sites, there have been allegations of alien involvement in the explosion. The fate of the 311 people in Moonbase Alpha remains unclear.

 

On This Day...

On Sept 14, 1901, President William McKinley dies from infection due to gunshot wounds from an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt becomes President that same day.

 

In 1861, the first naval engagement of the Civil War took place as the USS Colorado attacked and sank the Confederate private schooner Judah off Pensacola, Florida.

In 1914, actor Clayton Moore was born in Chicago. He’d put on the mask several years later.

In 1936, actor Walter Koenig was born in Chicago. Years later, depending on which show you watched, he’d either be a highly trustworthy officer or a highly untrustworthy cop, both in space.

In 1944, the Great Atlantic Hurricane passed close to North Carolina and Virginia before heading up the northeastern U.S. coast; nearly 400 people died, most at sea.

In 1954, the Soviet Union detonated a 40-kiloton atomic test weapon.

In 1959, the Soviet space probe Lunik 2 crashed into the Moon’s surface, becoming the first man-made object to reach the lunar surface.

In 1964, Pope Paul VI opened the third session of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as "Vatican II." (The session closed two months later.)

Also in 1964, the submarine adventure series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea", starring Richard Basehart and David Hedison, premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1975, Pope Paul VI declared Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton the first U.S.-born saint.

In 1978, the sitcom “Mork & Mindy”, starring Robin Williams and Pam Dawber, premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1982, Grace Kelly, later Princess Grace of Monaco, died in Monaco at age 52.

In 1994, on the 34th day of a strike by players, Acting Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced the 1994 season was over.

In 2009, actor Patrick Sawyze died in Los Angeles at age 57.

 

On This Day...

Author Agatha Christie was born on Sept 15, 1890.

 

In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution.

1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State.

Also in 1789, author James Fenimore Cooper was born in Burlington, New Jersey.

In 1857, William Howard Taft, who served as President of the United States and later as U.S. Chief Justice, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1887, the city of Philadelphia launched a three-day celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Constitution of the United States.

In 1915, matte artist/VFX designer Albert Whitlock was born in London.


In 1916, during World War I, tanks were used in battle for the first time at the Battle of the Somme.

In 1922, stunt performer/swordmaster Bob Anderson was born in Gosport, Hampshire, England. He’d later have a couple of pretty impressive duels with Mark Hamill.

In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship.

In 1944, the Battle of Peleliu began as the U.S. Marine Corps’ 1st Marine Division and the U.S. Army’s 81st Infantry Division hit White and Orange beaches under heavy fire from Japanese infantry and artillery.

In 1949, the TV series "The Lone Ranger", starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels, premiered on ABC.

In 1950, during the Korean War, United Nations forces landed at Incheon in the south and began their drive toward Seoul.

In 1954, as raucous fans looked on, Marilyn Monroe filmed the famous billowing-skirt scene for "The Seven Year Itch" over a Lexington Ave. subway grate in Manhattan. However, little, if any, of the footage ended up in the movie; the scene was later reshot on a Hollywood set.

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet head of state to visit the U.S.

In 1963, four African-American girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.

In 1964, the prime-time soap opera "Peyton Place" premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1965, the TV series “Lost in Space” and “Green Acres” both premiered on CBS, while “I Spy” premiered on NBC. Fortunately, in those pre-VCR, pre-TiVo days, they weren’t on opposite each other.

In 1967, on the original series “Star Trek”, the episode “Amok Time” was broadcast as the second season premiere. It was the first story in the franchise to be set on Spock’s home planet of Vulcan, and introduced the Vulcan Salute.

In 1972, a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. indicted seven men in connection with the break-in at the Democratic Party offices in the Watergate office building.

In 1973, on the “Star Trek” animated series, the episode “Yesteryear”, partially set on Vulcan, was broadcast. For many years, this was the only animated story to be accepted as canon by the show’s fans, including series creator Gene Roddenberry.

In 1978, boxer Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to win the world heavyweight boxing title for the third time in his career, the first fighter ever to do so.

In 1989, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Penn Warren, the first poet laureate of the United States, died in Stratton, VT, at age 84.

In 1991, actor John Hoyt, best-known for his role as Dr. Phillip Boyce in the original “Star Trek” pilot, died in Santa Cruz, CA at age 85.

In 2004, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced a lockout of the players union and the cessation of operations by the NHL head office.

In 2008, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.


Boy, that's a lot of stuff for one day. And that's not counting what I left out.

 

On This Day...

Opera star Maria Callas dies on Sept 16, 1977

 

In 1908, General Motors was founded in Flint, Mich., by William C. Durant.

In 1919, the American Legion received a national charter from Congress.

In 1932, in his cell at Yerovda Jail near Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi began a hunger strike in protest of the British government's decision to separate India's electoral system by caste.

In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act.

In 1963, the sci-fi series "The Outer Limits" premiered on ABC.

In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft-evaders.

In 1982, the massacre of between 1,200 and 1,400 Palestinian men, women and children at the hands of Israeli-allied Christian Phalange militiamen began in west Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.

In 1984, the first episode of "Miami Vice", the original pilot episode, aired on NBC.

In 1992, journalist/politician Millicent Fenwick died in Bernardsville, NJ at age 82.

In 1994, a federal jury in Anchorage, Alaska, ordered Exxon Corp. to pay $5 billion in punitive damages for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill (the U.S. Supreme Court later reduced that amount to $507.5 million).

Also in 1994, the first "Mystery Science Theater 3000" Conventiocon Expofest-A-Rama officially began in Minneapolis. Attendees included some guy from NJ who later decided to post a note about his attendance in the "Today in History" thread. Textbook narcissist.

In 2001, producer Samuel Z. Arkoff, co-founder of American International Pictures, died in Burbank at age 83.

In 2007, O.J. Simpson was arrested in the alleged armed robbery of sports memorabilia collectors in Las Vegas. (Simpson was later convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery and sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison.)

In 2013, Aaron Alexis, a former U.S. Navy reservist, went on a shooting rampage inside the Washington Navy Yard, killing 12 victims before being shot dead by police.

Just one more thing...in 1927, actor Peter Falk was born in New York City.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 17:

In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

In 1862, on the bloodiest day in American military history, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil War Battle of Antietam in Maryland.

In 1908, Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge of the U.S. Army Signal Corps became the first person to die in the crash of a powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer, at Fort Myer, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

In 1928, actor Roddy McDowall was born in London.

In 1930, astronaut Thomas P. Stafford was born in Weatherford, OK.

In 1937, the likeness of President Abraham Lincoln's head was dedicated at Mount Rushmore.

In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland during World War II, more than two weeks after Nazi Germany had launched its assault.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands. (After initial success, the Allies were beaten back by the Germans.)

In 1951, actress/TV host Cassandra Peterson, best-known for her role as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, was born in Manhattan, KS.

In 1964, the James Bond film "Goldfinger" premiered in London.

Also in 1964, the TV sit-com "Bewitched" premiered on ABC.

In 1967, during a live performance of "My Generation" by the Who on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour", an explosive charge in one of Keith Moon's bass drums injured Moon's arm, singed Pete Townsend's hair, and overloaded the cameras. It was later learned that Moon had arranged for a much more powerful charge to be used than had been planned.

In 1976, NASA unveiled its first space shuttle, the Enterprise.

In 1978, after meeting at Camp David, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a framework for a peace treaty.

In 1984, Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney took office as Canada's 18th prime minister.

In 2011, a demonstration calling itself Occupy Wall Street began in New York, prompting similar protests around the U.S. and the world.

 

On This Day...

On Sept 18, 1917, Years before he penned Brave New World, Aldous Huxley is hired as a teacher at Eton. One of his pupils, Eric Blair, would later go by the name George Orwell.

 

Woah. Really?

 

Yep. Apparently so.

 

In A.D. 14, the Roman Senate officially confirmed Tiberius as the second emperor of the Roman Empire, succeeding the late Augustus. Today, Tiberius is best-known for providing Star Fleet's greatest captain with his middle name.

In 1709, author/lexicographer Dr. Samuel Jonson was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. Oh, and he's right, and so are Olsen Johnson, Howard Johnson and Van Johnson.

In 1759, the French formally surrendered Quebec to the British.

In 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

In 1905, actor/comedian Eddie "Rochester" Anderson was born in Oakland, CA.

In 1917, voice actress June Foray was born in Springfield, MA. I don't have anywhere near enough space to list her credits here.

In 1927, the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System (later CBS) made its on-air debut with a basic network of 16 radio stations.

In 1939, Nazi propaganda broadcaster Lord Haw Haw began transmitting.

In 1947, the National Security Act, which created a National Military Establishment, went into effect.

In 1948, Margaret Chase Smith of Maine became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without completing another senator's term, when she defeated Democratic opponent Adrian Scolten.

In 1960, Fidel Castro arrived in New York City as head of the Cuban delegation to the U.N.

In 1961, actor/producer/Rutgers alum James Gandolfini was born in Westfield, NJ.

In 1961, United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash in northern Rhodesia.

In 1965, the TV sit-com "I Dream of Jeannie" premiered on NBC.

In 1970, singer/musician Jimi Hendrix died in London at age 27.

In 1975, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was captured by the FBI in San Francisco, 19 months after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

In 2004, filmmaker Russ Meyer died in Hollywood Hills, CA at age 82.

In 2009, the final episode of "Guiding Light" aired on CBS, ending a 72-year run on radio and television.

In 2012, filmmaker Steve Sabol, co-founder of NFL Films, died in Moorestown, NJ at age 69.

In 2014, a referendum on the question of Scottish independence was held. The results have yet to be released.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 19th:

In 1777, the first Battle of Saratoga was fought during the Revolutionary War; although British forces succeeded in driving out the American troops, the Americans prevailed in a second battle the following month.

In 1796, President George Washington's farewell address was published.

In 1863, the first day of the Battle of Chickamauga, in northwestern Georgia, the bloodiest two-day battle of the Civil War took place. It was the only significant Confederate victory in the war's Western Theater.

In 1881, the 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, died 2½ months after being shot by Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan Arthur was then sworn in as the 21st President.

In 1928, actor Adam West was born in Walla Walla, WA. He’d later play some comic book hero on TV, back before said hero went psycho.

In 1933, actor David McCallum was born in Glasgow, Scotland. I’d wish him a happy birthday, but I can’t open Channel D on my pen.

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnap-murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.


Also in 1934, music entrepreneur Brian Epstein, best-known as the manager of the Beatles, was born in Liverpool.

In 1935, rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, one of the pioneers of rocketry and astronautics, died in Kaluga in the Soviet Union at age 78.

In 1940, actress Caroline John, best-known for playing Liz Shaw on “Doctor Who” and other spin-off productions, was born in York, North Yorkshire, England.

In 1945, Nazi radio propagandist William Joyce, known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was convicted of treason and sentenced to death by a British court.

In 1952, the U.S. Dept. of Justice, due to supposed concerns over his political views and moral attitudes, barred Charlie Chaplin from re-entering the country after a trip to England. It would be twenty years before he was allowed to return.

In 1957, the United States conducted its first contained underground nuclear test, code-named "Rainier," in the Nevada desert.

In 1958,Elvis Presley set sail for Germany, where he would serve a tour of duty for the U.S. Army.

In 1963, the first filming session for the very first “Doctor Who” serial, “An Unearthly Child”, took place. It was a one-day shoot at Ealing Studios of the last few seconds of episode one, depicting a caveman casting his shadow over the TARDIS.

In 1970, the situation comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" debuted on CBS-TV.

In 1985, Tipper Gore and other political wives formed the Parents Music Resource Center as Frank Zappa and other musicians testified at U.S. Congressional hearings on obscenity in rock music.

In 1989, the Library of Congress announced the first 25 of 75 films named to the new national film registry. The registry was established to get high-quality copies of films to make sure they would be preserved. The first group included “Gone With The Wind,” “The Maltese Falcon” and “Citizen Kane.”

In 1994, the medical drama "ER" premiered on NBC-TV.

Also in 1994, Kate Mulgrew filmed her first scenes as Capt. Janeway for the first episode of “Star Trek: Voyager”.

 

On This Day...

On Sept 20, 1973, Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the famous 'Battle of the Sexes' Tennis match in the Houston Astrodome.

 

In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew set out from Spain on five ships to find a western passage to the Spice Islands. (Magellan was killed enroute, but one of his ships eventually circled the world.)

In 1870, Italian troops took control of the Papal States, leading to the unification of Italy.

In 1873, panic swept the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in the wake of railroad bond defaults and bank failures.

In 1911, the British liner RMS Olympic collided with the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight; although seriously damaged, the Olympic was able to return to Southampton under its own power.

Now here's something we hope you'll really like. In 1920, producer/animator Jay Ward was born in San Francisco.

In 1925, composer/screenwriter James Bernard, best-known for his scores for Hammer Films, was born in India.

In 1958, Martin Luther King Jr. was seriously wounded during a book signing at a New York City department store when Izola Curry stabbed him in the chest. (Curry was later found mentally incompetent.)

In 1962, James Meredith, a black student, was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Democratic Gov. Ross R. Barnett. (Meredith was later admitted.)

In 1967, the Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 was christened by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Clydebank, Scotland.

In 1968, the original series "Star Trek" began its third season on NBC with the episode "Spock's Brain". The episode would be met with a somewhat...unenthusiastic response.

In 1973, singer/songwriter Jim Croce died in Natchitoches, LA at age 30.

In 1975, "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell" premiered on ABC-TV, featuring the American TV debut of the Bay City Rollers. This show should not be confused with NBC's "Saturday Night Live" (originally called "NBC's Saturday Night"), which premiered a month later.

In 1979, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, self-styled head of the Central African Empire, was overthrown in a French-supported coup while on a visit to Libya.

In 1980, Spectacular Bid, ridden by Bill Shoemaker, ran as the only entry in the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park in New York after three potential challengers dropped out in horse racing's first walkover since 1949.

In 1984, "The Cosby Show" premiered on NBC-TV.

In 2000, principal photography finished on "STAR WARS: Episode II- Attack of the Clones".

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 21st:

In 1780, during the American Revolution, American General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British.

In 1792, the French National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy.

In 1866, author H.G. Wells was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He's now best-known for writing the original story that the movie "Village of the Giants" was based on. And novels about time travel and Martians, I think.

In 1893, one of America's first horseless carriages was taken for a short test drive in Springfield, Massachusetts, by Frank Duryea, who had designed the vehicle with his brother, Charles.

In 1897, the New York Sun ran its famous editorial, written anonymously by Francis P. Church, which declared, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

In 1912, magician Harry Houdini first publicly performed his "Water Torture Cell" trick at the Circus Busch in Berlin.

Also in 1912, animator/director Chuck Jones was born in Spokane, WA. Feel free to celebrate with a chorus of "Hello, My Baby".

In 1937, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien was first published in the U.K.

In 1938, a hurricane struck parts of New York and New England, causing widespread damage and claiming some 700 lives.

In 1948, Milton Berle made his debut as permanent host of "The Texaco Star Theater" on NBC-TV.

In 1950, actor/comedian Bill Murray was born in Wilmette, IL.

In 1957, "Perry Mason", starring Raymond Burr, premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1970, "NFL Monday Night Football" made its debut on ABC-TV as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets, 31-21. The announcing team consisted of Howard Cosell, Don Meredith and Keith Jackson.

In 1982, National Football League players began a 57-day strike, their first regular-season walkout ever.

In 1987, NFL players called another strike, mainly over the issue of free agency. (The 24-day walkout prompted football owners to hire replacement players.)

In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin suspended parliament and scrapped the country's constitution.

In 2013, al-Shabaab Islamic terrorists attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 67 people.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 22nd:

In 1761, Britain's King George III and his wife, Charlotte, were crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York.

In 1792, the French Republic was proclaimed.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in rebel states should be free as of Jan. 1, 1863.

In 1902, actor/producer John Houseman was born in Bucharest, Romania. He later be known for his partnership with Orson Welles, and even later for his own career.

In 1911, pitcher Cy Young, 44, gained his 511th and final career victory as he hurled a 1-0 shutout for the Boston Rustlers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.

In 1915, actor Arthur Lowe was born in Hayfield, Darbyshire, England. He'd later lead the defense of Walmington-On-Sea against the Germans in World War II.

In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight in Chicago.

In 1944, actor Frazer Hines was born in Horsforth, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. He'd later go on to play one of only two "Doctor Who" Companions I know of to wear a kilt.

In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb.

In 1950, Omar N. Bradley was promoted to the rank of five-star general, joining an elite group that included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall and Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.

In 1955, England's first ITV network, Associated-Rediffusion of London, began broadcasting.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed legislation establishing the Peace Corps as a permanent government agency.

In 1964, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof," starring Zero Mostel, opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances.

Also in 1964, the secret agent series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1966, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", the second pilot film for the original series "Star Trek". was aired on NBC-TV as the series' third episode.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed.

In 1981, actress Ashley Eckstein was born in Louisville, KY. Her later roles would include the voice of the apprentice to that Jedi who went overboard over his wife's predicted death.

In 1982, actress/singer Billie Piper was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Sometime later, she'd try to talk John Hurt out of pulling the trigger on Gallifrey.

Also in 1982, the sit-com "Family Ties" premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1989, the Irish Republican Army bombed the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, Kent, England, killing 11 band members.

In 1990, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" aired the premiere episode of its second season, featuring the movie "Rocketship X-M". It also featured the debut appearances of Frank Conniff as TV's Frank, and Kevin Murphy as Tom Servo, as well as Michael J. Nelson's first on-screen role in the series.

In 1994, the sit-com "Friends" debuted on NBC-TV.

In 1996, actress/singer Dorothy Lamour died in Los Angeles at age 81.

In 2004, the TV series "Lost" premiered on ABC. What sort of series it was is open for debate.

 

Friends is 20 years old. I feel old.

 

I sympathize. "Star Trek" is 48. I feel even older.

 

On This Day...

On Sept. 23, 1949, President Truman announces that the Soviets had tested a nuclear device, setting off a panic among the American people.

 

In 1779, during the Revolutionary War, the American warship Bon Homme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, defeated the HMS Serapis in battle off Yorkshire, England; however, the seriously damaged Bon Homme Richard sank two days later.

In 1780, British spy John Andre was captured along with papers revealing Benedict Arnold's plot to surrender West Point to the British.

In 1806, the Lewis and Clark expedition returned to St. Louis more than two years after setting out for the Pacific Northwest.

In 1846, Neptune was identified as a planet by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle.

In 1889, Nintendo was founded in Kyoto, Japan, as a playing card company.

As a resident of NJ, I am required by state law to acknowledge that, in 1949, singer/musician Bruce Springsteen was born in Long Branch, NJ. Failure to acknowledge this fact is punishable under NJ law by a fine not too exceed $50,000 or a jail term to not exceed 14 months.

In 1952, in what became known as the "Checkers" speech, Sen. Richard M. Nixon, R-Calif., salvaged his vice-presidential nomination by appearing live on television to refute allegations of improper campaign fundraising.

In 1957, nine black students who'd entered Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas were forced to withdraw because of a white mob outside.

In 1962, the cartoon series "The Jetsons" premiered as the ABC television network's first program in color.

In 1994, author/screenwriter Robert Bloch died in Los Angeles at age 77.

 

If I may...

ON SEPTEMBER 24th:


In 1789, President George Washington signed a Judiciary Act establishing America's federal court system and creating the post of Attorney General.

In 1869, thousands of businessmen were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as "Black Friday" after financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market.

In 1890, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Wilford Woodruff, wrote a manifesto renouncing the practice of polygamy.

In 1906, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declared Devil’s Tower in Wyoming the country’s 1st national monument. It’s unknown if this influenced the aliens to land there in 1977.

In 1921, sportscaster/journalist Jim McKay was born in Philadelphia, PA. He’d later introduce viewers to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

In 1922, filmmaker Bert I. Gordon was born in Kenosha, WI. Eight of his films would later be screened on a certain cow-town puppet show.

In 1927, producer Gene Corman, brother of director/producer Roger Corman, was born in Detroit, MI. A couple of his movies would also be screened on a certain cow-town puppet show.

In 1929, Lt. James H. Doolittle guided a Consolidated NY-2 Biplane over Mitchel Field in New York in the first all-instrument flight.

In 1930, astronaut John W. Young, a veteran of the Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, was born in San Francisco.

In 1934, Babe Ruth made his farewell appearance as a player with the New York Yankees in a game against the Boston Red Sox. (The Sox won, 5-0.)

In 1936, filmmaker/Muppeteer Jim Henson was born in Greenville, MI.

In 1948, Mildred Gillars, accused of being Nazi wartime radio propagandist "Axis Sally," pleaded not guilty in Washington, D.C. to charges of treason. (Gillars, later convicted, ended up serving 12 years in prison.)

Also in 1948, actor/comedian Phil Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a heart attack while on vacation in Denver.

In 1957, the Los Angeles-bound Brooklyn Dodgers played their last game at Ebbets Field, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0.

In 1959, Muppeteer Steve Whitmire, who succeeded Jim Henson as the voice of Kermit the Frog, was born in Atlanta, GA.

In 1960, the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, Virginia.

Also in 1960, "The Howdy Doody Show" ended a nearly 13-year run with its final telecast on NBC.

In 1964, the situation comedy "The Munsters" premiered on CBS-TV.

Also in 1964, the adventures series "Daniel Boone," starring Fess Parker, debuted on NBC.

Also also in 1964, actress/screenwriter Bridget Nelson was born in Sauk Rapids, MN. Unfortunately, I’m not able to sing this in a deep, Thurl Ravenscroft voice.

In 1968, the newsmagazine program “60 Minutes” premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1969, the trial of the “Chicago Seven” began.

In 1976, former hostage Patricia Hearst was sentenced to seven years in prison for her part in a 1974 bank robbery in San Francisco carried out by the Symbionese Liberation Army. (Hearst was released after 22 months after receiving clemency from President Jimmy Carter.)

In 1979, principal photography finished for “STAR WARS: Episode V-The Empire Strikes Back”.

Also in 1979, CompuServe began the first commercial internet service, including the first public electronic mail service.

In 1991, author Theodor Seuss Geisel, better-known as Dr. Seuss, died in La Jolla, CA at age 87.


Another looooong entry today.

 

Bridget shows up at about 4:11 on this.