Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON MAY 14th:

In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.

In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory as well as the Pacific Northwest left camp near present-day Hartford, Illinois.

In 1897, John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”, the U.S. National March, was first performed. It took place at Willow Grove Park, near Philadelphia, PA.

In 1900, the Games of the 2nd Olympiad opened in Paris as part of the 1900 World's Fair.

In 1913, the Rockefeller Foundation was founded in New York.

In 1933, actress Sian Phillips, best-known for playing Livia in the BBC drama “I, Claudius”, was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, West Glamorgan, Wales.

In 1940, the Netherlands surrendered to invading German forces during World War II.

In 1944, filmmaker George Lucas was born in Modesto, CA. He’s had a somewhat successful career, particularly regarding a space opera he directed a while back.

In 1948, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv. The same day, the United States, at the direction of President Harry Truman, officially recognized the state.

In 1955, representatives from eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, signed the Warsaw Pact in Poland.

In 1961, Freedom Riders were attacked by violent mobs in Anniston and Birmingham, Alabama.

In 1962, the drama film “The Intruder”, directed by Roger Corman and starring William Shatner, premiered in New York City.

In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young announced their breakup. They have since regrouped several times, both with and without Neil Young.

In 1971, actress/filmmaker Sofia Coppola was born in New York City.

In 1973, the United States launched Skylab 1, its first manned space station. (Skylab 1 remained in orbit for six years before burning up during re-entry in 1979.)

Also in 1973, the National Right to Life Committee was incorporated.

In 1988, 27 people, mostly teens, were killed when their church bus collided with a pickup truck going the wrong direction on a highway near Carrollton, KY. (Truck driver Larry Mahoney served 9 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter.)

In 1996, the TV-Movie “Doctor Who”, introducing Paul McGann as the Doctor, premiered in the U.S. on the Fox Network.

In 1998, actor/singer/Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra died in Los Angeles hospital at age 82.

Also in 1998, the final episode of the sit-com "Seinfeld" was broadcast on NBC-TV. It is still the subject of much debate among fans.

In 2001, principal photography began on “Broken Bow”, the pilot episode of “Star Trek: Enterprise”.

In 2005, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Father’s Day” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Shaun Dingwall as Pete Tyler.

In 2006, “Tomorrow”, the final episode of "West Wing", aired on NBC-TV.

In 2010, NBC confirmed it had canceled the crime drama "Law and Order” after 20 seasons on the air.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 15th:

In 1776, Virginia endorsed American independence from Britain.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the Department of Agriculture.

In 1869, in New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association.

In 1911, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Standard Oil Co. was a monopoly in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act, and ordered its breakup.

In 1928, the silent cartoon “Plane Crazy” premiered in a test screening. The first cartoon featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, it would be officially released, with sound, in 1929.

In 1930, registered nurse Ellen Church, the first airline stewardess, went on duty aboard an Oakland-to-Chicago flight operated by Boeing Air Transport (a forerunner of United Airlines).

In 1940, DuPont began selling its nylon stockings nationally.

Also in 1940, the original McDonald's restaurant was opened in San Bernardino, CA by Richard and Maurice McDonald.

In 1941, the Gloster E.28/39, the first British and Allied jet aircraft, had its first flight.

In 1942, in the United States, a bill creating the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) was signed into law.

In 1948, the day after the state of Israel was established, it was attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

In 1955, the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France signed the Austrian State Treaty, which re-established Austria's independence.

In 1963, astronaut L. Gordon Cooper blasted off aboard Faith 7 on the final mission of the Project Mercury space program.

In 1968, John Lennon and Paul McCartney appeared on NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show." Joe Garagiola was sitting in for Johnny Carson. During the show the establishment of the Apple record label was announced.

In 1970, just after midnight, Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green, two black students at Jackson State College in Mississippi, were killed as police opened fire during student protests.

In 1972, Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and left paralyzed by Arthur H. Bremer while campaigning for president in Laurel, Maryland. (Bremer served 35 years for attempted murder.)

In 1987, the comedy “Ishtar”, starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, was released in the U.S. It would become notorious for its failure at the box office.

In 1988, the Soviet Union began the process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, more than eight years after Soviet forces had entered the country.

In 1991, Edith Cresson was appointed by French President Francois Mitterrand to be France's first female prime minister.

In 2005, “Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith” had its official premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, following several showings at charity events.

In 2015, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death for his role in the bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

 

I was supposed to post these yesterday.

Sound version:

 

If I may...

ON MAY 16th:

In 1763, the English lexicographer, author and wit Samuel Johnson first met his future biographer, James Boswell.

In 1770, Marie Antoinette, age 14, married the future King Louis XVI of France, who was 15.

In 1868, the U.S. Senate failed by one vote to convict President Andrew Johnson as it took its first ballot on the eleven articles of impeachment against him.

In 1905, actor Henry Fonda was born in Grand Island, NE.

In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV.

In 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. "Wings" won "best production," while Emil Jannings and Janet Gaynor were named best actor and best actress.

In 1937, actress/dancer Yvonne Craig, best-known for playing Batgirl in the “Batman” TV series, was born in Taylorville, IL.

In 1939, the federal government began its first food stamp program in Rochester, NY.

In 1943, the nearly month-long Warsaw Ghetto Uprising came to an end as German forces crushed the Jewish resistance and blew up the Great Synagogue.

In 1946, the musical "Annie Get Your Gun," featuring songs by Irving Berlin, opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theater. Ethel Merman starred in the show.

In 1948, CBS News correspondent George Polk, who'd been covering the Greek civil war between communist and nationalist forces, was found slain in Salonika Harbor.

In 1953, actor Pierce Brosnan was born in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Years later, he nearly replaced Roger Moore and later actually did replace Timothy Dalton, both times for the same role.

In 1961, actor/writer/Kid in the Hall Kevin McDonald was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

In 1966, the Beach Boys released their groundbreaking album, "Pet Sounds."

In 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

In 1988, a report by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop stated that the addictive properties of nicotine were similar to those of heroin and cocaine.

In 1990, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. died in Los Angeles at age 64.

Also in 1990, producer/director/actor/Muppeteer Jim Henson died in New York at age 53.

In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress. She was the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress.

In 1999, charity premieres for “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace” were held in 12 cities.

In 2002, “Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones” was released in 40 countries, including the U.S and the U.K.

In 2009, the Pixar animated movie “Up” had its U.S. premiere in Hollywood, CA.

In 2011, STS-134 launched from the Kennedy Space Center on the 25th and final flight for Space Shuttle Endeavour.

In 2014, production began on “Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens” at Pinewood Studios in London.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 17th:

In 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was run; the winner was Aristides, ridden by Oliver Lewis.

In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange had its origins as a group of brokers met under a tree on Wall Street.

In 1814, Norway's constitution was signed, providing for a limited monarchy.

In 1886, inventor/entrepreneur John Deere died in Moline, IL at age 82.

In 1912, the Socialist Party of America nominated Eugene V. Debs for president at its convention in Indianapolis.

In 1939, Britain's King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, arrived in Quebec on the first visit to Canada by a reigning British monarch.

Also in 1939, the Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers played in the United States' first televised sporting event, a college baseball game in New York City.

In 1940, the Nazis occupied Brussels, Belgium, during World War II.

In 1943, the Dambuster Raids by RAF No. 617 Squadron on German dams were executed.

In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, unanimously struck down racially segregated public schools.

In 1955, actor/director Bill Paxton was born in Ft. Worth, TX. In his later career, his characters wouldn’t fare well against Aliens or a Predator, but would have better luck with the Apollo program and the RMS Titanic.

In 1961, Cuban leader Fidel Castro offered to release prisoners captured in the Bay of Pigs invasion in exchange for 500 bulldozers. (The prisoners were eventually freed in exchange for medical supplies.)

In 1973, a special committee convened by the U.S. Senate began its televised hearings into the Watergate scandal.

In 1974, thirty-three civilians were killed and 300 injured when the Ulster Volunteer Force detonated four car bombs in Dublin and Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. It was the deadliest terrorist attack in the Republic's history.

In 1975, Elton John was awarded a platinum record for sales of a million copies of his album, "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy." It was the first album to sell a million copies on its first day of release.

In 1980, rioting that claimed 18 lives erupted in Miami's Liberty City after an all-white jury in Tampa acquitted four former Miami police officers of fatally beating black insurance executive Arthur McDuffie.

In 1987, 37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. (Iraq apologized for the attack, calling it a mistake, and paid more than $27 million in compensation.)

In 1995, Jacques Chirac was sworn in as president of France, ending the 14-year tenure of Socialist Francois Mitterrand.

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to allow legal same-sex marriages.

 

Also: May 17th, 1995--
Shawn Nelson steals an M-60 tank from a California National Guard armory and proceeds to run amuck on the streets of San Diego.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 18th:

In 1152, King Henry II of England married Eleanor of Aquitaine.

In 1642, the Canadian city of Montreal was founded by French colonists.

In 1765, about one-fourth of Montreal was destroyed by a fire.

In 1863, during the Civil War, the Siege of Vicksburg began.

In 1896, the Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, endorsed "separate but equal" racial segregation, a concept renounced 58 years later in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

In 1910, Halley's Comet passed by earth, brushing it with its tail.

In 1926, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished while visiting a beach in Venice, California. (McPherson reappeared more than a month later, saying she'd escaped after being kidnapped and held for ransom.)

In 1927, Grauman’s Chinese Theater opened in Hollywood, CA.

In 1931, cartoonist Don Martin, best-known for his work on “MAD Magazine”, was born in Paterson, NJ.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.

In 1934, Congress approved, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed, the so-called "Lindbergh Act," providing for the death penalty in cases of interstate kidnapping.

In 1944, during World War II, Allied forces finally occupied Monte Cassino in Italy after a four-month struggle with Axis troops.

In 1946, actor Andreas Katsulas, well-known for playing G’Kar on “Babylon 5” and Sykes, the One-Armed Man, in the movie version of “The Fugitive”, was born in St. Louis, MO.

In 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier as she piloted a Canadair F-86 Sabre jet over Rogers Dry Lake, CA.

In 1955, “Kiss Me Deadly”, the movie version of Mickey Spillane’s novel, was released in the U.S.

In 1963, The Beatles began their first tour of the UK as headliners.

In 1969, astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Thomas P. Stafford and John W. Young blasted off aboard Apollo 10 on a mission to orbit the Moon.

In 1971, the horror film “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”, starring Vincent Price in the title role, was released in the U.S.

In 1973, Harvard law professor Archibald Cox was appointed Watergate special prosecutor by U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson.

In 1979, the theatrical version of the original “Battlestar Galactica” pilot film was released in the U.S. IN SENSURROUND!

In 1980,the Mount St. Helens volcano in the state of Washington exploded, leaving 57 people dead or missing and causing over $1 billion in damages.

In 1996, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the episode featuring the movie “Laserblast” was broadcast on Comedy Central. At the time, it was intended as the last episode of the series, unless it was picked up by another network (which it was). The episode was followed by the premiere of the special “The TV Wheel”, from MST3K creator Joel Hodgson.

In 2003, the Disney Pixar animated movie “Finding Nemo” premiered in Hollywood, CA.

In 2013, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “The Name of the Doctor” was broadcast on BBC 1. The final episode of the 7th season, it featured the first appearance of John Hurt as the War Doctor.

 

May 19, 1927, New York City, Charles Lindbergh is nervous about the next day and can't get to sleep.

 

If I may...

ON MAY 19th:

In 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded after being convicted of adultery.

In 1780, a mysterious darkness enveloped much of New England and part of Canada in the early afternoon.

In 1913, California Gov. Hiram Johnson signed the Webb-Hartley Law prohibiting "aliens ineligible to citizenship" from owning farm land, a measure targeting Asian immigrants, particularly Japanese.

In 1924, the Marx Brothers made their Broadway debut in the revue "I'll Say She Is."

In 1935, actor Michael Wisher, best-known for playing Davros on “Doctor Who”, was born in London.

In 1943, in his second wartime address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his country's full support in the fight against Japan.

In 1944, actor Peter Mayhew was born in Barnes, Surrey, England. Years later, there’d be considerable debate over why one of his characters didn’t get a medal from Princess Leia.

In 1945, musician/singer/songwriter Pete Townshend was born in Chiswick, Greater London.

In 1950, a barge containing munitions destined for Pakistan exploded in the harbor at South Amboy, NJ, devastating the city.

In 1951, the Looney Tunes cartoon “Rabbit Fire”, featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd, was released in the U.S. It was the first in director Chuck Jones’ “hunting trilogy” of cartoons.

In 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday to You" to President John F. Kennedy during a Democratic fundraiser at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In 1973, Secretariat won the Preakness Stakes, the second of his Triple Crown victories.

In 1981, five British soldiers were killed by an Irish Republican Army landmine in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

In 1989, the action movie “Road House”, starring Patrick Swayze, was released in the U.S. And moviegoers would learn that pain don't hurt.

In 1992, in a case that drew much notoriety, Mary Jo Buttafuoco of Massapequa, NY, was shot and seriously wounded by her husband Joey's teenage lover, Amy Fisher.

In 1999, “Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace” went into wide release in the U.S.

In 2005, “Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith” went into wide release in the U.S.

 

On a related note to the 1981 item, on May 19, 2015, Prince Charles of Wales became the member of the British royal family to meet with the leader of Sinn Fein.

 

May 20, 1927, in spite of not getting any sleep in the last 24 hours, Charles Lindbergh takes off from New York City in the Ryan NYP NX-211 Spirit of St Louis and spends the rest of the day flying over the Atlantic. Staying awake proves more problematic than clouds, storm, and ice.

 

May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland alone in her red Lockheed Vega and flies east across the Atlantic.

 

On May 20, 2015, David Letterman tapes his very last late night TV show to air later this evening.

 

In 1861, the state of Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality in the Civil War, which would last until September 3rd, when Confederate forces entered the state. Meanwhile, the state of North Carolina seceded from the Union.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming.

In 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets.

In 1884, producer Leon Schlesinger, best-known for founding what would become the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1902, the United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma.

In 1908, actor/USAF Maj. General James Stewart was born in Indiana, PA.

In 1925, the newly built headquarters of the United States Chamber of Commerce was formally dedicated in Washington D.C.

In 1942, during World War II, the Office of Civilian Defense was established.

In 1948, Chiang Kai-shek was elected as the first President of the Republic of China.

In 1949, actor/writer/comedian Dave Thomas was born in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada. He’d later be connected with a certain Melonville-based TV station.

In 1954, the song “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets released on Decca Records.

In 1956, in Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb was dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1959, nearly 5,000 Japanese-Americans had their U.S. citizenships restored after choosing to renounce them during World War II.

In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, AL, prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.

In 1970, some 100,000 people demonstrated in New York's Wall Street district in support of U.S. policy in Vietnam and Cambodia.

In 1975, “Star Trek: The Animated Series” won a Daytime Emmy award for Best Children’s Program.

In 1982, principal photography was completed on “Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi”.

In 1985, Radio Marti, operated by the U.S. government, began broadcasting; Cuba responded by attempting to jam its signal.

In 1988, the fantasy movie “Willow”, starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer, was released in the U.S.

In 1989, actress/comedienne Gilda Radner died in Los Angeles at age 42.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton announced that the two-block stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House would be permanently closed to motor vehicles as a security measure.

In 1996, actor Jon Pertwee died in Sherman, CT at age 76.

In 2008, it was announced that Russell T. Davies would be leaving his position as Executive Producer of “Doctor Who” and would be replaced by Stephen Moffat.

 

Sorry, I can't put this up as a video:
http://classicajays.tumblr.com/post/7734859743/so-here-it-is-everyone-the-steve-martin-monologue

 

Eventually, he would go on to play the part of Charles Lindbergh in the movie Spirit of St Louis. And...

May 21, 1927, Lindy lands in Paris after 33 1/2 hours in flight from New York, and the world went nuts for him.

May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart lands in Ireland, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and is dubbed Lady Lindy.