Fun On this date in history...

As it happens, Ellison hated the televised version, particularly the ending. He wrote a book that features his original script and an extended, very acrimonious essay giving his side of the story.
And Wikipedia lists his death as occurring on June 27th, so I updated the listing for next year.

 

Two birthdays for Shaw Brothers legends today June 29th:


David Chiang (whom I finally waxed on about at Shaw Brothers official site and devoted all space at my blog this week),

and the equally awesome Lo Lieh, whose Five Fingers of Death kickstarted the kung fu movie craze in the States before Bruce Lee.

Had I known it was also Lo Lieh’s birthday today, I would have honored him too. He was among SB’s greatest villain actors, but played great heroes too. And the man could be funny as hell.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 29th:

In 1613, London's original Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeare's plays were performed, was destroyed by a fire sparked by a cannon shot during a performance of "Henry VIII."

In 1880, France annexed Tahiti, which became a French colony on December 30, 1880.

In 1767, Britain approved the Townshend Revenue Act, which imposed import duties on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper and tea shipped to the American colonies. (Colonists bitterly protested, prompting Parliament to repeal the duties — except for tea.)

In 1911, composer/conductor Bernard Herrmann was born in New York City.

In 1920, writer/producer/VFX creator Ray Harryhausen was born in Los Angeles.

In 1927, the first trans-Pacific airplane flight was completed as Lt. Lester J. Maitland and Lt. Albert F. Hegenberger arrived at Wheeler Field in Hawaii aboard the Bird of Paradise, an Atlantic-Fokker C-2, after flying 2,400 miles from Oakland, CA in 25 hours, 50 minutes.

In 1928, The Outerbridge Crossing and Goethals Bridge in Staten Island, NY were both opened.

In 1943, actress Maureen O’Brien, known to Whovians for playing Vicky during the Hartnell era, was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England.

In 1954, the Atomic Energy Commission voted against reinstating Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer's access to classified information.

In 1956, The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System.

In 1960, BBC Television Center in West London was opened.

In 1967, Jerusalem was re-unified as Israel removed barricades separating the Old City from the Israeli sector.

In 1972, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case Furman v. Georgia that arbitrary and inconsistent imposition of the death penalty violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Also in 1972, the sequel “Conquest of the Planet of the Apes”, starring Roddy McDowall, premiered in New York City.

In 1974, Isabel Peron was sworn in as the first female President of Argentina.

In 1975, Steve Wozniak tested his first prototype of the Apple I computer.

In 1988, the comedy ”Coming to America”, starring Eddie Murphy, was released in the U.S.

In 1995, the Samppong Department Store collapsed in the Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, killing 501 and injuring 937.

Also in 1995, Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the Russian space station Mir for the first time.

In 1998, the science fiction movie “Armageddon” premiered at Kennedy Space Center.

In 2006, The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President George W. Bush’s plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and international law.

In 2007, Apple, Inc. released its first mobile phone, the iPhone.

In 2012, a derecho group of severe thunderstorms swept across the Midwestern and Mid-Atlantic United States. The storms resulted in at least 22 deaths and heavy damage, including power outages affecting millions of people.

In 2014, the Islamic State terrorist group self-declared it’s caliphate in Syria and northern Iraq.

 

@Juliet316 is it Garfield’s fave food day today or July 29th?

 

*facepalm* Ignore that last one

 

When you’re hungry, you notice these things.

 

• Ryan White was denied re-admittance to his school due to HIV he had contracted during treatments for hemophilia; his legal battle made him a poster child for the disease in the U.S.

- Wikipedia

 

Being the (probably unusual) news watchey child that I was, I remember the Ryan White story. That was probably one of my earliest context for the HIV/AIDS virus.

 

If I may...

ON JUNE 30th:

In 1859, French acrobat Charles Blondin walked back and forth on a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara Falls as thousands of spectators watched.

In 1865, eight people, including Mary Surratt and Dr. Samuel Mudd, were convicted by a military commission of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. (Four defendants, including Surratt, were executed; Mudd was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1869.)

In 1882, Charles J. Guiteau was hanged in Washington, D.C. for the assassination of President James Garfield.

In 1908, the Tunguska Event took place in Russia as an asteroid exploded above Siberia, leaving 800 square miles of scorched or blown-down trees.

In 1912, Canada's deadliest tornado on record occurred as a cyclone struck Regina, the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, killing 28 people.

In 1917, singer/actress/activist Lena Horne was born in Bed-Stuy.

In 1921, President Warren G. Harding nominated former President William Howard Taft to be Chief Justice of the United States, succeeding the late Edward Douglass White.

In 1933, the Screen Actors Guild was established.

In 1934, Adolf Hitler launched his "blood purge" of political and military rivals in Germany in what came to be known as "The Night of the Long Knives."

In 1949, "The Missouri Waltz" became the official state song of Missouri.

In 1951, the Hitchcock thriller “Strangers on a Train” was released in the U.S.

In 1952, the radio program "The Guiding Light" made its debut as a television soap opera on CBS.

In 1953, the first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, MI.

In 1958, the U.S. Senate passed the Alaska statehood bill by a vote of 64-20.

In 1960, Congo gained independence from Belgium.

In 1963, Pope Paul VI was crowned the 262nd head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1971, the crew of the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz 11 (Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev) were killed when their air supply escaped through a faulty valve.

Also In 1971, the fantasy movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory”, starring Gene Wilder, was released in the U.S.

In 1972, for the first time, a leap-second was added to Coordinated Universal Time to account for the slowing rotation of the Earth.

In 1985, 39 American hostages from a hijacked TWA jetliner were freed in Beirut after being held 17 days.

Also in 1985, Yul Brynner performed for the last time as the King of Siam in "The King and I." He had done the show off and on for 34 years and more than 4,500 performances.

In 1994, an Airbus A330 passenger plane crashed after takeoff from Toulouse, France, on a test flight, killing all seven occupants.

Also in 1994, the Supreme Court ruled, 6-3, that judges can bar even peaceful demonstrators from getting too close to abortion clinics.

In 1997, The United Kingdom transferred sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China.

In 2003, filming began at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia for “Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith”.

In 2007, on “Doctor Who”, “The Last of the Time Lords” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones.

In 2013, nineteen firefighters died controlling a wildfire in Yarnell, AZ.

In 2014, a sharply divided Supreme Court ruled that some companies with religious objections could avoid the contraceptives requirement in President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, the first time the high court declared that businesses can hold religious views under federal law.

In 2015, Jedi Academy: The Phantom Bully, the third book in Jeffrey Brown’s “Jedi Academy” series, was published by Scholastic. And your humble correspondent processed South Plainfield Library’s copy the day previous.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 1st:

In 1535, Sir Thomas More went on trial in England, charged with high treason for rejecting the Oath of Supremacy. (More was convicted, and executed.)

In 1863, the pivotal, three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, resulting in a Union victory, began in Pennsylvania.

In 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain as the British North America Act took effect.

In 1870, The U.S. Dept. of Justice formally came into existence.

In 1898, the Battle of San Juan Hill is fought in Santiago de Cuba.

In 1899, the founders of the Gideons held their first meeting.

In 1902, producer/director/screenwriter William Wyler was born in Mulhausen, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire.

In 1908, SOS was adopted as the International Distress Signal.

In 1916, during World War I, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme 19,000 soldiers of the British Army were killed and 40,000 wounded.

Also in 1916, actress Olivia de Havilland was born in Tokyo, Japan.

In 1934, Hollywood began enforcing its Production Code subjecting motion pictures to censorship review.

In 1934, actress/writer Jean Marsh, OBE was born in Stoke Newington, London. Depending on the fandom, she’s well-known as either Rose the parlourmaid or three different “Doctor Who” characters, including one Companion.

In 1935, actor/bodybuilder David Prowse was born in Bristol, England. He’d earn his Sith title some years later.

In 1937, Martin Niemoller, a leading Lutheran who resisted Nazi racism, was arrested by the Gestapo.

In 1940, the original Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State opened to traffic despite concerns over its tendency to "bounce" in windy conditions, inspiring the nickname "Galloping Gertie" (four months later, the suspension bridge's main section collapsed into Puget Sound).

Also in 1940, the swashbuckling adventure “The Sea Hawk”, starring Errol Flynn, was released in the U.S.

In 1946, the United States exploded a 20-kiloton atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

In 1952, actor/comedian/screenwriter/musician/Ghostbuster/Not Ready for Prime Time Player Dan Aykroyd was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

In 1956, Elvis Presley appeared on Steve Allen's variety show singing "Hound Dog" to a Bassett hound. He also was forbidden to dance.

In 1961, Diana, Princess of Wales was born in Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England.

In 1963, The Beatles recorded "She Loves You" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London. The song became the band's second number-one hit in both the US and UK.

Also in 1963, ZIP codes were introduced for U.S. mail.

In 1965, the epic slapstick comedy "The Great Race," starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood, was released.

In 1969, Sam Phillips sold the Sun record label, which had been home to Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis at the start of their careers.

In 1980, "O Canada" was proclaimed the national anthem of Canada.

In 1984, the MPAA introduced the PG-13 rating.

In 1987, the American radio station WFAN (660 AM) in New York City was launched as the world's first all-sports radio station.

In 1991, the Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved.

Also in 1991, the sequel “Terminator 2; Judgement Day” premiered in Century City, CA.

In 1994, the movie “The Shadow”, based on the pulp and radio character, was released in the U.S., with Alec Baldwin in the title role.

In 1995, The NBA locked out its players. It was the first work stoppage in the league's history.

In 2000, Vermont's civil unions law, which granted gay couples most of the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage, went into effect.

Also in 2000, The Confederate flag was removed from atop South Carolina's Statehouse (in a compromise, another Confederate flag was raised on the Statehouse grounds in front of a soldier's monument).

In 2013, the sci-fi/monster movie “Pacific Rim” premiered in Mexico City.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 2nd:

In 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States."

In 1777, Vermont became the first American territory to abolish slavery.

In 1822, thirty-five slaves were hanged in South Carolina, including Denmark Vesey, after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion.

In 1839, twenty miles off the coast of Cuba, fifty-three rebelling African slaves led by Joseph Cinque took over the slave ship Amistad.

In 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died the following September. (Guiteau was hanged in June 1882.)

In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act.

In 1897, British-Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi obtained a patent for radio in London.

In 1900, the first Zeppelin flight took place on Lake Constance near Friedrichshafen, Germany.

In 1915, a time bomb planted in a reception room of the U.S. Senate exploded shortly before midnight, causing considerable damage but hurting no one.

In 1921, U.S. President Warren G. Harding signed the Knox-Porter Resolution, formally ending the war between the United States and Imperial Germany.

In 1926, the United States Army Air Corps was created.

In 1927, actor Brock Peters was born in Harlem. Sci-fi fans know him for his roles in “Soylent Green”, “Star Trek”, “Battlestar Galactica” and for playing Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” radio adaptations.

In 1937, aviatrix Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight along the equator.

Also in 1937, NASCAR driver Richard Petty was born in Level Cross, Randolph County, NC.

In 1941, the autobiographical drama “Sergeant York”, starring Gary Cooper in the title role, premiered in New York City.

Wunnerful, wunnerful! In 1955, "The Lawrence Welk Show" premiered on ABC-TV under its original title, "The Dodge Dancing Party."

In 1956, Elvis Presley recorded "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" in New York City. "Hound Dog" took 31 takes.

In 1958, the Elvis Presley movie “King Creole” was released in the U.S.

In 1961, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, ID at age 61.

In 1962, the first Wal-Mart store opened for business in Rogers, AR.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.

In 1976, the Republic of Vietnam fell, when Communist North Vietnam declared the union of North and South to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In 1979, the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was released to the public.

In 1982, Larry Walters of San Pedro, California, used a lawn chair equipped with 45 helium-filled weather balloons to rise to an altitude of 16,000 feet; he landed eight miles away in Long Beach.

In 1982, the cartoon adventure “The Secret of NIMH” was released in the U.S.

In 1986, the comic/martial arts/fantasy/adventure movie “Big Trouble in Little China”, starring Kurt Russell and Kim Catrall, was released in the U.S.

Also in 1986, the Disney cartoon “The Great Mouse Detective” was released in the U.S.

In 1990, more than 1,400 Muslim pilgrims were killed in a stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel near Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

In 1991, principal photography was completed for the sequel “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”.

In 1996, principal photography was completed for the sequel “Star Trek: First Contact”.

In 1997, actor/Brigadier Gen. James Stewart died in Beverly Hills at age 89.

Also In 1997, the sci-fi movie “Men in Black”, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, was released in the U.S.

In 1998, principal photography was completed for the sequel “Star Trek: Insurrection”.

In 2002, Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.

In 2013, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher was published by Quirk Books.

Also in 2013, the International Astronomical Union named the PLANET Pluto’s fourth and fifth moons, Kerberos and Styx.

 

Thanks for putting this one up. I wasn't aware of it, but it hits home with me. My late brother Bri had done a lot of sports reporting, for Piscataway TV, radio station WAWZ-FM, Zarephath, NJ and for the Somerset Patriots baseball team.

 

I figured it was important to put up, especially in light of what happened last week in Maryland.

 

July 3rd birthday:

my favorite Italian genre film director Michele Soavi was born on this day in 1957. He began acting and then moved to behind the camera after apprenticing with Joe D'Amato, Lamberto Bava and his "idol" Dario Argento. His four horror films are a mix of satire on the slasher and zombie genres and serious occult stories. He was also an assistant D.A. for Terry Gilliam. I wrote a ridiculous amount of posts on my blog about Michele. In just four movies he delivered visuals, stories and scares that some folks cannot do over a much larger filmography. Hope he returns to the genre some day.

 

If I my...

ON JULY 3rd:

In 1608, the city of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain.

In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, MA.

In 1778, during the Revolutionary War, British forces killed 360 people in the Wyoming Valley massacre.

In 1819, The Bank of Savings in New York City, the first savings bank in the United States, opened.

In 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett's Charge.

In 1884, Dow Jones & Company published its first stock average.

In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.

In 1913, during a 50th anniversary reunion at Gettysburg, PA, Civil War veterans re-enacted Pickett's Charge, which ended with embraces and handshakes between the former enemies.

In 1935, astronaut/geologist/U.S. Senator Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17, was born in Santa Rita, NM.

In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg by dedicating the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.

In 1944, during World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk from the Germans.

In 1950, the first carrier strikes of the Korean War took place as the USS Valley Forge and the HMS Triumph sent fighter planes against North Korean targets.

In 1952, The Constitution of Puerto Rico was approved by the U.S. Congress.

In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle signed an agreement recognizing Algeria as an independent state after 132 years of French rule.

In 1964, actress/author/artist Yeardley Smith was born in Paris, France. She’s well-known for playing one of Springfield’s more prominent citizens.

In 1965, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “The Time Meddler” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Peter Butterworth as the Meddling Monk, the first member of the Doctor’s then-unnamed race to be presented (apart from the Doctor and Susan).

In 1969, Brian Jones, founder and former guitarist for the Rolling Stones, was found dead at age 27 in his swimming pool at home in England.

Also in 1969, the biggest explosion in the history of rocketry occurred when a Soviet N-1 rocket blew up and subsequently destroyed its launchpad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

In 1971, singer/songwriter Jim Morrison of the Doors was found dead in Paris at age 27.

In 1985, the time-travel comedy "Back to the Future," starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, was released in the U.S.

In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

In 1993, actor/comedian/Stooge Joe DeRita died in Woodland Hills, CA at age 83.

In 1996, Russians went to the polls to re-elect Boris Yeltsin president over his Communist challenger, Gennady Zyuganov in a runoff.

In 1996, the sci-fi/disaster movie “Independence Day” was released in the U.S, just over a week after its premiere in Westwood, CA. In many theaters, a trailer for the upcoming release of the Special Edition of the original “Star Wars” trilogy was included. Some fans have admitted seeing the former mainly so they could see the latter.

Also in 1997, “Bean: The Movie”, starring Rowan Atkinson, was released in Australia. It would reach the UK the following month, and the U.S. in October.

In 2001, musician/composer Delia Derbyshire died in Northampton, England at age 64. An electronic music pioneer with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, she was the unofficial, but widely acknowledged, co-composer of the “Doctor Who” theme music.

In 2012, actor/producer/singer/comedian Andy Griffith died in Manteo, CA at age 86.

In 2013, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown by the military after four days of protests all over the country calling for Morsi's resignation, to which he didn't respond. President of the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt Adly Mansour was declared acting president.

In 2016, a truck bombing on a bustling commercial street in downtown Baghdad killed 115 people, with 187 wounded and 11 missing.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 4th:

In 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

In 1802, the U.S. Military Academy opened at West Point, N.Y.

In 1826, Death claimed the second and third presidents of the United States: John Adams died at age 90 in Braintree, MA, while Thomas Jefferson died at 83 at Monticello, his home near Charlottesville, VA.

In 1831, James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, died at age 73 in New York City.

In 1832, the national hymn “America” was first sung in public at a children’s celebration of Independence Day at the Park St. Church in Boston, MA.

In 1845, American writer Henry David Thoreau began a two-year experiment in simple living at Walden Pond near Concord, MA.

In 1863, Vicksburg, MS surrendered to the Army of the Tennessee, led by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, after 47 days of siege.

Also in 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia withdrew from the battlefield after losing the Battle of Gettysburg, signaling an end to the Southern invasion of the North.

In 1872, Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, was born in Plymouth, VT.

In 1881, in Alabama, the Tuskegee Institute opened.

In 1882, producer Louis B. Mayer, co-founder of MGM, was born in Minsk, Russia.

In 1883, cartoonist/engineer/cartoonist/inventor Rube Goldberg was born in San Francisco.

In 1910, race riots broke out all over the United States after African-American Jack Johnson knocked out Jim Jeffries in a heavyweight boxing match.

In 1912, the 48-star American flag, recognizing the statehood of New Mexico, was adopted.

In 1918, Bolsheviks killed Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family.

In 1919, Jack Dempsey won the world heavyweight champion when he defeated Jess Willard.

In 1927, playwright/screenwriter Neil Simon was born in the Bronx.

In 1934, boxer Joe Louis won his first professional fight.

In 1939, baseball player Lou Gehrig, afflicted with a fatal illness, bid a tearful farewell at Yankee Stadium in New York, telling fans, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth."

In 1943, the Battle of Kursk, the largest full-scale battle in history and the world's largest tank battle, began in Prokhorovka village.

In 1946, The Philippines became independent.

In 1959, the 49-star American flag, recognizing the statehood of Alaska, was officially flown.

In 1960, the 50-star American flag, recognizing the statehood of Hawaii, was officially flown.

In 1961, on its maiden voyage, the Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-19 suffered a complete loss of coolant to its reactor. The crew were able to effect repairs, but 22 of them died of radiation poisoning over the following two years.

In 1962, the sci-fi comedy “Three Stooges in Orbit” was released in the U.S.

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Freedom of Information Act into law.

In 1976, Israeli commandos raided Entebbe airport in Uganda, rescuing almost all of the passengers and crew of an Air France jetliner seized by pro-Palestinian hijackers.

Also in 1976, the United States of America celebrated its Bicentennial.

In 1987, former Getaspo chief Klaus Barbie was convicted by a French court of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life in prison.

In 1997, NASA’s Pathfinder space probe landed on the surface of Mars.

In 2003, singer/songwriter/musician Barry White died in Los Angeles at age 58.

In 2004, the cornerstone of the Freedom Tower was laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

In 2009, The Statue of Liberty’s crown reopened to the public after eight years of closure due to security concerns following the September 11th attacks.

In 2016, NASA’s Juno space probe arrived at Jupiter.

 

One addition to July 4th (and something one of the previous videos missed):

In 1778, following the previous year's sporadic celebrations, Gen. George Washington declared the nation's first official celebration of the Fourth of July. Held in Piscataway, NJ, it included a cannon & flintlock salute on the banks of the Raritan River and a formal ball at the township's Ross Hall.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 5th:

In 1687, Isaac Newton first published his Principia Mathematica, a three-volume work setting out his mathematical principles of natural philosophy.

In 1811, Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

In 1865, the Secret Service Division of the U.S. Treasury Department was founded in Washington D.C. with the mission of suppressing counterfeit currency.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act.

In 1937, Spam, the luncheon meat, was introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation. It would be another 33 years before Python got ahold of it.

In 1940, during World War II, Britain and the Vichy government in France broke off diplomatic relations.

In 1941, the Bugs Bunny cartoon “The Heckling Hare” was released in the U.S. A dispute over the ending of this cartoon between director Tex Avery and producer Leon Schlesinger resulted in Avery leaving Warner Bros. and subsequently moving to MGM.

In 1945, during World War II, the liberation of the Philippines was declared.

In 1946, the bikini, created by Louis Reard, was modeled by Micheline Bernardini during a poolside fashion show in Paris.

In 1947, Larry Doby made his debut with the Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.

In 1948, Britain's National Health Service Act went into effect, providing publicly-financed medical and dental care.

Also in 1948, actor William Hootkins, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Porkins in “Episode IV- A New Hope”, was born in Dallas TX.

In 1950, The Knesset passed the Law of Return, which grants all Jews the right to immigrate to Israel.

Also in 1950, during the Korean War, American and North Korean forces first clashed, in the Battle of Osan.

In 1954, Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee; the song he recorded was "That's All Right."

In 1958, cartoonist Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin & Hobbes, was born in Washington, D.C.

In 1962, independence took effect in Algeria; the same day, civilians of European descent, mostly French, came under attack by extremists in the port city of Oran.

In 1969, The Rolling Stones held a free concert in London's Hyde Park. Mick Jagger read poetry in memory of the late Brian Jones.

In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years, was formally certified by President Richard Nixon.

In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors, 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

In 1977, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, was overthrown in a military coup.

In 1984, the Supreme Court weakened the 70-year-old "exclusionary rule," deciding that evidence seized in good faith with defective court warrants could be used against defendants in criminal trials.

In 1989, the pilot episode of the sit-com “Seinfeld”, titled “The Seinfeld Chronicles”, was broadcast on NBC-TV.

In 1991, a worldwide financial scandal erupted as regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

In 1996, Dolly the sheep became the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.

In 2004, the first Indonesian presidential election was held.

In 2008, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “Journey’s End” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.

In 2012, the 95-story London skyscraper The Shard was inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 meters (1,020 ft).

In 2016, NASA’s unmanned Juno space probe arrived at Jupiter and began a 20-month survey of the planet.

 

Rumors of a motorcycle riding up the Shard in 2013 have neither been confirmed, nor denied.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 6th:
In 1189, Richard I “the Lionheart” acceded to the English throne.

In 1415, Czech church reformer Jan Hus, condemned for heresy, was burned at the stake in Konstanz in present-day Germany.

In 1483, Richard III was crowned King of England.

In 1535, Sir Thomas More was executed in England for high treason.

In 1777, during the American Revolution, British forces captured Fort Ticonderoga.

In 1854, in Jackson, MI, the first convention of the Republican Party was held.

In 1865, the weekly publication "The Nation" made its debut.

In 1885, Louis Pasteur successfully tested his vaccine against rabies on Joseph Meister, a boy who was bitten by a rabid dog.

In 1917, during World War I, Arab forces led by T.E. Lawrence and Auda Abu Tayi captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks.

In 1925, TV host/singer/actor/producer Merv Griffin was born in San Mateo, CA.

In 1927, comedian/actor/satirist/Presidential candidate Pat Paulsen was born in South Bend, WA.

In 1933, the first All-Star baseball game was played at Chicago's Comiskey Park; the American League defeated the National League, 4-2.

In 1944, an estimated 168 people died in a fire that broke out during a performance in the main tent of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, CT.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order establishing the Medal of Freedom.

Also in 1945, Nicaragua became the first nation to ratify the United Nations Charter.

In addition in 1945, actor/Caped Crusader Burt Ward was born in Los Angeles.

In 1946, George W. Bush, 43rd President of the U.S., was born in New Haven, CT.

In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles title as she defeated fellow American Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2.

Also in 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time, as teenagers at Woolton Fete, three years before forming the Beatles.

In addition in 1957, the Bugs Bunny cartoon “What’s Opera, Doc?” was released in the U.S.

In 1964, the musical "A Hard Day's Night," starring The Beatles, had its world premiere in London.

In 1971, jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong died in New York at age 69.

In 1975, thoroughbred filly Ruffian broke down during a match race with Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. (Her right leg and hoof was badly injured. She would be euthanized the following day.)

In 1988, 167 North Sea oil workers were killed when explosions and fires destroyed a drilling platform.

Also in 1988, medical waste and other debris began washing up on New York City-area seashores, forcing the closing of several popular beaches.

In 1994, 14 firefighters were killed while battling a several-days-old blaze on Storm King Mountain in Colorado.

 

I remember this as the date that "Forrest Gump" opened.