Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON JULY 9th:

In 1540, England's King Henry VIII had his 6-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to Gen. George Washington's troops in New York.

In 1793, The Act Against Slavery in Upper Canada banned the importation of slaves and would free those who were born into slavery after the passage of the Act at 25 years of age.

In 1811, explorer David Thompson posted a sign near what is now Sacajawea State Park in Washington State, claiming the Colombia District for the United Kingdom.

In 1816, Argentina declared independence from Spain.

In 1850, Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, died in Washington D.C. at age 65, after serving only 16 months of his term. (He was succeeded by Millard Fillmore.)

In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing African-Americans full citizenship, and all persons in the United States due process of law.

In 1877, the inaugural Wimbledon Championships began.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous "cross of gold" speech at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, TN. the deadliest rail accident in United States history.

Also in 1918, the Distinguished Service Cross was established by an Act of Congress.

In 1937, the silent film archives of Fox Film Corporation were destroyed by the 1937 Fox vault fire.

In 1943, during World War II, Allied forces performed an amphibious invasion of Sicily.

In 1944, British and Canadian forces captured Caen, France.

Also in 1944, American forces took Saipan in the Mariana Islands.

In 1945, architect Frank Lloyd Wright unveiled his design for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, a spiral structure on Manhattan's Upper East Side that was completed in 1959.

In 1951, President Harry S. Truman asked Congress to formally end the state of war between the United States and Germany. (An official end to the state of war was declared in October 1951.)

In 1955, actor Jimmy Smits was born in Brooklyn. One of his characters would later adopt the daughter of a certain Jedi and a certain senator.

In 1956, Dick Clark made his debut as host of "Bandstand" on a Philadelphia TV station. The name was changed to "American Bandstand" when it went to ABC.

In 1982, the Disney sci-fi movie “Tron” was released in the U.S. It starred Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, and David Warner. End of line.

In 1986, the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography released the final draft of its report, which linked hard-core porn to sex crimes.

In 1995, Jerry Garcia performed for the final time as frontman of the Grateful Dead during a concert at Chicago's Soldier Field (Garcia died a month later).

In 2002, the post-Apocalypse/fantasy movie “Reign of Fire”, starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey, had its U.S. premiere.

In 2007, actor Peter Tuddenhamm, best-known for providing the voices of Zen, ORAC and Slave on “Blake’s 7”, died at age 88.

In 2019, businessman/philanthropist/politician H. Ross Perot died in Dallas, TX at age 89.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 10th:

In 1509, theologian John Calvin, a key figure of the Protestant Reformation, was born in Noyon, Picardy, France.

In 1553, Lady Jane Grey took the throne of England.

In 1778, during the Revolutionary War, Louis XVI of France declared war on Great Britain.

In 1832, President Andrew Jackson vetoed a bill that would re-charter the Second Bank of the United States.

In 1850, Millard Fillmore was sworn in, a day after becoming the 13th President of the U.S. upon Zachary Taylor’s death.

In 1856, inventor/engineer/physicist/futurist Nikola Tesla was born Smijan, Austrian Empire.

In 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state.

In 1914, artist/cartoonist Joe Shuster, co-creator of “Superman”, was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson personally delivered the Treaty of Versailles to the Senate and urged its ratification. (However, the Senate rejected it.)

In 1925, jury selection took place in Dayton, Tennessee, in the trial of John T. Scopes, charged with violating the law by teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution. (Scopes was convicted and fined, but the verdict was overturned on a technicality.)

In 1926, actor Fred Gwynne was born in New York City. He’d later patrol the city in Car 54, before becoming a valued employee at Gateman, Goodbury and Graves.

In 1929, American paper currency was reduced in size as the government began issuing bills that were approximately 25 percent smaller.

In 1930, actor Bruce Boa, known to “Star Wars” fans for playing Gen. Rieekan in “The Empre Strikes Back”, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

In 1934, Muppeteer Jerry Nelson was born in Tulsa, OK.

In 1940, during World War II, the Battle of Britain began as the Luftwaffe started attacking southern England.

Also in 1940, the Vichy government was established in France.

In 1941, actress Jackie Lane, known to Whovians for playing Dodo Chaplet on “Doctor Who”, was born in Manchester, England.

In 1942, the drama “The Magnificent Ambersons”, directed by Orson Welles (and later edited without his knowledge), was released in the U.S.

In 1943, during World War II, U.S. and British forces invaded Sicily.

In 1950, the TV version of "Your Hit Parade" premiered on NBC.

In 1951, armistice talks aimed at ending the Korean War began at Kaesong.

In 1955, the comedy/drama “Mister Roberts” premiered in Los Angeles. It starred Henry Fonda in the title role, and co-starred William Powell, James Cagney and Jack Lemmon.

In 1962, AT&T's Telstar 1 communications satellite, capable of relaying television signals and telephone calls, was launched by NASA from Cape Canaveral.

In 1968, guitarist Eric Clapton announced the breakup of Cream. The band played a farewell concert later in the year.

In 1970, actor John Simm was born. He’d later appear as the Master on “Doctor Who”, and fan theories over his interpretation have been somewhat imaginative.

In 1972, actor/voice artist/comedian/musician Peter Serafinowicz was born in Liverpool. He’d later briefly provide the voice of a Sith Lord who normally let a double-bladed lightsaber do the talking for him.

In 1973, the Bahamas became fully independent after three centuries of British colonial rule.

Also in 1973, John Paul Getty III, the teenage grandson of the oil tycoon, was abducted in Rome by kidnappers who cut off his ear when his family was slow to meet their ransom demands; young Getty was released in December 1973 for nearly $3 million.

In 1981, the sci-fi/action movie “Escape from New York”, directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, was released in the U.S.

Also in 1981, the fantasy movie “Time Bandits”, directed and co-written by Terry Gilliam, was released in the UK.

In 1985, the Greenpeace protest ship Rainbow Warrior was sunk with explosives in Auckland, New Zealand, by French intelligence agents; one activist was killed.

Also in 1985, bowing to pressure from irate customers, the Coca-Cola Co. said it would resume selling old-formula Coke, while continuing to sell New Coke.

In 1989, actor/voice artist Mel Blanc died in Los Angeles at age 81.

In 1991, Boris N. Yeltsin took the oath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic.

Also in 1991, President George H.W. Bush lifted economic sanctions against South Africa.

In 1992, the sci-fi/action movie “Universal Soldier”, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, was released in the U.S.

In 1999, the United States women's soccer team won the World Cup, beating China 5-4 on penalty kicks after 120 minutes of scoreless play at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

In 2017, a large fire broke out at the Camden Markets in North West London, with over 70 firefighters and 10 firetrucks attending the scene.

Also in 2017, during the Iraqi Civil War, the city of Mosul in northern Iraq was declared fully liberated from the occupation of ISIL.

In 2018, rescue operations for a group of 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand were completed. After being trapped for 18 days, the last group of boys and the coach were successfully rescued.

In 2020, the twenty-first Blobfest began in Phoenixville, PA. In addition to “The Blob”, it also included screenings of “Bucket of Blood”, the original “Little Shop of Horrors”, and “The House on Haunted Hill”. Due to the COVID-19 situation, it was structured as a “virtual” celebration, billed as “Blobfest 2020: The Home Edition”.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 11th:

In 1767, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, was born in Braintree, MA.

In 1798, the U.S. Marine Corps was formally re-established by a congressional act that also created the U.S. Marine Band.

In 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, NJ.

In 1864, Confederate forces led by Lt. Gen. Jubal Early began an abortive invasion of Washington D.C., turning back the next day.

In 1914, Babe Ruth debuted in the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox.

In 1921, former U.S. President William Howard Taft was sworn in as 10th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices.

In 1922, the Hollywood Bowl officially opened with a program called "Symphonies Under the Stars" with Alfred Hertz conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

In 1924, Eric Liddel won the 400 meter race at the Paris Olympics, after refusing to run the 100 meter race because the heats would be held on Sunday.

In 1947, the ship Exodus 1947, bearing Jewish refugees, left France bound for Palestine. (British naval personnel boarded the ship on July 18th and the refugees were returned to France.)

In 1952, the Republican National Convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower for president and Richard M. Nixon for vice president.

In 1955, the U.S. Air Force Academy swore in its first class of cadets at its temporary quarters at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado.

In 1960, the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee was first published by J.B. Lippincott and Co.

In 1969, David Bowie released "Space Oddity" as a single, to coincide with the first lunar landing.

In 1972, the first game of the World Chess Championship 1972, between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky started.

In 1974, the Hammer Horror movie “Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires” premiered in Hong Kong. It featured Peter Cushing’s last performance as Van Helsing.

In 1977, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 1979, the abandoned U.S. space station Skylab made a spectacular return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.

In 1989, actor/director Laurence Olivier, OM, Kt died in Steyning, West Sussex, England at age 82.

In 1991, the Walt Disney Co. announced that it was entering into a distribution deal with Pixar.

In 1992, “MST Alive!”, the first live performance featuring the cast of the series, was held at the Uptown Theater in Minneapolis. The riffed movie was “World Without End”.

In 1995, the U.N.-designated "safe haven" of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina fell to Bosnian Serb forces, who then carried out the killings of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

Also in 1995, the United States normalized relations with Vietnam.

In 2006, two hundred nine people were killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India.

In 2012, astronomers announced the discovery of Styx, the fifth moon of the PLANET Pluto.

In 2019, a state of emergency was declared in Lousiana as Tropical Storm Barry brought unprecedented amounts of rainfall to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 12th:

In 1543, England's King Henry VIII married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr.

In 1690, forces led by William of Orange defeated the army of James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.

In 1804, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton died in New York City a day after being shot in a duel with former Vice-President Aaron Burr.

In 1862, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the Army Medal of Honor.

In 1880, actor/director/screenwriter Todd Browning, best-known for the 1931 version of “Dracula” starring Bela Lugosi, was born in Louisville, KY.

In 1908, actor/comedian Milton Berle (alias “Uncle Miltie”, “Mr. Television” and “The Thief of Bad-Gags”) was born in New York City.

In 1909, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing for a federal income tax, and submitted it to the states. (It was declared ratified in February 1913.)

Also in 1909, actor/comedian/Stooge Joe DeRita was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1948, the Democratic National Convention, which nominated President Harry S. Truman for a second term of office, opened in Philadelphia.

Also in 1948, sound designer/film editor/director/screenwriter/voice actor Ben Burtt was born in Jamesville, NY. Years later, he made the “Star Wars” universe much noisier than it otherwise would have been.

In 1950, the Western “Winchester ‘73”, starring James Stewart, was released in the U.S.

In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was flown by helicopter from the White House to a secret mountaintop location as part of a drill involving a mock nuclear attack on Washington.

In 1961, the sci-fi movie “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea”, starring Walter Pidgeon as Adm. Nelson, was released in the U.S. It was the basis for the later TV series, starring Richard Basehart as Nelson.

In 1962, the Rolling Stones played their first gig at a club in London. The lineup of the band included Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Keith Richards. Drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman joined later.

In 1965, the Beach Boys single "California Girls" was released by Capitol Records.

In 1967, six days of race-related rioting erupted in Newark, NJ; the violence claimed 26 lives.

In 1969, the original series “Star Trek” premiered in the UK over BBC 1, more than a month after its final original episode was broadcast in the U.S.

In 1970, PBS began airing concerts by the Boston Pops Orchestra.

In 1976, the TV game show "Family Feud" premiered with Richard Dawson as the host.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter defended Supreme Court limits on government payments for poor women's abortions, saying, "There are many things in life that are not fair."

In 1979, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, "Disco Demolition Night" led to fans going wild which, due to damage to the field, caused the White Sox to forfeit the second game of a doubleheader to Tigers.

In 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale announced his choice of U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running-mate; Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket.

In 1988, Democratic presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis tapped Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running-mate.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton, visiting Germany, went to the eastern sector of Berlin, the first U.S. president to do so since Harry Truman.

In 1999, actor Bill Owen (officially William John Owen Rowbotham, MBE) died in Highgate, London, England at age 85. He’s best-known for playing Compo on the looooooooong-running Britcom “Last of the Summer Wine”, a show enjoyed by both my Mom and my Dad.

In 2005, Mohammed Bouyeri, a Muslim extremist on trial in the slaying of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, unexpectedly confessed in court, saying he was driven by religious conviction. (Bouyeri was sentenced to life in prison.)

 

I've really got to get my act together...

ON JULY 13th:

In 1793, French revolutionary writer Jean-Paul Marat was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday, who was executed four days later.

In 1863, deadly rioting against the Civil War military draft erupted in New York City. (The insurrection was put down three days later.)

In 1923, a sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out "HOLLYWOODLAND" was dedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote a subdivision (the last four letters were removed in 1949).

In 1926, producer/director/production manager Robert H. Justman was born in New York City. He’s best-known as one of the key personnel behind the original series “Star Trek”.

In 1937, actor Jack Purvis was born in London. He’s known to “Star Wars” fans for his roles in the OT, as well as in three of Terry Gilliam’s movies.

In 1939, Frank Sinatra made his first commercial recording, "From the Bottom of My Heart" and "Melancholy Mood," with Harry James and his Orchestra for the Brunswick label.

In 1940, actor Patrick Stewart was born in Mirfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The Star Fleet commission and school for unusually gifted individuals would come later.

In 1942, actor/producer Harrison Ford was born in Chicago. Do I really need to note his more famous roles?

In 1946, actor/comedian/writer Richard “Cheech” Marin was born in Los Angeles.

In 1955, Britain hanged Ruth Ellis, a 28-year-old former model and nightclub hostess convicted of killing her boyfriend, David Blakely (to date, Ellis is the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom).

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination on the first ballot at his party's convention in Los Angeles.

Also in 1960, the sci-fi/fantasy movie “The Lost World” was released in the U.S. Based on the story by Arthur Conan Doyle, it starred Claude Rains and was produced, directed and co-written by Irwin Allen.

In 1962, actor/comedian/voice artist Tom Kenny was born in Syracuse, NY. Among his many voice roles, he plays some square yellow undersea fry cook of some note.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to be U.S. Solicitor General; Marshall became the first black jurist appointed to the post. (Two years later, Johnson nominated Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.)

In 1972, George McGovern received the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Miami Beach.

In 1977, a blackout lasting 25 hours hit the New York City area.

In 1979, the Frank Langella version of “Dracula” premiered in New York City.

In 1984, the sci-fi adventure movie “The Last Starfighter” was released in the U.S.

In 1985, "Live Aid," an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, took place to raise money for Africa's starving people.

In 1990, the fantasy movie “Ghost”, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, was released in the U.S.

In 1992, The Walt Disney Company announced distribution deal with Jim Henson Productions.

In 2005, a suicide car bomb exploded next to U.S. troops handing out candy and toys in Iraq, killing more than two dozen people, including 18 children and teenagers and an American soldier.

Also in 2005, former WorldCom boss Bernard Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years in prison for leading a massive corporate fraud.

In 2010, cinematographer Alan Hume died at age 85. His long career included work for both Hammer Films and Amicus Productions, two of the Roger Moore James Bond movies, and “Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi”.

In 2013, George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

In 2016, Theresa May succeeded David Cameron and became the second female Prime Minister of the UK.

In 2019, the west side of Manhattan suffered a power failure from approximately 7PM until around 12M, leaving around 73,000 people without power. (The outage occurred on the 42nd anniversary of the New York City blackout of 1977.)

 

If I may...

ON JULY 14th:

In 1789, in an event symbolizing the start of the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners inside.

In 1798, The Sedition Act became law in the United States making it a Federal crime to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about the U.S. government.

In 1865, the Matterhorn, straddling Italy and Switzerland, was summited as a seven-member rope party led by British climber Edward Whymper reached the peak. (Four members of the party fell to their deaths during their descent; Whymper and two guides survived.)

In 1874, the Chicago Fire of 1874 burned down 47 acres of the city, destroying 812 buildings, killing 20, and resulting in the fire insurance industry demanding municipal reforms from Chicago's city council.

In 1881, outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias "Billy the Kid," was shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner in present-day New Mexico.

In 1894, animator/producer/director Dave Fleischer, best-known for co-producing the Popeye and Superman cartoon series, was born in New York City.

In 1910, animator/producer/director William Hanna was born in Melrose, NM. He’d later co-found the company that provided a lot of the shows I watched as a kid, and still watch.

In 1913, Gerald R. Ford Jr., the 38th president of the U.S., was born in Omaha, NE.

In 1921, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were convicted in Dedham, MA, of murdering a shoe company paymaster and his guard. (Sacco and Vanzetti were executed six years later.)

In 1933, all German political parties, except the Nazi Party, were outlawed.

Also in 1933, cartoon character Popeye the Sailor made his movie debut in the Fleischer Studios animated short, "Popeye the Sailor."

In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure providing funds for a national monument honoring scientist George Washington Carver; the monument was built at Carver's birthplace near Diamond, MO.

In 1952, evangelist/missionary Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, was born in Asheville, NC.

In 1958, the army of Iraq overthrew the country’s monarchy.

In 1963, the movie “Beach Party”, the first in the series starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, premiered in the U.S.

In 1965, the American space probe Mariner 4 flew by Mars, sending back photographs of the red planet.

Also in 1965, politician/diplomat Adlai E. Stevenson II died in London at age 65.

In 1966, eight student nurses were murdered by Richard Speck in a Chicago dormitory.

In 1967, The Who began its first American tour by opening for Herman's Hermits.

In 1969, the United States $500, $1,000; $5,000 and $10,000 bills were officially withdrawn from circulation. They remain legal tender, for those fortunate enough to have them.

In 1976, Jimmy Carter won the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in New York.

Also in 1976, capital punishment was abolished in Canada.

In 1978, the disaster movie “The Swarm”, produced & directed by Irwin Allen, was released in the U.S.

In 1980, the Republican national convention opened in Detroit, where nominee-apparent Ronald Reagan told a welcoming rally he and his supporters were determined to "make America great again."

In 1988, the movie “Hobgoblins” was released in the U.S. Years later, Mike & the ‘bots were not real happy to have to watch it.

In 1999, race-based school busing in Boston came to an end after 25 years.

Also in 1999, the movie “Muppets from Space” was released in the U.S.

In 2008, the sequel “The Dark Knight”, starring Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as the Joker, premiered in Buenos Aires and New York City.

In 2012, athlete/coach Frank R. Burns, best-known for his career as a football player and later football coach for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, died in Holland, PA at age 84.

In 2015, NASA’s New Horizons probe performed the first flyby of the PLANET Pluto, and thus completed the initial survey of the solar system.

In 2016, as part of a deliberate attack, a man drove a cargo truck into a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France. 80 people were killed, with many more injured.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 15th:

In 1099, during the First Crusade, Christian soldiers took the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final assault of a difficult siege.

In 1149, the reconstructed Church of the Holy Sepulchre was consecrated in Jerusalem.

In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt discovered the Rosetta Stone, which proved instrumental in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In 1806, U.S. Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike began an expedition from Fort Bellefontaine near St. Louis, MO, to explore the west.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered aboard HMS Bellerophon.

In 1834, the Spanish Inquisition was abolished more than 3 1/2 centuries after its creation.

In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union.

Also in 1870, Manitoba entered confederation as the fifth Canadian province.

In 1876, George Washington Bradley of St. Louis pitched the first no-hitter in baseball in a 2-0 win over Hartford.

In 1918, during World War I, The Second Battle of the Marne began near the River Marne with a German attack.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover announced he was slashing his own salary by 20 percent, from $75,000 to $60,000 a year; he also cut Cabinet members' salaries by 15 percent, from $15,000 to $12,750 a year.

In 1946, singer/songwriter/producer/actress Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson, AZ.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman was nominated for another term of office by the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia.

In 1954, a prototype of the Boeing 707, the model 367-80, made its maiden flight from Renton Field south of Seattle.

In 1956, the sci-fi/horror movie “It Conquered the World” was released in the U.S. It was directed by Roger Corman, and starred Peter Graves, Lee Van Cleef and Beverly Garland.

In 1964, Sen. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona was nominated for president by the Republican national convention in San Francisco.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon delivered a televised address in which he announced that he had accepted an invitation to visit the People's Republic of China.

In 1974, in Nicosia, Cyprus, Greek junta-sponsored nationalists launched a coup, deposing President Makarios and installing Nikos Sampson as Cypriot president.

In 1975, as part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, Soyuz 19, crewed by Alexey Leonov and Valeri Kubasov, and Apollo CSM-111, crewed by Thomas P. Stafford, Vance D. Brand and Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, were launched from, respectively, Baikonur Cosmodrome and Cape Kennedy.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered his "malaise" speech in which he lamented what he called a "crisis of confidence" in America.

In 1980, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith opened in a production of "The Pirates of Penzance" at the New York Shakespeare Festival. The production moved to Broadway in 1981 and eventually was made into a movie.

In 1992, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton was nominated for president at the Democratic national convention in New York.

In 1995, Park Seung-hyun, a 19-year-old sales clerk, was rescued after being buried in the rubble of the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, South Korea, for 16 days.

In 2002, the Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan handed down the death sentence to British born Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and life terms to three others suspected of murdering Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

In 2005, bankrupt energy company Enron Corp. agreed to pay a settlement of up to $1.5 billion to resolve claims that it had gouged California and other western states during the 2000-2001 energy crisis.

In 2006, Twitter was launched, becoming one of the largest social media platforms in the world.

In 2010, after 85 days, BP stopped the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico using a 75-ton cap lowered onto the well earlier in the week.

Also in 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Goldman Sachs & Co. would pay a record $550 million penalty to settle charges that the Wall Street giant had misled buyers of mortgage investments.

In 2016, factions of the Turkish Armed Forces attempted a coup against Turkish President Erdogan.

In 2017, actor Martin Landau died in Los Angeles at age 89.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 16th:

In 1769, Father Junipero Serra founded California’s first mission, Mission San Diego de Alcala. Over the following decades, it evolved into the city of San Diego, CA.

In 1790, The District of Columbia was established as the seat of the U.S. government.

In 1861, at the order of President Abraham Lincoln, Union troops begin a 25-mile march into Virginia for what will become the First Battle of Bull Run (also known as First Manassas), the first major land battle of the Civil War.

In 1862, during the Civil War, David Farragut was promoted to rear admiral, becoming the first officer in U.S. Navy to hold an admiral rank.

In 1931, Emperor Haile Selassie signed the first constitution of Ethiopia.

In 1935, the first parking meters were installed in Oklahoma City.

In 1942, the government of Vichy France ordered the mass arrest of 13,152 Jews who were held at the Winter Velodrome in Paris before deportation to Auschwitz.

In 1945, the United States exploded its first experimental atomic bomb, in the desert near Alamogordo, N.M.

Also in 1945, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis left Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California on a secret mission to deliver atomic bomb components to Tinian Island in the Marianas.

In 1946, actor/screenwriter Richard Le Parmentier was born in Pittsburgh, PA. One of his characters would later be scolded for a lack of faith.

Also in 1946, Muppeteer Dave Goelz was born in Los Angeles.

In 1948, the film noir “Key Largo” premiered in New York City. Directed and co-written by John Huston, it starred Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Edward G. Robinson.

Also in 1948, the storming of the cockpit of the Miss Macao passenger seaplane, operated by a subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Airways, marked the first highjacking of a commercial aircraft.

In 1950, thirty unarmed, critically wounded U.S. Army soldiers and an unarmed chaplain were murdered by members of the North Korean army during the Battle of Taejon.

In 1956, actor/radio host Jerry Doyle was born in Brooklyn. He’d later play one of the command crew of the last of the Babylon stations.

Also in 1956, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus closed its last "Big Tent" show in Pittsburgh, PA; due to changing economics all subsequent circus shows would be held in arenas.

In 1957, Marine Maj. John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record when he flew a jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds.

In 1958, the sci-fi/horror movie “The Fly”, starring Vincent Price and David Hedison (billed as “Al Hedison”), premiered in San Francisco.

In 1959, TV executive Doug Herzog was born in Patterson, NJ. Years later, as a senior executive at Comedy Central, he’d be instrumental in cancelling “Mystery Science Theater 3000”. That decision remains somewhat controversial among MSTies.

In 1964, in accepting the Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Barry M. Goldwater said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" and "moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."

In 1966, guitarist Eric Clapton joined bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker to form Cream.

In 1969, Apollo 11, crewed by Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins, blasted off from Cape Kennedy on the first manned Moon landing mission.

In 1973, former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield publicly revealed the existence of President Richard Nixon's secret taping system during the Senate Watergate hearings.

In 1976, principal photography for “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope” was completed.

In 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan won the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention in Detroit.

In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and her sister died when the single-engine plane Kennedy was piloting plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

In 2015, four U.S. Marines and one gunman were killed in a shooting spree targeting military installations in Chattanooga, TN.

In 2017, filmmaker George A. Romero died at age 77 in Toronto, Canada.

Also in 2017, the BBC announced that actress Jodie Whittaker had been cast as the Doctor in the upcoming 11th season of “Doctor Who”.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 17th:

In 1717, King George I of Great Britain sailed down the River Thames with a barge of 50 musicians, where George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music” was premiered.

In 1821, Spain ceded Florida to the United States.

In 1889, lawyer/author Earle Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason, was born in Malden, MA.

In 1899, actor/singer/dancer James Cagney was born in New York City.

In 1902, Willis Carrier created the first air conditioner in Buffalo, NY.

In 1917, during World War I, the British royal family adopted the name "Windsor," replacing the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In 1918, Russia's Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

In 1928, musician/singer/composer Vince Guaraldi was born in San Francisco. His association with the round-headed kid and his friends would come later.

In 1934, actor Donald Sutherland was born in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada.

In 1935, the entertainment trade publication “Variety” ran its legendary headline, "Sticks Nix Hix Pix" (which might be translated as, "Rural audiences reject rural-themed movies").

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began as right-wing army generals launched a coup attempt against the Second Spanish Republic.

In 1938, Douglas Corrigan took off from Brooklyn to fly the "wrong way" to Ireland and becomes known as "Wrong Way" Corrigan.

In 1940, actor/Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, England.

In 1941, the longest hitting streak in baseball history ended when the Cleveland Indians pitchers held New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio hitless for the first time in 57 games. The streak had begun on May 15, 1941.

In 1944, during World War II, 320 men, two-thirds of them African-Americans, were killed when a pair of ammunition ships exploded at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California.

Also in 1944, actress Catherine Schell was born in Budapest, Hungary. Any Whovians having information on her involvement in the theft of the Mona Lisa are urged to contact the French police immediately.

In 1945, following Nazi Germany's surrender, President Harry S. Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill began meeting at Potsdam in the final Allied summit of World War II.

In 1954, writer/producer J. Michael Straczynski, best-known for creating the “Babylon 5” TV series, was born in Paterson, NJ.

In 1955, Disneyland had its opening day in Anaheim, CA.

In 1956, the musical comedy “High Society” was released in the U.S. It starred Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly.

In 1959, the Hitchcock thriller “North by Northwest”, starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, premiered in Los Angeles.

Also in 1959, the comedy “The Mouse that Roared”, starring Peter Sellers, Peter Sellers and Peter Sellers, was released in the UK.

In 1968, the animated movie “Yellow Submarine”, starring the Beatles, premiered in the U.K.

In 1971, the monster movie “Gamera tai Shinkai kaiju Jigura” was released in Japan. Retitled “Gamera vs. Zigra”, it would be the last Gamera movie (to date) to be MSTed.

In 1975, during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, Apollo CSM-111 and Soyuz 19 docked in orbit in the first superpower link-up of its kind. Three hours after docking, mission commanders Thomas P. Stafford and Alexey Leonov historically shook hands.

In 1976, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Montreal, with 25 African teams boycotting the games because of New Zealand’s participation.

In 1979, Nicaraguan dictator General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigned and fled to Miami, FL.

In 1981, 114 people were killed when a pair of suspended walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a tea dance.

In 1996, TWA Flight 800, a Europe-bound Boeing 747, exploded and crashed off Long Island, NY, shortly after leaving John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing all 230 people aboard.

In 1998, Nicholas II, last of the Romanov czars, was formally buried in Russia 80 years after he and his family were slain by the Bolsheviks.

In 2009, journalist Walter Cronkite died in New York City at age 92.

In 2014, Eric Garner, an unarmed black man accused of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, died shortly after being wrestled to the ground by New York City police officers.

Also in 2014, all 298 passengers and crew aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 were killed when the Boeing 777 was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine; both Ukraine's government and pro-Russian separatists have denied responsibility for downing the aircraft.

In 2016, three police officers were killed and several others wounded by a lone gunman in Baton Rouge, LA.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 18th:

In A.D. 64, the Great Fire of Rome began, consuming most of the city for about a week. (Some blamed the fire on Emperor Nero, who in turn blamed Christians.)

In 1863, during the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, one of the first formal African American military units, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, supported by several white regiments, attempted an unsuccessful assault on Confederate-held Battery Wagner.

In 1870, The First Vatican Council decreed the dogma of papal infallibility.

In 1872, Britain enacted voting by secret ballot.

In 1908, musician/composer Barry Gray was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. He’s best-known for his work on several projects from producers Gerry & Sylvia Anderson.

In 1913, actor/announcer/voice artist Marvin Miller was born in St. Louis, MO. He’s best-known for the on-screen role of Michael Anthony in “The Millionaire”, and for providing the voice of Robby the Robot.

Also in 1913, entertainer Red Skelton was born in Vincennes, IN.

In 1921, aviator/astronaut/politician John Glenn was born in Cambridge, OH.

In 1925, Adolf Hitler published the first volume of his autobiographical screed, "Mein Kampf (My Struggle)."

In 1930, actor Burt Kwouk, OBE was born in Warrington, Lancashire, England. His employment with Clouseau would come later.

In 1932, the United States and Canada signed a treaty to develop the St. Lawrence Seaway.

In 1936, the anthology series “The Columbia Workshop” premiered over CBS Radio.

In 1938, filmmaker Paul Verhoeven was born in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

In 1944, Hideki Tojo was removed as Japanese premier and war minister because of setbacks suffered by his country in World War II.

Also in 1944, American forces in France captured the Normandy town of St. Lo.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed a Presidential Succession Act which placed the speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore next in the line of succession after the vice president.

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin, British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and French Premier Edgar Faure met for a summit in Geneva.

In 1960, the William Castle horror movie “13 Ghosts” premiered in Toronto. The gimmick was “Illusion-O”, requiring a special viewer to see the ghosts.

In 1966, Gemini 10, crewed by John W. Young and Michael Collins, was launched from Cape Kennedy on a 70-hour mission that included docking with an orbiting Agena target vehicle.

In 1967, the crime drama “Bonnie and Clyde”, starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, premiered in London.

In 1969, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy left a party on Chappaquiddick Island near Martha's Vineyard with Mary Jo Kopechne, age 28; some time later, Kennedy's car went off a bridge into the water. (Kennedy was able to escape, but Kopechne drowned.)

In 1974, the U.S. Justice Department ordered that John Lennon be deported. (A federal appeals court overturned the deportation order in 1975, and the following year, Lennon was granted permanent U.S. residency.)

In 1976, at the Montreal Olympics, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci received the first-ever perfect score of 10 with her routine on uneven parallel bars. (Comaneci would go on to receive six more 10s at Montreal.)

In 1986, the sci-fi/horror sequel “Aliens” was released in the U.S.

In 1984, a gunman opened fire at a McDonald's fast food restaurant in San Ysidro, CA, killing 21 people before being shot dead by police.

Also in 1984, Walter F. Mondale won the Democratic presidential nomination in San Francisco.

In 1989, actress Rebecca Schaeffer, age 21, was shot to death at her Los Angeles home by an obsessed fan, who was later sentenced to life in prison.

In 1996, storms provoked severe flooding on the Saguenay River, beginning one of Quebec's costliest natural disasters.

In 1998, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the monster movie “Gorgo” was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. (Due to a broadcast rights dispute, the episode was aired twice that day, then was pulled from circulation. It was finally released on DVD in 2013.)

In 2004, filming began in Cardiff on “Rose”, first episode of revived “Doctor Who” series.

In 2005, Eric Rudolph was sentenced in Birmingham, AL to life in prison for an abortion clinic bombing that killed an off-duty police officer and seriously wounded a nurse.

In 2013, the government of Detroit, MI, with up to $20 billion in debt, filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 19th:

In 1553, King Henry VIII's daughter Mary was proclaimed Queen of England after pretender Lady Jane Grey was deposed.

In 1832, The British Medical Association was founded as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association by Sir Charles Hastings at a meeting in the Board Room of the Worcester Infirmary.

In 1848, a two-day women's rights convention convened in Seneca Falls, NY.

In 1883, producer/director/animator Max Fleischer was born in Krakow, Austria-Hungary. He and his brothers Dave and Lou formed Fleischer Studios, best-known for the Popeye and Superman cartoon series.

In 1903, the first Tour de France was won by Maurice Garin.

In 1924, producer/director/writer Arthur Rankin, Jr. was born in New York City. He’s best-known for co-founding Rankin/Bass Productions, and providing some of the best-known TV specials for the Holiday season.

In 1944, the Democratic national convention convened in Chicago with the renomination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt considered a certainty.

In 1952, the Summer Olympics opened in Helsinki, Finland.

In 1961, the sci-fi movie “Uchu Kaisoku-sen” was released in Japan. Under the title “Invasion of the Neptune Men”, it would later cause Mike & the ‘bots a great deal of cinematic pain..

In 1965, the first president of South Korea, Syngman Rhee, died in Honolulu.

Also in 1965, filming began on “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, the second pilot episode for the original series “Star Trek”.

In 1977, the world's first Global Positioning System (GPS) signal was transmitted from Navigation Technology Satellite 2 (NTS-2) and received at RockwellCollins in Cedar Rapids, IA, at 12:41 a.m. Eastern time (ET).

In 1979, the Nicaraguan capital of Managua fell to Sandinista guerrillas, two days after President Anastasio Somoza fled the country.

In 1980, the Moscow Summer Olympics began, minus dozens of nations that were boycotting the games because of the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.

In 1984, U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York won the Democratic nomination for vice president by acclamation at the party's convention in San Francisco.

In 1985, Christa McAuliffe of New Hampshire was chosen to be the first schoolteacher to ride aboard the space shuttle. (McAuliffe and six other crew members died when the Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff in January 1986.)

In 1989, 111 people were killed when United Air Lines Flight 232, a DC-10 which suffered the uncontained failure of its tail engine and the loss of hydraulic systems, crashed while making an emergency landing at Sioux City, IA; 185 other people survived.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush joined former presidents Ronald Reagan, Gerald R. Ford and Richard M. Nixon at ceremonies dedicating the Nixon Library and Birthplace (since redesignated the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum) in Yorba Linda, CA.

In 2016, at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, OH, Donald Trump was nominated as the Republican candidate for the 2016 Presidential Election.

In 2018, 17 people were killed after a duck boat carrying 31 people capsized and sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson, MO.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON JULY 20th:

In 1859, Brooklyn and New York played baseball at Fashion Park Race Course on Long Island, NY. The game marked the first time that admission was charged to see a ball game. It cost 50¢ to get in and the players on the field did not receive a salary.

In 1861, the Congress of the Confederate States convened in Richmond, VA.

In 1871, British Columbia entered Confederation as a Canadian province.

In 1903, The Ford Motor Company shipped its first car.

In 1917, the World War I draft lottery went into operation.

In 1923, Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa was assassinated by gunmen in Parral.

In 1931, actor/voice artist Roy Skelton was born in Oldham, England. He’s best-known for his work on “Doctor Who”, providing the voices of the Daleks and the Cybermen.

In 1932, in Washington, D.C., police fired tear gas on World War I veterans, part of the Bonus Expeditionary Force, who attempted to march to the White House.

In 1938, the U.S. Dept. of Justice filed suit in New York City against the motion picture industry charging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act in regards to the studio system. (The case would eventually result in a break-up of the industry in 1948.)

Also in 1938, Dame Diana Rigg, DBE was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.

In 1944, a group of German officials, primarily Wehrmacht Col. Claus von Satuffenberg, attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb at Hitler’s field headquarters. The attempt failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader.

In 1946, the Daffy Duck cartoon “The Great Piggy Bank Robbery” was released in the U.S

In 1950, the first chapter of the movie serial “Atom Man vs. Superman” was released in the U.S. It featured Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent/Superman and Lyle Talbot as Lex Luthor (the first time the character was portrayed on-screen).

In 1954, the Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into northern and southern entities.

Also 1954, Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black performed in public for the first time, billing themselves as the Blue Moon Boys. They performed at the opening of a new drugstore in Memphis.

In 1960, the Polaris missile was successfully launched from a submarine, the USS George Washington, for the first time.

Also in 1960, the comedy “The Bellboy”, starring, written and directed by Jerry Lewis, was released in the U.S.

In 1968, the first International Special Olympics Summer Games, organized by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, were held at Soldier Field in Chicago.

In 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the first men to walk on the Moon after reaching the surface at the Sea of Tranquility in their Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle.

In 1973, actor/martial artist Bruce Lee died in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong at age 32.

In 1976, America's Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.

In 1977, The Central Intelligence Agency released documents under the Freedom of Information Act revealing it had engaged in mind-control experiments.

Also in 1977, The Johnstown, PA flood of 1977 occurred when nearly twelve inches of rain hit the area of Cambria County, PA in twenty-four hours. The resulting flash floods killed 84 people and caused millions of dollars in damages.

In 1982, the Provisional IRA detonated two bombs in Hyde Park and Regent’s Park in central London, killing eight soldiers, wounding forty-seven people, and leading to the deaths of seven horses.

In 1997, the fully restored USS Constitution (a.k.a. Old Ironsides) celebrated its 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years.

In 2005, actor James Doohan died in Redmond, WA at age 85.

Also in 2005, The Civil Marriage Act legalized same-sex marriage in Canada.

In 2006, Rifftrax released its first commentary. It featured Mike Nelson riffing on the Patrick Swayze action movie “Road House”.

In 2012, a gunman opened fire inside a crowded movie theater in Aurora, CO, during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. (In 2015, James Eagan Holmes was found guilty on 165 counts, including first degree murder and attempted first degree murder.)

In 2015, the U.S. and Cuba resumed full diplomatic relations after five decades.

In 2017, O.J. Simpson was granted parole to be released from prison after serving nine years of a 33 year sentence after being convicted of armed robbery in Las Vegas.

In 2021, private areospace company Blue Origin launched its first crew onboard its New Shepard rocket into space. The sub-orbital test flight was crewed by American billionaire/Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, pilot and Mercury 13 candidate Wally Funk and Dutch student Coliver Daemen. (82-year old Funk and 18-year old Daemen become, respectively, the oldest and youngest people ever to travel to space.)

 

In a very interesting coincidence, this past Monday, the night before the plot's anniversary, MeTV ran the "Hogan's Heroes" episode "Operation Briefcase", where the Heroes get involved in a fictionalized version of the plot. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

 

If I may...

ON JULY 21st:

In 1773, Pope Clement XIV issued an order suppressing the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits. (The Society was restored by Pope Pius VII in 1814.)

In 1861, during the Civil War, the first Battle of Bull Run (also known as First Manassas) was fought at Manassas, VA, resulting in a Confederate victory.

In 1865, in the market square of Springfield, MO, Wild Bill Hickock shot and killed Davis Tutt in what is regarded as the first western showdown.

In 1873, at Adair, IA, Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang pulled off the first successful train robbery in the American Old West.

In 1904, Louis Rigolly, a Frenchman, becomes the first man to break the 100 mph (161 km/h) barrier on land. He drove a 15-liter Gobron-Brillie in Ostend, Belgium.

In 1924, actor Don Knotts was born in Morgantown, VW. He’d be issued his single bullet later on.

In 1925, the so-called "Monkey Trial" ended in Dayton, Tennessee, with John T. Scopes found guilty of violating state law for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution. (The conviction was later overturned on a technicality.)

Also in 1925, Sir Malcolm Campbell became the first man to break the 150 mph (241 km/h) land barrier at Pendine Sands in Wales. He drove a Sunbeam at a two-way average speed of 150.33 mph (242 km/h).

In 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed an executive order establishing the Veterans Administration (later the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs).

In 1944, American forces landed on Guam during World War II, capturing it from the Japanese some three weeks later

Also in 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and fellow conspirators were executed in Berlin, Germany, for the July 20 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

In addition in 1944, the Democratic national convention in Chicago nominated Sen. Harry S. Truman to be vice president.

In 1949, the U.S. Senate ratified the North Atlantic Treaty.

In 1951, actor/comedian/voice artist/writer/producer Robin Williams was born in Chicago.

In 1955, during a summit in Geneva, President Dwight D. Eisenhower presented his "open skies" proposal under which the U.S. and the Soviet Union would trade information on each other's military facilities and allow aerial reconnaissance. (The Soviets rejected the proposal.)

In 1957, Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win a major U.S. tennis title when she won the Women’s National clay-court singles competition.

In 1959, the NS Savannah, the first nuclear-powered merchant ship, was christened by first lady Mamie Eisenhower at Camden, NJ.

Also in 1959, Elijah Jerry “Pumpsie” Green became the first African-American to play for the Boston Red Sox, the last MLB team to integrate.

In 1961, Capt. Virgil "Gus" Grissom became the second American to rocket into a sub-orbital pattern around the Earth, flying aboard the Liberty Bell 7. However, due to a faulty hatch, the capsule filled up with seawater and sank soon after splashdown.

In 1967, actor Basil Rathbone died in New York City at age 75.

In 1972, the Irish Republican Army carried out 22 bombings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, killing nine people and injuring 130 in what became known as "Bloody Friday."

In 1973, Israeli agents in Lillehammer, Norway, killed Ahmed Bouchikhi, a Moroccan waiter, in a case of mistaken identity, apparently thinking he was an official with Black September, the group that attacked Israel's delegation at the 1972 Munich Olympics and killed 11 athletes.

In 1976, the Western “The Shootist” premiered in Los Angeles. It would be John Wayne’s last movie.

In 1980, draft registration began in the United States for 19- and 20-year-old men.

In 1990, a benefit concert took place in Germany at the site of the fallen Berlin Wall; the concert, which drew some 200,000 people, was headlined by Roger Waters, a founder of Pink Floyd. (The concert ended with the collapse of a mock Berlin Wall made of styrofoam.)

In 1995, actor Michael Wisher died in Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England at age 60. He’s best-known to Whovians as the first actor to play Davros, creator of the Daleks.

In 1997, the action movie “Air Force One”, starring Harrison Ford, premiered.

In 1998, naval aviator/astronaut Alan Shepard died in Pebble Beach, CA at age 74.

In 2003, writer/designer Matt Jefferies died in Los Angeles at age 81. He’s best-known for his designs for the original series “Star Trek”. The Jefferies Tubes on the U.S.S. Enterprise were named after him.

In 2004, composer/conductor Jerry Goldsmith died in Beverly Hills at age 75.

In 2007, the animated comedy “The Simpsons Movie” premiered in Sprinfield, VT.

In 2011, NASA’s Space Shuttle program ended with the landing of Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-135.

In 2017, actress Deborah Watling, well-known to Whovians for playing Victoria Waterfield during the Troughton Era, died in Norwich, England at age 69.

In 2020, the Mads (Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff) performed the first of an ongoing series of remote movie riffing events under their “The Mads are Back” title. The first movie featured was Ed Wood’s “Glen or Glenda”, riffed on from, respectively, Frank’s apartment in New York City and Trace’s office in Minnesota.