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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 21, 2011 22:33:57 GMT -5
Yesteryear’s Birthdays: 1691—Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist & mineralogist who discovered cobalt, died 1768 at age 73 of prostate cancer in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the first person to discover a metal unknown in ancient times. 1816—Paul Julius Freiherr von Reuter [Baron De Reuter], German-born English founder of Reuters news agency, died 1899 at age 82 1817—Sir John Gilbert, English painter, engraver & illustrator (Illustrated London News, The London Journal), died 1897 at age 80 1856—Louise Blanchard Bethune [née Jennie Louise Blanchard in Waterloo, NY], first woman known to have worked as a professional architect (Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs in Buffalo, NY – Buffalo’s Hotel Lafayett), died 1913 at age 57 in Villa Reuter, Nice, France 1858—Lovis Corinth, Russian-born German Impressionist-Expressionist synthesis painter (“Self-portrait with Skeleton”, “The Artist and his Family”, Walchensee landscape series), died 1925 at age 66 of pneumonia while on a trip to Zandvoort, Netherlands. 1881—George Frederick Dick, physician & bacteriologist (scarlet fever) who became head of the department of medicine at the University of Chicago, died 1967 at age 86 in Palo Alto, Calif. 1885—Jacques Feyder [né Jacques Frédérix], Belgian-born French poetic realist silent film director (Visages d’enfants, Les Nouveaux Messieurs, The Kiss, Le Grand Jeu, Pension mimosas, Carnival in Flanders), director of foreign-language versions of American films (Anna Christie) & screenwriter (Poil de carotte, Gardiens de phare), died 1948 at age 62 in Prangins, Switzerland 1899—Ernest Hemingway, 1954 Nobel Prize-winning novelist (The Old Man and the Sea [1952 Pulitzer Prize], A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Moving Feast), short story writer (“Indian Camp”, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”) & journalist, died 1961 at age 61 of a self-inflicted gun shot at home in Ketchum, Idaho 1899—[Harold] Hart Crane, modernist poet (White Buildings, The Bridge, “The Broken Tower”), committed suicide 1932 at age 32 jumping overboard in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast 1911—[Herbert] Marshall McLuhan, Canadian communications theorist (Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, The Mechanical Bride: Folklore of Industrial Man, The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man, The Medium is the Message) who coined the expressions “the medium is he message” and “the global village”, educator, philosopher & scholar, died 1980 at age 69 from complications due to a stroke in Toronto, Canada 1920—Isaac Stern, Ukrainian-born concert violinist renowned for his recordings (soundtrack Fiddler on the Roof) and ability to discover new talent, died 2001 at age 81 of congestive heart failure in New York City. 1921—Dr. Billy Taylor, jazz pianist, composer of over 300 songs (“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”), broadcaster & educator (earned his PhD at Univ. of Massachusetts, taught at Howard, Long Island, The Manhattan School of Music & Univ. of Massachusetts), died 2010 at age 89 of a heart attack in Manhattan, NY. Since 1994 he was the artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center. He with three others started the Jazz Foundation to help elderly jazz and blues musicians, later included those who survived Hurricane Katrina. 1924—[Jesse Donald] Don Knotts, Emmy-winning comedic actor (No Time for Sergeants, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Apple Dumpling Gang; TVs: The Andy Griffith Show [960-63, 1965-67], Matlock, Three’s Company, The Steve Allen Show), died 2006 at age 81 of pulmonary complications due to lung cancer at the Cedars-Sinai medical Center in Los Angeles 1926—Paul Burke, actor (Anatomy of Terror, Valley of the Dolls, Francis in the Navy, High, Noah’s Ark; TVs: Naked City, Twelve O’Clock, Dynasty), died 2009 at age 83 of leukemia & non-Hodgkins lymphoma in Palm Springs, Calif. 1933—John Champlin Gardner Jr., novelist (Grendel, The Sunlight Dialogues, October Light), poet, essayist, literary critic (On Moral Fiction) & university professor (The Art of Fiction, On Becoming a Novelist), died 1982 at age 49 in a motorcycle accident near his home in Susquehanna County, Pa. 1944—David Feintuch, sci-fi author (the Nicholas Seafort Saga, Rodrigo of Caledon series), attorney, antiques dealer & photographer, died 2006 at age 61 of a heart attack in Mason, Mich.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 21, 2011 23:08:55 GMT -5
Today’s Birthdays: 1922—Kay Starr [aka Katherine Starks], singer (“Rock and Roll Waltz”, “Wheel of Fortune”, “Side By Side”) 1926—Norman Jewison, movie director (Moonstruck, Agnes of God, And Justice for All, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, Rollerball) 1938—Janet Reno, former Attorney General (1993-2001) as the first female Attorney General and the 2nd longests-serving one after William Wirt. 1942—Kim Vincent Fowley, record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, filmmaker & radio actor 1942—Patricia Elliott, Tony-winning actress (TV: One Life to Live; stage: A Little Night Music [1973], Tartuffe) 1943—Tess Gallagher, poet (Instructions to the Double, Moon Crossing Bridge, Dear Ghosts), essayist (“Instead of Dying”), short story writer (The Lover of Horses, At the Owl Woman Saloon) & playwright (“Dostoevsky: A Screenplay”, “King Dog: a Screenplay”). She is the widow of author Raymond Carver. 1943—Edward Herrmann, actor (Big Business, Beacon Hill, Reds, The Paper Chase, Mrs. Soffel, The Great Gatsby, Eleanor & Franklin) 1945—Leigh Lawson, English actor (O Pioneers!, Tears in the Rain, Tess, Love Among the Ruins, Brother Sun, Sister Moon), director-writer (stage: If Love Were All) & author (The Dream: An Actor’s Story) 1947—Wendell Burton, actor (The Sterile Cuckoo, Heat) & TV executive (The Family Channel) 1948—Yusuf Islam [aka Stephen Demetre Georgiou or Cat Stevens), English singer (”Wild World”, “Moon Shadow”, “Peace Train”, “Oh Very Young”) 1948—[Garretson Beekman] Garry Trudeau, 1975 Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist (Doonesbury) & playwright (w/ Elizabeth Swados: Rap Maser Ronnie, Doonesbury: A Musical Comedy). He was the first comic strip artist to win the Pulitzer (traditionally awarded to editorial cartoonists) & is married to tV journalist Jane Pauley. 1951—Robin McLaurim Williams, stand-up comedian & Oscar-winning actor (Good Will Hunting [1998], Popeye, The World According to Garp, Moscow on the Hudson, Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Awakenings, The Fisher King, Jumanji, The Birdcage, Patch Adams; TV: Mork and Mindy; stage: Robin Williams: Live on Broadway, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) & voice actor (Genie in Aladdin, Fender in Robots) 1953—Eric Bazilian, rock singer-musician (The Hooters) 1957—Jon Lovitz, comedian (TV: SNL) , actor (A League of Their Own, City Slickers: The Legend of Curly’s Gold) & singer 1958—Henry (Christian) Priestman, English rock singer, keyboardist (The Christians), songwriter & record producer 1960—Lance Guest, actor (The Wizard of Loneliness, Jaws: The Revenge, The Last Starfighter, Halloween II: The Nightmare Isn’t Over; TVs: Lou Grant, Knots Landing). 1960—Matt Mulhern, actor (Biloxi Blues, TV: Major Dad) 1961—Jim Martin, guitarist (Faith No More) 1966—Koen Lieckens, rock drummer (K's Choice) 1969—Emerson Hart, alternative rock lead singer, guitarist (Tonic) & songwriter (“If You Could Only See”, “Generation”) 1972—Paul Brandt [aka Paul Rennée Belobersycky], Canadian country singer (“My Heart Has a History”, “Hello Love”) 1972—Gary Whitta, English author, screenwriter & video game designer-journalist (editor-in-chief of PC Gamer) 1973—Ali Landry, 1996 Miss USA, model & actress (TV: Eve) 1978—Justin Lee Bartha, actor (National Treasure films, The Hangover series) 1978—Josh Hartnett, actor (Pearl Harbor, Cracker, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, The Virgin Suicides) 1978—Brandon Heath, contemporary Christian singer (“”Our God Reigns”, I’m Not Who I Was”, “Give Me Your Eyes”) 1978—Sprague Grayden, actress (TV: Jericho). 1978—Damian Marley, reggae singer & youngest son of the legendary Bob Marley 1978—Brad Mates, country music lead vocalist (Emerson Drive) 1980—[Carsten Charles] C. C. Sabathia, MLB All-Star pitcher (Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees) 1981—Blake Colin Lewis, singer (TV: American Idol 6th season rummer-up), songwriter & beatboxer 1984—Johan Carlsson, Swedish alternative rock keyboardist (Carolina Liar) 1989—Jamie Michael Waylett, English actor (Vincent Crabbe in six Harry Potter films)
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 23, 2011 1:05:54 GMT -5
22 JuL :)Good evening to my fellow history buffs from Tuxy and me. Today is 203rd day of 2011 with 162 days left in the year Today in History: 1298—Edward ( of England defeated the Scots under William Wallace at Falkirk. 1376—the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin leading rats out of town is said to have occurred on this date. 1515—Emperor Maximilian and Vladislav of Bohemia forged an alliance between the Hapsburg and Jagiello dynasties in Vienna. 1587—a second English colony, also fated to vanish under mysterious circumstances, was established on Roanoke Island off North Carolina. 1652—Prince of Conde’s rebels narrowly defeated Chief Minister Mazarin's loyalist forces at St. Martin, near Paris. 1789—Thomas Jefferson became the first head of the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs. 1796—Cleveland, Ohio, was founded by General Moses Cleaveland (correct). 1798—the USS Constitution was underway and out to sea for the first time since being launched on 21 Oct 1797. 1812—English troops under the Duke of Wellington defeated the French at the Battle of Salamanca in Spain. 1814—five Indian tribes in Ohio made peace with the US and declared war on Britain. 1861—the US House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring the Civil War was being waged to preserve the Union rather than to end slavery, a stance that would shift as the conflict continued. (The Senate passed a similar resolution three days later.) 1862—the Confederate ironclad Arkansas fought with and ran off two Union ships. However, the Arkansas suffered damage to her engines. 1864—Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood attacked William T. Sherman at the Battle of Atlanta on Bald Hill. 1864—Union Gen. James B. McPherson was mortally wounded at the Battle of Peachtree Creek. McPherson was the highest-ranking Union general killed during the war. 1881—the first volume of The War of the Rebellion: A compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, was published. 1893—Wellesley College professor Katharine Lee Bates visited the summit of Pikes Peak, where she was inspired to write the original version of her poem "America the Beautiful.” 1894—the first automobile race takes place between Paris and Rouen, France.
1916—a bomb went off during a Preparedness Day parade in San Francisco, killing ten people. 1933—aviator Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world in seven days, 18 1/2 hours. 1933—Caterina Jarboro became the first black prima donna of an opera company when she sang Aida with the Chicago Opera Co. at the Hippodrome in New York City. 1934—bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents outside Chicago's Biograph Theater, where he had just seen the Clark Gable movie Manhattan Melodrama. 1937—the US Senate rejected Pres. Roosevelt's proposal to add more justices to the Supreme Court. 1938—the Third Reich issued special identity cards for Jewish Germans. 1941—plans for the Pentagon were presented to the House Subcommittee on Appropriations. 1943—US forces led by Gen. George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily. 1944—the International Monetary Fund was created at the Bretton Woods (New Hampshire) Conference, based on the ideas of the US Treasury’s Director of Monetary Research, Harry Dexter White, economist John Maynard Keynes of England and the IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction & Development). The IMF began operations in Washington, D.C. in May 1946 with 39 member countries. 1946—Jewish extremists blew up a wing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, killing 90 people. 1955—Vice-Pres. Nixon chaired a cabinet meeting in Washington, DC, the first time that a Vice-President had carried out the task. 1963—World Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston hung on to his boxing title by knocking out challenger Floyd Patterson in the first round of a bout in Las Vegas, NV. 1966—B-52 bombers hit the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Vietnam for the first time. 1975—the US House of Representatives joined the Senate in voting to restore the American citizenship of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. 1979—Little Richard, known as Rev. Richard Penniman, spoke at a revival meeting in North Richmond, Calif. and warned the congregation about the evils of rock & roll music. 1979—Frenchman Bernard Hinault won the Tour de France for the second straight year. He won it again in 1981, 1982 and 1985.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 23, 2011 1:06:45 GMT -5
1981—Turkish extremist Mehmet Ali Agca was sentenced in Rome to life in prison for shooting Pope John Paul II. (He served 19 years.) 1987—the US began its policy of escorting re-flagged Kuwaiti tankers up and down the Persian Gulf to protect them from possible attack by Iran. 1990—American Greg LeMond won his third Tour de France (also won in 1986 and in 1989). 1991—police in Milwaukee arrested Jeffrey Dahmer, who later confessed to murdering 17 men and boys (Dahmer ended up being beaten to death by a fellow prison inmate.) 1991—Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant, charged she'd been raped by boxer Mike Tyson in an Indianapolis hotel room. (Tyson was later convicted of rape and served 3 years in prison.) 1992—Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar escaped from his luxury prison near Medellin. (He was killed by security forces in December 1993.) 1994—O.J. Simpson pleaded innocent to the slaying of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. 1995—Susan Smith was convicted by a jury in Union, S.C., of first-degree murder for drowning her two sons. (She was later sentenced to life in prison, and will not be eligible for parole until 2024.) 1998—Pres. Clinton signed a bill designed to mold the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) into a friendlier, fairer tax collector. 1998—Iran tested medium-range missile, capable of reaching Israel or Saudi Arabia.
2000—astronomers at the University of Arizona announced that they had found a 17th moon orbiting Jupiter. 2001—Pres. Bush and other world leaders closed out a summit in Genoa, Italy, with a vow to wage a united attack on global poverty and disease; they failed, however, to resolve a sharp dispute over global warming. 2001—David Duval shot a 4-under 67 to win the British Open title, his first major championship. 2003—in Paris, France, a fire broke out near the top of the Eiffel Tower, causing the evacuation of about 4,000 visitors and no injuries were reported. 2003—Saddam Hussein's sons Odai and Qusai were killed when US forces stormed a villa in Mosul, Iraq. 2004—the Sept. 11 commission issued a 575-page report saying America's leaders failed to grasp the gravity of terrorist threats before the 9/11 attacks who exploited “deep institutional failings within our government.”. 2006—Israeli tanks, bulldozers and armored personnel carriers knocked down a fence and barreled over the Lebanese border as forces seized the village of Maroun al-Ras from the Hezbollah guerrilla group. 2009—the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century, lasting up to 6 minutes and 38.8 seconds, occurred over parts of Asia and the Pacific Ocean. 2010—Six people were killed when a Greyhound bus crashed into an overturned SUV on a highway in Fresno, Calif. (Authorities later said the SUV driver, who died in the collision, was drunk.) 2010—Pres. Hugo Chavez severed Venezuela's diplomatic relations with neighboring Colombia over claims he was harboring leftist guerrillas.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 23, 2011 1:12:39 GMT -5
AMERICAN POET DAY. The youngest of the Benét children, Stephen Vincent Benét, was born on 22 July in 1898 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Stephen, his brother William, and sister Laura, were all prolific poets and novelists, yet Stephen is considered the epitome of the American poet. It was his interest in American history and folklore that garnered Benét his first Pultizer Prize for the long ballad, John Brown’s Body, which he penned in 1928. This American masterpiece exemplifies the War Between the States in dramatic poetry. It draws verbal pictures from the slave trade in the 1600s and the political events that led to the war to the Battle of Gettysburg and the abolitionsists of New England. Ten years later, Benét took his fantasy story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster", which combined an old folk tale with the history of New England, and adapted it into a folk opera. He then wrote the screenplay for a movie of the same title, which was also known as: All That Money Can Buy, A Certain Mr. Scratch, Daniel and the Devil, and Here is a Man. Stephen, who studied at Yale University, was published at an early age. His works include his 1920 volume of poetry, Heavens and Earth, novels, Young People’s Pride and Spanish Bayonet, and a collection of short stories, Thirteen O’Clock. Benét, who was married to the former Rosemary Carr, died at the early age of 45, before he completed his last narrative poem about the settling of America. Western Star, the completed first section of the epic, earned Benét another Pulitzer Prize, this one posthumously. (His brother William was honored with his own Pulitzer the previous year.) One hundred years after his birth, Stephen Vincent Benét was honored with his portrait on a U.S. stamp. The unveiling of the stamp was held at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, the scene of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry during the Civil War. If you have ever read any of Benét’s poetry, you would have to agree with Don Campbell, the Superintendent of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, when he said, “This is really where John Brown’s soul and Stephen Vincent Benét’s poetry come together for an eternity.” Benét’s son, Thomas, said, “Who knows what he might have accomplished had he lived longer. I feel this occasion would have pleased him immensely.” The American poet, Stephen Vincent Benét, will live forever through his poetry.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 23, 2011 1:16:55 GMT -5
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN DAY. To the strains of "Back in the Saddle Again", by Ray Whitley and Gene Autry, TV viewers were treated to the first performance of The Gene Autry Show. The singing cowboy made the move from Hollywood films to the tube on this night in 1950. Autry and his sidekick, Pat Buttram, maintained law and order in the U.S. Southwest for six years. And they did it in a most entertaining manner. Gene sang just like he did in the movies and his horse, Champion, would do some amazing horse tricks, and Pat Buttram would invariably get into silly situations. The Gene Autry Show started out on CBS on Sunday nights from 7 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Three years later, the show was moved to Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. The half-hour horse opera remained in that time slot for one year when it moved once again to Saturday night in the 7 p.m. slot. Gene Autry and friends hopped back in the saddle weekly until August of 1956. Autry went on to become a Country Music Association Hall of Famer, own Golden West Broadcasting and the California Angels baseball team. And he is the only person to have five Hollywood Walk of Fame stars (film, radio, TV, stage, records). He died October 2, 1998.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 23, 2011 1:20:03 GMT -5
sus--Our Miss Brooks was one of my favorite early sitcoms. Like you, I enjoyed her wise-cracking style. She was like a bridge between the old fashioned ideal woman and moder woman. And like you, I had forgotten that Richard Crenna was a student of hers.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 24, 2011 2:08:10 GMT -5
23 JuL :)Good evening to my fellow history buffs from Tuxy and me. Today is 204th day of 2011 with 161 days left in the year Today in History: 1540—Thomas Cromwell was beheaded on Tower Hill in England. 1627—Sir George Calvert arrived in Newfoundland to develop his land grant. 1637—Charles I of England handed over the American colony of Massachusetts to Sir Fernando Gorges, one of the founders of the Council of New England. 1664—wealthy, non-church members in Massachusetts were given the right to vote. 1715—the first lighthouse in America was authorized for construction at Little Brewster Island, Massachusetts. 1793—the French garrison at Mainz, Germany, fell to the Prussians. 1803—Irish patriots throughout the country rebelled against Union with Great Britain. 1827—the first swimming school in the U.S. opened in Boston, Mass. 1829—William Austin Burt of Mount Vernon, Mich., received a patent for his "typographer," a forerunner of the typewriter. It didn’t work as well as other practical models developed later. 1849—German rebels in Baden capitulated to the Prussians. 1862—Gen. Henry W. Halleck became the general-in-chief of all Union forces. 1863—Bill Andeson and his Confederate Bushwhackers gutted the railway station at Renick, Mo. 1864—Gen. Jubal Early's troops engaged Union forces under Gen. Crook near Kernstown, Va. The Union troops fled the area the next day. 1865—William Booth founded the Salvation Army. 1868—the 14th Amendment was ratified, granting citizenship to African Americans. 1877—the first municipal railroad passenger service began in Cincinnati, Ohio. 1885—Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the US (1869-77) & 17th Commanding General of the US Army (1864-69), died at age 63 of throat cancer in Mount McGregor, N.Y., 1886—a legend was born as Steve Brodie claimed to have made a daredevil plunge from the Brooklyn Bridge into New York's East River. (However, the exact circumstances of the jump are in dispute, with skeptics saying it never actually occurred.) 1894—Japanese troops took over the Korean imperial palace.
1903—the Ford Motor Co. sold its first automobile, the Model T. 1904—the ice cream cone was invented by Charles E. Menches during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Mo. 1914—Austria-Hungary issued a list of demands to Serbia following the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serb assassin; the dispute leading to World War I. 1938—the first federal game preserve (2,000 acres in Utah) was approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 1944—the USSR took control of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. 1945—the first passenger train observation car was placed in service by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. 1945—French Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain, who had headed the Vichy government during World War II, went on trial, charged with treason. (He was convicted and condemned to death, but the sentence was commuted but he died in prison in 1951 at age 04) 1950—The Gene Autry Show premiered on CBS-TV. 1952—Egyptian military officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser launched a successful coup against King Farouk I. 1954—a law was passed that states that "The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to repair, equip, and restore the United States Ship Constitution, as far as may be practicable, to her original appearance, but not for active service, and thereafter to maintain the United States Ship Constitution at Boston, Massachusetts." 1958—the submarine Nautilus departed from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, under orders to conduct "Operation Sunshine." The mission was to be the first vessel to cross the north pole by ship, which it achieved on 3 Aug 1958. 1962—the Telstar communications satellite sent the first live TV broadcast to Europe 1962—the Geneva Conference on Laos forbade the US to invade eastern Laos. 1967—a week of deadly race-related rioting that claimed 43 lives erupted in Detroit, Mich. 1972—Eddie Merckx of Belgium won his fourth consecutive Tour de France bicycling competition. 1977—a jury in Washington, D.C., convicted 12 Hanafi Muslims of charges stemming from the hostage siege at three buildings the previous March. 1984—Vanessa Williams became the first Miss America to resign her title, because of nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine. 1986—Britain’s Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey in London. (The couple divorced in 1996.) 1995—two astronomers, Alan Hale in New Mexico and Thomas Bopp in Arizona, almost simultaneously discovered a comet. 1996—at the Atlanta Olympics, Kerri Strug made a heroic final vault despite torn ligaments in her left ankle as the US women gymnasts clinched their first-ever Olympic team gold medal. 1997—police in Miami Beach, Fla., found the body of Andrew Cunanan, the suspected killer of Gianni Versace. 1998—US scientists at the University of Hawaii turned out more than 50 "carbon-copy" mice, with a cloning technique.
2000—Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to complete a career Grand Slam when he won the British Open at age 24 — Lance Armstrong won his 2nd Tour de France bicycle race. 2001— Eudora Alice Welty, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist (The Optimist’s Daughter [1973], The Robber Bridegroom) & short story writer (A Worn Path, A Curtain of Green, Moon Lake and Other Stores), died at age 92 in Jackson, Miss., 2001—Indonesia's national assembly ousted Pres. Abdurahman Wahid, electing Megawati Sukarnoputri as head of state. 2001—Pope John Paul II urged Pres. Bush in their first meeting, held at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, to bar creation of human embryos for medical research. 2001—negotiators from 178 nations rescued the 1997 Kyoto Protocol after marathon talks in Bonn, Germany. 2002—Israeli forces launched an F-16 airstrike in the heart of Gaza City, killing Salah Shehade, a top Hamas military commander, and 14 others. 2003—Massachusetts attorney general issued a report saying clergy members and others in the Boston Archdiocese probably sexually abused more than 1,000 people over six decades. 2005—in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, at least 88 people were killed when a bomb was set off from a pickup truck. 2006—Tiger Woods became the first player since Tom Watson in 1982-83 to win consecutive British Open titles. 2006—American Floyd Landis won the Tour de France (however, he was later disqualified for doping). 2006—former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was hospitalized on the 17th day of a hunger strike; he appeared thinner but healthy at his trial a few days later — More than 60 were killed in car bomb attacks in Baghdad and Kirkuk. 2009—Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox pitched the 18th perfect game in major league history, a 5-0 win over Tampa Bay. 2010—the city manager, assistant manager and police chief of Bell, Calif., agreed to resign after outraged residents found out through a Los Angeles Times investigation that they were making a total of more than $1.6 million a year. 2010—Daniel Schorr, longtime broadcast journalist with stints at CBS, CNN and NPR, died at age 93 after a short illness in Washington, DC. In 2002 he was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcasting. His last broadcast was on 10 July 2010, two weeks before his death.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 24, 2011 4:00:52 GMT -5
Yesteryear’s Birthdays: 1401—Francesco I Sforza, Italian condottiere, founder of the Sforza dynasty in Milan & duke of Milan, died 1466 at age 64 of hydropsy and gout in Milan 1773—Major-Gen. Sir Thomas Brisbane, 1st Baronet, English soldier, 6th Governor of New South Wales (1821-25) & astronomical observer, died 1860 at age 86 in Largs, Scotland 1834—James Gibbons, Cardinal, Bishop of Richmond (1872-77), Archbishop of Baltimore (1877-1921), writer (The Faith of Our Fathers, Our Christian Heritage, The Ambassador of Christ) & founder of Catholic University, died 1921 at age 86 in Baltimore, Md.. He was the 2nd American to be elevated to cardinal. 1874—[James Edward] Sunny Jim Fitzsimons, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame thoroughbred racehorse trainer (1894-1963) of two Triple Crown winners (Gallant Fox [1930], Omaha [1935]), died 1966 at age 91 in Miami,Fla. 1884—Emil Jannings, Swiss-born 2-time Oscar-winning German-Austrian actor (The Way of All Flesh [1927], The Last Command [1928]) who participated in Nazi propaganda films, died 1950 at age 65 of liver cancer in Strobl, Salzburg, Austria 1886—Sir Arthur Whitten Brown, English aviator; co-captained (navigator) the first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic, died 1948 at age 62 of an accidental overdose of Veronal at home 1888—Raymond Thornton Chandler, author of the Philip Marlowe detective stories (The Big Sleep, Farewell, My Lovely, The Little Sister, The Long Goodbye), screenwriter & president of the Mystery Writers of America, died 1959 at age 70 of pneumonial peripheral vascular shock & prerenal uremia in La Jolla, Calif. 1891—Harry Cohn, movie executive & co-founder of Columbia Pictures, died 1958 at age 66 of a sudden heart attack en route by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz. 1892—Haile Selassie I [né Tafari Makonnen], emperor of Ethiopia (1930-74) of the House of Solomon, regent (1916-30), died 1975 at age 83 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is revered as the returned Messiah of the Bible, God Incarnate, among the Rastafarian movement/. In 1974 he was overthrown by a military coup and imprisoned. The government announced his death and said it was from respiratory failure, denied by his physician. Many believe he was assassinated. 1894—Arthur Veary Treacher, English actor (National Velvet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Little Princess, Heidi, David Copperfield, TV: The Merv Griffin Show) & fast-food chain owner (Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips), died 1975 at age 81 of a heart ailment in Manhasset, Long Island, NY 1906—Marston Bates, zoologist (mosquitoes of yellow fever), professor (Univ. of Michigan) & author (The Nature of Natural History, The Forest and the Sea). 1908—Karl Swenson, actor (The Hanging Tree, The Gallant Hours, North to Alaska, Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Vanishing Point), died 1978 at age 70 of a heart attack in Torrington, Conn. 1908—Elio Vittorini, Italian novelist (Conversations in Sicily, Erica and her Sisters), translator & literary critic, died 1966 at age 57 in Milan, Italy 1910—Pimen I [aka Sergey Mikhailovich Izvekov], 14th Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus & head of the Russian Orthodox Church (1971-90), died 1990 at age 79 in Moscow 1912—Michael Wilding, English actor (Waterloo, The World of Suzie Wong, The Glass Slipper, Under Capricorn, The Courtney Affair), died 1979 at age 66 of head injuries suffered froma fall down stairs during an epileptic seizure in Chichester, West Sussex, England 1913—Coral Browne, Australian-born actress (Auntie Mame, The Killing of Sister George, Eleanor, First Lady of the World, The Courtney Affair) & wife of actor Vincent Price, died 1991 at age 77 of breast cancer in Los Angeles 1915—Vincent Sardi Jr., restaurateur (Sardi’s Restaurant founded by his father), died 2007 at age 91 from complications due to a urinary tract infection in New York City. 1918—[Harold] Pee Wee Reese, Hall of Fame shortstop (Brooklyn Dodgers) & coach (LA Dodgrs), died 1999 at age 81 of prostate and lung cancer at home in Louisville, Ky. 1921—Calvert Grant DeForest, actor (Mr. Write, Leader of the Band, Heaven Help Us; TV: Late Night with David Letterman as Larry ‘Bud’ Melman), died 2007 at age 85 after a long illness at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, NY 1933—[Bernard Whalen] Bert Convey, TV game show host (Win, Lose or Draw, Tattletales, People Do the Craziest Things), actor (Love of Life, The Snoop Sisters) & singer (Cheers: “Black Leather Jacket and Motorcycle Boots”), died 1991 at age 67 of a brain tumor in Los Angeles. 1936—Don Drysdale, Hall of Fame right handed pitcher (Brooklyn Dodgers, LA Dodgers), 1972 Cy Young winner, broadcaster (ABC Monday Night Baseball. ZLA Dodgers) & writer (Once a Bum, Always a Dodger), died 1993 at age 56 of a heart attack in a hotel room in Montreal, Canada where he had been broadcasting a Dodger-Expos game. He was married to Ann Meyers, Hall of Fame women’s basketball star, now coach.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 24, 2011 4:06:15 GMT -5
PINE-TARRED BAT DAYOn this day in 1983, Kansas City Royals slugger George Brett slammed a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Royals a 5-4 lead over New York. Or did he? Seconds after Brett crossed home plate, New York Yankees Manager Billy Martin came out of the dugout to protest that the pine tar on Brett’s bat was more than 18 inches up the bat handle. The umpires measured Brett’s bat, using home plate as a measuring rod, and came to the conclusion that Martin was correct -- and called Brett out -- erasing the Royals lead. Or did they? The president of the American League, Lee McPhail, later reversed the umpires’ decision on the pine tar and ruled that the game was suspended -- with the Royals leading, 5-4. The game was completed 3 1/2 weeks later, on August 18, 1983, in Yankee Stadium. The outcome of the game? It only took 12 minutes to play the remainder of the contest with the Royals tarring the Yankees 5-4.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 24, 2011 21:57:47 GMT -5
24 July :)Good evening to my fellow history buffs from Tuxy and me. Today is 205th day of 2011 with 160 days left in the year Today in History: 478—death of St. Lupus who turned Attila away from Troyes, France. 1148—the Second Crusade arrived before Damascus. 1221—the Fifth Crusade was defeated by the Saracens. 1505—On their way to India, a group of Portuguese explorers sacked the city-state of Kilwa, East Africa. 1534—Jacques Cartier discovered the St. Lawrence River; claiming Canada for France 1567—Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned at Lochleven Castle and forced to abdicate her throne to her 1-year-old son James VI, who was proclaimed King of Scotland 1679—New Hampshire became a royal colony of the British crown. 1701—Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac established Fort Ponchartrain for France at present-day Detroit, Mich. 1704—Adm. George Rooke took Gibraltar from the Spanish. 1766—at Fort Ontario, Canada, Ottawa chief Pontiac and William Johnson signed a peace agreement. 1776--in a letter to Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler, Congressional Pres. John Hancock accused him of tolerating discord among soldiers from different states. 1791—Robespierre expeled all Jacobins opposed to the principles of the French Revolution. 1823—Chile abolished slavery. 1793—the first copyright law was instituted in France. 1832--Benjamin Bonneville, an inept fur trader who some think may have actually been a spy for the US government (wanted information on British strength in the Northwest), led the first wagon train to cross the Rocky Mountains at Wyoming's South Pass that became the Oregon Trail. 1847—Mormon leader Brigham Young and his 148 followers arrived in the Great Salt Lake Valley in present-day Utah. Gazing over the parched earth of the remote location, he declared, "This is the place" and the pioneers began preparations for the 1000s of Mormon migrants who would follow. 1847—Richard M. Hoe patented the rotary-type printing press. 1849—Georgetown University in Washington, DC, presented its first Doctor of Music Degree. — to Professor John Casper Henry Dielman. 1861—at Fort Fillmore, Ariz,, Lt. Col. John Robert Baylor led 300 men of the Confederate 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles in an assault on Union forces under Maj. Isaac Lynde. 1862—Martin Van Buren, 8th Pres. of the US, 8th Vice President, (1833-37), Ambassador to Britain ()1831-1832) , 10th Secretary of State (1829-31), 9th Gov. of NY, US Senator (1821-28), died at age 79 of bronchial asthma & heart failure in Kinderhook, NY 1864—Union troops under Gen. George Crook were defeated by troops under Confederate Gen. Jubal Early at the Battle of Kernstown, Va., keeping the Shenandoah Valley clear of Yankees. 1866—Tennessee became the first state to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War. 1896—the first national convention of the People's Party met in St. Louis, Mo. and nominated William Jennings Bryan for president. 1897—African- American soldiers of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps arrive in St. Louis, Mo., after completing a 40-day bike ride from Missoula, Mont.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 24, 2011 21:59:22 GMT -5
1901--William Sydney Porter, otherwise known as O. Henry, was released from prison after serving three years for embezzlement from a bank in Austin, Tex. He moved to New York City and began producing one short story a week for the New York World. 1908--Sultan Abdul Hamid decreed restoration of the Turkish constitution, fulfilling the main demancs of the Committee of Union and Progress, known as the Young Turkey Party. 1911—Yale University history professor Hiram Bingham III found the "Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu, in Peru. (Although local residents had been aware of the site in the Andes, it was Bingham's discovery that made it known to the world and now one of the world's top tourist attractions.) Machu Picchu is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders and for 100s of years after the Spanish conquest, its existence was a secret known only to those living in the region. Prof. Bingham changed all that. 1915--the steamer Eastland overturned in the Chicago River, drowning between 800 and 850 passengers heading to a picnic. The disaster was caused by problems with the boat's design that were known but never fixed. 1923—the Treaty of Lausanne, which settled the boundaries of modern Turkey, was concluded in Switzerland. 1929—Pres. Hoover proclaimed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which renounced war as an instrument of foreign policy 1933—during his third Fireside Chat, Pres. Roosevelt showed why the homey, warm, comfortable discussion was, indeed, a fireside chat, when he stopped the discussion and asked for a drink of water. Newsman Robert Trout is credited with coming up with the name, Fireside Chat, because of real moments like this. 1936—the hottest day for Kansas was recorded today — 121ºF near Alton, Kan. & Nebraska recorded 118ºF at Minden, Neb. 1937—the state of Alabama dropped charges against fiour of the nine young black men accused of raping two white women in the "Scottsboro Case.” 1938—clarinet virtuoso and big band leader Artie Shaw recorded his now-classic, "Begin the Beguine". Shaw was married to Ava Gardner at the time — Richard Strauss was in his 70s when he conducted an operatic premiere in his home town for the first time. Munich audiences loved Strauss, but Nazis authorities were less pleased when they heard Friedenstag ("Day of Peace”) 1938—the boon to the early morning rush was invented — instant coffee. 1941—Japan invaded China by moving through Southeast Asia, an area that France had long occupied. France had "agreed" to the occupation under Petain's puppet government. 1942—the Soviet city of Rostov is captured by German troops. 1943—Britain launched Operation Gomorrah that consisted of repeated night bombing raids against Hamburg's industrial and munitions plants, while the US bombed it by day in "Blitz Week." 1946—the US Conducted the first underwater test of an atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. 1948—Soviet occupation forces in Germany blockaded West Berlin. The U.S.-British airlift began the following day. 1950—the U.S. Fifth Air Force relocates from Japan to Korea. 1956—the first guided missile ship was launched. 1956—Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ended the partnership a decade after it began on 25 Jul 1946. 1959—during a visit to Moscow, Vice Pres. Nixon engaged in his famous "Kitchen Debate" with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, comparing the merits of capitalism and communism in the model kitchen at the opening of the American exhibit at Sokolniki Park.. 1961—a hijacker commandeered an Eastern Airlines Electra en route from Miami to Tampa, forcing it to fly to Cuba. 1965--The presence of ground-to-air antiaircraft missiles in North Vietnam showed the had a rapidly improving air defense capability that proved to be a formidable challenge to US flyers. 1969—Apollo 11 the first manned mission to the moon, splashed down safely in the Pacific. 1974—the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Pres. Nixon had to turn over subpoenaed White House tape recordings to the Watergate special prosecutor. 1978—Billy Martin was fired for the first of three times as the manager of the New York Yankees baseball team. Martin would be canned in 1979 and again in 1983, each time by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. 1979—a Miami jury convicted Ted Bundy of first-degree murder in the slayings of two Florida State University sorority sisters, Margaret Bowman & Lisa Levy. 1982--Filmmakers often depend on music to produce specific emotional reactions by the audience and Sylvester Stallone's Rocky franchise was no exception, producing its second #1 pop hit--Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger." 1985—about 100 Lebanese released from an Israeli military prison crossed the border into Lebanon; it was the second group of prisoners to be freed by the Israelis since a TWA jetliner was hijacked by Shiite Muslim extremists. 1986—a federal jury in San Francisco convicted former Navy radioman Jerry A. Whitworth of espionage for his role in a Soviet spy ring headed by John A. Walker Jr. (Whitworth was sentenced to 365 years in prison.) 1986—Muslim captors released Rev. Lawrence Martin Jenco. 1987—Hulda Crooks, at 91 years of age, climbed Mt. Fuji, becoming the oldest person to climb Japan’s highest peak. 1987—the movie biography of Richie Valens, La Bamba, opened. 1987—the re-flagged Kuwaiti supertanker Bridgeton sustained damage after hitting a mine in the Persian Gulf. 1989—the Exxon Corporation estimated that its cleanup of the Alaskan oil spill would cost $1.28 billion dollars. 1990—Iraq, accusing Kuwait of conspiring to harm its economy through oil overproduction, massed tens of 1000s of troops and 100s of tanks along its border with Kuwait. 1991—Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1978 Nobel Prize-wining Polish-born Jewish short story writer (“Zeitl and Rickel”, “Yentl the Yeshiv Boy”, "Zeidius the Pope”, Short Friday, The Séance and Other Stories), novelist (Satan in Goray, The Slave) and a leading figure in the Yiddish literary movement, died at age 87 after a series of strokes in Miami, Fla. 1993—US House Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski denied allegations he'd received embezzled funds, saying he had engaged in "no illegal or unethical conduct.” (He was later convicted.) 1993—two Los Angeles police officers sentenced in Rodney King beating. 1993—the Russian government announced it would invalidate billions of pre-1993 rubles. 1994—Miguel Indurain won his fourth consecutive Tour de France victory. 1994—Rwandan refugees began trickling home after Zaire reopened the border between the two countries; meanwhile, the first wave of a U.S. airlift arrived. 1995—a suicide bomber set off an explosion in a crowded commuter bus in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing six people. 1996—two bombs blamed on Tamil separatists ripped through a commuter train near Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing 64 civilians and wounding more than 400. 1997—William Joseph Brennan Jr., ret. US Supreme Court justice (1956-90, died at age 91 of unspecified cause in Washington, DC. 1998—a gunman burst into US Capitol and opened fire killing two police officers. Russel Weston Jr., was later ruled incompetent to stand trial. 1998--director Steven Spielberg's World War II epic, Saving Private Ryan, starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, opened in theaters across the US. It was praised for its authentic portrayal of war and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning five (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Effects Editing.) 1998--South Korea's government opened the bidding for the Kia Motors Corp., the country's 3rd largest car ocmpany, which went bankrupt during an economic crisi that gripped much of Asia. 1999—Pres. Clinton attacked the Republicans' $792 billion tax-cut plan in fund-raising speeches and his weekly radio address, saying it would "imperil the future stability of the country." House Majority Leader Dick Armey replied that the GOP plan would help fix an unfair tax system.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 24, 2011 22:00:22 GMT -5
2000—Pres. Clinton continued to mediate the Camp David Mideast summit, meeting with Israeli, Palestinian and US negotiators. 2000—Georgia’s Democratic former governor Zell Miller was appointed to the late Republican Paul Coverdell's Senate seat. 2000—Michael Stone, a pro-British paramilitary member, was freed from prison as part of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace accord after serving eleven years of a life sentence for murder. 2001—the city of Detroit, Mich. celebrated its 300th anniversary with a historical reenactment of city founder Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac landing on the shores of the Detroit River. 2001—a Chinese court sentenced two US residents to 10 years in prison on charges of spying for Taiwan. (China released Gao Zhan and Qin Guangguang two days later.) 2002—the US House expelled Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, who had been convicted of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion. 2003—the US released pictures of the bodies of Odai and Qusai Hussein. The two died during a battle with U.S. forces near Mosul, Iraq. 2005—legendary American cyclist, Lance Armstrong won a record-setting 7th consecutive Tour de France and announced his retirement. (He came out of retirement for 520 years in 2009.) 2005—the World Health Organization accused China of engaging in a bird flue cover-up. 2006—rescuers from the US Coast Guard and Alaska Air National Guard saved 23 crew members from a cargo ship taking on water south of the Aleutian Islands 2006—the trial of Saddam Hussein and seven co-defendants resumed in Baghdad without the former Iraqi leader, who remained hospitalized after going on a hunger strike. 2007—for the first time in a decade the US minimum wage was raised. 2007—It was announced that Drew Carey would replace Bob Barker as host of The Price is Right. 2007—peace activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested inside the Sam Rayburn Building in Washington, DC. 2007—in the Tour de France, Kazakhstani racer Alexander Vinokourov failed his blood test and was banned for a year. 2008—two large earthquakes rattle Japan and Russia. 2009—Armenia agreed to send military forces to Afghanistan. 2010—a stampede inside a tunnel crowded with techno music fans left 21 people dead and more than 500 injured at the famed Love Parade festival in western Germany. 2010—four earthquakes hit the Philippines in quick succession. 2011—Australian cyclist riding for the American team BMC won the 98th running of the Tour de France, the first Australian and Eastern Hemisphere citizen to do so. Mark Cavendish of the Isle of Man, also on an American-backed team HTC-Highroad, picked up the sprinting title.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 25, 2011 1:04:42 GMT -5
Yesteryear’s Birthdays: 1783—Simón Bolivar, Venezuelan-born Latin American military and revolutionary leader, president of Colombia (1819-30), died 1830 at age 47 of tuberculosis in Santa Marta, Colombia. He played a key role in Latin America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire and is considered one of the most influential politicians in South American history, who led Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela to freedom. 1802—Alexandre Dumas, père [aka Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie], French historical novelist ( The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne) & dramatist, died 1870 at age 68 of a stroke in Puys, France. He is the most widely read French author whose works have been translated into almost a hundred languages and have inspired more than 200 films. 1803—[Alexander Jackson] A. J. Davis, architect (NYC’s US Customs House, the Jay Gould estate), designer & illustrator, died 1892 at age 89 in Llewellyn Park, N.J. He was one of the most successful and influential architects of his generation, especially with the Gothic Revival style. At Virginia Military Institute he created the first entirely Gothic Revival college campus. 1863—William Hooker Gillette, actor (famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes playing the role more than 1,300 over 30 years), playwright ( Held by the Enemy) & stage manager, died 1937 at age 84 of a pulmonary hemorrhage in Hartford, Conn. 1880—Ernest Bloch, Swiss-born composer (opera: Macbeth, “Schelomo” for cello & orchestra, “Israel Symphony”, “Baal Shem” for violin & piano, “From Jewish Life” suite for cello & piano, “America” rhapsody for chorus & orchestra, Suite hébraïque), died 1959 at age 78 of cancer in Portland, Ore.. In 1902, he completed a Symphony in C-sharp-minor that sounds a little like the music of Richard Strauss. In 1905 he finished a tone poem about springtime that was indebted to Debussy. 1895—Robert (von Ranke) Graves, English poet, novelist ( I, Claudius, Claudius the God, ,King Jesus, The Golden Fleece, Count Belisarius, Goodbye to All That), literary critic ( The White Goddess) & translator of Classical Latin and Ancient Greek texts ( The Twelve Caesars, The Golden Ass), died 1985 at age 90 from heart failure in Deià, Majorca, Spain. He was buried on the site of a shrine once sacred to The White Goddess of Pelion. 1897—Amelia Earhart, aviator, the 1st woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California & the first woman to fly alone over the Atlantic who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, disappeared 1937 at age 40 near Howland Island in the Pacific during a round-the-world trip at the Equator . 1899—Chief Dan George, chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation located in British Columbia, author (w/ Helmut Himschall: My Heart Soars, My Spirit Soars), poet & actor ( Little Big Man, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Harry and Tonto; TV: Centennial; stage: The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, soliloquy – Lament for Confederation), died 1981 at age 82 in Vancouver, British Columbia 1900—Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, novelist ( Save Me the Waltz, Caesar’s Things), painter & schizophrenic wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, died 1948 at age 47 in a fire at Highland Hospital, Ashville, N.C, were she was incarcerated (locked in her room awaiting electroshock treatment the next day.) 1904—James Rhyne Killian Jr., president of MIT (1948-59) who helped to create NASA, first Presidential Science Advisor (Eisenhower), died 1988 at age 84 in Cambridge, Mass. 1910—[Charles Melvin] Cootie Williams, jazz & R&B trumpeter(“Echoes of Harlem”, “Concerto for Cootie”, “Carelessly”) & bandleader (Cootie Williams Sextet and Orchestra), died 1985 at age 77 in New York City 1914—Frank Silvera, actor ( Mutiny on the Bounty,Viva Zapata!, One-Eyed Jacks, Hombre, Valdez is Coming, Toys in the Attic, The High Chaparral; stage: A Hatful of Rain, The Lady of the Camellias, The Amen Corner), theatrical director & founder of The Theatre of Being (help black actors get a foothold in show business), accidentally died 1970 at age 55 while repairing an electric garbage disposal in his sink at home in Pasadena, Calif. 1916—[Robert] Bob Eberly, big band vocalist (“The Breeze and I”, “I’m Glad There is You”), partner w/ Helen O’Connell with Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra (“Green Eyes”) & brother of singer Ray Eberle (Glenn Miller’s orchestra), died 1981 at age 65 of a heart attack in Glen Burnie, Md. 1916—John Dann MacDonald, grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America (Travis McGee series, The Executioners, One Monday We Killed Them All) & science fiction writer ( Wine of the Dreamers, The Girl, the Gold Watch, & Everything), died 1986 at age 70 from complications of a heart bypass operation in Milwaukee, Wis. 1920—Bella S. Abzug, lawyer, feminist (co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus), anti-war activist & Congresswoman (1973-77), died 1998 at age 77 of complications following heart surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. She was a recognizable political figure with her big hats and a voice that Norman Mailer said “could boil the fat off a taxicab driver’s neck.” 1920—Alexander H. Cohen, prolific theatrical producer ( Street [movie Gaslight], Beyond the Fringe, 84 Charing Cross Road, Anna Christie, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, King Lear, Hamlet, An Evening with Maurice Chevalier; West End: 1776, Applause), died 2000 at age 79 from emphysema in New York City. He was the only American producer to keep offices in London’s West End and on Broadway. 1921—Dr. Billy Taylor, jazz pianist (Billy Taylor Trio) , composer, broadcaster ( Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt) & educator (East Carolina Univ.), died 2010 at age 89 of a heart attack in Manhattan, NY 1929—Peter James Yates, English movie director ( Bullitt, Murphy’s War, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, For Pete’s Sake, The Deep, Breaking Away, The Dresser, Eleni; TV: The Saint, Danger Man, A Separate Peace) & producer, died 2011 at age 81 in London
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 25, 2011 2:30:36 GMT -5
us.social.s-msn.com/s/images/emoticons/cake.gif [/img] Today’s Birthdays: 1930—Jacqueline Victoire Brookes, actress ( Losing Isaiah, The Naked Gun 21/2: The Smell of Fear, Sea of Love, Paternity; TV: Another World, As the World Turns) & teacher at the Circle in the Square Theatre School 1933—John Anthony Aniston, Greek-born actor (TV: Days of Our Lives (as Victor Kiriakis),) & the father of actress Jennifer Aniston 1934—Rudy Collins, jazz drummer (Dizzy Gillespie Quintet) 1935—[Patrick Bruce] Pat Oliphant, Australian-born syndicated political cartoonist ( Denver Post, Washington Star), who is the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world. His trademark is a small penguin (Punk) who makes sarcastic comments about the subject of the cartoon. 1936—Ruth Buzzi, comedian ( The Entertainers, TV: Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Steve Allen Comedy Hour, That Girl, Sesame Street) & actress 1936—Mark Goddard, actor (TV: Lost in Space, One Life to Live, General Hospital, The Detectives; stage: The Act) 1940—Dan Hedaya, character actor ( Wise Guys, Blood Sample; TV: Cheers) 1941—Barbara Jean Love (vocal group: Friends of Distinction) 1942—Chris Sarandon, actor ( The Princess Bride, Child’s Play, Deadly Temptress, The Nightmare before Christmas, TV: The Guiding Light) 1946—Gallagher [aka Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr.], comedian known for smashing watermelons in his act 1947—Robert Hays, actor ( Airplane movies, Take This Job & Shove It, Starman, FM) 1949—Michael Anthony Richards, actor (TV: Kramer on Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), stand up comedian, writer & TV producer 1951—Lynda Jean Carter, actress ( Partners in Crime, Hawkeye; TV: Wonder Woman), singer & 1972 Miss World-USA 1951—Lynval Golding, guitarist (The Specials, Fun Boy Three) 1952—Gus Van Sant, movie director ( To Die For, Psycho) 1953—Claire McCaskill, US Senator (D-Mo., 2007-present) 1956—Charlie Crist, 44th Gov. of Florida (R, 2007-2011) 1957—{Pamela Yvonne} Pam Tillis, country singer-songwriter (“Don’t Tell Me What to Do”, “My Vida Loca (My Crazy Life)”), actress & daughter of county music’s Mel Tillis.. 1957—Robbie Grey, English guitarist (Modern English) 1962—Paul Ben-Victor [aka Paul Friedman], actor (TV: My Name is Earl, The Invisible Man, , In Plain Sight, HBO: The Wire, Entourage) & playwright (w/ mother: Club Soda, The Good Steno) 1963—Karl Malone, NBA Hall of Fame power forward (Utah Jazz), 8-time NBA 1st team All-Star (1989-97), 1997 NBA MVP & member of the 1992 & 1996 Olympic Dream Teams 1963—Julie Krone, female jockey and the only woman to ride a winning horse in a Triple Crown Race (1993 Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial Affair) & the all-time winningest female jockey with over 3,000 wins 1964—Barry Bonds, ret. MLB right fielder (Pittsburgh Pirates, SF Giants), 3-time National League MVP & major league single season and career home run hitter accused of using steroids. 1965—Kadeem Hardison, actor ( A Different World, Vampire in Brooklyn, Renaissance Man, White Men Can’t Jump, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Beat Street) 1968—Kristin Chenoweth, Tony-winning stage ( You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown [1999], Wicked, Steel Pier, The Apple Tree) Emmy-winning screen ( Bewitched, The Pink Panther, RV; TV: Pushing Daisies [2009], The West Wing) actress & singer 1968—Laura Leighton, actress (TV: Melrose Place, Pretty Little Liars) 1968—John P. Navin Jr., actor ( Taps, Losin’ It, National Lampoon’s Vacation) 1969—Jennifer Lynn Lopez (“J.Lo.”), actress ( Selena, Out of Sight, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan, Shall We Dance?, Monster-in-Law, The Back-up Plan, Money Train; TV: In Living Color), singer (“If You Had My Love”, “On the Floor”), record producer, dancer, TV personality (judge on American Idol), fashion designer & TV producer 1969—[Ulrich Alexander] Rick Fox, Canadian NBA player (LA Lakers)-turned-actor ( Blue Chips; TV: Oz, Ugly Betty, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, The Game, 6th on 2010 Dancing With the Stars) 1975—Eric Kyle Szmanda, actor (TV: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) 1979—Mary Rose Byrne, Australian actress ( Troy, Marie Antoinette, 28 Weeks Later, Adam, Bridesmaids; TV: Damages) 1981—Summer Glau, actress ( Serenity; TV: Firefly) 1982—Elisabeth Singleton Moss, actress (TV: Mad Men, The West Wing) 1982—Anna Helene Paquin, Oscar-winning Canadian-born New Zealand actress ( The Piano [1994], Jane Eyre, Amistad, Almost Famous, X-Men franchise, Finding Forrester, Buffalo Soldiers; TV: HBO’s True Blood, stage: The Glory of Living, This is Our Youth) 1987—Mara Elizabeth Wilson, child actress ( Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, Matilda) & is a 2009 graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts 1998—Bindi Due Irwin, Australian child actress ( The Wiggles: Wiggly Safari; TV: The Young and the Restless [2008 Emmy]) & TV personality ( The Crocodile Hunter Diaries, Bindi the Jungle Girl) & daughter of The Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 25, 2011 9:49:01 GMT -5
MARTIN & LEWIS DAYCrooner Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis staged their first show as a team this day in 1946 at Club 500 in Atlantic City, NJ. Actually, the two had met while performing -- separately -- at the Glass Hat in New York City and decided to try an ad-lib act together. The rest is entertainment history. The duo went from earning $350 a week to $5,000 a week in under eight months, with Martin playing the romantic straight man opposite Lewis as his goofy, unpredictable partner. Ten years later, the curtain came down on their final team performance at the Copacabana in New York. Over that decade, the zany two made seventeen movies including My Friend Irma, That’s My Boy, The Caddy, Pardners, Jumping Jacks and The Stooge. Dean Martin went on to become a recording star ("Memories are Made of This", "Return to Me", "Everybody Loves Somebody"), movie star ( The Young Lions, Rio Bravo, Sons of Katie Elder, the Matt Helm series) and host of his own TV variety show, The Dean Martin Show. Lewis pursued a solo career in Hollywood as comic lead ( The Sad Sack, Cinderfella, The Nutty Professor); director ( The Bellboy, The Errand Boy, The Patsy, Family Jewels, Which Way to the Front); producer; teacher (USC); and consummate entertainer. It would take 20 years for the two to speak publicly with each other again. Martin died December 25, 1995. Lewis continues to set records in fund-raising during his annual Stars Across America! Labor Day Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (he has been chairman of the MDA since 1950). The Las Vegas resident continues to make nightclub appearances and returned to the stage in the Broadway revival production of Damn Yankees in 1996. Critics called his performance as the Devil, a rip-roaring success.
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Post by susala on Jul 25, 2011 12:34:01 GMT -5
I don't get Jerry Lewis but I love Dean Martin. I keep one of his Greatest Hits CD's in my car. I remember enjoying his TV show even though it was a little adult for me. I even like his acting better than Lewis'. I just saw bits of him in a couple of John Wayne movies this past week. He's playing himself but he's really comfortable in front of the camera.
Otoh, Jerry Lewis is one of the great celebrity advocates for the afflicted. Who is more intimately connected to a cause than Jerry Lewis? Maybe, to some of us, Danny Thomas and St. Jude's but he's been gone a long time.
That said, I'd love to have seen Lewis in Damn Yankees. I think that would be the perfect part for him.
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Post by susala on Jul 25, 2011 12:38:13 GMT -5
1968—Kristin Chenoweth, Tony-winning stage (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown [1999], Wicked, Steel Pier, The Apple Tree) Emmy-winning screen (Bewitched, The Pink Panther, RV; TV: Pushing Daisies [2009], The West Wing) actress & singer ******************************************
She's one of my favorite musical comedy-style actresses but I always get to New York when she's just left a show. Bummer.
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Post by Flying Horse on Jul 25, 2011 23:33:25 GMT -5
25 JuL Good evening to my fellow history buffs from Tuxy and me. Today is 206th day of 2011 with 159 days left in the year Today in History: 326—Emperor Constantine refused to carry out the traditional pagan sacrifices. 1394—Charles VI of France issued a decree for the general expulsion of Jews from France. 1564—Maximillian II became emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. 1587—Japanese strong-man Hideyoshi banned Christianity in Japan and ordered all Christians to leave. 1593—France’s King Henry IV converted from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. 1759—British forces defeated a French army at Fort Niagara in Canada. 1799—on his way back from Syria, Napoleon Bonaparte defeated the Ottomans at Aboukir, Egypt 1805—Aaron Burr visited New Orleans with plans to establish a new country, with New Orleans as the capital city. 1814—British and American forces fought each other to a standoff at Lundy's Lane, Canada. 1845—China granted Belgium equal trading rights with Britain, France and the US. 1850—gold was discovered in the Rogue River in Oregon, extending the quest for gold p the Pacific coast. 1854—the paper collar was patented by Walter Hunt. 1860—in Worcester, Mass., Harvard and Yale University freshmen met in the first intercollegiate billiards match. 1861—the Crittenden-Johnson Resolution, which called for the American Civil War to be fought to preserve the Union and not for slavery, was passed by the US Congress. 1866—Ulysses S. Grant was named General of the Army of the United States, the first officer to hold the 4-star rank. 1867—Pres. Johnson signs an act creating the territory of Wyoming. 1868—the US Congress passed an act creating the Wyoming Territory. 1871—Seth Wheeler patented perforated wrapping paper. 1894—Japanese forces sank the British steamer Kowshing which was bringing Chinese reinforcements to Korea.
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Post by mojotheawkward on Jul 25, 2011 23:35:03 GMT -5
Y'know, Peg, and I think I've said this before - it's really quite remarkable what you volunteer to the community. I'm hugely impressed by you, if I can say that and still sound sincere.
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