Nothing weak about this weekend...
There were so many momentous and memorable events we witnessed thoughout the years that it was tough deciding on what to pick as my lead story. July 15, 16 and 17 were packed with headlines but I decided that the biggest story, by far, was the JFK, Jr. tragedy, one of those events that make you remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news...
When John Kennedy, Jr., or if you're old enough to remember, "John-John", took off from Essex County Airport in New Jersey on July 16th, 1999, he had 300 hours of flying experience and this trip to Hyannis, by way of Martha's Vineyard was familiar to him, having done it several times before. What JFK, Jr. didn't anticipate were the dark, hazy conditions and confusion he experienced while attempting to land on Martha's Vineyard. The single-engine, Piper Saratoga aircraft plummeted far short of the island, ending not only his life but those of his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette...
What followed was the ensuing but vain search for survivors and the wall-to-wall TV coverage that weekend 6 years ago. It ended on July 21st with the discovery of all 3 bodies...
Read about my chance encounter with JFK, Jr. in today's commentary...
July 15 Memories...
1963) Jan & Dean top the charts with "Surf City"...
1964) Barry M. Goldwater is nominated for president at Republican convention...
1965) Mariner IV sends back the first closeup pictures of Mars...
1968) The soap "One Life To Live" premieres...
1968) The New Jersey Americans move to Commack, L.I. and become the New York Nets...
1970) #1: "Mama Told Me Not To Come" by Three Dog Night...
1973) Paul Getty III is kidnapped...
1973) Nolan Ryan becomes the first pitcher in 2 decades to win 2 no-hitters in a season...
1992) Aretha Franklin sings the National Anthem as Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton is nominated for the presidency by the Democrats...
1996) MSNBC debuts...
1997) Gianni Versace is gunned down...
Happy Birthday to...
1925) "One Life To Live" actor, Philip Carey...
1935) Alex ("Webster") Karras...
1944) R&B singer, Millie Jackson...
1946) Linda Ronstadt...
1952) Terry ("Lost") O'Quinn...
1960) Model, Kim Alexis...
1963) Actress, Brigitte Nielsen...
July 16 Memories...
1935) The first parking meters are installed, in Oklahoma City...
1951) "Catcher In Rye" by J.D. Salinger is published...
1957) Marine Major John Glenn sets a transcontinental speed record flying from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes, 8 seconds...
1959) The Coasters record "Poison Ivy" in New York...
1966) Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker form Cream...
1966) The Lovin' Spoonful release "Summer In The City"...
1972) Smokey Robinson makes final appearance with The Miracles...
1976) Loggins and Messina split up...
1979) Saddam Hussein becomes President of Iraq...
1980) Republicans nominate Ronald Reagan for President...
1981) Harry Chapin has fatal auto crash on Long Island Expressway. He was on his way to a benefit concert...
1985) The All-Star game on NBC-TV is first stereo network show...
1988) Michael J. Fox marries Tracy Pollan...
1994) Anna Nicole Smith (26) marries billionaire J. Howard Marshall II (89)...
1999) America loses JFK, Jr. (see lead story)...
2004) Martha Stewart is sentenced to 5 months in prison for lying about a stock sale...
Happy Birthday to...
1915) Actor Barnard Hughes...
1924) Bess Myerson...
1939) R&B singer, William Bell...
1943) NFL sportscaster, Jimmy Johnson...
1948) Ruben Blades...
1952) Police drummer Stewart Copeland...
1953) Mickey Rourke...
1958) Dancer Michael Flatley...
1963) Phoebe Cates...
1967) Will Ferrell...
1968) NFL Hall of Famer, Barry Sanders
1971) Corey Feldman...
July 17 Memories...
1941) Baseball's longest hitting streak, Joe DiMaggio's 56 games, ends in Cleveland...
1954) The first Newport Jazz Festival is held...
1955) Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California...
1959) Billie Holiday sings her last note...
1965) The Miracle's release "Tracks of My Tears"...
1967) The Jimi Hendrix Experience open for The Monkees in Forest Hills...
1968) The Beatles' feature-length, animated movie, "Yellow Submarine" premieres in London...
1974) John Lennon is ordered to leave America in 60 days...
1975) An Apollo spaceship and Soyuz spacecraft dock in orbit, the first superpower linkup of its kind...
1978) Yankee manager Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson duke it out during game at Fenway Park in Boston...
1996) TWA Flight 800 crashes off Long Island, all 230 people perish...
1997) Woolworth Corp. closes its last 400 five-and-ten stores...
Happy Birthday to...
1912) Art Linkletter...
1917) Phyllis Diller...
1934) Donald Sutherland...
1935) Diahann Carroll...
1951) Lucie Arnaz...
1952) David Hasselhoff...
1952) Phoebe Snow...
1956) Islander hero, Bryan Trottier...
1961) "Survivor", etc. producer, Mark Burnett...
1967) Susan Anton...
Commentary...
Recalling the day America lost JFK, Jr. brings back two vivid memories for me. I can honestly say I rubbed elbows with John. About 2 months before his death, I had a chance encounter with America's son of royalty on, of all things, a number 9 train headed for Penn Station. I hadn't noticed the blur on roller blades that sat down next to me. Out of curiosity I looked to my right and there with turned back cap, sleeveless tee-shirt and shorts, was none other than John Kennedy, Jr. While we exchanged glances, neither one of us spoke. Other straphangers simply stared in disbelief but no one acknowledged John. John stared innocently above at the subway ads. When he got off the train I noticed a woman nudge her small daughter and whisper in her ear while following John's exit...
I also recall being on the cliffs overlooking the beach and ocean at Martha's Vineyard on July 4th weekend in 1999. I was looking out at what would become John Kennedy, Jr.'s destination at dusk on July 16th...
