Friday, June 30, 2006

Friday-Sunday, June 30-July 2, 2006

America's "Dream Car" rolls out...

When Chevy told us to "see the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet" they didn't have this car in mind. In January of 1953 the prototype of the Chevrolet Corvette "Dream Car" went on display at the "Motorama" show at the Waldorf-Astoria. In May, the first Corvette advertisement appeared. In June, production of the Corvette began at a tiny assembly line in Flint, Michigan and then the big day came: on Tuesday, June 30th as the first Corvette rolls off the assembly line at Chevrolet Plant Number 35 near Flint, Michigan. Sticker price: $3,000. Assembly line worker Tony Kleiber has the honor of driving the first Corvette off the assembly line and a lifelong love affair with the Corvette begins...

Several songs have been written about Chevy's Corvette including Jan and Dean's top 10 hit, "Dead Man's Curve". Prince doesn't have a top 10 hit with "Little Red Corvette" in 1983 if not for the sports car. Ditto for Stevie Nicks who hears the song, calls Prince and then writes "Stand Back", getting the idea for writing it from the Prince hit. Prince will play keyboard on the single for Stevie...

The oldest surviving Corvette is the one-time GM "test mule", the third 1953 Corvette to roll off the Flint assembly line, known as "double-o-three". It was sold at auction in January of 2006 for a cool million. Now if this is TV, we cue Prince before fading to black and dissolving: "But it was saturday night I guess that makes it all right and you say what have I got to lose ? And honey I say...Little red corvette"...

More June 30 Memories...

1908] Cy Young pitches his 3rd no-hitter and at 41 becomes the oldest pitcher to do so. The New York Yankees are the victims in a 8-0 Red Sox win...

1921] The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) is formed...

1936] "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell is published...

1952] The radio soap "The Guiding Light" moves over to TV...

1953] The 1st Corvette rolls off the assembly line (feature story)...

1962] The Dodgers' Sandy Koufax no-hits the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles (it's the future Hall of Famer's 4th no-hitter, one of which was a perfect game)...

1971] The 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowers the minimum voting age to 18...

1974] "Rock the Boat" is #1 for the Hues Corporation...

1975] Have gown, will marry...Cher & Greg Allman rock down the aisle 4 days after she and Sonny Bono are divorced. Cher & Greg will be wedded in bliss for, oh, about 10 days...

1982] New Jersey Fans pick the name "Devils" (by ballot) for their new NHL franchise team (runner-up names ? How about Meadowlanders and Americans ? Okay, it's Devils, pitchforks down)...

1994] The U.S. Figure Skating Association strips Tonya Harding of the national championship and bans her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan (is everyone aware that George Steinbrenner donated money to Harding for the Olympics ? It's true)...

2001] Legendary Nashville musician Chet Atkins dies at 77...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

Fantasia Barrino (22), Mike Tyson (40), Vincent ("Law & Order") D'Onofrio (47), Stanley Clarke (55) and Lena Horne (89)...

[Today is the 181st day of 2006 with 184 days remaining in the year and just 4 days until July 4th]

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Saturday, July 1, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1863] The Civil War Battle of Gettysburg begins...

1934] The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) replaces the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) as the regulator of broadcasting in the U.S...

1941] The Bulova Watch Company sponsors the 1st TV commercial in New York City...

1956] Elvis Presley sings "Hound Dog" to what else ? a hound dog, sitting on a pedestal on the Steve Allen TV Show...

1963] The U.S. Post Office introduces 5-digit ZIP codes. Now for the big question. What does ZIP stand for ? You ready ? It's the Zoning Improvement Plan. Yeah, like you knew...

1979] SONY introduces the Walkman (something that today is obsolete)...

1979] The Susan B. Athony Dollar coin is introduced (and whose great idea was this ?)...

1987] WFAN becomes the 1st All-Sports station in the country. The Country format moves to WYNY...

1997] Hong Kong reverts to Chinese rule after 156 years as a British colony (get that union jack off that island)...

2004] Derek Jeter dives headfirst into the Yankee Stadium stands to catch a foul ball and inspires the Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Red Sox (does anyone know that Derek's full name is Derek Sanderson Jeter and he is named after the legendary Boston Bruin Derek Sanderson ? Well now you do. When I left Boston I was given a going away party at "Zelda's" which was owned by Derek and he was there)...

[In order to ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

Liv Tyler (29), Pamela Anderson (39), Dan Aykroyd (54), Deborah Harry (61), Jamie Farr (72), Farley Granger (81) and Olivia DeHavilland (90)...

People we lost...

1995] Wolfman Jack (57), 1996] Margaux Hemingway (41), 1997] Robert Mitchum (79), 2000] Walter Matthau (79) and 2004] Marlon Brando (80)

[Today is the 182nd day of 2006 with 183 days remaining in the year and 3 days until July 4th]

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Sunday, July 2, 2006...

Ten Timeline Memories...

1776] The Continental Congress passes a resolution that "these United Colonies are, and of right, ought to be, Free and Independent States" (damn right !)...

1881] President James A. Garfield is fatally shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington railroad station (he never fully recovers and dies on September 19th)...

1937] Aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator disappear over the Pacific Ocean while attempting the 1st round-the-world flight at the equator...

1955] "The Lawrence Welk Show" premieres on ABC-TV. It will run for 16 years and then forever in rerun for all of eternity (when we take our last breath, if we turned on the TV we would find Lawrence Welk)...

1961] Author Ernest Hemingway (62) shoots himself to death (the same thing granddaughter Margaux did 7/1/96 but she od'ed) in his home in Ketchum, Idaho...

1964] President Lyndon B. Johnson signs into law, a sweeping civil rights bill...

1981] Bruce Springsteen plays the 1st show ever at 21,000 seat Brendan Byrne Meadowlands Arena...

1994] Colombian soccer star Andres Escobar is shot to death in Medellin 10 days after accidentally scoring a goal against his own team in World Cup competition (they take their games seriously in Colombia)...

1997] Legendary actor James Stewart dies at 89...

2002] American Steve Fossett becomes the 1st person to fly a balloon solo around the world...

[In order to ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

Lindsay Lohan (20), Jerry Hall (50), Luci Baines Johnson (59), Larry David (59), Polly ("Alice") Holliday (69), Jazz great Ahmad Jamal (76), Imelda ("Shoes") Marcos (77)...

[Today is the 183rd day of 2006 with 182 days remaining in the year and just 2 days until July 4th]

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Thursday, June 29, 2006

Thursday, June 29, 2006

The fate of two blonde bombshells...

Same June 29th date but separate and distinctly different fates were in the cards for the two biggest blonde bombshells in America in the 50's and 60's. One was a happy occasion, the other-tragic...

Marilyn Monroe met playwright Arthur Miller in 1951. Their friendship developed into love and eventually marriage, Marilyn's third, Arthur's second on June 29, 1956. Raised as a Christian, Marilyn would convert to Judaism before the couple got married in a civil ceremony in White Plains, New York. Marilyn soon discovered she was pregnant but the pregnancy was aborted to save her life. Suffering from endometriosis, she would not be able to give birth as a subsequent pregnancy showed. The marriage ended with a Mexican divorce in January of 1961...

On the night of June 29, 1967, 34-year old Jayne Mansfield was on her way to New Orleans after an appearance in Biloxi, Mississippi with a driver, her boyfriend Sam Brody and her 3 children (Mickey Jr., Zoltan and Mariska) when their 1966 Buick Electra crashed into a truck spraying mosquito fogger on U.S. Highway 90. Jayne, Sam and the driver (Ronnie Harrison) were killed immediately (although Jayne was not beheaded as most accounts reported). All 3 children survived. FYI: Mariska is Mariska Hargitay of "Law and Order" who still bares a scar on her head from an accident she doesn't remember...

In today's commentary: sharing some of your recent e-mails...

More June 29 Memories...

1652] Massachusetts declares itself an independent commonwealth (354 years later New Englanders are still independent. Tough but independent)...

1916] The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds play a 9-inning game with just one baseball (I hope they saved that baseball if there was anything left of it)...

1925] Marvin Pipkin (not related to the singing Pipkins) files for a patent for the frosted electric light bulb (way to go, Marv ! FYI: this bulb resulted in the "soft" light bulbs)...

1956] Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller say "I do" (part of feature story)...

1957] The Buddy Holly recording session in Clovis (NM) that resulted in "Peggy Sue" begins (the single would be released on September 20th and peak at #3)...

1961] Gary U.S. Bonds is #1 with "Quarter to Three"...

1964] The 1st draft of Star Trek's pilot "Cage" is released for all you Trekkies...

1967] Jayne Mansfield and 2 others die in a car crash (part of feature story)...

1972] The Supreme Court ruled the death penalty could constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" (Duh !)...

1986] The Boston Red Sox trade Steve "Psycho" Lyons for Tom Seaver (okay let's see: Tom Seaver, Steve Lyons, Tom Seaver, Steve Lyons, Tom Seaver, Steve Lyons...WHAT ? One's a hall of famer and the other will only get into the hall of fame by buying a ticket. What a steal)...

1990] For the 1st time ever, there are no-hitters in both leagues (and it hasn't been done since) with Dave Stewart for the Oakland A's (AL) and Fernando Valenzuela for the Dodgers (NL)...

1995] The shuttle Atlantis and the Russian space station Mir dock, forming the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth...

1996] Superman's Action Comic #1 (1938) is auctioned at Sotheby's to Maryland businessman Steve Geppi for $61,900...

2002] "Ready, aim, fire"...VP Dick Cheney is acting President for 2 hours as President Bush gets a routine colon screening (it's a good thing that Cheney didn't handle any of the Doctor's equipment)...

2002] Singer Rosemary Clooney dies at her Beverly Hills home at 74 following a long battle with lung cancer...

2003] Legendary actress Katharine Hepburn dies at age 96...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"E-mails, we get e-mails. We get lots and lots of e-mails"...

Riza Vettor of Boynton Beach, Florida, proud Mother-in-law of sportscaster Jim Gray: "I guess you did not remember who did the interview right after the Tyson-Holyfield fight. Jim Gray was there and asked Tyson why he bit Holyfield's ear, he replied, "the head butts, my kids will not want to look at my face. It will scare them because of the marks that the head butts caused". It was a great interview and Jim got an award for it". Thanks Sis...

Frank Kingston Smith of Scottsdale, (AZ) remembers Jim Rome commenting about Tyson, "slugs are taking over sports, especially the heavier contact sports". Rome also went on to call those like Tyson, "rapists, bar-brawlers and cannibals". I thought it was great radio"...

Paul Power of Nahant (MA): "I found your Tyson-Holyfield story had a lot of bite to it, though I did find it a bit ear-ie (er, eerie)". Paul on the Beach Boys: "I just had to check on your Beach Boys #1 mention because I thought Good Vibrations was #1, which it was, for 1 week but I was surprised to see that Help Me Rhonda was #1 for 2 weeks in Billboard" (I'm surprised no one noticed my mistake in years for "Kokomo". It wasn't 1998 as I had it but 1988)...

On "Naming Rights", Bob Sherwood of Manhattan: "I revel in the cleverness of the management group of my beloved Rose Bowl. Instead of becoming The Roto-Rooter Cotton Bowl or The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, they took major bucks and allowed for The Rose Bowl...presented by AT&T"...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

1930] Rather eccentric movie producer Robert Evans...

1943] No longer "little", Eva Narcissus Boyd...

1944] Gary Busey...

1947] Comedian Richard Lewis...

1948] Former Congressman Fred ("The Love Boat") Gandy...

1953] Men at Work lead singer Colin Hay...

1960] Evelyn "Champagne" King...

[Today is the 180th day of 2006 with 185 days remaining in the year and just 5 days until July 4th]

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Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

A bite to the finish...

The date was June 28th, 1997 when Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield squared off in a rematch of their previous heavyweight title bout (won by Holyfield) and it went something like this:

After the contract was signed for a rematch with Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson knew that this was a fight he could really sink his teeth into. He was hungry for a rematch and this fight had all the earmarks of a brawl, a bite to the finish and Tyson was biting mad to get at Holyfield because he wanted a piece of him. Tyson would bite off more than he could chew. I mean he just wanted to chew the fat with Holyfield and even if it meant trouble for Iron Mike, he knew Evander wouldn't be able to make a hearing on the fight if there was one...

On the other hand, you might say that Holyfield was bit to be tied. He was all ears before the fight but once it started he said the noise of the crowd was ear splitting. Meanwhile Tyson had an aural fixation and figured, hey, ear today...gone tomorrow. All he would do is ask Holyfield to lend him an ear. You might say all he wanted to do was take the ear out of Holyfield's sails...

The bite, uh-fight ended with the disqualification of Tyson and permanent banishment from fighting in Nevada, the site of this fiasco. Tyson however was invited to be keynote speaker at the American Dental Association's annual meeting in Bicuspid Peak, Nevada and that's the tooth, uh-truth...

More June 28 Memories...

1894] Congress establishes Labor Day as a holiday for federal employees on the first Monday of September (you go Congress !)...

1914] Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sofia did not have a good day. They were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serb nationalist, causing World War I...

1917] The Raggedy Ann doll is born (Happy 89th Birthday R.A.)...

1919] The Treaty of Versailles is signed in France, ending World War I, 5 years to the day it started (see 1914 timeline)...

1942] The Dumont TV Network signs on, on flagship station WABD (Channel 5) in New York City...

1949] The last U.S. combat troops are called home from Korea, leaving only a handful (500) of advisers...

1950] North Korean forces capture Seoul, South Korea (hmmm, any connection with item above ? Ya think ?)...

1951] Two brilliant years of TV comedy begin as "Amos 'n Andy" premieres on CBS-TV...

1957] After Cincinnati Reds fans stuff the All-Star ballot boxes causing both deserving and undeserving (and underachieving) members of Reds to make the starting team, Commissioner Ford Frick removes George Crowe, Gus Bell and Wally Post from the team and replaces them with Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron (HELLO ! This is the best argument for managers and coaches to pick the teams, not the fans)...

1964] The Beach Boys have their 1st #1 hit, "I Get Around". They have to wait awhile, oh, until '98 to have another one ("Kokomo")...

1967] Israel declares Jerusalem reunified unders its sovereignty following its capture of the Arab sector in the Six Day War...

1971] Rick Wise of the Phillies not only pitches a no-hitter against the Reds - he hits 2 home runs...

1971] The Supreme Court overturns the draft evasion charges against Muhammad Ali by unanimous (8-0) vote...

1975] Rod Serling dies after open-heart surgery at the age of 50 (I met the man at LAX airport and he told me he had sold all his rights to "The Twilight Zone" for one million dollars. At the time he was working on "Night Gallery". He started in radio in upstate NY and we started talking about the only thing we had in common, radio. Several months after that chance meeting he had an episode on NG about a disc jockey (played by Mickey Rooney) who sold his soul to the devil. Maybe that conversation triggered something in him. I like to think it did)...

1976] Women enter the U.S. Air Force Academy...

1977] Bill Conti has the #1 hit, "Gonna Fly Now (from the movie 'Rocky')...

1984] Dwight "Dewey" Evans doubles, triples, makes 3 outs, singles and then hits a 3-run walkoff home run (for the cycle) in the Red Sox 9-6 win over Seattle (just another day at the office)...

1990] Susan Lucci loses for the 11th time at the Emmy Daytime Awards...

1995] At the New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup Victory Party goalie Chris Terreri holds up a "Nashville? NO WAY!" sign as rumors circulate about a move for the team to Nashville...

1996] The Citadel votes to admit women ending a 153-year-old "men only" policy...

1997] Mike Tyson makes a snack out of Evander Holyfield's ear (featear story)...

2000] Elian Gonzalez returns to his native Cuba (with his father) 7 months after he was cast adrift in the Florida Straits on a journey to Florida...

2004] The U.S.-led coalition transfers sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government 2 days ahead of schedule to keep the bloodshed down...

2004] On the same day, the U.S. resumes direct diplomatic ties with Libya after a 24-year break...

[In order to ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

First I'd like to express my best wishes to Peter Gammons of ESPN and previously a Boston Globe sports reporter who is in the media wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Peter suffered an aneurysm yesterday and is in intensive care at a Boston hospital. Our best wishes go out to Peter for a complete recovery. His insight on all-things baseball and love of the game will be missed during his convalescence. Hurry back Peter. Baseball fans everywhere need your knowledge and passion...

There is a story in today's Globe (one of my links) about WEEI and WRKO selling naming rights to the Red Sox radio network for several million dollars a year. This is a great idea in an era that local radio is barely surviving. If stadium rights can be sold, why not network broadcasts ? Sasha Talcott's article explains that it would sound something like this: "We'll be right back on the WEEI/WRKO (Company Name) Red Sox Radio Network". The announcement would air on what the station's hope will grow from the current 66 to 100 affiliated stations. The sponsor's name would also be incorporated into the play-by-play action (trivia questions, call to the bullpen, etc.). Talk about a way to increase your revenue ? Sounds like a winner to me...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

1926] Mel Brooks...

1948] Kathy Bates...

1960] NFL Hall of Famer John Elway...

1966] John Cusack...

1966] Mary Stuart Masterson...

1967] Gil ("Ally McBeal") Bellows...

[Today is the 179th day of 2006 with 186 days remaining in the year and 6 days until July 4th]

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Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Could this be deja vu all over again ???

Don't look now but the 2 teams that face each other for a 3-game series at Fenway Park starting tonight are on a course to repeat their world series match of 20 years ago. This is a clash of the 2 hottest teams in baseball. The 1st place Red Sox, winners of 9 straight games host the New York Mets, the team with the best record in the National League. A comparison between the two teams today and 20 years ago is frighteningly close:

June 27, 2006: Today's Mets are 47-28 and lead the second-place Phillies by 12 games...June 27, 1986: The Mets were 47-21 and led the second-place Expos by 9 games...

June 27, 2006: Today's Red Sox are 45-28 and lead the second-place Yankees by 2 1/2 games...June 27, 1986: The Red Sox were 45-25 and led the second-place Yankees by 5 games...

Both teams have the same numbers of wins today as they did in 1986. The difference in number of losses for both teams (Mets -7, the Red Sox -3) is due to the earlier start of the baseball season today...

The Mets and Red Sox meeting each other is as rare as, oh, let's say a Billy Buckner sighting in Boston. These 2 teams have only met 15 times and that's since the start of the dopey interleague games in 1997. Add to that the only time these 2 teams faced each other in a 7-game world series (1986), they've met a total of 22 times - not exactly a rivalry that mirrors Red Sox-Yankees. Far from it but with '86 in mind the Red Sox will salute players from that team led by Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Oil Can Boyd, Bruce Hurst, Dwight Evans, Spike Owen, Calvin Schiraldi and others. All will be there tonight at Fenway. And there's another attraction tonight: Pedro Martinez of the Mets, who will return to Boston for the first time since 2004. He'll pitch against his former team tomorrow night. Boston resident guru, Theo Epstein thinks he'll be received warmly by the crowd, "I'm sure he'll get the reception he deserves" said the Sox GM...

Is this 1986 all over again ? Wade Boggs thinks it might be. "It's amazing, and it's kind of eerie that it could happen again, couldn't it ? The Red Sox and Mets have great teams. It's funny, 20 years later and to do that all over again. I hope it has a different ending". I'm sure you do Wade...

What do you do if you like both teams ? You try to rationalize it like I do in my commentary...

June 27 Memories...

1847] New York and Boston were linked by telegraph wires (spooky !)...

1893] The New York stock market crashes. By the end of the year 600 banks and 74 railroads will go out of business...

1929] Scientists at Bell Laboratories in New York reveal a system for transmitting television pictures...

1949] "Captain Video and His Video Rangers" debuts on the Dumont TV Network. It will run daily until April 1, 1955. This was the 1st of a trio of "space operas". The other two were "Space Patrol" and "Tom Corbett - Space Cadet" (FYI: The 1st Captain Video was Richard Coogan, '49-'50. Al Hodge took command of the video rangers for the rest of the show's run...

1950] President Truman orders the Air Force and Navy into the Korean War at the urging of the U.N. to help South Korea repel an invasion from the North...

1955] Red Sox 1st baseman Harry Agganis ("The Golden Greek") dies from complications of pneumonia at the age of 26...

1955] The 1st automobile seat belt legislation is enacted in Illinois...

1964] For the 1st time a McCartney-Lennon song tops the charts for an act not named The Beatles. Peter and Gordon are #1 with "A World Without Love"...

1964] Now here's a match: Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman say "I do". To no one's surprise the marriage only lasts 38 days (I mean, can you imagine Ethel letting Ernie know that his underwear is on the floor ?)...

1964] Jan and Dean release one of the big hits of the summer: "Little Old Lady From Pasadena"...

1965] "Where the Action Is" premieres...

1966] Frank Sinatra is #1 with ("doo-be-doo-be-doo") "Strangers in the Night"...

1968] Elvis Presley begins taping his 1st television special, "Elvis" at NBC studios in Burbank (CA)...

1969] Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young release the controversial "Ohio"...

1971] Bill Graham's Fillmore East shuts its doors after performances by J. Geils Band, the Beach Boys, Allman Brothers and Mountain...

1972] Neil Diamond Is #1 with "Song Sung Blue"...

1973] Former White House counsel John W. Dean tells the Senate Watergate Committee about President Nixon's "enemies list"...

1974] "The Flip Wilson Show" ends after 4 seasons of Wilson as "Geraldine Jones" talking about her boyfriend "Killer", the Rev. Le Roy of the Church of What's Happening Now and one of the greatest catch phrases of all time, "the devil made me do it"...

1980] President Jimmy Carter signs legislation reviving draft registration (Jeez, thanks Jimmuh)...

1981] Kim Carnes returns to #1 with "Bette Davis Eyes"...

1985] Route 66 which originally stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica, passes into history as the road is decertified...

1988] Mike Tyson who said his only purpose in the ring was to inflict pain, does that and more to Michael Spinks in the first 1 minute and 31 seconds of the fight (the 4th quickest KO in heavyweight championship history)...

1988] "There's a time for joy, a time for tears..." Proving that it's never too late, Cyndi Lauper and Debbie Gibson get their high school diplomas (different schools - Debbie from Calhoun High School in Merrick (LI), Cyndi from Richmond (NY) High)...

1988] MCA Records buys Motown for $61 million (life's been berry, berry good for Mr. Gordy)...

1981] Slugger Mo Vaughn makes his debut with the Red Sox where he will be a superstar. When he comes to the Mets, nothing...

1993] New York Met pitcher Anthony Young loses to the Cardinals 6-3 making him 0-10 for the year and loser of 24 straight games (this is not easy to do but it would never happen today because no team would be stupid enough to let any pitcher lose this many games - he would have been gone long before this)...

1995] Actor Hugh Grant is arrested in L.A. for engaging in "lewd behavior" with a prostitute in a rented BMW (does the name Divine Brown ring a bell ?)...

2001] Legendary actor Jack Lemmon dies of cancer at 76...

2002] John Entwistle of The Who dies of a heart attack induced by cocaine at the age of 57...

2003] More than 735,000 phone numbers were registered on the 1st day of a national "do-not-call" list aimed at blocking calls from telemarketers. Is there anyone else besides me that signed that list but still gets calls from telemarketers ???

2003] Johnny Damon hits a single, double and triple...in the 1st inning of a 25-8 Red Sox win. The Sox scored 10 runs before the 1st out was recorded in the 1st inning...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

Admittedly it's the rare fan who would like both the Mets and Red Sox (I can see Gene Bolan and Brian Kelly nodding in agreement) but if you're a refugee from George Steinbrenner's domain like I am, class of '96 (yeah, I know I missed the 4 championships, etc.), then you don't want good things to happen to the Yankees. Switching my allegiance to the Mets as I did, they are my team, so I'm rooting for the Mets against the Red Sox, but (and this is one big "but") I rooted for the Red Sox in the "Impossible Dream" team year of 1967 and even saw 3 of the 4 world series games at Fenway that year. I also met some of those great players like Yaz, Tony C. etc. and spending 6 years in Boston like I did, having a son born in Needham (MA), the great success of WRKO and lifelong friends that I made there, well, how can I not like the Red Sox ? So here's the deal. If the Mets win, great. If the Red Sox win, not so bad because they gain on the Yankees. I can't lose...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

1930] Ross Perot...

1942] The Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston...

1943] Former Red Sox star Rico Petrocelli...

1950] Julia ("Stephanie" on "Newhart") Duffy...

1975] Tobey Maguire...

[Today is the 178th day of 2006 with 187 days left in the year and 7 days until July 4th]

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Monday, June 26, 2006

Monday, June 26, 2006

"The King" sings for the last time...

It was a Monday night in June, the 26th, when a sold-out crowd of 16,000 Elvis worshippers streamed into Market Square Arena in Indianapolis to witness what no one knew at the time was Elvis Presley's final concert. Todd Slaughter, president of the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain, some 20,000 members strong in 1977, remembers getting a trophy from Elvis backstage for Todd's loyalty to 'The King'. Slaughter said Presley was ashen, shaking and off-balance but still delivered "a remarkably emotional performance that night". He went on to add "it was like he was singing for the last time, which of course he was". Zach Dunkin of the Indianapolis News panned the concert, calling Presley's performance "sluggish and rambling" and got hate mail for months. "My own dad gave me a hard time about it". Kay Lipps, a veteran fan of 27 Elvis concerts was already dreaming of the next time she'd see the King. There was "no next time"...

Fifty-one days after the show in Indianapolis, Elvis was dead...

The Market Square Arena is gone and so is Elvis but some songs 'The King' sang at that venue are available with other 1977 concert material he performed on that tour in the album "Elvis in Concert [LIVE]" which is available on amazon.com for a ridiculously low $9.97. Why don't they just give it away ? Anyway, if you want to hear Elvis, live, on his last tour, this is the album to get. Believe me, this is not a commercial for amazon. I'm sure you can get it at any good, well-stocked record store...

More June 26 Memories...

1819] The bicycle was patented by W.K. Clarkson, Jr. of New York City (so how come we didn't have the "Carkson Flyer" ?)...

1870] The 1st section of the boardwalk in Atlantic City (NJ) opens to the public (WMID was one of the stations I jocked at in the 60's. What a special place ! Talk to Bill Todd a.k.a. Johnny Williams or Mike McCann sometime about how special that place was. Also my daughter Lynn was born there. Love AC)...

1916] In a game against the White Sox, the Cleveland Indians appear on the field with numbers on their sleeves. It marked the1st time players were identified by numbers corresponding to the scorecard...

1919] The New York Daily News is published for the 1st time (and it's still going strong)...

1948] The Berlin Airlift begins as the U.S., Britain and France begin ferrying supplies to the isolated western sector of Berlin after the Russians shut it down...

1959] Ingemar Johansson of Sweden knocks down heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson 7 times in the 3rd round to win the title on a TKO (one year later Patterson becomes the 1st heavyweight to regain the title when he beats Johansson)...

1959] The legendary Edward R. Murrow interviews Lee Remick on "Person to Person". It's his 500th and final guest on the CBS-TV show...

1961] Gary U.S. Bonds is #1 with "Quarter To Three"...

1962] Earl Wilson of the Red Sox pitches a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park (Wilson also homers in the game)...

1963] JFK visits Berlin and makes his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech...

1964] John Lennon says the Beatles are bigger than Berlin as they release their "A Hard Day's Night" LP...

1965] The Bob Dylan song, "Mr. Tambourine Man" is #1 for the Byrds...

1967] The Association is #1 with "Windy"...

1974] Richard Burton becomes divorce victim #5 for Liz Taylor...

1975] Must be something in the water...Cher divorces Sonny Bono...

1977] Elvis Presley performs his last live concert, at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis (feature story)...

1981] "For Your Eyes Only" premieres starring Roger Moore as James Bond (Sheena Easton has a hit with the theme song)...

1987] "Dragnet" premieres starring Dan Aykroyd as Sgt. Friday in this parody. Christopher Plummer, Dabney Coleman, Henry Morgan and Tom Hanks also star...

1989] Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson marry for the 2nd time (they didn't learn anything after the 1st time ?)...

1990] President George H.W. Bush who pledged "no new taxes" in that "read my lips" speech, concedes that tax increases would have to be included in any deficit-reduction package (sure, nowwww you tell us)...

1993] Julia Roberts and country singer Lyle Lovett do-si-do and allemande left down the aisle...

2000] Rival scientific teams complete the 1st rough map of the human genetic code and it turns out we're all descendants of aardvarks...

2002] WorldCom Inc. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection...

2003] Strom Thurmond, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, dies at age 100...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...

1922] Eleanor Parker...

1940] Billy (5th Dimension) Davis, Jr...

1943] Georgie Fame...

1955] Former member of The Clash - Mick Jones...

1956] Chris Isaak...

1957] Patty Smyth...

1961] Terri (Berlin] Nunn...

1974] Gretchen Wilson...

1974] Derek Jeter...

[Today is the 177th day of 2006 with 188 days remaining in the year and 8 days until July 4th]

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Friday, June 23, 2006

Friday-Sunday, June 23-25, 2006

A lot of love spread around the world...

The highest rated of all TV shows in the United States is the "M*A*S*H" finale from 1983 that was witnessed by 105.9 million viewers, yet there was a higher rated broadcast that dwarfed that figure in 1967. On June 25th, 1967 the first ever, live global television link was broadcast to 26 countries via satellite and watched by 350 million viewers. It was the BBC's contribution to a show called "Our World"...

The BBC commissioned The Beatles to write a song for their special segment that would be understood by viewers of all nationalities. A universal message. John Lennon, with contributions from Paul McCartney came up with a song that could not be misinterpreted - "All You Need Is Love"...

The 6-minute segment featured The Beatles who invited Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and a host of their friends to provide backup. A small studio orchestra accompanied. The 6-minute version of the song was cut down to just shy of 4 minutes and was released first in the UK and 10 days later in the U.S. It went straight to #1 to give The Beatles their 14th chart topper...

"Love, love, love...", lots of love for the whole world on June 25th, 1967...

June 23 Memories...

1776] The final draft of the Declaration of Independence was submitted to Congress...

1860] The U.S. Secret Service is created to arrest counterfeiters...

1868] Christopher Latham Sholes receives a patent for an invention he called the "Type-Writer" (not a bad name, Chris. It could catch on)...

1955] Walt Disney releases "Lady and the Tramp"...

1957] "The Roy Rogers Show" bows out on Sundays on NBC-TV after 6 years but Roy and Dale will do a Saturday musical variety show on ABC-TV in the fall of '62 (each show ended with the greatest theme song of all-time, "Happy Trails")...

1958] Bobby Darin's "Splish, Splash" debuts on the charts...

1960] "The Pat Boone Show", a weekly musical variety show, last airs on ABC-TV after 3 years (this show originated in the West 66th St. ABC studios and I watched it live when I had to work late)...

1963] To celebrate hitting his 100th home run, wacky Met outfielder Jimmy Piersall circles the bases backwards...

1965] Motown releases "Tracks Of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles...

1967] 20-year old U. of Kansas sophomore Jim Ryun sets a new mile record in 3:51.1 at a AAU meet in Bakersfield (CA)...

1972] President Richard M. Nixon signs an act barring sex discrimination in college sports. This is the infamous Title IX which allocates funds for female teams indiscriminately and is a lousy rule (but how do I really feel about it ?)...

1979] The Knack releases "My Sharona" (which was great the first 10 times you heard it)...

1979] Donna Summer is #1 with "Hot...Stufffff"...

1981] The Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester picked up the continuation of "the longest game". The game, suspended after 32 innings in April was tied 2-2 (Wade Boggs played for Pawtucket and Cal Ripken Jr. played for Rochester). This time it only took 18 minutes to finish the game with Pawtucket scoring a run in the bottom of the 33rd inning...

1982] Mary Hart joins "Entertainment Tonight"...

1988] "Billy Martin 5" ends when the Yankee manager is fired and replaced by Lou Piniella...

1989] "Batman" starring Michael Keaton (Batguy) and Jack Nicholson (The Joker) premieres...

1992] John Gotti, convicted of racketeering charges is sentenced to life in prison (where he would die)...

1993] From the "ouch" file: Lorena Bobbitt of Prince William County (VA) mutilated her husband John (in a particularly sensitive male organ) after he allegedly rapes her...

1995] Dr. Jonas Salk who developed the first vaccine against Polio dies at the age of 80...

1997] Civil Rights activist Betty Shabazz, 61, widow of Malcolm X, dies in Manhattan from burns suffered in a fire set by her 12-year old grandson...

2003] Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean announces his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination (which would become a better show than the circus)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

A reminder...

There are 2 worthy causes this weekend if you live close enough to Burlington (VT) or Salem (MA):

Saturday, June 24 (9 AM)...

Vermont's 1st Annual "Guts & Glory" Walk at Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington. A 5K walk in memory of Melinda Leigh Saxon to help find a cure for Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis (www.ccfa.org)...

Sunday, June 25...

The North Shore Medical Center 2006 Cancer 4-Mile Walk through historic Salem for cancer research (www.nsmccancerwalk.org)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1946] Ted ("Knots Landing) Shackelford...

1947] Bryan ("The Thorn Birds") Brown...

1948] Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas...

1956] "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson...

1957] Frances ("Fargo") McDormand...

[Today is the 174th day of 2006 with 191 days remaining in the year and 11 days until July 4th]...

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Saturday, June 24, 2006...

June 24 Memories...

1664] New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey was founded (all along I thought the state was named after Jersey Joe Walcott)...

1884] Charles Goodyear is granted a patent for vulcanized rubber (and we know what he did with that patent)...

1922] The NFL is born when the American Professional Football Association had the good sense to change its name to the National Football League (Curly Lambeau paid $250 for the franchise rights to the Green Packers, founded by his employer, the Indian Packing Company. Today the community of Green Bay owns the team)...

1948] Communists forces cut off all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin. The U.S. organizes a massive airlift known as "The Berlin Airlift"...

1949] "Hopalong Cassidy" becomes the 1st network (NBC) western (Hoppy will run 2 seasons)...

1953] John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier announce their engagement...

1956] "The Steve Allen Show" (one of the best comedy shows of all-time) returns on NBC-TV (for 5 years)...

1964] The FTC announces that starting in 1965 cigarette manufacturers will be required to include warnings on their packaging about the harmful effects of smoking...

1972] "I Am Woman" is released by Helen Reddy (Helen, we do hear you roar)...

1979] Rickey Henderson wastes no time, stealing his 1st base in his major league debut with the Oakland A's...

1987] Jackie Gleason dies from colon and liver cancer at his Inverrary (FL) home at 71...

1992] At 43, Billy Joel gets his diploma (finally) from Hicksville High School on Long Island (NY)...

1992] "Crazy Eddie" (Antar) is captured and arrested in Israel on U.S. fraud charges (the crazy one will tell us "how innnnnnnnsane" cigarette prices are in the slammer)...

1992] Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent permanently bans drug abuser Steve Howe from the sport...

1993] An Arab terror group planning the bombing of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels in Manhattan, get caught...

1995] The New Jersey Devils sweep the Detroit Red Wings in 4 games to win their 1st Stanley Cup championship...

1997] The Air Force releases a report on the so-called "Roswell Incident" suggesting the alien bodies witnesses reported seeing in 1947 were actually life-sized dummies (does that include the ones that were breathing ?)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1919] Al (Al, the owner of "Arnolds" on "Happy Days") Molinaro...

1923] Comedian Jack Carter...

1942] Michele ("Knots Landing") Lee...

1942] Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood...

1945] Long-time New York Governor George Pataki...

[Today is the 175th day of 2006 with 190 days remaining in the year and 10 days until July 4th]...

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Sunday, June 25, 2006...

June 25 Memories...

1867] Lucien B. Smith patents the 1st barbed wire (what was going on in that household ?)...

1876] Lt. Col. Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at Little Big Horn (MT). As you may have guessed, this was known as "Custer's Last Stand"...

1910] The Mann Act passes, prohibiting women across state lines for immoral purposes (which apparently Chuck Berry was unaware of)...

1948] Joe Louis KO's Jersey Joe Walcott in 11 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title (this was Louis' 2nd defeat of Walcott in 7 months)...

1950] Israeli airline El Al begins service...

1950] War breaks out on the Korean peninsula as forces from the communist North invade the South...

1951] Arthur Godfrey hosts the 1st commercial color telecast, a one-hour special from New York to 4 other cities...

1966] The Beatles are #1 with "Paperback Writer"...

1967] The Beatles sing "All You Need Is Love" on a global satellite feed to 350 million viewers (feature story)...

1968] Bobby (Barry's father) Bonds becomes the 1st major leaguer to debut with a grand-slam home run...

1969] The Hollies record "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (their piano player was not a brother, it was Elton John)...

1970] The FCC makes it illegal for radio stations to put telephone callers on the air without the permission of the person being called (hey, what ever happened to that beep we used to use to alert listeners that they were on the air ?)...

1973] White House Counsel John Dean admits that President Nixon took part in the Watergate cover-up...

1985] ABC's "Monday Night Football" announces a new line-up. The three men in the booth ? Frank Gifford, Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson (this was unquestionably the worst team they ever used)...

1993] The last original "Late Night with David Letterman" on NBC airs with guest Tom Hanks. Re-runs will follow until September. On August 30th, Letterman takes his show to CBS-TV where he still resides...

1993] Islander goalie Billy Smith is elected to the NHL Hall of Fame...

1996] A truck bomb kills 19 Americans and injures hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia...

1997] Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau dies at age 87...

1998] Microsoft's "Windows 98" is released to the public...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday..."

1924] Director Sidney Lumet...

1925] June Lockhart...

1935] Eddie Floyd...

1942] NBA Hall of Famer Willis Reed...

1945] Carly Simon...

1947] Jimmie ("J.J.") Walker...

1949] Phyllis George...

1963] George Michael...

1972] Met 1st baseman Carlos Delgado...

1975] "E.R's" Linda Cardellini...

[Today is the 176th day of 2006 with 189 days remaining in the year and just 9 days until July 4th]

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Thursday, June 22, 2006

Thursday, June 22, 2006

The clock strikes 12 for the 'Cinderella Man'...

James J. Braddock earned that nickname from his fairy tale rise from an impoverished New York City fighter trying to keep the wolf away from his family's door to heavyweight champion of the world. He won the championship as a 10 to 1 underdog by beating Max Baer on June 13th, 1935 but now he would defend that title against "The Brown Bomber", the great Joe Louis...

On the night of June 22nd, 1937, 60,000 fans packed Chicago's Comiskey Park to witness Braddock deck Louis in the first round of the fight but Louis shook off that knockdown and would control the bout. The finish came at 1:10 of the 8th round when Louis ended the cinderella dream for Braddock, 32, with a devastating right, ending the fight. 23-year old Louis became the first black champion since Jack Johnson lost to Jess Willard in 1915. He would hold the title through 25 defenses until retiring as champion in 1949...

Braddock would retire after a final win in 1948. He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1964 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. Braddock finished with a career record of 51 wins in 85 fights. On November 29th, 1974, James J. Braddock, the "Cinderella Man" died peacefully in his sleep...

More on Braddock and the movie in my commentary...

More June 22 Memories...

1870] Congress creates the Department of Justice...

1915] The BMT, then the Brooklyn Rapid Transit, begins subway service from Brooklyn to Manhattan...

1937] Joe Louis KO's James J. Braddock to become heavyweight champ (feature story)...

1938] Joe Louis defends his championship with a 1st round KO of Germany's Max Schmeling...

1944] President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the GI Bill of Rights, authorizing benefits for WWII veterans...

1946] Jet planes are used to transport mail for the 1st time (mail will now get lost faster than ever)...

1951] Gene Rayburn and Dee Finch ("Rayburn and Finch") premiere on WNEW (this show would morph into "Klavan and Finch" when Rayburn left to pursue other interests including NBC's "Monitor" and TV game shows)...

1959] Eddie Lubanski rolls 24 consecutive strikes in a bowling tournament in Miami...

1959] Chuck Berry releases "Memphis"...

1963] 13-year old Little Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips" is released by Motown...

1963] The Safaris' "Wipe Out" is released...

1968] Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" is released...

1969] Singer and actress Judy Garland dies of an overdose of sleeping pills at 47...

1970] President Richard M. Nixon signs a measure lowering the voting age to 18...

1973] George Harrison releases "Living in the Material World"...

1977] John N. Mitchell becomes the 1st former U.S. Attorney General to go to prison as he begins to serve 19 months for his role in the Watergate cover-up...

1981] Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing John Lennon...

1982] Manhattan institutes "bus-only" lanes (which would be fine if the buses stayed in their lane, but nooooooooo !)...

1987] Actor-dancer Fred Astaire dies at the age of 88...

1990] Billy Joel becomes the 1st rock star to perform at Yankee Stadium...

1993] Former first lady Pat Nixon dies at 81...

1994] New York Met pitcher Anthony Young ties a record for consecutive losses with 23...

1994] The Reds' Ken Griffey Jr. breaks Babe Ruth's record for most home runs by the end of June with 31...

1994] The Knicks lose Game 7 of the NBA finals to the Houston Rockets as John Starks goes 2 for 18 from the field, including 0 for 11 (ouch !) from 3-point range...

2002] St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kile is found dead of heart disease in the team's Chicago hotel at the age of 33...

2002] Syndicated advice columnist Ann Landers passes away at 83...

2004] Former President Bill Clinton's memoir, "My Life" is published and becomes a best-seller...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Commentary...

For those who saw "Cinderella Man" in 2005 you know that this is not just another sports movie. The Ron Howard movie is about "one man's extraordinary fight to save the family he loved" which was intoned by the voice over of the trailer. Russell Crowe as Braddock and Renee Zellweger as Braddock's wife are terrific in their roles, as is Paul Giamatti in a supporting role...

This is a "rags to riches" story that is worth downloading or renting. Incidentally, Braddock's granddaughter Rosemarie De Witt plays neighbor Sara Wilson in the movie. There's enough factual sports material if you're a sports fan but if you're not, you'll like it anyway...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1928] Ralph ("John Walton" of "The Waltons") Waite...

1936] Kris Kristofferson...

1941] "60 Minutes" Ed Bradley...

1944] Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon)...

1947] Howard (Turtles) Kaylan...

1948] Todd Rundgren...

1949] Meryl Streep...

1949] "The Bionic Woman" Lindsay Wagner...

1953] Cyndi Lauper (this is her correct birthday)...

1964] "Judging Amy" Amy Brenneman...

1973] MTV's Carson Daly...

[Today is the 173rd day of 2006 with 192 days remaining in the year and 12 days until July 4th]

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Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Testing your summer knowledge...

Summer officially arrived at 8:26 (EDT) this morning and here's a 5-question quiz to test your knowledge of summer. To see how summer solstice savy you really are, answer these 5 questions:

  • 1) It's hotter in the summertime because the Earth is closer to the sun ? (true or false ?)...
  • 2) If you go swimming less than an hour after eating, you will get stomach cramps and possibly drown ? (true or false ?)...
  • 3) Having a good "base tan" will help prevent sunburn if you'll be spending a lot of time in the sun ? (true or false ?)...
  • 4) Eating bananas will attract mosquitoes, while eating garlic will repel them ? (true or false ?)...
  • 5) If you are stung by a jellyfish while swimming in the ocean, you should have someone urinate on the sting ? (true or false ?)...

Correct answers below...

What is common knowledge about the summer solstice is that it's the day of the year with the longest daylight period and the shortest night. Summer starts on June 21st or 22nd in the northern hemisphere and on December 21st or 22nd in the southern hemisphere which can be verified by Lynn Phillips' report that it's freezing in New Zealand now but won't be in December...

In the USA, Canada and some other northern hemisphere countries, the summer solstice is regarded as the start of summer. In Ireland, China and Japan (don't ever put those 3 countries together in one room) it's midsummer. Ireland celebrates summer from May 1 to July 31. Go figure. Of course, New England celebrates summer from July 1st to July 4th...

June 21 Memories...

1788] The U.S. Constitution goes into effect as New Hampshire becomes the 9th state to ratify it (yeah New Hampshire)...

1834] Cyrus McCormick patents the 1st practical mechanical reaper for farming (his invention allows farmers to more than double their crop size)...

1893] The 1st Ferris Wheel premieres at the Chicago Columbian Exposition...

1932] A sports quote for the ages is born when Joe Jacobs, Max Schmeling's manager says "We was robbed", his response to a heavyweight title fight decision that his fighter lost to Jack Sharkey...

1939] Lou Gehrig's doctors reveal that the slugger has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as he announces his retirement from baseball...

1940] Richard M. Nixon and Thelma Catherine Ryan (but you can call her Pat) walk down the aisle...

1948] Dr. Peter Goldmark of Columbia Records introduces the new 33 1/3 rpm LP record as the label announces mass production and plans to phase out 78's...

1963] 20-year old freshman, Bob Hayes of Florida A&M earns the title of "world's fastest human" by shattering the 100-yard dash record in 9.10 seconds flat at the AAU championships in St. Louis ("Bullet Bob" Hayes stars as a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys)...

1964] Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Jim Bunning pitches a perfect game against the Mets at Shea Stadium on Father's Day. It was the 1st regular season perfect game since 1922 and the 1st in the National League since 1880 (Phillies catcher Gus Triandos becomes the 1st catcher to handle no-hitters in both leagues in that game)...

1969] Zager and Evans release "In the Year 2525"...

1970] 29-year old Brazilian soccer superstar, Pele, stars as Brazil destroys Italia 4-1 to win their 9th World Cup championship in Mexico City...

1975] James Taylor remakes Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is" into a hit all over again when he releases his version of the single...

1975] The Captain & Tennille are #1 with the Neil Sedaka written "Love Will Keep Us Together"...

1975] Elton John, The Eagles and Beach Boys play before 72,000 jammed into Wembley Stadium...

1977] Menachem Begin becomes Israel's 6th prime minister (Mazel Tov)...

1981] Donald Fagen and Walter Becker announce the break-up of Steely Dan (who would eventually reunite)...

1981] Summer blockbuster "Raiders of the Lost Ark" opens starring Harrison Ford...

1982] John Hinckley Jr. is found innocent by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Ronald Reagan and 3 others...

1985] "Cocoon" premieres starring husband and wife team, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy (who appeared on stage and screen together until Tandy's death in 1994 at 87)...

1989] The Supreme Court rules that burning the American flag as a form of political protest is protected by the First Amendment (and I ask you fellow Americans, do we have too much freedom in this country ?)...

1989] White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk passes Yogi Berra as the American League catcher with the most homeruns when he hits #307 against...the Yankees...

1991] Islanders Denis Potvin and Mike Bossy are inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame...

1997] The WNBA debuts as the New York Liberty beat the Los Angeles Sparks 67-57...

2001] Actor Carroll O'Connor (who played Archie Bunker) dies at 76...

2001] Bluesman John Lee Hooker, believed to be 83, dies of natural causes at his home in Los Altos (CA)...

2003] The 5th Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by J.K. Rowling, ships more than one million copies on Amazon.com and 5 million world-wide in one day...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

Answers to our summer quiz: False (to all of them). Thanks to Discovery for the questions. If you got all 5 correct, you're ready for the beach or pool right now. 4) You need a sun screen of 20. 3) Take along a sun screen of 30. (0-2) No beach for you. Go directly to the kiddie pool...by the way if you answered "true" to question 5, you, my friend are a pervert...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1921] Jane Russell (a spry and still sexy 85 today)...

1933] Bernie (Dr. Adam Bricker on "Love Boat") Kopell...

1940] Mariette Hartley...

1944] The Kinks' Ray Davies...

1946] Motown's Brenda Holloway...

1947] Meredith (Elyse Keaton of "Family Ties") Baxter (now, see below)...

1947] Michael (Elyse's husband Steven Keaton of "Family Ties") Gross...

1982] Lady Di and Chuck's son, Prince William...

[Today is the 172nd day of 2006 with 193 days remaining in the year and 13 days until July 4th]

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Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Toasting the "Great Stone Face"...

Until its final days "The Toast of the Town" or "The Ed Sullivan Show" which it would become in 1955 had a rating that ranged from the mid-20's to the mid-40's. The show would get as high as #2, trailing only "I Love Lucy" and would also become an American Institution on Sunday nights. Who was this guy Sullivan and where did he come from ?

Ed Sullivan or "The Great Stone Face" as he was known (if you were not sight impaired) was a newspaper reporter who covered sports for Hearst newspapers straight out of high school but gravitated toward entertainment and replaced Walter Winchell as the reporter for the New York Daily News Broadway gossip column, "Little Old New York". Sullivan wrote the column for 40 years. In the 40's he hosted a radio show called "Ed Sullivan Entertains". Why Sullivan ? According to folk lore, Sullivan was filmed hosting the annual Harvest Moon Ball sponsored by the Daily News and either an advertiser, CBS executive or Ed himself proposed that he host a variety show on television...

On Sunday night June 20th,1948, "The Toast of the Town" debuted. The 1st show featured a comedy team on their way up, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Broadway legends Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, concert pianist Eugene List, singing New York fireman John Kokoman, ballerina Kathryn Lee, singer Monica Lewis, the comedy team of Lee Goodman and Jim Kirkwood, referee of the upcoming Louis-Wolcott fight, Ruby Goldstein and the Toastettes, 6 female dancers recruited from the June Taylor Dancers. The budget for that show was $1,375 for production expenses and $375 for talent. Martin & Lewis each received $100 of that total...

Ed Sullivan hosted the show for 23 years, from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971. He was given an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the show's final year. Three years later on October 13, 1974 passed away at the age of 73...

More June 20 Memories...

1840] This just in: ..-.-.-...--- (Samuel Morse patents his telegraph)...

1893] A jury in New Bedford (MA) finds Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother (no truth to the rumor that F. Lee Bailey was Lizzie's attorney)...

1941] The U.S. Army Air Force is established, replacing the Army Air Corps...

1947] The mob rubs out Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel in Beverly Hills (over soaring costs of his pet project, the Flamingo resort in Las Vegas...

1948] Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town" debuts on CBS-TV (feature story)...

1950] Willie Mays graduates from high school and is immediately signed by the New York Giants (he makes his major league debut in 1951)...

1955] The AFL and CIO agree to combine names and merge...

1960] Floyd Patterson becomes the 1st man in the history of boxing to regain the heavyweight crown with a 5th round KO of Ingemar Johansson at the Polo Grounds...

1963] The U.S. and Soviet Union sign an agreement to set up a hot line between the 2 superpowers...

1965] The Byrds are #1 with "Mr. Tambourine Man"...

1967] Muhammad Ali is convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted (the Supreme Court will overturn the ruling)...

1967] Red Sox 3rd baseman Joe Foy returns home (the Bronx) for a series with the Yankees and sees his house burn down. Joe manages to save his family and puts them up for the night in the team hotel. That night he hits a grand slam to beat the Yankees 7-1...

1969] Jimi Hendrix earns the largest paycheck (to date) for a single show when he earns $125,000 for a single set at the Newport Jazz Festival...

1973] American Bandstand celebrates its 20th anniversary with a 90-minute special starring Little Richard, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Cheech and Chong & Three Dog Night...

1975] Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" premieres as the big summer movie (with scenes shot on Martha's Vineyard)...

1977] "Got to Give It Up (Pt. 1)" is #1 for Marvin Gaye...

1993] Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to a "three-peat" winning Game 6 against Phoenix and winning the NBA championship...

1994] O.J. Simpson pleads innocent (he's gonna plead "guilty" ?) in Los Angeles to the murders of ex-wife Nicole and Ronald Goldman...

1997] Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops dies from liver cancer at 59...

2001] Andrea Yates drowns her 5 children in her Houston bathtub. She will be sentenced later to life in prison...

2001] American Lori Berenson is convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Peruvian court for collaborating with leftist guerrillas (she denies the charges and is still serving her term in Peru)...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1931] Olympia (fine actress and Michael's cousin) Dukakis...

1933] Danny Aiello...

1940] John (Frazier's Martin Crane) Mahoney...

1942] Brian Wilson...

1945] Anne Murray...

1946] Bob ("This Old House") Vila...

1949] Lionel Richie...

1952] John Goodman...

1953] Cyndi Lauper...

1967] Nicole Kidman...


Walking for cancer...

The North Shore Medical Center 2006 Cancer Walk, a 4-mile walk through historic Salem (MA) is this Sunday (June 25) in Salem. The walk began in 1991 and to-date has raised over $11 million for cancer research. Paul Power will walk in memory of his Mom, Ruth Beatrice Levine-Power who died from Ovarian cancer in December, 2004...

More information can be obtained at www.nsmccancerwalk.org

[Today is the 171st day of 2006 with 194 days remaining in the year and 14 days until July 4th]

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Monday, June 19, 2006

Monday, June 19, 2006

"Okay, whisper your secret to me and we'll show it to the folks at home" - Garry Moore

"I've Got A Secret", one of the most entertaining of all game shows, started on this date in 1952. The show was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman but how many of you know who the creator of the show was ? Well, I'll tell you then. It was none other than Allan Sherman. Yes, that Allan Sherman who must have envisioned a Camp Grenada of game shows when he came up with the idea for the show. Actually the weekly panel game show was a knockoff of "What's My Line", which of course asked contestants to "sign in please". Like "What's My Line", "I've Got A Secret" had a celebrity contestant who would introduce him/herself with "My name is ____________ and I've Got A Secret"...

The original version of the show ran 15 years with Steve Allen replacing host Garry Moore in 1964 and after several months of panelists playing musical chairs the show settled on Bill Cullen, Henry Morgan, Faye Emerson and Jayne Meadows. Bess Myerson and Betsy Palmer would replace Emerson and Meadows in later years...

One of the more memorable segments in the long history of "I've Got A Secret" was a setup for Betsy Palmer who was on a long losing streak. A man came on stage with a carrot in each ear. His secret of course was...that he had carrots in his ears. The show's producers were ready to drop confetti and balloons when Betsy would of course guess his secret, right ? Wrong. Betsy figuring that secret to be too obvious, fanned on the secret and Garry had to disclose the obvious. Then there was the time that Bess Myerson was to milk a cow on stage but all she was able to "milk" were cow chips...live, on the air...

The original version of "I've Got A Secret" ran for the last time on April 3, 1967 but was revived for the '72-'73 season and then again in 1976 for a summer run. Oxygen later ran a daily version through 2001 and a new version just started in April of this year with an all-gay panel. "Not that there's anything wrong with that" to quote Jerry Seinfeld...

More June 19 Memories...

1846] Alexander Cartwright's New York Knickerbockers baseball team plays a game at Elysian Field in Hoboken (NJ) which is considered by some as being the 1st baseball game ever played. Of course if you read our June 12th blog it's believed that baseball was played earlier in the 19th century than 1846...

1862] Slavery is outlawed in U.S. territories...

1867] Ruthless ridden by Gilbert Patrick wins the 1st Belmont Stakes which was run at Jerome Park in da Bronx (Belmont wasn't built yet)...

1934] Congress establishes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The original duties of the FCC were to "regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest". Radio and TV came later...

1943] Henry Kissinger becomes a naturalized United States citizen...

1951] President Harry S. Truman signs the Universal Military Training and Service Act which extends Selective Service until July 1, 1955 and lowers the draft age to 18...

1952] Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine pitches a 5-0 no-hitter against the Cubs at Ebbets Field...

1952] "I've Got A Secret" makes its debut on CBS-TV (feature story)...

1953] Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing prison in Ossining (NY) on charges of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to Russia...

1956] Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin end their 10 year, 16 film career together as a team...

1961] The Supreme Court strikes down a provision in Maryland's constitution requiring state officeholders to profess a belief in God...

1964] The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the U.S. Senate...

1965] KYW which originated in Chicago in 1921 and moved to Philadelphia in 1934, only to move to Cleveland in 1956 (following me so far ?) returns to Philadelphia in 1965 (where it still resides). (Only Scotty Brink has moved more than KYW)...

1966] The Beatles are #1 with "Paperback Writer"...

1970] Jim Bouton publishes the 1st "tell-all" baseball book, "Ball Four"...

1971] Don Kirshner, who mostly had success in the music biz (Monkees, Archies, etc.) signs a group called Tomorrow. Anyone ever hear of them ? Anyone ever hear of one of the members of the group named Olivia Newton-John ?

1977] Carl Yastrzemski hits a homer 460 feet to rightfield at Fenway Park. It strikes the facade to the right of where the retired numbers now hang and is the only home run ever to reach Fenway's right field roof facade...

1978] Jim Davis' "Garfield" 1st appears as a comic strip...

1979] The reign of "Billy Martin 2" begins as the Yankee manager returns for the 2nd of 5 trips back...

1980] David Geffen's 1st signing to his new Geffen label ? Donna Summer...

1981] "Superman II" sets the all-time, one-day record for theater box-office receipts, taking in $5.5 million. Christopher Reeve (Superman), Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) & Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) starred...

1986] University of Maryland basketball star, Len Bias, the Celtics choice and 2nd pick in the NBA draft, suffers a fatal cocaine-induced seizure...

1987] The Supreme Court strikes down a Louisiana law that states that any school teaching the theory of evolution must also teach creationism as well...

1987] Ben and Jerry and the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia announce a new ice cream flavor...Cherry Garcia (their #1 most popular flavor)...

1988] A throng of East Germans gather at the Berlin Wall to hear Michael Jackson perform a concert in West Berlin...

1989] "Batman" starring Michael Keaton as B'man and Jack Nicholson as the Joker premieres...

1992] "Batman Returns" starring Michael Keaton, Michelle ("Catwoman") Pfeiffer and Danny (the "Penguin") DeVito opens...

1992] Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa is ambushed and shot twice in a cab (2 John Gotti II trials have ended in mistrials and a 3rd trial is possible and likely)...

1999] Stephen King is struck from behind by a mini-van while walking in North Lovell (ME) near his home. King will spend 3 weeks in the hospital recovering...

2000] The Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling, bars officials from letting students lead stadium crowds in prayer before football games...

2000] Phil Jackson, Laker coach, wins his 7th NBA title in 9 years, his 1st with Los Angeles which was led by Shaquille O'Neal...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1930] Gena Rowlands...

1936] Tommy (Four Seasons) Devito...

1942] The singing Spanky McFarlane...

1947] Salman Rushdie (who had a fatwa placed on him, something you don't ever want)...

1948] Phylicia ("The Cosby Show") Rashad...

1950] Ann Wilson (Heart)...

1954] Kathleen Turner...

1962] Paula Abdul (who will celebrate her birthday crying a lot and throwing darts at the picture of Simon Cowell she has over her bed)...

1975] Poppy ("Without a Trace") Montgomery...

[Today is the 170th day of 2006 with 195 days remaining in the year and 15 days until July 4th]

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Friday, June 16, 2006

Friday-Sunday, June 16-18, 2006

My Top 10 Father's Day Songs...

Thanks mostly to Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd of Creston, Washington, we have Father's Day. Mrs. Dodd was the driving force behind an annual celebration of dad's everywhere when in 1910 she honored her dad and with support from people like William Jennings Bryan, a drive began to pay tribute to the old man once a year, every year. President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924 and in 1966 Lyndon Johnson designated the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day...

I hope all you dads are as happy as I am this Father's Day. I have much to be happy about although my dad is no longer here, Lynn and Robert Phillips make me a proud dad and this year I add the title of grandpa to my Father's Day celebration, thanks to the birth of Allyson Phillips last December. Here's to a Happy Father's Day and now...my Father's Day Top 10:

(all songs must contain a title that is a derivative of the words "father", "dad" or "pop")

  • 10) Papa Oom Mow-Mow - The Rivingtons
  • 09) Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross
  • 08) Oh My Pa-Pa - Eddie Fisher
  • 07) Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast - Wayne Newton
  • 06) Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown
  • 05) Father Figure - George Michael
  • 04) Papa Was A Rolling Stone - Temptations
  • 03) My Dad - Paul Petersen
  • 02) Daddy's Little Girl - Mills Brothers or Al Martino

And my Number One Father's Day Song:

  • 01) Daddy's Home - Shep & the Limelites

June 16 Memories...

1858] Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln said in a speech in Springfield, Ill, "a house divided against itself cannot stand", a reference to slavery...

1883] The New York Giants admit all ladies to the game free creating the 1st "Ladies Day"...

1893] R.W. Rueckheim invents Cracker Jack (thank you, thank you, for not calling it "Rueckheim Jack")...

1922] Henry Berliner pilots the 1st helicopter flight at College Park, MD and then declares "Ich bin ein Berliner"...

1932] The Ford Motor Company is incorporated...

1947] The 1st network newscast ("News from Washington") is broadcast on The Dumont Television Network...

1952] "My Little Margie" starring Gale Storm debuts on CBS-TV for a run of 3 years...

1952] "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl" is published in the U.S...

1960] Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" premieres in New York City...

1961] Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West while his troupe is in Paris...

1967] The 1st pop music festival draws a crowd of 200,000 as the First Annual Monterey International Pop Music Festival sees the debut of Jimi Hendrix and stars 32 acts including the Mamas & Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Joplin & Buffalo Springfield...

1970] Woodstock Ventures, the sponsors of the original Woodstock, announce a loss of more than $1.2 million on the 1969 festival...

1978] Now a member of the Cincinnati Reds, Tom Seaver no-hits the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0...

1978] The Yankees Ron Guidry strikes out 18 in a win over the Angels (this game marked the beginning of fans applauding a pitcher when he has 2 strikes on a batter)...

1980] "The Blues Brothers" movie premieres in Chicago...

1981] The Chicago Tribune buys the Chicago Cubs from the P.K. Wrigley Chewing Gum Company for $20.5 million (Wrigley throws in a lifetime supply of gum for every employee of the Chicago Tribune)...

1987] A jury in New York acquits Bernhard Goetz of attempted murder in the subway shooting of 4 youths who he said were about to rob him. He is convicted of illegal possession of a weapon (Goetz ran for public office in Manhattan in the last election)...

1992] Sister Souljah calls future U.S. President Bill Clinton a "draft dodging, pot smoking womanizer". Clinton who had criticized the good sister in June says "you got it all wrong. I never inhaled"...

1996] The legendary "voice of the Yankees", Mel Allen dies at age 83 (thanks to Joe McCoy I finally met Mel Allen at CBS-FM)...

1996] Let's see...how many different titles can we use for a Batman movie ? Let's call this one, "Batman Forever" (brilliant !) has its premiere...

2000] Federal regulators approve the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE Corp., creating the nation's largest local phone company...Verizon...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple references are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1937] Erich ("Love Story") Segal...

1941] Lamont (Motown's Dozier-Holland-Dozier) Dozier...

1942] The O'Jays' Eddie Levert...

1943] Joan ("Knots Landing") Van Ark...

1951] Roberto Duran...

1970] Phil Mckelson...

[Today is the 167th day of 2006 with 198 days remaining in the year and 18 days until July 4th]

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Saturday, June 17, 2006...

June 17 Memories...

1579] Sir Francis Drake claims San Francisco Bay for England (but not before a man named Bruce slaps Drake in the face with his purse)...

1775] The Battle of Bunker Hill takes place near Boston during the Revolutionary War...

1863] Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford is chartered (it is the 1st accident insurer)...

1866] The New York City Athletic Club is formed...

1885] The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere...

1894] The 1st poliomyelitis epidemic breaks out in Rutland, Vermont...

1928] Amelia Earhart embarks on the 1st trans-Atlantic flight by a woman. She flies from Newfoundland to Wales in about 21 hours...

1941] WNBT-TV (channel 4) in New York City is granted the 1st construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the United States (the station starts out with the WNBT calls but will change them to WNBC...

1942] "Suspense" debuts on the CBS Radio Network but will move over to TV in 1949...

1950] Dr. Richard H. Lawler performs the 1st kidney transplant in a 45-minute operation in Chicago (unfortunately he was replacing the man's spleen)...

1960] Ted Williams hits a two-run shot to help the Red Sox beat the Indians 3-1. That home run gives Williams 500 as the Splendid Splinter becomes only the 4th player to hit 500...

1962] 22-year old Jack Nicklaus wins the U.S. Open by 3 strokes defeating Arnold Palmer, who could get no closer than within 1 stroke of the Golden Bear...

1967] The Hollies release "Carrie Ann"...

1967] Barbra Streisand performs in Central Park...

1972] President Richard Nixon's downfall begins with the arrest of 5 burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex...

1972] Epic Records releases "Brandy" by Looking Glass...

1972] The 'Candy Man' is number one, babe....Sammy Davis, Jr. tops the charts...

1994] After leading police on a chase (a chase, who're we kidding here ? it was a crawl) through Southern California, O.J. Simpson is arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and Ronald Goldman...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1929] Tennis journalist Bud Collins...

1946] Barry Manilow...

1951] Joe Piscopo...

1961] Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways", "Wings")...

1963] Greg Kinnear...

1965] Olympic gold medal speed skater Dan Jansen...

[Today is the 168th day of 2006 with 197 days remaining in the year and 17 days until July 4th]...

Sunday, Father's Day, June 18, 2006...

June 18 Memories...

1812] The War of 1812 begins as the U.S. declares war against Great Britain. The conflict begins over trade restrictions...

1892] Macademia nuts are planted for the 1st time in Hawaii (calories, what calories ? this is the most delicious nut there is)...

1898] The Atlantic City Steel Pier debuts (Dick Clark presents his "Calvacade of Stars" with Chubby Checker, Dee Dee Sharp, Frankie Avalon...oh wait, that doesn't come for a while)...

1910] Father's Day is celebrated for the 1st time (feature story)...

1939] The CBS Radio Network airs "Ellery Queen" for the 1st time. The radio show will move over to TV in 1950...

1948] Columbia Records unveils its new long-playing 33 1/3 rpm phonograph record...

1960] Arnold Palmer comes from 7 strokes behind to win the U.S. Open...

1961] "Gunsmoke" is broadcast for the last time on CBS radio. The show had moved over to TV in 1955...

1977] Billy Martin accuses Reggie Jackson of loafing in rightfield and pulls him out of the game against the Red Sox at Fenway. Players have to separate the 2 as they fight in the Yankee dugout. Just another day at the Yankee office...

1979] President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid I. Brezhnev sign the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna (they celebrate with a plate of Vienna sausage and Vienna cookies)...

1983] Astronaut Sally K. Ride becomes our 1st woman in space as she and 4 other colleagues blast off aboard the space shuttle Challenger...

1984] Denver talk radio show host Alan Berg is shot to death outside his home. Two white supremacists are convicted of civil rights violations in the slaying...

1996] Richard Allen Davis is convicted in San Jose, CA. of the 1993 kidnap-murder of 12-year old Polly Klaas...

2000] Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open by 15 strokes...

2004] An al-Qaida cell in Saudi Arabia beheads American engineer Paul M. Johnson Jr., posting grisly photographs of his severed head on the Internet. Saudi security forces track down and kill the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder...

[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...

1939] Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock...

1942] Paul McCartney...

1942] Two thumbs up for Roger Ebert...

1952] Carol Kane...

1952] Isabella Rossellini...

[Today is the 169th day of 2006 with 196 days remaining in the year and 16 days until July 4th]

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