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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