Opening day for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum...
We're almost 200 years into playing the game of baseball and what remains undecided is where the game originated. Was it in Hoboken as folks in that city suggest, Cooperstown or on some farmland in a town we never heard of ? What we do know, or are pretty sure of, is that baseball evolved from the English game of rounders. In 1905, Albert G. Spalding, one of baseball's pioneers pushed for a committee to find out where the game originated...
The Mills Commision issued its final report three years later which stated "the first scheme for playing baseball , according to the best evidence obtainable to date, was devised by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, New York in 1839". It didn't seem to matter that evidence showed that baseball started earlier in the 19th century, Cooperstown it is, case closed...
Now that we knew where baseball started, we needed a monument to the game. On June 12, 1939 the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was officially dedicated in Cooperstown, New York with much pomp and circumstance. Most of the 12 original members of the hall (chosen from years 1936 through 1939) were at baseball's centennial anniversary and if you're within driving distance of Cooperstown, New York (70 miles west of Albany) you owe it to yourself to see this magnificent museum. If you live near St. Paul, Minnesota or Cleveland, the hallowed hall will be coming to you. Baseball As America, a national exhibition tour of baseball memorabilia and select artifacts has been on the road since 2002 and will be in St. Paul in the fall and Cleveland in the summer of '07. I've been to both, taking my dad and son one year and then seeing the road show in Manhattan in 2002. Both are worth visiting...
1936 was the first year that players were inducted into the not-yet built Hall of Fame and that class consisted of some pretty fair players: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. On Sunday, July 30th, relief pitcher Bruce Sutter, 17 players from the Negro Leagues, long-time play-by-play man Gene Elston and writer Tracy Ringolsby will be inducted...
More June 12 Memories...
1665] England installs a municipal government in New York, formerly the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam...
1667] The 1st human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean Baptiste who successfully transfuses the blood of a sheep to a 15-year old boy (now the good doctor has to find a way to stop the boy from baa-ing)...
1792] George Vancouver discovers unchartered land in Western Canada and names it after himself. Vancouver BC is discovered (now that is a discovery!)...
1849] The gas mask is patented by Lewis Haslett of Louisville, Kentucky after eating too many beans...
1859] The Comstock Silver Lode in Nevada is discovered...
1897] Carl Elsener patents his penknife. The object will become known as the Swiss Army Knife (in honor of Elsener's favorite cheese)...
1923] Harry Houdini frees himself from a straight jacket while suspended upside down, 40 feet above ground in New York City (To mark the occasion later this summer, David Blaine will be fitted with a straight jacket in New York)...
1939] The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated in Cooperstown, New York (feature story)...
1942] In Amsterdam, Anne Frank gets a diary for her 13th birthday...
1955] After a run of 3 years, "Mr. Peepers" starring Wally Cox as Robinson Peepers, airs for the last time (if they ever do a movie on Wally Cox, Pee Wee Herman should play him)...
1965] The Rolling Stones release the biggest hit of the summer, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"...
1965] The Supremes set a record (still in effect) when "Back in My Arms Again" becomes their 5th consecutive #1 hit...
1965] All 4 Beatles are named to receive MBE's (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth...
1965] Sonny and Cher make their 1st TV appearance on "American Bandstand"...
1967] The Supreme Court strikes down state laws prohibiting interracial marriages...
1971] Tricia Nixon and Edward F. Cox say "I do" in the White House Rose Garden...
1977] Fleetwood Mac are #1 with "Dreams"...
1978] David Berkowitz is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for each of the 6 "Son of Sam" murders he committeed (he's still there)...
1981] "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" starring Harrison Ford premieres...
1981] Baseball players stage their 3rd strike, for 50 days...
1982] 75,000 rally against nuclear weapons in Central Park and watch Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Linda Ronstadt perform...
1987] President Reagan visits Berlin and publicly challenges Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev: "tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev" (he does!)...
1988] Rick Astley has the #1 hit, "Together Forever"...
1991] Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls to the 1st of 6 NBA titles they will win ('91, '92, '93, '96, '97 and '98)...
1992] "Batman Returns" premieres...
1994] Cab Calloway suffers a stroke at his Westchester home. The 86-year old performer is later moved to a nursing home where he passes away on November 18th...
1996] Senate Republicans choose Trent Lott of Mississippi to succeed Bob Dole as majority leader...
1997] Major league baseball begins interleague play (okay we get it, now stop it)...
2002] Fashion designer Bill Blass dies at 79...
2002] Led by Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers coached by Phil Jackson sweep the New Jersey Nets in 4 games (it's Jackson and the Lakers 3rd consecutive title)...
2003] Academy Award winning actor Gregory Peck dies at 87...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
1915] David Rockefeller...
1924] Former President George H.W. Bush...
1930] Jim ("Gomer Pyle") Nabors...
1941] Marv Albert (YESSSSSSS)...
1944] The Trogg's Reg Presley...
1951] Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick)...
1951] Boston's Brad Delp...
1953] Rocky ("Toein' the Line") Burnette...
[Today is the 163rd day of 2006 with 202 days remaining in the year and 22 days until July 4th]
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