Ted turns on the non-stop news...
Ted Turner launched the first 24-hour news channel on June 1, 1980 when CNN (The Cable News Network) introduced the world to a steady diet of all-news, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...
The concept of 24-hour television news coverage, new at the time, reached its tipping point in 1991 with the saturation coverage of the Gulf War. Never was a war covered as extensively. For the first time, the world was given a front row seat to all the devastating horror created by war. Not wanting to take a back seat to television, radio stations across the country began carrying CNN's coverage of the war and a major industry was born. CNN shines when there's a major story breaking, whether a kidnapping, shootout, explosion, hurricane or a Ford Bronco chase starring O.J. and A.C. doing a wicked 15-miles an hour on a California freeway. I don't know about you but when I hear of a breaking story it's click and there's Wolf Blitzer giving me the story. I mean how can you not like or trust Wolf Blitzer ? Now there's a name that fits that face. He looks like a Wolf blitzer, does he not ?...
Since debuting on this date in 1980 CNN has grown into America's #1 cable news network in terms of Cume (Nielsen) ratings despite Fox News making great inroads. CNN reaches 88.2 million U.S. households and close to one million hotel rooms. Globally the network reaches 1.5 billion people in over 212 countries and territories...
CNN personalities abound and include American Morning anchors Miles O'Brien and Soldedad O'Brien, the immortal Wolf Blitzer, Larry King, Paula Zahn, Lou Dobbs and the new golden boy, silver-haired Anderson Cooper. But the most famous voice, never seen, belongs to James Earl Jones and the greatest ID of all-time: "This is CNN"...
More June 1 Memories...
1813] The Navy gains its motto as the mortally wounded commander of the frigate Chesapeake, Captain James Lawrence says: "Don't give up the ship" during a losing battle with a British frigate...
1861] The 1st battle of the Civil War takes place at the Fairfax Court House in Virginia...
1869] Thomas Edison receives a patent for his electric voting machine (and I'm wondering when New York will get it so we can throw out the lever and shower curtain)...
1925] Lou Gehrig pinch-hits for Yankee SS Pee Wee Wanninger and singles for the 1st of his record (until Cal Ripken Jr.) 2,130 consecutive games played. The next day Gehrig replaces the guy with the most famous of all headaches, Wally Pipp...
1938] Superman, the world's 1st super hero, appears in the 1st issue of Action Comics...
1954] In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus' security blanket makes its debut...
1961] New York, California and Illinois radio stations debut FM multiplex stereo. A year later the FCC makes it standard...
1964] Dolly Parton moves to Nashville, one day after her high school graduation...
1964] The Rolling Stones arrive at JFK for their 1st U.S. tour...
1967] The Beatles release their LP "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"...
1968] Paul Lynde is a contestant on "The Dating Game" (instead of choosing Beverly, Jane or Mary, the choices are Bruce, Chad and Vito)...
1968] Author-lecturer Helen Keller, who earned a college degree despite being blind and deaf most of her life, dies in Westport, CT...
1971] A two-room shack in Tupelo, Miss. opens as a tourist attraction (it was the home Elvis Presley was born in)...
1975] Ron Wood on his 28th birthday, replaces Mick Taylor as Rolling Stone guitarist...
1980] CNN makes its debut (feature story)...
1985] David Lee Roth crosses over from AOR to Pop with his hit "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"...
1991] David Ruffin, lead singer of the Temptations dies of a cocaine overdose at 50 in Philadelphia...
1992] Pittsburgh, behind Mario Lemieux wins it's 2nd consecutive Stanley Cup (this was a special victory for the Penguins whose coach Bob Johnson died of a brain tumor the previous November)...
1993] Connie Chung joins Dan Rather as co-anchor of the CBS Evening News (TROUBLE !)...
1994] Reggie Miller puts on one of the greatest scoring displays in NBA playoff history when he scores 25 of his 39 points in the 4th quarter to help the Pacers beat the Knicks in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference playoffs (but the Knicks come back to win the series in 7 games)...
1997] Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X is fatally burned in a fire set by her 12-year old grandson in her Yonkers apartment...
2001] The king, queen and 7 other members of Nepal's royal family are killed by Crown Prince Dipendra who then mortally wounds himself...
2004] A federal judge declares the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act unconstitutional saying the measure infringes on women's rights to choose (this hot-potato issue will be contested forever)...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
A Carroll Hardy footnote...
Bob Sherwood points out that Carroll Hardy was part of the elite group of multi-sport athletes that include Otto Graham, Gene Connelly and "The Rifleman", Chuck Connors. To that list we can also add Dave Debusschere, Bo Jackson, Jackie Jensen, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan...
Hardy's name was mentioned in the May 31 blog as being the only player to pinch-hit for both Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams. Here's one more famous pinch-hit by our guy Carroll Hardy who now resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on May 18, 1958 as he celebrated his 25th birthday, Hardy hit his 1st major league home run as a member of the Cleveland Indians, pinch hitting for...Roger Maris...
If the Baseball Hall of Fame ever opens a pinch hitting wing, Carroll Hardy gets voted in unanimously...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
1926] Andy Griffith...
1934] Pat Boone...
1937] Morgan Freeman...
1947] Rolling Stone Ron Wood...
1953] Ronnie Dunn (Brooks and Dunn)...
1956] Lisa Hartman Black...
1973] Heidi Klum...
1974] Alanis Morissette...
[Today is the 152nd day of 2006 with 213 days remaining in the year and 33 days until July 4]
...
