The Stones roll and the Sun shines on Elvis...
July 12th gave us two of Rock and Roll's legendary acts. On this date in 1962 the Marquee Club in London presented for the first time anywhere, the Rolling Stones. That was 44 years ago. Just think - we'll probably be seeing them perform somewhere (some of us will anyway) 44 years from now. You know some of the original Stones (Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones) but there was also Dick Taylor and Mick Avory who would be replaced by Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts a year later...
Same July 12th date 8 years earlier in 1954, Elvis Presley quit his day job (driving a truck) to sign his first recording contract with Sun Records in Memphis on his first step to stardom...
How many of today's acts will still have their music played for 44 or 52 years like the Rolling Stones and Elvis ? Do I need to answer that question ???
Ten Timeline Memories...
1862] Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor...
1901] Boston's Cy Young wins the 300th game of his career, beating the Philadelphia A's 5-3...
1960] The 1st Etch-A-Sketch goes on sale (I don't know about you but the stuff inside looked to me like a mixture of black pepper, graphite or gunpowder. What was that stuff anyway ?)...
1979] Minnie Riperton of "Lovin' You" fame (which was a #1 hit) dies of breast cancer at 31, way too soon...
1979] "Disco Demolition Night", the brainchild of WLUP (Chicago) nearly rips apart Comiskey Park and causes a White Sox game to be forfeited. Jocks Garry Meier and Steve Dahl help fans blow up disco records on the field. Need I add they were never invited back ?..
1984] Walter Mondale chooses U.S. Rep. Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate for his Democratic Presidential run. Ferraro is the 1st woman to run for VP on a major party ticket. Sexists have a field day with reference to "Fritz" and well, let's just say, a certain part of Geraldine's anatomy...
1989] Yankee pitcher Ron Guidry, "Louisiana Lightning" retires after surgery at 39 (he's now their pitching coach)...
1990] One of my favorite shows, "Northern Exposure" debuts. The cult favorite will run 5 seasons...
1996] NBC network news anchor John Chancellor dies of stomach cancer 2 days short of his 69th birthday...
2001] Abner Louima agrees to an $8.7 million settlement in a police brutality case in New York City...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
Topher ("That 70's Show") Grace (28), figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (35), Cheryl Ladd (55), Jay Thomas (58), Richard Simmons (58), Fleetwood Mac's Christy McVie (63), Bill Cosby (69) and pianist Van Cliburn (72)...
"Happy Trails"...
Syd Barrett, a founder of Pink Floyd (60), complications of diabetes, Tony-Award winning actor Barnard Hughes, who would have been 91 on July 16th, after a brief illness, Smiling Jack Smith (92), known as "the man with the smile in his voice" who replaced Art Baker as host of "You Asked For It" and early TV comedian Jan Murray who recently passed away...
[Today is the 193rd day of 2006 with 172 days remaining in the year and 55 days until Labor Day]
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Thursday, July 13, 2006...
Ten Timeline Memories...
1835] John Ruggles receives patent #1 for a traction wheel used in locomotive steam engines. All previous patents numbering almost 10,000 were not numbered (John Ruggles died with a smile on his face]...
1863] Opponents of the Civil War draft begin 3 days of rioting in New York City, resulting in more than 1,000 casualties...
1966] Jim Brown (my pick for greatest running back of all-time) retires from the NFL to become an actor...
1972] The owners of the Baltimore Colts (Robert Irsay) and Los Angeles Rams (Carroll Rosenbloom) swap teams (not your usual run-of-the-mill NFL trade)...
1982] The All-Star game is played outside the U.S. for the 1st time, it's played in Montreal (if they played on the Moon the AL would win. What's wrong with you National Leaguers ?)...
1984] Philippe Wynne, former lead singer of the Spinners, dies of a heart attack while on stage in Oakland (at 43)...
1985] Live-Aid concerts are held with a host of stars in Philadelphia and London and televised globally with 1.5 billion viewers looking on. $70 million is raised for famine relief in Africa...
1985] The Yankees retire uniform #9 for Roger Maris and #32 for Elston Howard...
1994] Tonya Harding "ex", Jeff Gillooly is sentenced to 2 years in prison for his role in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan...
1999] Pedro Martinez strikes out the 1st 4 batters of the All-Star game, played at Fenway, to earn the game's MVP Award. At that game Ted Williams was honored as almost all of the living players of MLB's All-Century team take a bow...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
#1 on this date...
1964] "Rag Doll" - Four Seasons, 1975] "Listen To What The Man Said" - McCartney & Wings, 1985] "A View To A Kill" - Duran Duran...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
Didi ("Grease") Conn (55), Cheech Marin (60), The Byrds' Roger McGuinn (64), Harrison Ford (64), Jack Kemp (71)...
[Today is the 194th day of 2006 with 171 days left in the year and 54 days until Labor Day]
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Friday, July 14, 2006...
Ten Timeline Memories...
1868] Alvin J. Fellows patents the tape measure (and baseball still can't measure the length of home runs accurately)...
1946] Dr. Benjamin Spock publishes "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" (this wasn't on the best seller list, this was the best seller list. Total sales to date ? Over 50 million books)...
1966] 25-year old Richard Speck goes on a rampage in a Chicago dormitory killing 8 student nurses (Speck would die of a heart attack in prison in December of 1991. His body was not claimed and was then cremated)...
1967] In a rather bizarre pairing, The Who opens for Herman's Hermits in New York City...
1970] In one of the most famous of all All-Star game plays, Pete Rose bowls over catcher Ray Fosse to score, forcing this remark from the catcher, "humuhnuhhumuhmuhnuh"...
1973] The Everly Brothers break up (literally) on stage at the John Wayne Theatre in Buena Park (CA) as Phil slams down his guitar and storms off stage in the middle of a song...
1976] Georgia peanut farmer, Jimmuh Carter wins the Democrat's Presidential nomination...
1992] Olivia Newton-John announces that she has breast cancer but expects a full recovery (which she will have)...
1992] A very pregnant Demi Moore appears nude on the cover of "Vanity Fair"...
1999] Race-based school busing in Boston ends after 25 years...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
#1 on this date...
1950] "Mona Lisa" - Nat "King" Cole, 1960] "I'm Sorry" - Brenda Lee...
Joining the 500-home run club...
1967] The Braves' Eddie Mathews, 1968] The Braves' Hank Aaron...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
Rosey Grier (74), Polly Bergen (76), Harry Dean Stanton (80), Dale Robertson (83), Ingmar Bergman (88) and former President Gerald R. Ford (93)...
[Today is the 195th day of 2006 with 170 days remaining in the year and 53 days until Labor Day]
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Saturday, July 15, 2006...
Ten Timeline Memories...
1916] In Seattle (WA), Pacific Aero Products is incorporated by William Boeing. The company will later be renamed Boeing Co...
1952] Patti Page makes her TV debut in a summer replacement series for Perry Como...
1964] Barry Goldwater is nominated for President at the Republican Convention...
1965] Mariner IV sends back the 1st closeup pictures of Mars...
1968] The soap "One Life To Live" debuts (it's still on the air)...
1968] The New Jersey Americans move to Commack (LI) and become the New York Nets (then they move to Joisey and soon if real estate mogul Bruce Ratner gets his way - Brooklyn)...
1973] Paul Getty III (grandson of J. Paul), 16, is kidnapped. When his parents get a lock of hair and one ear in a box, they get concerned. Paul will be ransomed for $2 million with less hair and one ear...
1973] Nolan Ryan becomes the 1st pitcher in 2 decades to pitch and win, 2 no-hitters in one year (previously Allie Reynolds of the Yankees did it in 1951)...
1992] Aretha Franklin sings the National Anthem as Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is nominated for the presidency by the Democrats (at Madison Square Garden)...
1996] MSNBC makes its debut (originally co-owned by NBC and Microsoft, Bill Gates got richer in 2005 when he sold about 32% of his shares. NBC is now principal owner with 82%, Gates has 18%)...
Bonus Timeline Memory...
1997] Designer Gianni Versace is shot to death by Andrew Phillip Cunanan outside his home in Miami Beach. Cunanan was found dead 8 days later...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
Brigitte Nielsen (43), Kim Alexis (46), "LOST" actor Terry O'Quinn (54), Linda Ronstadt (60), R&B singer Millie Jackson (62), Alex ("Webster") Karras (71), "One Life To Live" mainstay Philip Carey (81)...
[Today is the 196th day of 2006 with 169 days left in the year and 52 days until Labor Day]
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Sunday, July 16, 2006...
Ten Timeline Memories...
1935] The 1st parking meters are installed and used in Oklahoma City...
1951] The J.D. Salinger novel "Catcher In the Rye" is published...
1966] Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker form the rock group Cream...
1969] Apollo 11 blasts off from Cape Kennedy to begin the 1st landing on the moon by man...
1972] After 18 years with The Miracles, Smokey Robinson makes his final appearance with the group in Washington, D.C...
1976] Loggins and Messina go their separate ways...
1979] Saddam Hussein becomes president of Iraq after forcing Hasan al-Bakr to resign...
1981] Harry Chapin dies on the Long Island Expressway at 38. He was on his way to a benefit concert...
1999] Another day ends in tragedy for the Kennedy's as John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crashes off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. JFK Jr.'s wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette were also aboard (all the bodies are found on July 21)...
2004] Martha Stewart is sentenced to 5 months in prison for lying about a stock sale...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
Wedding Bells...
1988] Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan...1994] Anna Nicole Smith (26) and billionaire J. Howard Marshall II (89)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (38), Will Ferrell (39), Phoebe Cates (43), former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson (63), Bess Myerson (82)...
[Today is the 197th day of 2006 with 168 days left and 51 days until Labor Day]
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Monday, July 17, 2006...
Ten Timeline Memories...
1941] The longest hitting streak in baseball ends when Cleveland pitchers hold Yankee Clipper Joe DiMaggio hitless for the 1st time since he started his record-setting 56 game hitting streak (a streak that may never be broken)...
1954] The 1st Newport Jazz Festival is held at the Newport (RI) Casino...
1955] Disneyland opens in Anaheim (CA)...
1959] The great jazz artist Billie Holliday dies from cirrhosis of the liver at 44...
1967] Here's another strange combo: The Jimi Hendrix Experience opens for the Monkees in Forest Hills...
1974] John Lennon is ordered to leave America in 60 days...
1975] An Apollo spaceship and Soyuz spacecraft dock in orbit for the 1st superpower linkup of its kind...
1978] Yankee manager Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson duke it out in the dugout during a game against the Red Sox at Fenway (the whole world watches on live TV)...
1996] TWA flight 800 crashes off Long Island, killing all 230 aboard...
1997] The Woolworth Corp. closes its last 400 five-and-ten stores...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday"...
Islander hero Bryan Trottier (50), Phoebe Snow (54), David Hasselhoff (54), Lucie Arnaz (55), Diahann Carroll (71) and Donald Sutherland (72)...
[Today is the 198th day of 2006 with 167 days left in the year and 50 days until Labor Day]
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