Judge Judy (Sheindlin) may rule the roost of the robed on TV now but there's no Judge Judy if not for the real judge who turns a youthful 87 today: Judge Joseph Albert Wapner. Following his service as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge for 18 years, the calm but just, white-haired jurist became the first and most famous judge on the long-running "The People's Court" show. He has led a long and fruitful life as you'll soon see on the video link we've set up, but first while we're paying tribute to the most popular TV judge in the history of the medium, it's time for another tribute to the longevity of a man from a higher calling...
President Gerald Ford on Sunday became the longest-living U.S. President at the age of 93 years and 121 days, one more day than the late Ronald Reagan. Ford will celebrate by rooting his brains out for the Michigan Wolverines, the nation's #2 team as they take on #1 Ohio State on Saturday. He'll really celebrate if the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes. Congratulations on your historic achievement President Ford...
Judge Wapner was so well liked even "The Rainman" watched his show. The video feature that we've linked offers many surprises about the now retired judge including his earlier dating of a legendary Hollywood Glamour Girl. Enjoy: http://us.video.aol.com/video.index.adp?mode=1&pmmsid=1690319
Ten Timeline Memories...
- [1926] The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) debuts with a radio network of 24 stations. The 1st network broadcast is a 4-hour special from the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria featuring big band music...
- [1939] FDR lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington (DC)...
- [1940] The Midtown Tunnel linking Manhattan and Queens opens to traffic...
- [1956] Elvis Presley's movie career is launched when "Love Me Tender" premieres at the New York Paramount Theater. The film will earn back its $1 million cost in just 3 days and over the next 13 years Elvis will appear in 33 movies...
- [1967] The Red Sox' Carl Yastrzemski wins the AL MVP in what my eyes was the best individual season performance I've ever had the pleasure to witness (Yaz won the Triple Crown that year. The last player to do so)...
- [1969] A quarter million protesters stage a peaceful demonstration against the Vietnam War in Washington (D.C.)...
- [1988] The legislative body of the PLO proclaims the establishment of an independent state...
- [1992] Richard Petty's 35-year reign as stock-car king ends in a fiery crash when his famous #43 gets caught in a pileup in a race (unhurt, he will finish the race retiring with 7 Nascar championships and 7 Daytona victories. Both are records)...
- [2001] Roger Clemens (then with the Yankees) wins a record 6th Cy Young Award (he's got one more up his sleeve)...
- [2005] In Amiens, France, Isabelle Dinoire becomes the 1st person to undergo a partial face transplant. A mauling by an attacking dog earlier in the year led her to this...
"Sayonara": 1996] Alger Hiss, 92, a former State Department official who fell from grace in a Communist spy scandal, dies...
Lip Synch: 1990] A Milli Vanilli publicist admits that Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus never sang a note on their album and they lip-synched when they performed live (only allowed on American Bandstand, they were quickly banished from the music business which recovered by finding Vanilla Ice)...
On Hullabaloo: 1965] The Rolling Stones sing "Get Off My Cloud"...
Debuted on this date: 1969] Wendy's opens it's 1st restaurant in Columbus (OH). They now have 10,000 restaurants...1969] "I Want You Back" - Jackson Five...1990] David Bowie makes his Broadway debut in "The Elephant Man"...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Frida (Lyngstad) of ABBA (61), Sam Waterston (66), Joanna Barnes (72), Petula Clark (74), Edward Asner (77) and Judge Joseph Wapner (87)...
Timeline Countdown: 9 days until Thanksgiving, 30 days until Chanukah, 40 days until Christmas, 46 days until 2007, 53 days until the NFL playoffs and 81 days until Super Bowl XLI in Miami...
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