Thursday, July 3, 2008

(July 4th Weekend Edition) Thursday-Sunday, July 3-6, 2008...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1776] The birth of a nation: The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Indepence (7/4)...
  2. 1826] A bad day for president's: Former presidents and mostly friends despite their differences - John Adams and Thomas Jefferson die on the same day (7/4). Adams was 90, Jefferson 83...1831] James Monroe, our 5th president passes away at 73 (7/4)...1872] Independence Day was a good day for our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, born in Plymouth (VT) (7/4)...
  3. 1933] The 1st All-Star Game: Is played in Chicago at Comiskey Park (7/6). The American League won that game too, 4-2...
  4. 1939] The luckiest man: Lou Gehrig gives his touching farewell speech in front of a packed house (61,800) at Yankee Stadium (7/4). Afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the fatal disease that will bear his name, the Iron Man retires from baseball...
  5. 1947] Breaking the color barrier: Larry Doby becomes the American League's first black player when he strikes out in a pinch-hitting role for the Cleveland Indians (7/5)...1975] Arthur Ashe becomes the first black to win a Wimbledon singles title when he defeats Jimmy Connors (7/5)...1982] Jackie Robinson becomes the 1st black to be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y (7/3)...
  6. 1969] Rock & Roll Tragedies: 27-year old Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones is found at the bottom of a swimming pool (7/3)...1971] Jim Morrison, 27 of The Doors is found dead in a bathtub in Paris. He died of heart failure, likely caused by a drug overdose (7/3)...
  7. 1971] "Happy Trails": Louis ("Satchmo") Armstrong dies of a heart attack at his home in Corona (Queens) at 69 (7/6)...1998] Roy Rogers passes away peacefully in his sleep at 86 (7/6)...2002] After a lengthy illness, Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams dies at 83 (7/5)...2003] Singer Barry White dies at 58 from renal failure (7/4)...2007] Bill Pinkney, last surviving member of the original Drifters passes away from undisclosed causes at 81 (7/4)...
  8. 1978] "Seven dirty words": The Supreme Court rules (5-4) that the FCC has a right to reprimand WBAI New York for broadcasting George Carlin's "filthy words" which would become known as "seven dirty words" (7/3)...
  9. 1983] Oh No: Wade Boggs becomes Dave Righetti's final victim as he strikes out and 'Rags' completes a no-hitter against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium (7/4). I had tickets for the following day's game...
  10. 1986] Lady Liberty: The Statue of Liberty is re-dedicated as President Ronald Reagan lights up the lady before a global TV audience estimated at 1.5 billion (7/3)...

For more on July 3-6: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com