Friday, May 30, 2008

Friday-Sunday, May 30-June 1, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:
  1. 1879] The world's most famous arena: Madison Square Garden opens to the public at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street. Harper's Weekly describes it as "Grimy, drafty and combustible" (5/31). Wait till they see the Knicks play...
  2. 1889] The Johnstown (PA) flood kills more than 2,000 after a damn breaks sending tons of water rushing through the city (5/31)...
  3. 1907] The 1st taxis in the U.S. arrive in New York City followed by an increase in traffic accidents (5/31)...
  4. 1925] Lou Gehrig pinch-hits for Yankees shortstop Pee Wee Wanninger and singles in the first of his record 2,130 consecutive games played (6/1). The next day he replaces Wally Pipp who gets the most famous of all headaches. Gehrig's record will stand until broken in 1995...1982] 21-year old Baltimore third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. begins his consecutive game streak (5/30). He will move to shortstop eventually but the streak will last more than 13 years and 3 months and he will break Gehrig's record...
  5. 1961] New York, California and Illinois radio stations debut FM multiplex stereo (6/1). One year later the FCC makes FM standard...
  6. 1968] 'Happy Trails': Helen Keller, who earned a college degree despite being blind and deaf most of her life, dies in her sleep in Westport (CT) at the age of 87 (6/1)...1991] David Ruffin, lead singer of the Temptations dies from a cocaine overdose in Philadelphia, at 50 (6/1)...1997] Betty Shabazz, widow of Malcolm X is critically burned in a fire set by her 12-year old grandson in her Yonkers apartment (6/1). Shabazz would die from her burns on June 23 at 61...2000] Latin music performer Tito Puente dies on the operating table as a result of complications following 12 hours of open-heart surgery (5/31). Puente was 77...
  7. 1970] Baseball's All-Star voting returns to the fans so that they can vote for all their favorite players whether they deserve it or not (5/30)...
  8. 1980] Ted Turner starts the Cable News Network (CNN) (6/1)...
  9. 1994] Reggie Miller puts on one of the greatest scoring displays in NBA history when he scores 25 of his 39 points in the 4th quarter to help Indiana beat the Knicks in Game 5 of their East Conference Playoffs (6/1). The Knicks will come back to win the series in seven games...
  10. 2005] American teen Natalee Holloway is last seen leaving a bar with three young men while vacationing in Aruba before disappearing (5/30). Her body still remains to be found...

For more on May 30-June 1: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com









Thursday, May 29, 2008

Thursday, May 29, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1905] Dodger pitcher Elmer Stricklett introduces the spitball helping Brooklyn beat the Giants 4-3...
  2. 1917] The man who would become our 35th president, John F. Kennedy is born in Brookline (MA)...
  3. 1922] The Supreme Court rules that organized baseball is not a business and exempts the sport from antitrust laws and interstate commercial rules. What were they thinking???
  4. 1953] Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the 1st climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest...
  5. 1973] Clive Davis is fired from Columbia Records for allegedly misappropriating company funds...
  6. 1976] Houston's Joe Niekro beats brother Phil and the Braves 4-1...
  7. 1984] The Boston Red Sox retire Joe Cronin's #4 and Ted Williams' #9 at a ceremony at Fenway Park...
  8. 1998] "Happy Trails": Former Arizona senator and Republican presidential candidate Barry ("Mr. Conservative") Goldwater dies at 89 from complications of a stroke...
  9. 1999] The space shuttle Discovery completes its 1st docking with the International Space Station...
  10. 2004] America dedicates a memorial to World War II veterans in Washington (D.C.)...

For more on May 29th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1934] The Dionne quintuplets (Annette, Cecile, Emilie, Marie and Yvonne) are born to Elzire Dionne at their farm in Ontario, Canada. If Celine Dion were born at the same time she would've been Celine Dion Dionne...
  2. 1951] Willie Mays hits his 1st home run against future Baseball Hall of Famer Warren Spahn. They will become teammates in the 70s with the Mets...1956] The Pirates' Dale Long becomes the 1st player to hit home runs in 8 consecutive games. In 1987 the Yankees' Don Mattingly and in 1993, Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr. will tie the record...
  3. 1957] The National League approves the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Mets will come along in 1962 when the National League returns to New York...
  4. 1977] John Davidson escapes a fire at a supper club in Kentucky that takes the lives of 164. Another 130 are injured...
  5. 1985] Vanity Fair puts President Ronald Regan and First Lady Nancy on the cover...
  6. 1987] 19-year old West German pilot Mathias Rust lands his plane in Moscow's Red Square after evading Soviet air defenses. Rust is lucky, he's released in August, 1988...
  7. 1989] Emerson Fittipaldi (my favorite racing driver's name) and Al Unser Jr. play bumper cars in the Indy 500 with Unser helping Fittipaldi cross the finish line 1st. Understand this is not what Unser intended to do...
  8. 1996] President Clinton's former business partners in the Whitewater land deal, James and Susan McDougal refuse to say the Clinton's had anything to do with the case and end up in jail. Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker is also convicted of fraud...
  9. 1998] Comic actor Phil Hartman, 49, of 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Newsradio' is shot to death at his home in Calfornia by his wife Brynn who then takes her own life...
  10. 2005] The Boston Red Sox score 2 touchdowns and a field goal and beat the Yankees 17-1 in the most lopsided score in their rivalry's history...

For more on May 28th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1647] Alse Young becomes the 1st person executed as a witch in America when she is hanged in Hartford (CT). What? You can't be a witch???
  2. 1668] Three colonists are expelled from Massachusetts for being Baptists (lighten up people)...
  3. 1932] Debuted on this date: Massachusetts Governor Joseph Ely signs a bill making Sunday baseball possible at Fenway Park...1933] The Walt Disney Company releases the cartoon "The Three Little Pigs", with its hit song: "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf"...1937] The Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County opens to 'pedestrians only'. On the 28th, it opens to traffic...
  4. 1941] Sink the Bismarck: The British naval and air forces do. 2,300 are killed on the German battleship...
  5. 1960] If the glove don't fit you must acquit: The Baltimore Orioles debut a giant size catcher's mitt, the size of Rhode Island, to help Clint Courtney catch Hoyt Wilhelm's knuckleball...
  6. 1968] Papa Bear hangs up his paws: George Halas retires after 48 years as coach of the Chicago Bears...
  7. 1969] Disney discovers Florida: Construction of Walt Disney World begins in Orlando...
  8. 1995] Christopher Reeve is paralyzed when thrown from his horse during a jumping competition in Charlottesville (VA)...
  9. 1997] The Supes rule: The Supreme Court rules that Paula Jones can pursue her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton while he is in office...
  10. 1998] Guilty as charged: The government's star witness in the Oklahoma City bombing case, Michael Fortier is sentenced to 12 years in prison for not apologizing for not warning anyone about the deadly plot...
    Music Memories:

For More on May 27th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Friday, May 23, 2008

May 23-26, 2008 (Memorial Day Weekend Edition)

10 Timeline Memories:


  1. 1883] The Brooklyn Bridge opens to the public (5/24)...
  2. 1927] Debuted on this date: "Movietone News" is shown for the first time at the Sam Harris Theatre in New York City (5/25)...1951] Future Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays makes his debut with the New York Giants (5/25)...1969] "Midnight Cowboy" premieres in New York City (5/25)...1977] "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" (the first 'Star Wars' movie) opens as the largest grossing film to-date (5/25)...1992] Jay Leno debuts as the new host of NBC-TVs "The Tonight Show", succeeding Johnny Carson (5/25). Conan O'Brien will be replacing Jay next year...
  3. 1934] They're young...they're in love...and they kill people: That was the 'sell' line for the movie. In real life, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are shot and killed in an ambush set up by former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (5/23)...
  4. 1935] Curtains: Babe Ruth hits his 714th and final home run at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, as a member of the Boston Braves. The blast reportedly traveled more than 600 feet (5/25)...1974] The last "Dean Martin Show" airs on NBC-TV after a run of 9 years (5/24)...1978] Keith Moon plays with The Who for the last time (5/25). In September he will OD at 32...1988] After a six-year run, "St. Elsewhere" (starring Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, Alfre Woodard, Howie Mandel and Ronnie Cox) bows out with its final episode (5/25)...1993] The final episode of "Designing Women" starring Delta Burke and Dixie Carter is aired (5/24). The show ran for 7 seasons...1999] The final episode of "Mad About You" starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt is run after 7 seasons (5/24)...
  5. 1959] The word "Frisbee" becomes a registered trademark of Wham-O (5/26)...
  6. 1960] WRCA changes call letters back to WNBC (thank you) (5/23)...
  7. 1961] President John F. Kennedy asks America to work toward putting a man on the moon (5/25)...
  8. 1974] 'Happy Trails': Jazz great Duke Ellington passes away from pneumonia and lung cancer at 75 (5/24)...2002] Legendary golfer Sam Snead dies from complications of a stroke (5/23) 4 days short of his 90th birthday...2006] Desmond ("The Israelites") Dekker dies from a heart attack at 64 (5/25)...
  9. 1987] Like father, like son: Al Unser Sr. wins his 4th Indy 500 at the age of 47 (5/24)...1992] Al Unser Jr. becomes the 1st, second-generation winner of the Indy 500 (5/24)...
  10. 2005] Carrie Underwood is named "American Idol" (5/25)...2006] Taylor Hicks is named "American Idol" (5/24)...The new winner named May 21, 2008 was David Cook...

For more on May 23-26: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Thursday, May 22, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:



  1. 1892] Dr. Sheffield, a British dentist, manufactures toothpaste in a tube. How in the world do they get the toothpaste into the tube?...

  2. 1954] Robert Zimmerman is bar mitzvahed in Hibbing (MN) after taking private Hebrew lessons. Robert became a man and changed his name to Bob Dylan. Mazel Robert...

  3. 1963] Mickey Mantle blasts a home run off the facade atop the rightfield upper deck in Yankee Stadium. Two more feet and Mantle would have been the first and only player to hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium in fair territory...

  4. 1967] "To Tell The Truth" bows out after 11 seasons. The original panel consisted of: host Bud Collyer, Polly Bergen, Hy Gardner and Hildy Parks, soon replaced by Kitty Carlisle...

  5. 1967] Florence Ballard appears with the Supremes for the last time on "The Tonight Show". In July Motown replaces her with Cindy Birdsong...

  6. 1977] I am woman, hear me roar: Janet Guthrie becomes the 1st woman to earn a spot in the Indy 500 since its inception in 1911...2003] Annika Sorenstam becomes the 1st woman since 1945 to tee off against the men in the Colonial Golf tournament in Fort Worth (TX) but will miss the cut...

  7. 1980] Wedding Bells: Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue swap "I Do's". We're not sure which one wore the bridal gown though...

  8. 1992] "The show tonight is our farewell show": With that, Johnny Carson hosts his final show with Bette Midler singing to him. There was not a dry eye in the audience or at home. Johnny started hosting the show on October 2, 1962. What a run!!!

  9. 2002] "Happy Trails": The remains of Chandra Levy, the federal intern who disappeared more than a year earlier, are found in a Washington (D.C.) park. California congressman Gary Condit is questioned because of his personal relationship with the intern...

  10. 2004] Don't buy any green bananas Adriana: Christopher's girlfriend Adriana gets whacked on the "Sopranos". Christopher joined her in 2007...
For more on May 22: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1881] Clara Barton founds the American Red Cross (and then starts a candy company)...
  2. 1891] It finally ends: Peter Jackson and Jim Corbett fight to a 61-round draw. Both fighters complain about fatigue after the first 50 rounds...
  3. 1927] Charles A. Lindbergh lands his "Spirit of St. Louis" near Paris completing the 1st solo flight across the Atlantic...
  4. 1945] 46-year old Humphrey Bogart marries Lauren Bacall, less than half his age. They met while co-starring in "To Have And Have Not" and stay married until Bogey's death in 1957...
  5. 1968] Buried at sea: The nuclear powered U.S. submarine Scorpion with 99 men aboard is heard from for the last time. The remains of the sub are later found on the ocean floor 400 miles southwest of the Azores...
  6. 1977] Rounding second and headed for third: Seattle Slew wins the Preakness and will become the 1st of 2 consecutive Triple Crown winners (Affirmed wins in 1978 and is the last Triple Crown winner) when he wins the Belmont Stakes in June...
  7. 1979] Lord Stanley's Cup: Montreal wins their 4th straight Stanley Cup when they beat the Rangers in 5 games...1981] The Islanders win their 2nd straight Stanley Cup thanks to Butch Goring's 2 goals that help the Isles beat Minnesota...
  8. 1979] Guilty as charged: Former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting deaths of mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk. Believe it or not, White uses the "Twinkie" defense, claiming that junk food fueled his rampage...
  9. 1981] A matchup made in college baseball heaven: In what's billed as the greatest college pitching duel ever, Yale's Ron Darling and St. John's Frank Viola match zeroes through 11 innings. Darling had a no-hitter while striking out 16 after 11 but Yale loses the game 1-0 on a scratch single, 2 steals and an error in the 12th inning. This was the 1st round of the NCAA playoffs...
  10. 1990] Bob Newhart closes out his "Newhart" series by waking up with Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) and realizing that his new series about his life as an innkeeper was a dream. It's the final 1st run episode of "Newhart" after 8 seasons...

For more on May 21st: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com



Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:


  1. 1873] Levi Strauss begins marketing blue jeans with copper rivets...
  2. 1899] Jacob Erman of New York City becomes the 1st driver to be arrested for speeding. He went faster than the 12 MPH speed limit...
  3. 1916] Norman Rockwell's artwork ("Boy with Baby Carriage") appears on the 1st cover of 'The Saturday Evening Post"...
  4. 1927] Charles Lindbergh takes off from Long Island's Roosevelt Field to cross the Atlantic en route to Paris aboard "The Spirit of St. Louis"...
  5. 1932] Amelia Earhart takes off to fly solo across the Atlantic becoming the 1st woman to achieve the feat...1939] Pan Am begins regular service when a 'Yankee Clipper' takes off from the harbor in Port Washington (LI)...
  6. 1961] Federal marshals are sent into Montgomery (AL) when a white mob attacks a busload of 'Freedom Riders'...
1976] Carl Yastrzemski hits 2 home runs (giving him 5 in 2 games, an ML record) in an 8-2 Red Sox win over the Yankees as a melee breaks out resulting in Bill Lee injuring his pitching arm. The fight starts when Lou Piniella barrels into catcher Carlton Fisk. Lee a.k.a. 'The Spaceman' will never fully recover...
  • 1977] "Beatlemania" opens at the Winter Garden Theater in Manhattan...
  • 1989] SNL comedian Gilda Radner passes away at 42, the victim of cervical cancer...
  • 1993] "Cheers" closes its door for the final time with 40% of the population or nearly 150 million watching at home...
  • For More on May 20th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com









    Monday, May 19, 2008

    Monday, May 19, 2008


    10 Timeline Memories:
    1. 1536] Heads, you lose: Anne Boleyn, second wife of England's King Henry VIII is beheaded after being convicted of adultery. Peter Noone left that out of his hit...
    2. 1921] The more things change: Congress passes the Emergency Quota Act, which establishes national quotas for immigrants...
    3. 1960] The King is dethroned: Alan Freed is arrested along with 7 others on suspicion of commercial bribery. Freed had refused to sign an affidavit in 1959 denying he had accepted payola. Although payola was not yet a crime, Freed was charged with 26 counts of commercial bribery but got off with a fine. However his career was ruined...
    4. 1962] Now this is a birthday party: Marilyn Monroe performs a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" for President John F. Kennedy, with Jackie by his side, during a fund raiser at Madison Square Garden...
    5. 1969] 6-year old Jodie Foster makes her show business debut on "Mayberry R.F.D."...1999] "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" premieres setting a new record for opening day sales at 28.5 million...2005] "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" almost doubles the original movie with 50 million on opening day...
    6. 1973] Big Red: The great Secretariat, winner of the Kentucky Derby, wins the Preakness by 2 1/2 lengths. In 3 weeks, perhaps the greatest thoroughbred of all-time will run away with the Belmont Stakes...
    7. 1992] Veep Speak: Dan Quayle criticizes "Murphy Brown" because the title character had a baby out of wedlock...
    8. 1992] Taking a bullet for Joey: Mary Joe Buttafuoco is shot in the head and seriously wounded by her husband's teenage lover, Amy Fisher...
    9. 1994] "Happy Trails" to former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who passes away from cancer at 64...2006] Freddie Garrity, lead singer of Freddie and The Dreamers, dies from pulmonary hypertension at 69...
    10. 1994] We say goodbye to "L.A. Law" which ends with their final episode after an 8-year run...


    For more on May 19th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/




    Thursday, May 15, 2008

    Friday-Monday, May 16-18 (Weekend Edition) 2008...

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1888] The 1st DJ: Contrary to popular belief it wasn't Cousin Brucie. It was Emile Berliner whose voice was heard on the 1st demo of a flat disc (5/16)...
    2. 1897] Count Dracula is born from the pen of Bram Stoker (5/18)...
    3. 1929] The first Academy Awards are presented. "Wings" starring Clara Bow and Gary Cooper is the "Movie of The Year" and Emil Jannings is the "Best Actor" for "The Last Command" and "The Way of Flesh" (5/16)...
    4. 1934] Congress approves the "Lindbergh Act" making kidnapping a capital offense (5/18)...
    5. 1939] Princeton beats Columbia 2-1 in 10 innings at Baker Field in the first televised baseball game on experimental W2XBS (5/17). This was the New York Times review of the coverage: "It is difficult to see how this sort of thing can catch the public fancy." Sixty-nine years later it's easier to see how it could 'catch the public fancy'...
    6. 1957] A brawl breaks out at the 29th birthday party for Billy Martin at the Copa (5/16). Billy, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Johnny Kucks, Hank Bauer and assorted spouses take part in a melee. Lots of fines are handed down and in four weeks Billy Martin wears a Kansas City uniform...
    7. 1970] Henry Aaron singles and homers in a game against the Reds giving him 3,000 hits and 570 home runs (5/17). Only two other players have done that (3,000/500): Willie Mays and Eddie Murray...
    8. 1990] 'Happy Trails': Sammy Davis Jr. loses his fight against throat cancer at 64 (5/16)...1990] "Muppets" creator Jim Henson dies less than 24 hours after being hospitalized for pneumonia (5/16). Henson was 53...1992] Bandleader Lawrence Welk dies from pneumonia at 89 (5/17)...1995] Elizabeth Montgomery, star of "Bewitched" passes away from colorectal cancer at 62 (5/18)...2002] The remains of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, 38, are found (5/16) and will be returned to his wife...2004] Tony Randall passes away at 84 from complications brought about by pneumonia (5/17)...
    9. 1998] Perfecto: David Wells pitches a perfect game at Yankee Stadium in a Yankee win over Minnesota. It's just the 13th perfecto in the modern era (5/17)...2004] Twenty-seven batters face Arizona pitcher Randy Johnson and twenty-seven batters fail to reach first base. At the age of 40, Johnson becomes the oldest pitcher in history to pitch a perfect game (against Atlanta) (5/18)...
    10. 1998] "Murphy Brown" starring Candice Bergen ends its 10-year run (5/18)...

    For more on May 16-18: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/












    Thursday, May 15, 2008

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1602] Bartholomew Gosnold, an English explorer a.k.a. "The Columbus of New England", discovers Cape Cod (my favorite spot in all of New England)...
    2. 1912] The Tigers' Ty Cobb is suspended indefinitely for beating up a fan who was missing a hand and only had 2 fingers on the other. Tiger players refuse to play until Cobb is reinstated...
    3. 1918] Airmail service begins between Washington, Philadelphia and New York...
    4. 1930] "Coffee, tea or me?" is used for the first time: Ellen Church becomes the 1st airline stewardess. She serves on United Airlines flights between San Francisco and Cheyenne (WY)...
    5. 1940] Lots of runs in these hose: Nylon stockings go on general sale for the 1st time in the U.S...
    6. 1941] The Streaker: Joe DiMaggio goes 1 for 4 starting his 56-game consecutive hitting streak. A record that will probably never be broken...
    7. 1948] Citation wins the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown by a comfortable 6 lengths in the Preakness Stakes. Ridden by Eddie Arcaro, Citation will win the Triple Crown by winning the Belmont Stakes in June...
    8. 1972] A candidate is shot down: Democratic Presidential would-be-nominee George C. Wallace is shot and paralyzed by gunman Arthur Bremer while campaigning in Laurel (MD)...
    9. 2003] Happy Trails: June Carter Cash dies of complications following heart surgery in Nashville. The wife of Johnny Cash was 73...
    10. 2006] Stormy weather: Up to 15 inches of rain create states of emergency in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine with more rain forecast...


    For more on May 15th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

    Wednesday, May 14, 2008

    Wednesday, May 14, 2008

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1796] English physician Edward Jenner administers the 1st vaccination against smallpox to an 8-year old boy...
    2. 1853] Gail Borden applies for a patent for condensed milk. I always thought it came from a condensed Elsie the Cow...
    3. 1897] "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa is performed for the 1st time at a George Washington statue unveiling...
    4. 1904] The 1st U.S. Olympics opens in St. Louis...
    5. 1948] Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion proclaims the independent State of Israel as British rule in Palestine comes to an end...
    6. 1967] Mickey Mantle becomes the 6th player to hit 500 (or more) home runs. He will finish his career with 536...1972] 41-year old Willie Mays makes a dramatic debut with the Mets, hitting a home run against his former team, the Giants, in a 5-4 Met win...
    7. 1973] The U.S. launches Skylab I, our 1st manned space station...
    8. 1996] 31-year old Dwight Gooden pitches a no-hitter for the Yankees in a 2-0 shutout of Seattle...
    9. 1998] Happy Trails: Pop Icon Frank Sinatra dies at 82 following a heart attack...
    10. 1998] The final episode of "Seinfeld" airs after 9 years on NBC-TV. This was one of the worst series finale's of all-time...

    For more on May 14th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/


    Monday, May 12, 2008

    Tuesday, May 13, 2008

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1607] The English colony at Jamestown (VA) is settled...
    2. 1846] The U.S. declares that a state of war exists against Mexico...
    3. 1929] When the Indians beat the Yankees 4-3 in Cleveland, it marked the 1st game to feature numbers on both teams' uni's...
    4. 1940] Winston Churchill tells the British House of Commons: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" in his 1st speech as Prime Minister". So how come the group was not called Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat???. Just asking...
    5. 1976] Led by Dr. J, the New York Nets win their 2nd ABA title with a thrilling come from behind victory (they were down 22 pts. with 17 minutes left) over Denver at the Nassau Coliseum in the last ABA game. After this game the ABA became part of the NBA...
    6. 1981] The Pope is shot but survives: Pope John II is shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca...
    7. 1985] Wedding Bells: Bruce Springsteen and Julianne Phillips rock down the aisle. They will separate in 1989 and then divorce...
    8. 1993] Joining the 300/3,000 club: One day before his 40th birthday, George Brett becomes only the 6th player with 300 (or more) home runs and 3,000 hits. The historic ball is picked up by a fan on a veteran's hospital outing. The fan was blind. True!!!
    9. 2000] The Mets release Rickey Henderson after he fails to hustle and turns a double into a single. He was also hitting .219 with no home runs at the time...
    10. 2006] "Happy Trails": Founder and lead singer of Heatwave, Johnnie Wilder Jr. dies in his sleep at 56. Johnnie was paralyzed below the neck from a 1979 car crash. His spirit remained high even after he was paralyzed all those years...

    For more on May 13th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com


    Thursday, May 8, 2008

    Monday, May 12, 2008


    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1926] Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators joins Cy Young as the only 400-game winners in baseball history with a win over the St. Louis Browns. No pitcher has ever reached that number again and never will...
    2. 1932] The body of kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh is found in a wooded area near Hopewell (NJ)...
    3. 1956] The Dodgers' Carl Erskine pitches a no-hitter against the cross-town rival Giants. The 2-0 shutout is Erskine's second no-no...
    4. 1959] Liz Taylor takes victim #4, Eddie Fisher. The two will remain married until March, 1964...1971] Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez-Mora rock down the aisle in St. Tropez. This marriage lasts until 1979...
    5. 1960] Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley appear on the same TV special and swap hits...
    6. 1970] The Cubs "Mr. Baseball", Ernie ("Let's play two") Banks becomes the 9th major leaguer to hit 500 or more home runs...
    7. 1985] The New York Knicks win the rights to Patrick Ewing in a special drawing. Okay, raise of hands for those that thought the drawing was fixed. Thank you...
    8. 1991] With Ted Williams in attendance, Lansdowne Street is renamed "Ted Williams Way" on the 50th anniversary of his great 1941 season when he was the last .400 hitter in baseball history...
    9. 2001] Perry Como passes away in his sleep at his home in Florida after a lengthy bout with Alzheimer's disease. Perry, one of the nicest people I ever met, was 87...
    10. 2002] Dionne Warwick is arrested at Miami International Airport when baggage screeners find 11 marijuana joints inside her lipstick container. She's charged with possession of less than 5 grams of the stuff and signs an affidavit promising to appear in court...


    For more on May 12: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

    Friday-Sunday (Weekend Edition) May 9-11, 2008...

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1908] The first Mother's Day observance takes place during church services in Grafton (WV) and Philadelphia (5/10)...
    2. 1949] The first Polaroid Camera sells for $89.95 in New York City (5/11)...
    3. 1958] Alan Freed is indicted for inciting unlawful destruction of property in Boston as fans riot at the Boston Arena. Many consider this event the beginning of the end for Freed (5/9)...
    4. 1961] FCC chairman Newton N. Minow condemns TV as a 'vast wasteland' in a speech to the NAB (5/9)...
    5. 1969] The merger of the AFL and NFL becomes official with Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Baltimore agreeing to move to the AFL. The AFC and NFC are formed with two-thirteen team conferences (5/10)...
    6. 1970] In one of the greatest sports photos of all-time, Boston Bruins Superstar Bobby Orr flies through the air after taking a pass from Derek Sanderson and putting the puck in the St. Louis net for the winning OT goal that produces an NHL championship for the Bruins (5/10)...
    7. 1972] Returning to the city he started in, Willie Mays comes back to New York to play for the Mets. The Say-Hey Kid is traded for the immortal Charlie Williams and $50,000 cash (5/11)...
    8. 1981] Reggae musician Bob Marley dies at 36 from cancer in a Miami hospital (5/11)...2006] Former heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson passes away at 71 from prostate cancer (5/11)...
    9. 1982] At exactly 12 noon Musicradio 77 becomes Talkradio 77. After Dan Ingram joined Ron Lundy for the final Musicradio show, the WABC chime was used for the last time at 11:59:55 a.m. (5/10) WABC switched to top 40 in December of 1960 and for 22 years dominated ratings in New York. The final jock lineup: 5-9 a.m. Ross and Wilson, 9-11:59:55 a.m. Ron Lundy and Dan Ingram. Jay Clark was Operations Manager when the end came...
    10. 1988] A star-studded Carnegie Hall concert is held to honor the 100th birthday of legendary song writer Irving Berlin. Performers include: Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Marilyn Horne and more. Berlin was too feeble to attend but watched the show on TV (5/11)...

    For more on May 9-11: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/ ...




    Wednesday, May 7, 2008

    Thursday, May 8, 2008

    10 Timeline Memories:
    1. 1886] Atlanta pharmacist John Styth Pemberton invents the flavored syrup for Coca Cola. It originally contained a dash of cocaine used in the 1800s for stomach distress...
    2. 1926] A fire destroys the left field stands at Fenway Park. The bleachers along the left field foul line are not replaced, giving outfielders a chance to catch fly balls before they go into the stands...
    3. 1935] Jockey Ralph Neves is declared dead after being trampled by 4 horses during a race at California's Bay Meadows. Placed in a storage area, somehow he is revived. Ralph hails a cab for home and comes back to race the next day..
    4. 1961] The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc. announces the new team nickname: The Mets...
    5. 1970] Willis Reed limps out on the court and inspires the Knicks to join the Mets and Jets as world champions of their sport with a 113-99 win over the Lakers to wrap up the NBA title...
    6. 1978] David R. Berkowitz a.k.a. Son of Sam pleads guilty to 6 murder charges in Brooklyn...
    7. 1982] Record executive Neil Bogart dies from cancer and lymphoma at 39. Neil was way ahead of his time in the development of the disco, glam-rock eras and played a key role in the careers of Donna Summer, Kiss, T-Rex and others...
    8. 1987] Gary Hart, hounded by questions of the Donna Rice boat cruise, withdraws from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination...
    9. 1988] Mike Tyson crashes his $183,000 Bentley on Varick Street in Manhattan. He didn't see that fire hydrant on the sidewalk...
    10. 1999] The Citadel, South Carolina's formerly all-male military school, graduates its first female cadet...

    For more on May 8: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

    Wednesday, May 7, 2008

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1789] The 1st inaugural ball is held in honor of President George Washington and his wife Martha with music provided by Lester Lanin...
    2. 1903] It all started with this game. Boston faces off against New York for the 1st time as the Pilgrims beat the Highlanders 6-2 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. Bill Dinneen is the winning pitcher for Boston. Hobe Ferris homers...
    3. 1946] The Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp. is founded. The company will be renamed SONY...
    4. 1968] British singer Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John...
    5. 1957] A line-drive off the bat of Yankee Gil McDougald severely damages Cleveland pitcher Herb Score's right eye, effectively ruining his career. Two years later he retires...
    6. 1966] After winning 4 games out of the 1st 20 as Yankee manager, Johnny Keane is fired and replaced by Ralph Houk. And this was 7 years before George Steinbrenner...
    7. 1968] Dancer's Image, winner of the Kentucky Derby 3 days earlier is disqualified after it's discovered that the horse was injected by the painkiller 'bute' to reduce inflammation of the joints. Forward Pass who finished 2nd is declared the winner of the KD...
    8. 1987] Shelly Long a.k.a. Diane Chambers makes her last appearance as a regular on "Cheers"...
    9. 1999] A jury in Pontiac (MI) orders "The Jenny Jones Show" to pay $25 million to the family of a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on a male guest on the show. The award will be overturned on appeal...
    10. 2002] 25 years to the exact date that Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the 1st of his Triple Crown victories in 1977, the great Slew died at the age of 28...

    For more on May 7: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com



    Tuesday, May 6, 2008

    Tuesday, May 6, 2008

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1835] James Gordon Bennett publishes the New York Herald for the 1st time...
    2. 1851] Linus Yale patents the clock type lock and has the good sense to put his name on it...
    3. 1915] Babe Ruth hits his 1st home run (as a Red Sox pitcher) against the Yankees. Three years later on the same date, he will hit one against the Yankees, his first as a position player (1st base)...
    4. 1937] The hydrogen filled German dirigible Hindenburg crashes and burns in Lakehurst (NJ) killing 36 of the 97 people aboard in one of the most vivid scenes ever captured on film...
    5. 1954] Roger Bannister becomes the 1st runner to finish a mile under 4 minutes. His time: 3:59:59.4...
    6. 1957] John Fitzgerald Kennedy wins a Pulitzer Prize for his book "Profiles in Courage"...
    7. 1960] Britain's Princess Margaret walks stiffly down the aisle with commoner Anthony Armstrong Jones. They will divorce in 1978...
    8. 1978] Affirmed captures the Kentucky Derby and becomes the last Triple Crown winner...2006] Barbaro wins the Derby, a first for jockey Edgar Prado. Unfortunately tragedy awaits the horse in a tumultuous year...
    9. 1999] A parole board in New York votes to release Amy Fisher after 7 years, for shooting her lover's wife, Mary Jo Buttafuoco in the face...
    10. 2004] An estimated 51.1 million watch the final 1st-run episode of "Friends" on NBC-TV...

    For more on May 6: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

    Monday, May 5, 2008

    Monday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), 2008...

    10 Timeline Memories:
    1. 1862] The Mexican militia defeats the French army in the Battle of Puebla in Mexico. Sounds like a reason to celebrate Cinco de Mayo to me...
    2. 1891] The Music Hall opens in Manhattan. It will be renamed Carnegie Hall...
    3. 1900] "The Billboard" which will later be changed to "Billboard Magazine", starts publishing weekly after 6 years as a monthly...
    4. 1904] Pitching for the Boston Pilgrims, 37-year old pitcher Cy Young completes the 1st perfect game in the modern era (when the pitching rubber was moved to 60', 6"). Young beats the Philadelphia A's...
    5. 1925] Dayton, Tennessee biology teacher John T. Scopes is arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. 83 years later it's still being debated...
    6. 1955] On 5/5/55, Boston and Detroit combine for 5 runs with the Tigers winning 3-2. It is the only game scheduled in the American League...
    7. 1961] Alan Shepard, who along with Wally Schirra, was one of the original Mercury 7, makes a 15-minute sub-orbital flight from Cape Canaveral which I was fortunate enough to report on when I worked at WKKO in Cocoa. I watched the launch from the back of the control room, a few miles away...
    8. 1973] The great Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby in a record time of 1:59:02. Secretariat, arguably the greatest thoroughbred who ever lived still owns that record. Big Red would win the Triple (Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes) Crown...2007] Street Sense wins the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby...
    9. 1978] Pete Rose picks up his 3,000th hit as a member of the Reds...
    10. 1986] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is approved for Cleveland. The world of music can thank Norm N. Nite for that. No one worked harder to get 1) A R&RHOF and 2) Get it built in Cleveland...

    For more on Cinco de Mayo: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/ ...

    Friday, May 2, 2008

    Friday-Sunday May 2-4, 2008 (Weekend Edition)...

    10 Timeline Memories:

    1. 1936] Debuted on this date: Future Baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio makes his major league debut with 3 hits (5/3)...1959] The first Grammy Awards Show is hosted by Mort Sahl. The "Record of the Year": "Nel Blu dipinto di Blu (Volare)", the "Album of the Year": "The Music of Peter Gunn" - Henry Mancini (5/4)...1971] National Public Radio a.k.a. NPR makes its debut (5/3)...
    2. 1952] Derby Doings: Jockey Eddie Arcaro becomes the first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby 5 times when he guides Hill Gail to the finish line first in the 77th running of the legendary race (5/3)...1957] Bill Shoemaker misjudges the finish line as his horse Gallant Man finishes second to Iron Leige (5/4)...1986] At the age of 54, Shoemaker becomes the oldest jockey to win the big race aboard Ferdinand. The trainer of the horse, Charlie Whittingham was 73 (not a record) (5/3)...
    3. 1970] Four dead in O-hi-o: Four die and 9 others are wounded by Ohio National Guardsmen in the tragedy at Kent State (5/4). The girl (Mary Ann Vecchio) standing over one of the students shot was not a student but a runaway. John Filo, a photojournalism student won a Pulitzer Prize for that photo...
    4. 1974] The filming of "Jaws" begins on Martha's Vineyard. Next time you visit the Cape, take the boat over for a tour. They point out the spot near a small bridge where filming actually took place. They say that the extras in the water were frozen from the temperature of the cold water which was in the 50's (5/2)...
    5. 1991] Curtains: "Dallas" airs its last episode (5/3). The show debuted in April, 1978 and broke ratings records in 1980 when 8.6 million viewers watched the "Who Shot J.R." episode...
    6. 2000] 'Happy Trails': Cardinal John O'Connor, the archbishop of New York, dies from a brain tumor at 80 (5/3)...2006] Earl Woods, father of Tiger, dies from prostate cancer at 74 (5/3)...
    7. 2001] Murder in Hollywood: Bonny Lee Bakley, wife of Robert Blake is shot to death in Los Angeles (5/4)...
    8. 2002] Seattle's Mike Cameron (who would go on to briefly join the Mets) becomes the 13th major leaguer to hit 4 home runs in a game in a 15-4 Mariner thrashing of the White Sox (5/2)...
    9. 2003] The MLB players association agrees to a 2-year experiment in which the winning league in the All-Star game will have home field advantage (one extra home game) during the World Series (5/2). Apparently this is now a fixture cause they're still doing it...
    10. 2006] Al-Quaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui is given a life sentence (5/3) for his role in the 911 terrorists attack on the World Trade Center...

    For more on May 2 -4, CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/ ...



    Thursday, May 1, 2008

    Thursday, May 1, 2008...

    10 Timeline Memories:
    1. 1822] John Phillips becomes the first Mayor of Boston...
    2. 1931] The Empire State Building turns 77 today. It was May 1st, 1931 when President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington, D.C. officially opening the tallest building in New York City...
    3. 1939] Batman Comics hit the streets and will eventually work its way to TV...
    4. 1941] General Mills introduces Cheerios...
    5. 1951] Debuting on this date: Mickey Mantle hits his first home run in an 8-3 Yankee loss in Chicago. Randy Gumpert was the victim...1952] Mr. Potato Head is born to Mama Potato Head...1957] Larry King broadcasts his first radio show...1961] The first American airline (National Airlines) is hijacked to Cuba...
    6. 1960] The Soviet Union shoots down an American U-2 spy plane and captures pilot Francis Gary Powers...
    7. 1967] Wedding Bells: Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu tie the knot. They will be married until 1973...
    8. 1989] Police in California are called to what they think is a robbery at a jewelry store only to find Michael Jackson shopping in a disguise...
    9. 1991] 44-year old Nolan Ryan (Texas) pitches his 7th no-hitter (vs. Toronto). No other pitcher in baseball history is even close to that mark. No one ever will be either...
    10. 2003] George W. Bush lands in a jet on the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln off the California coast and in a speech to the nation declared that major combat in Iraq is over. Ooooooohkay...

    For more on May 1: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/