Monday, June 30, 2008

Monday, June 30, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1908] No - No - No: Cy Young pitches his 3rd no-hitter and at 41 becomes the oldest pitcher to do so. The Red Sox blank the Yankees 8-0...1962] The Dodgers' Sandy Koufax no hits the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles. The future Hall of Famer will pitch 4 no-hitters, including a perfect game before he's through...
  2. 1936] Debuted on this date: 1936] "Gone With The Wind", written by Margaret Mitchell is published...
  3. 1952] Lighting the way: "The Guiding Light" moves from radio to TV. It's still on TV..
  4. 1953] America's 'Dream Car": The 1st Corvette rolls off the Chevrolet assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The 3rd 'Vette' to roll off the line was sold in 2006 for a cool million...
  5. 1971] Old enough: The 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowers the minimum voting age to 18. The amendment will be ratified the next day...
  6. 1975] Wedding Bells: Cher and Greg Allman rock down the aisle 4 days after she and Sonny are divorced. The marriage will end in divorce in 1977...
  7. 1982] The Devil you say: New Jersey fans pick the name 'Devils' (by ballot) for their new NHL franchise. Runner-up names: Meadowlanders and Americans. The Devils it is...
  8. 1994] Tonya un-plugged: The U.S. Figure Skating Association strips Tonya Harding of the national championship and bans her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan...
  9. 1997] Hong Gone: The Union Jack is lowered for the last time over Hong Kong's Government House as Britain prepares to hand the colony back to China July 1st after 156 years of British rule...
  10. 2001] "Happy Trails": Legendary Nashville musician Chet Atkins is a victim of cancer at 77...

For more on June 30th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com



Friday, June 27, 2008

(Weekend Edition) Friday-Sunday, June 27-29, 2008...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1916] Talkin' Baseball: The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds play a 9-inning game with just one baseball (6/29)...
  2. 1917] Debuted on this date: Raggedy Ann. Happy 91st Birthday Raggedy (6/28)...1949] "Captain Video and his Video Rangers" debuts on the Dumont TV Network (6/27). It will run daily until April 1, 1955. This was the 1st of a trio of 'space operas'. The others were: "Space Patrol" and "Tom Corbett - Space Cadet". FYI: The 1st Capt. Video was Richard Coogan ('49-'50). Al Hodge took command for the rest of the shows run...
  3. 1956] Wedding Bells: Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller sing "I want to be loved by you" down the aisle (6/29). Sadly the marriage will end with a Mexican divorce in 1961...
  4. 1967] Hollywood tragedy: 34-year old blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield and 2 others are killed when their car goes into the back of a truck on U.S. highway 90 (6/29)...
  5. 1974] Curtains: "The Flip Wilson Show" ends after 4 seasons of Wilson as "Geraldine Jones", her boyfriend "Killer", the Reverend Le Roy of the Church of What's Happening Now and one of the greatest phrases of all-time - "the devil made me do it" (6/27)...1985] Route 66, originally stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica is decertified (6/27). How do you do this to a landmark highway???
  6. 1975] 'Happy Trails': Rod Serling dies after open-heart surgery at 50 (6/28). I met Serling at LAX in the early 70s and he told me about selling his rights to "The Twilight Zone" for $1 million. He was then taping "Night Gallery" and we got into a conversation about radio, his training grounds. Several months later there was a "Night Gallery" about a disc jockey (Mickey Rooney) who sells his soul to the devil. I always wondered if our talk may have inspired Serling to write that episode...2001] Legendary actor Jack Lemmon dies from cancer at 76 (6/27)...2002] The Who's John Entwistle dies from a cocaine-induced heart attack at 57 (6/27)...2002] Singer Rosemary Clooney passes away at her Beverly Hills home following a long battle with lung cancer. Rosemary was 74 (6/29)...2003] Legendary actress Katharine Hepburn dies of natural causes at 96 (6/29)...2007] ABC-TV movie critic Joel Siegel passes away from colon cancer at 63 (6/29)...
  7. 1988] A time for joy, a time for tears: Proving it's never too late to go back to school, Cyndi Lauper (Richmond Hills High) and Debbie Gibson (Merrick High) receive their high school diplomas (6/27)...
  8. 1996] Sold to the highest bidder: Superman Action Comic #1 (1938) is auctioned at Sotheby's to Maryland businessman Steve Geppi for $61,900 and a pound of kryptonite (6/29)...
  9. 1997] A bite to the finish: Mike Tyson takes a bite out of Evander Holyfield's ear and is disqualified during their heavyweight championship rematch (6/28)...
  10. 2007] I phone, you phone, we all phone for iPhone: Apple Inc. rolls out their iPhone in the U.S. (6/29)...

For more on June 27-29: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Thursday, June 26, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1870] On the boardwalk in Atlantic City: The 1st section of boardwalk in Atlantic City (NJ) opens to the public...
  2. 1916] In a game against the White Sox, the Cleveland Indians appear on the field with numbers on their sleeves. It marked the 1st time players were identified by numbers corresponding to the scorecard...
  3. 1919] Debuted on this date: The New York Daily News publishes for the 1st time and it's still here...1981] "For Your Eyes Only" premieres starring Roger Moore as James Bond. Sheena Easton has a hit with the theme...1987] "Dragnet" premieres starring Dan Aykroyd as Sgt. Joe Friday. Christopher Plummer, Dabney Coleman, Henry Morgan and Tom Hanks also star...
  4. 1959] And the winner and new champ: Ingemar Johansson of Sweden knocks down heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson 7 times in the 3rd round to win the title on a TKO. One year later, Patterson becomes the 1st heavyweight to regain the title when he beats Johansson...
  5. 1959] Curtains: The legendary Edward R. Murrow interviews Lee Remick on "Person to Person". It's his 500th and final guest on the CBS-TV show...1977] Elvis Presley plays his final concert at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. 51-days later, Elvis would be dead...
  6. 1962] Oh-no: Earl Wilson of the Red Sox pitches a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Wilson helps his own cause by hitting a home run in the game...
  7. 1963] JFK goes to the Wall: The President visits the Berlin Wall and gives his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech...
  8. 1974] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": Richard Burton becomes divorce victim #5 for Elizabeth Taylor. He was also victim #4 after their 1st marriage...1975] Cher divorces Sonny Bono after the pair had been together since meeting in 1962...
  9. 1989] Wedding Bells: Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson marry for the 2nd time. Once wasn't enough???
  10. 2003] "Happy Trails": Strom Thurmond, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history dies at age 100...

For more on June 26th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com


Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:


  1. 1876] Curtains: Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the U.S. 7th Cavalry are wiped out by Sioux and Cheyenne Indians at Little Big Horn (MT). And yes, this was known as "Custer's Last Stand"...
  2. 1950] War, what is it good for - absolutely nothing: Across the 38th parallel: War breaks out on the Korean peninsula as forces from the communist North invade the South...
  3. 1968] Talkin' Baseball: Bobby Bonds (father of you-know-who) becomes the 1st major leaguer to debut with a grand-slam home run...
  4. 1970] Beep It!: The FCC makes it illegal for radio stations to put telephone callers on the air without the permission of the person being called. A beep was then installed on the phone for that purpose...
  5. 1973] Ratted out: White House Counsel John Dean admits that President Nixon took part in the Watergate cover-up...
  6. 1985] Two and a half men: ABC-TV's "Monday Night Football" announces a new line-up in the booth: Frank Gifford, Joe Namath and O.J. Simpson. The worst play-by-pay team ever...
  7. 1993] Curtains: The last original "Late Night With David Letterman" airs on NBC-TV with guest Tom Hanks. Re-runs follow until September. On August 30th, Letterman takes his show to CBS-TV where he is now...
  8. 1996] Death in the desert: A truck bomb kills 19 Americans and injures hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia...
  9. 1997] "Happy Trails": Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau dies of a heart attack at 87...
  10. 2005] Trouble in Tehran: Hardline Tehran Mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is declared the winner of Iran's presidential runoff election...



For more on June 25th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:


  1. 1664] Are you from Jersey?: New Jersey, named after the Isle of Jersey, is founded. Get ready for the stench as soon as you approach Secaucus...
  2. 1922] The American Professional Football Association has the good sense to change its name to the National Football League. Interesting footnote: Curly Lambeau paid $250 for the Green Bay Packers, founded by his employer, the Indian Packing Company. Today the entire community of Green Bay owns the team...
  3. 1948] Communists forces cut off all land and water routes between West and East Berlin. The U.S. organizes a massive airlift known as "The Berlin Airlift"...
  4. 1949] "Hopalong Cassidy" becomes the 1st network (NBC) western on TV. The series will run 2 seasons...
  5. 1953] Wedding Bells: John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier announce their engagement...
  6. 1956] Hi-Ho Steverino: "The Steve Allen Show" returns on NBC-TV for 5 years...
  7. 1975] An Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashes while attempting to land during a thunderstorm at JFK, killing 113...
  8. 1979] Rickey Henderson wastes no time in stealing his 1st base, doing it in his major league debut with Oakland...1992] Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent permanently bans drug abuser Steve Howe from baseball...
  9. 1987] "Happy Trails": Jackie Gleason dies from colon and liver cancer at 71...2006] Patsy Ramsey, mother of JonBenet, dies from ovarian cancer at 49...
  10. 1992] Gotcha: "Crazy Eddie" Antar is captured and arrested in Israel on U.S. fraud charges. Remember the commercial done by Jerry Carroll?...1993] An Arab terror group planning the bombing of the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels gets caught - all are arrested...
For More on June 24th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com

Monday, June 23, 2008

Monday, June 23, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:
  1. 1868] Patent no longer pending: Christopher Latham Sholes receives a patent for an invention he calls the "Type-Writer". Not bad, Chris. It might catch on...
  2. 1955] Debuted on this date: Walt Disney's "Lady and the Tramp"...1982] Mary Hart and her legs debut on "Entertainment Tonight"...1989] "Batman" starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson (The Joker) premieres...
  3. 1957] Curtains: "The Roy Rogers Show" bows out on Sundays on NBC-TV after 6 years but Roy and Dale will do a Saturday musical variety show on ABC-TV in the fall of '62...1960] "The Pat Boone Show", a weekly musical variety show, last airs on ABC-TV after 3 seasons. I used to watch this live when I worked late in the ABC mailroom...
  4. 1963] Talkin' Baseball: To celebrate his 100th home run, wacky Mets outfielder Jimmy Piersall runs the bases backwards...1981] The Pawtucket Red Sox-Rochester minor league game picks up in the 33rd inning. This time it only takes 18 minutes to finish the game with Pawtucket scoring a run in the bottom of the 33rd inning. Wade Boggs played for the PawSox and Cal Ripken Jr for Rochester...1988] Billy Martin V ends when the Yankee manager is finally fired for good and replaced by Lou Piniella...
  5. 1969] Warren E. Burger is sworn in as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court...
  6. 1972] Title IX: Richard Nixon signs an act barring sex discrimination in college sports. On the surface this sounds like a good move. Wrong! Title IX allocates funds for female teams indiscriminately and is a lousy rule...
  7. 1992] Guilty as charged: John Gotti, convicted of racketeering charges is sentenced to life in prison where he will die of throat cancer...1993] Lorena Bobbitt of Prince William County (VA) mutilates her husband John by severing a particularly sensitive male organ after he allegedly raped her...
  8. 1995] "Happy Trails": Dr. Jonas Salk who developed the first vaccine against Polio, dies of unknown causes at 80...2006] Aaron Spelling passes away at 83 from complications of a recent stroke...
  9. 1997] Friendly fire: Civil Rights activist Betty Shabazz, 61, widow of Malcolm X, dies from a fire set by her 12-year old grandson...
  10. 2003] The meltdown countdown begins: Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean announces his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination which turns into a Barnum and Bailey Circus. Get your popcorn...

For more on June 23: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com


Friday, June 20, 2008

(Weekend Edition) Friday-Sunday, June 20-22, 2008...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1893] Debuted on this date: The 1st Ferris Wheel premieres at the Chicago Columbian Exposition (6/21)...1948] "The Toast of the Town", soon to be known as "The Ed Sullivan Show" debuts on CBS-TV (6/20)...1951] Gene Rayburn and Dee Finch ("Rayburn and Finch") debut on WNEW (6/22). That show will morph into "Klavan and Finch" when Rayburn becomes a TV game show host...1975] "Jaws' premieres and becomes the big summer blockbuster (6/20). Most of the exteriors are filmed on Martha's Vineyard where the water will still freezing...1985] The surprise summer hit of the season is "Cocoon" starring husband and wife team, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy and let's not forget Don Ameche (6/21)...
  2. 1915] The straphanger is born: The BMT, then the Brooklyn Rapid Transit, begins subway service from Brooklyn to Manhattan (6/22)...
  3. 1937] Joe Louis makes the clock strike 12 for 'Cinderella Man', James J. Braddock by taking the heavyweight title from him with a KO in the 8th round (6/22)...1938] Same date, one year later: Louis defends his title with a 1st round KO of Germany's Max Schmeling (6/22)...
  4. 1947] Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is rubbed out, gangland style in Beverly Hills, apparently over soaring costs on his pet project, the Flamingo resort in Las Vegas (6/20)...
  5. 1963] The U.S. and Soviet Union sign an agreement to set up a hotline between the two superpowers (6/20)...
  6. 1964] Future Baseball Hall of Famer and U.S. Senator from Kentucky, Jim Bunning, pitches a perfect game against the Mets at Shea Stadium on "Father's Day" (6/21). His catcher, Gus Triandos becomes the first catcher to catch no-hitters in both leagues, having done it previously in the 50s when he caught Hoyt Wilhelm's no-hitter (this is a great trivia question)...
  7. 1969] "Happy Trails": Judy Garland dies of an overdose of sleeping pills at 47 (6/22)...1987] Fred Astaire dies from pneumonia at 88 (6/22)...1993] Former first lady Pat Nixon is a victim of lung cancer at 81 (6/22)...1997] Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops passes away from liver cancer at 59 (6/20)...2001] Carroll O'Connor dies from a heart attack brought about by diabetes at 76 (6/21)...2001] Legendary blues singer John Lee Hooker, believed to be 83, dies from natural causes at his home in Los Altos (CA) (6/21)...2002] St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kile is found dead of heart disease in the Cardinals' Chicago hotel. Kile was just 33 (6/22)...2002] Advice columnist Ann Landers passes away from multiple myeloma at 83 (6/22)...
  8. 1970] Richard Nixon signs a measure lowering the voting age to 18 (6/22)...
  9. 1981] Mark David Chapman pleads guilty to killing John Lennon (6/22)...
  10. 1982] John Hinckley Jr. is found innocent by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Ronald Reagan and 3 others (6/21)...


For more on June 20-22: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Thursday, June 19, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:
  1. 1862] Slavery is outlawed in the U.S. territories...1964] The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the Senate...
  2. 1934] Congress establishes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The original duties of the FCC were to: "regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest". Regulating the airwaves came later...
  3. 1943] Henry Kissinger becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen...
  4. 1952] Talkin' baseball: Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine pitches a 5-0 no-hitter against the Cubs at Ebbets Field...1977] Carl Yastrzemski hits a 460-foot home run at Fenway Park that strikes the facade to the right of the retired numbers and is the only home run to reach Fenway's right field roof facade...1979] The reign of "Billy Martin II" begins in a cycle of 5 trips back as Yankee manager...
  5. 1952] Debuted on this date: "I've Got A Secret" on CBS-TV...1970] "Ball Four", the "tell-all" book about the Yankees makes former Yankee pitcher Jim Bouton, public enemy #1 on the pinstripers list...1978] Jim Davis' "Garfield" makes its 1st appearance as a comic strip...1987] Ben and Jerry and the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia introduce a new flavor: Cherry Garcia, still B&J's #1 flavor...
  6. 1953] Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing on charges of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to Russia, although their sons have been fighting to free their names for years...
  7. 1986] A Celtic tragedy: University of Maryland basketball star, Len Bias, Boston's 1st pick (and 2nd overall) in the NBA Draft, suffers a fatal cocaine- induced seizure...
  8. 1992] Struck down: Guardian Angel Curtis Sliwa is ambushed and shot twice in a cab. Two John Gotti Jr. trials have ended in mistrials and a 3rd trial is still possible...1999] Stephen King is struck from behind by a mini-van while walking in North Lovell (ME) near his home. King will spend the next 3 weeks in the hospital recovering...
  9. 1999] Wedding Bells: Britain's Prince Edward marries commoner Sophie Rhys-Jones in Windsor, England...
  10. 2000] And still champ: Phil Jackson, Laker coach, wins his 7th NBA title in 9 years, his 1st with Los Angeles which was led by Shaquille O'Neal. Not this year, Zenmeister...


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

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1812] The War of 1812 begins as the U.S. declares war against Great Britain. The conflict begins over trade restrictions...
  2. 1898] Debuted on this date: The Atlantic City Steel Pier opens with Dick Clark and his 'Cavalcade of Stars" with Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell, Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp (Oops, I'm a little ahead of myself). But the Steel Pier did have lots of attractions (including the diving horse)...1948] Columbia Records unveils its new long-playing 33 1/3 rpm phonograph record...
  3. 1960] Arnold Palmer comes from 7 strokes down to win the U.S. Open...2000] Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open by 15 strokes...
  4. 1961] "Gunsmoke" airs for the last time on CBS Radio but the show had already moved to TV in 1955...
  5. 1977] Billy Martin accuses Reggie Jackson of loafing in rightfield during a game against the Red Sox at Fenway. Martin pulls him out of the game and then the fun begins. Players and coaches have to separate the 2 as they fight in the Yankee dugout on live TV. Just another day at the office for the Yankees...
  6. 1979] Pass the SALT: President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid I. Brezhnev sign the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna. Then they celebrate by downing Vienna sausage and cookies and wash it down with Stoli...
  7. 1983] Ride Sally Ride: Astronaut Sally K. Ride becomes our 1st woman in space as she and 4 other colleagues blast off aboard the space shuttle Challenger. The same Challenger that will blow up 3 years later in January 1986 (Sally was not aboard that time and is currently retired from the space program)...
  8. 1984] Denver Talk Radio host Alan Berg is shot to death outside his home. Two white supremacists are convicted of civil rights violations in the slaying...
  9. 1996] Guilty as charged: Richard Allen Davis is convicted in San Jose (CA) of the 1993 kidnap-murder of 12-year old Polly Klaas...
  10. 2004] Must-not see TV: An al-Qaida cell in Saudi Arabia beheads American engineer Paul M. Johnson Jr., posting grisly photographs of his severed head on the Internet. Saudi security forces track down and kill the alleged mastermind of the kidnapping and murder...

For more on June 18th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com

Monday, June 16, 2008

Monday, June 16, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1883] Ladies Day: The New York Giants admit all ladies to the game free, creating the 1st "Ladies Day"...
  2. 1893] 'Buy me some peanuts and...": Fritz Rueckheim invents Cracker Jack which if dropped on the floor can be picked up and eaten within a century...
  3. 1932] Debuted on this date: It's a Forrrrrd: The Ford Motor Company is incorporated...1947] The 1st network newscast, "News From Washington" is broadcast on the Dumont Television Network...1952] "Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl" is published in the U.S...1952] "My Little Margie" starring Gale Storm debuts on CBS-TV for a 3-year run...1960] Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" premieres in New York City...
  4. 1967] 1st Pop Music festival: The First Annual Monterey International Pop Music Festival draws a quarter of a million fans, watching the debut of Jimi Hendrix and 32 other acts including the The Who, Mamas & Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Janis Joplin & Buffalo Springfield...
  5. 1978] Tom Seaver, now a member of the Cincinnati Reds, no-hits the Cardinals 4-0. Sure, now he does it...1978] The Yankees' Ron Guidry strikes out 18 California Angels. This game marked the beginning of fans applauding when a pitcher has 2 strikes on a batter...1981] The Chicago Tribune buys the Chicago Cubs from the P.K. Wrigley Chewing Gum Company for $20.5 million. Wrigley throws in a lifetime supply of gum for every employee of the Chicago Tribune but doesn't guarantee to double the pleasure of Cub fans...
  6. 1987] A jury in New York acquits Bernhard Goetz of attempted murder in the subway shooting of 4 youths who he said were about to rob him. He is convicted of illegal possession of a weapon. Goetz ran for public office in Manhattan a couple of years ago...
  7. 1992] Former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger is indicted on felony charges in the Iran-Contra affair. He will be pardoned by President George H.W. Bush...
  8. 1996] "Happy Trails": The legendary 'Voice of the Yankees', Mel Allen, dies at age 83. Mel had open heart surgery several years earlier and had been in poor health...
  9. 2000] Wedding Bells: Federal regulators approve the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE Corp., creating the nation's largest local phone company: Verizon on June 30...
  10. 2004] The Independent commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks finds that no evidence existed that al-Qaida had strong ties to Saddam Hussein...
For more on June 16th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/


Friday, June 13, 2008

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1775] The Battle of Bunker Hill is waged near Boston during the Revolutionary War...
  2. 1885] The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere...
  3. 1894] The 1st poliomyelitis epidemic breaks out in Rutland (VT)...
  4. 1941] WNBT-TV (now WNBC), channel 4 in New York City is granted the 1st construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in this country...
  5. 1950] "I left my heart in San Francisco and my liver in Kansas City": Dr. Richard H. Lawler performs the 1st kidney transplant in a 45-minute operation in Chicago. Unfortunately the good doctor was replacing a spleen at the time...
  6. 1960] Ted Williams hits a two-run shot to help the Red Sox beat the Indians 3-1. That home run gives Williams 500 as the 'Splendid Splinter" becomes only the 4th player with 500 homers...
  7. 1962] U.S. Open: 22-year old Jack Nicklaus wins the U.S. Open by 3 strokes defeating Arnold Palmer who could get no closer that 1 stroke of the 'Golden Bear'...
  8. 1972] President Richard Nixon's downfall begins with the arrest of 5 burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex...
  9. 1994] "This is A.C., I got O.J. in the car": After leading the LAPD on a chase which was more like a crawl, through Southern California, O.J. Simpson is arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman...
  10. 2005] Guilty as charged: Dennis Kozlowski, former Tyco CEO is convicted of misappropriating Tyco's corporate funds, among other charges. Kozlowski is serving 8 to 25 years in upstate New York...


For more on June 17th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

(Weekend Edition) Friday, June 13-Sunday, June 15, 2008...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1777] The Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopts the Stars and Stripes as our national flag (6/14)...1893] Philadelphia observes the first 'Flag Day' (6/14)...
  2. 1904] More than 1,000 die when fire erupts aboard the steamboat General Slocum in New York City's East River (6/15)...
  3. 1911] Debuted on this date: The Computing-Tabulating Recording Co. is incorporated in the state of New York. That company will later change its name to the International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) (6/16)...1948] WPIX-TV (11) begins broadcasting in New York City (6/15)...1969] "Hee Haw" debuts on CBS-TV hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark (6/15)...1973] "American Graffiti (Where were you in '62?)" premieres in New York City (6/15)...
  4. 1912] Christy Mathewson pitches a no-hitter and wins his 300th game (6/13)...1921] Babe Ruth pitches 5 innings in a Yankee victory over Detroit and hits 2 home runs to boot (6/13)...1938] Reds pitcher Johnny Vander Meer spoils Ebbets Field's first night game by pitching his second consecutive no-hitter (6/15). This record will never be broken. To be broken, a pitcher would have to pitch 3 consecutive no-hitters...1948] The Red Sox play their 1st night game at Fenway before 34,510 happy fans as Boston beats Chicago 5-3 (6/13)...1949] Babe Ruth bows out at Yankee Stadium as his #3 is retired (6/13)...1977] The Mets do the unthinkable, trading Tom Seaver to Cincinnati for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn and Dan Norman (6/15). The Mets will reacquire Seaver in 1983...2003] Roger Clemens wins his 300th game and becomes the 3rd pitcher to reach 4,000 strikeouts (6/13)...
  5. 1935] The Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, a 29-year old New Jersey longshoreman wins the world heavyweight championship in a 15-round decision over Max Baer (6/13). Braddock will wear the crown for 2 years before losing it to Joe Lewis...
  6. 1953] "There's a time for joy, a time for tears": Elvis Presley graduates from L.C. Humes High School in Memphis (6/14)...
  7. 1972] 'Happy Trails': The Drifters original lead singer, 39-year old Clyde McPhatter, who had several solo hits, dies of a heart attack (6/13)...1986] Benny Goodman, the "King Of Swing" dies of an apparent heart attack in Manhattan at 77 (6/13)...1994] Composer and winner of 20 Grammy Awards, Henry Mancini dies at 70 of pancreatic cancer (6/14)...1996] The legendary Ella Fitzgerald dies from circulation problems, having lost both legs in 1994. Ella was 79 (6/15)...
  8. 1987] Mr. T utters "Ah, pity the fool" for the last time as "The A Team" bows out after a 4-year run (6/14)...
  9. 1992] Are you smarter than a fifth-grader?: VP Dan Quayle puts on a dunce cap and sits in the corner after spelling potato with an "e". The Trenton (NJ) elementary school then spells out Quayle's name: "s-t-u-p-i-d" (6/15)...
  10. 1995] If the glove don't fit, you must acquit: During the O.J. Simpson trial, Johnnie Cochran hands O.J. the murder gloves. Simpson struggles getting them on. Case over, Simpson walks (6/15)...


For more on June 13-15: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Thursday, June 12, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1665] England installs a municipal government in New York, formerly the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam...
  2. 1792] "Why I think I'll name it after me": George Vancouver discovers uncharted land in Western Canada and names it after himself. Vancouver, BC is discovered (a great discovery)...
  3. 1923] Criss Angel and David Blaine, step aside: Harry Houdini frees himself from a straight jacket while suspended upside down, 40 feet above ground in New York City...
  4. 1939] Premiered on this date: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is officially opened. Most of the original members, chosen in 1936 (Ruth, Cobb, Wagner, Mathewson and Johnson) were in attendance. This July 27th Rich "Goose" Gossage, Dick Williams, Bowie Kuhn, Walter O'Malley and Billy Southworth will join those greats...1965] Sonny and Cher make their 1st TV appearance on "American Bandstand"... 1981] "Raiders of The Lost Ark" starring Harrison Ford premieres...1992] "Batman Returns" premieres...
  5. 1942] Happy Birthday Anne: In Amsterdam, Anne Frank gets a diary for her 13th birthday...
  6. 1955] After a run of 3 years, "Mr. Peepers" starring Wally Cox airs for the last time...
  7. 1971] Wedding Bells: Tricia Nixon and Edward F. Cox say "I Do" in the White House Rose Garden. They are still married...
  8. 1978] Guilty as charged: David Berkowitz is sentenced to 25 years to life for each of the 6 "Son of Sam" murders he committed. He's still there...
  9. 1997] The dreaded interleague play begins in major league baseball as Texas (AL) hosts San Francisco (NL)...
  10. 2002] "Happy Trails": Bill Blass dies of throat cancer at 79...2003] Academy Award winning actor Gregory Peck dies in his sleep from cardiorespiratory arrest at 87...
For more on June 12th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/



Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1905] The Pennsylvania Rail Road debuts "The Fastest train in the World" between New York and Chicago. You might wonder how long it took. A speedy 18 hours. It took longer than the Fred Silverman series, "Supertrain" did to go off the air...
  2. 1953] "Amos and Andy" ends its 2-year run on television (and its 24-year run on the radio) because of racial sensitivity. In my opinion it was one of the greatest comedy series ever. It's time to bring it back...
  3. 1963] Alabama Governor George Wallace tries to prevent black students from registering at the University of Alabama. He will lose his battle and rightfully so...
  4. 1977] Seattle Slew wins the third leg of the triple crown by taking the Belmont Stakes...
  5. 1978] Premiered on this date: "Grease" the movie, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John...1982] "ET" opens and sets record-breaking box-office numbers. It's the big movie of the summer...
  6. 1979] "Happy Trails": Legendary tough-guy actor John Wayne dies from stomach cancer at 72...1985] Karen Ann Quinlan dies at 31 after a lengthy coma. Her case prompts a right-to-die court decision after her life-support system was removed...2001] Timothy McVeigh is executed for the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing...2003] Pioneering broadcast journalist David Brinkley dies at 82 from complications of a fall...
  7. 1982] The winner and still champ: Heavyweight champ Larry Holmes defends his title with a 13-round TKO of Long Island's Gerry Cooney...
  8. 1987] Margaret Thatcher becomes the 1st British Prime Minister in 160 years to win a 3rd consecutive term of office...
  9. 1990] Nolan Ryan pitches his 6th no-hitter, beating Oakland. Ryan will pitch one more no hitter before retiring after the 1993 season...
  10. 2002] Wedding Bells: Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are married on this date. They will separate in May, 2006 and the divorce becomes final in May, 2008...

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1935] Alcoholic Anonymous is founded by William G. Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith...
  2. 1944] Cincinnatti pitcher Joe Nuxhall becomes the youngest major leaguer at 15...
  3. 1959] Cleveland slugger Rocky Colavito becomes just the 3rd American Leaguer to hit 4 home runs in one game, against Baltimore...
  4. 1978] Affirmed with jockey phenom Steve Cauthen wraps up the Triple Crown with a win over rival Alydar in the Belmont Stakes. Affirmed is our last TC winner...
  5. 1984] The Boston Celtics do it again, beating the Lakers to take another NBA title...
  6. 1985] Socialite Claus von Bulow is acquitted by a jury in Providence (RI) on charges of attempted murder of his heiress wife Martha "Sunny" von Bulow...
  7. 1991] Desert Storm troups get a hero's welcome home with a ticker tape parade down the 'canyon of the hero's' - Broadway...
  8. 1991] Michael Jackson pays for the funeral while Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin sing at the burial of Temptations lead singer David Ruffin...
  9. 2002] John Gotti dies in prison at 61 from throat cancer...2004] The Great Ray Charles passes away from liver disease at home in Beverly Hills. Ray was 73...
  10. 2005] Babe Ruth's original contract is auctioned off at Sotheby's in Manhattan. Yankee fan Pete Siegel wins the contract. All proceeds go to America's Second Harvest, a hunger-relief organization...

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Monday, June 9, 2008

Monday, June 9, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1822] Charles Graham gets tired of gumming his food and patents false teeth...
  2. 1934] Debuted on this date: Donald Duck makes his debut in the "Silly Symphonies" cartoon 'The Wise Little Hen'...1963] "Cleopatra" starring Liz Taylor opens in Manhattan...
  3. 1946] Ted Williams hits the longest home run ever at Fenway. The distance is measured at 502 feet and to this day there's a red seat in the bleachers to commemorate the spot in row 37, section 42...
  4. 1948] Boston gets a new TV station: WBZ-TV (channel 4) begins broadcasting...
  5. 1973] Triple Crown Winner: The greatest horse of our (or any) generation, Secretariat wins the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, the largest victory and fastest time in Belmont Stakes history...
  6. 1977] "D-I-V-O-R-C-E": George and Patti Boyd Harrison call it quits. They were married in 1966...
  7. 1980] Richard Pryor suffers near-fatal burns at his home when a mixture of "free-base" cocaine explodes...
  8. 1992] Ben Vereen is nearly killed when struck by a car driven by record producer David Foster. This was an accident and Foster is not charged...
  9. 1998] The Ronettes sue producer Phil Spector on charges that Spector and his label Philles breached the goup's contract by not paying royalties...
  10. 2007] Rags to Riches becomes the first filly in over 100 years to capture the Belmont Stakes...

For more on June 9th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com


Friday, June 6, 2008

(Weekend Edition) Friday, June 6 - Sunday, June 8, 2008...

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1816] They called it the year without a summer in New England. It snowed in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts (Waltham) on this date. It even snowed as far south as Connecticut (6/6)...
  2. 1933] The 1st drive-in opens in Pennsauken (NJ). The lot covered 10 acres, enough room for 400 cars with fogged-up windows (6/6)...
  3. 1944] It's the beginning of D-Day as U.S. troops land in Normandy (6/6). The #1 song that day?: "I'll Get By" - Harry James...All major league baseball games are cancelled that day. The next time it happens? 911...
  4. 1948] Milton Berle debuts as the host of "Texaco Star Theater" (6/8) for an 8-year run in its original version. Berle becomes known as "Mr. Television"...
  5. 1966] Wedding Bells: The 47-year old NFL and 7-year old AFL agree to merge in 1970 (6/8). For those that thought the decision was made after the Jets won the Super Bowl - not so!!! 1991] Bruce Springsteen rocks down the aisle with his Jersey girl, Patti Scialfa (Deal, N.J.) his backup singer (6/8)...
  6. 1968] Death comes for Robert F. Kennedy at 1:44 a.m. at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles (6/6). RFK dies from gunshot wounds inflicted by Sirhan B. Sirhan the night before...1991] "Happy Trails": Jazz tenor sax great Stan Getz dies of liver cancer at 64 (6/6)...2006] Billy Preston dies of kidney failure at 59 (6/6)...
  7. 1986] The Boston Celtics win their 16th NBA title led by Larry Bird's 29 pts., 11 boards and 12 assists against Houston in Game 6 (6/8). The Celts have a chance to do it this year against the Lakers...
  8. 1989] For one second, the time is: 01:23:45 6-7-89 (6/7)...
  9. 1998] 49-year old James Byrd Jr., a black man, is dragged to his death from the back of a pickup truck in Jasper (TX) (6/7). In 1999 William King, a white man, is sentenced to death for this horrific crime...
  10. 2002] Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel is convicted in Norwalk (CT) (6/7) of beating Greenwich neighbor Martha Moxley to death when both were 15 in 1975...

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Thursday, June 5, 2008

Thursday, June 5, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1851] Harriet Beecher Stow publishes the 1st installment of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" or "Life Among the Lowly" in the National Era abolitionist newspaper. It will run in the magazine for 10 months in installments...
  2. 1954] "Your Show of Shows", a comedy classic, makes its farewell performance. Sid Caesar and company (Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris) depart with 5 Emmy's over their 4-year run. Comedy writers included Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Larry Gelbart...
  3. 1967] Murderer Richard Speck is sentenced to death in the electric chair for his murder rampage. The sentence is reduced to a life term. Speck dies of a heart attack in prison in 1991, one day short of his 50th birthday...
  4. 1967] The 6-day war between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan begins...
  5. 1968] Another Kennedy is cut down: Senator Robert F. Kennedy is shot and mortally wounded after claiming victory in the California Democratic Presidential Primary. Gunman Sirhan B. Sirhan is immediately captured...
  6. 1974] Wedding Bells: Sly Stone and Kathy Silva rock down the Madison Square Garden aisle prior to a concert. The marriage lasts all of 5 months...1993] Mariah Carey and SONY CEO Tommy Mottola marry at a 5th Avenue church. They will separate in 1997 and then divorce...
  7. 1981] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 5 men come down with a rare form of pneumonia. These are the 1st recognized cases of what will become AIDS...
  8. 1989] The last original New York Islander, goalie Billy Smith retires...
  9. 1993] "Happy Trails": Conway Twitty ruptures a stomach vessel after collapsing on his tour bus after a show in Branson (MO). Twitty who had 39 Country chart toppers, passes away at 59...1999] Mel Torme a.k.a. "The Velvet Fog" dies from complications of a 1996 stroke at 73...2002] Ramones bass player Dee Dee Ramone is found dead of a heroin overdose at 50. Dee Dee's real name: Douglas Glenn Colvin...2004] Ronald Wilson Reagan, our 40th president dies in Los Angeles at 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's...1998] A near-death experience: C-Span reports the death of Bob Hope to which Hope replies, but I wanna tell you, ladies & gentlemen, a funny thing that happened on the way to my death. As Mark Twain once said, "the report of my death is an exaggeration"...
  10. 2002] 14-year old Elizabeth Smart is kidnapped from her parent's home in Salt Lake City...
For more on June 5th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com


Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1674] Horse racing is prohibited in Massachusetts. It returns when the state figures out how to collect the vig...
  2. 1876] Henry Ford makes a successful pre-dawn test run of his horseless carriage through the streets of Detroit...
  3. 1935] Invisible glass is patented by Gerald Brown and Edward Pollard who try to walk through it but suffer severe gashes and several stitches for their effort after being rushed to an invisible hospital and treated by an invisible attending doctor...
  4. 1939] The 1st shopping cart is introduced by Sylvan Goldman of Oklahoma City. That afternoon the cart disappears...
  5. 1947] The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approves the Taft-Hartley Act which allows the president to intervene in labor disputes...
  6. 1974] The Cleveland Indians hold "10 Cent Beer Night" but are forced to forfeit their game with Texas because of drunk, unruly fans carrying on. Not Cleveland's finest hour...
  7. 1989] Chinese Army troops storm Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush the pro-democracy movement resulting in hundreds and possibly thousands killed...
  8. 1998] Guilty as charged: Terry Nichols is sentenced by a federal judge to life in prison for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing...
  9. 2000] Julius "Dr. J" Erving reports that his 19-year old son Cory is missing. His body will be found on July 6, 2000...
  10. 2003] Martha Stewart steps down as head of her media empire, hours after federal prosecutors charge her with obstruction of justice, conspiracy, securities fraud, lying to investigators and a having dirty cake pan...

For more on June 4th: CLICK: http://melphillipsnowandthen.com/

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1621] The Dutch West India Co. receives a charter for New Netherlands, which will be changed to New York City...
  2. 1932] Lou Gehrig becomes the 2nd player to hit 4 home runs in one game against the Philadelphia A's. The first player to do so was the immortal Bobby Lowe in 1894. Gehrig was the 1st in the modern era...
  3. 1937] Wedding Bells: The Duke of Windsor marries American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson in Monts, France. The Duke abdicated the British throne as a wedding present...
  4. 1965] Astronaut Edward White becomes the 1st American to walk in space during the flight of Gemini 4...
  5. 1968] It must have been the pop art: Andy Warhol is shot and critically wounded in his New York City film studio by actress Valerie Solanas. Warhol will recover fully...
  6. 1975] "Happy Trails": Ozzie Nelson dies of cancer at 68...1989] Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini dies from cancer at 89...
  7. 1988] Margo Adams files a palimony suit against Wade Boggs after their 4-year relationship sours. The married Boggs and Adams will settle out of court. Boggs was hitting his normal .310 when the incident become public but it did not affect his play with the Red Sox. He would finish at .380 and win his 5th batting championship...
  8. 2001] Mel Brooks' musical comedy "The Producers" wins a record 12 Tony Awards...
  9. 2003] The Cubs' Sammy Sosa breaks a bat filled with cork and suddenly forgets how to speak English...
  10. 2004] The Braves' Julio Franco (now retired) becomes the oldest player to hit a grand slam. Julio was 45...
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Monday, June 2, 2008

Monday, June 2, 2008

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1851] Maine becomes the 1st state to enact a law prohibiting alcohol. They really know how to have fun down east...
  2. 1886] President Grover Cleveland Alexander becomes the 1st president to marry at the White House. His bride is Frances Folsom...
  3. 1896] Guglielmo Marconi's radio is patented. How much is that patent worth???
  4. 1897] Responding to rumors of his death, 61-year old Mark Twain is quoted in the New York Journal as saying: "the report of my death was an exaggeration"...
  5. 1928] Kraft creates the spam of the cheese world: Velveeta...
  6. 1935] 40-year old Babe Ruth, batting just .181 is released by the Boston Braves. Ruth announces his retirement, ending his career with a .342 batting average and 714 home runs. His pitching record was a phenomenal 94-46. He also had a run of 29.2 scoreless world series innings, a record that stood for 43 years...
  7. 1941] Lou Gehrig dies in New York of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which will become 'Lou Gehrig's Disease'. His death falls on the 16th anniversary of his replacement of Wally Pipp as Yankees 1st baseman...
  8. 1966] Surveyor I, a U.S. space probe lands on the moon and sends photos back to earth. It's the 1st soft-landing on the moon...
  9. 1997] Timothy McVeigh is convicted of murder and conspiracy in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that took 168 lives...
  10. 2003] Federal regulators vote to allow companies to buy more television/radio stations and newspaper combinations in the same city...

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