Birthdays: British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, Elisha Otis inventor of the elevator, John T. Scopes- the teacher accused in the Monkey Trial, Habib Bourguiba, Ernie Pyle, Gene Kelly, Lenny Bruce, John Landis, Jay North, Dolores Del Rio, Leon Uris, Ann Klein, Martha Stewart, Corey Burton, Tony Bennett, Martin Sheen is 83, John C. McGinley is 64
1769- Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola made the first-ever recorded mention of the La Brea "tar pits" in Los Angeles: "The 3rd, we proceeded for three hours on a good road; to the right of it were extensive swamps of bitumen which is called chapapote. We debated whether this substance, which flows melted from underneath the earth, could occasion so many earthquakes.”
1823- English Poet Lord Byron arrived in Greece, burning with a desire to help the Greeks attain independence.
1933- The first Mickey Mouse watches go on sale. For $2.95 each.
1935- Mickey’s Fire Brigade, directed by Ben Sharpsteen.
1936- Jesse Owen’s won gold in the 100m dash at the Berlin Olympics.
1948- Now that Baseball was finally integrated, Satchel Page, genius of the Negro Leagues, makes his belated Major League debut with the Cleveland Indians. A 45 year old rookie. Page once said:" Don't look back, something may be gaining on you."
1949 -The National Basketball League is founded.
1963 –Unemployed television producer Alan Sherman used to make friends laugh with songs he improved at the piano. They encouraged him to publish an album. Called “My Son the Folksinger” it contained the hit “Sarah Backman, Sarah Backman, Hows By You?” A song from his third album, My Son the Nut, “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, Here I am at, Camp Granada” and became a sensation.
1966- While celebrating his 40th birthday, Comedian Lenny Bruce died of a herion overdose. The groundbreaking raunchy comedian who coined the term “T & A” was arrested in 1964 and charged with obscenity for using the "F" word in his act. President Johnson and his opponent Senator Barry Goldwater would swear frequently in private, but comedians were only supposed to make mother-in-law jokes.
.Lenny Bruce did six months in jail, and left broken physically and financially. No club would dare hire him. Phil Spector said: “Lenny died of an overdose of cops”. Today he is the patron-saint for all modern stand-up comedy.
1975- The Louisiana Superdome stadium was dedicated. The first dome stadium. Some football coaches like Mike Ditka of the Chicago Bears were skeptical:” Football is meant to be played in snow and mud. Dome stadiums are for Roller Derby!”
1996- The Macarena, by Los Del Rio, becomes the #1 hit worldwide dance craze.
2012- At the London Olympics, swimmer Michael Phelps won his final race. That made his total earning 22 Olympic medals, 17 of them gold.
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