Birthdays: Roman Emperor Nero, Roman Emperor Lucius Verus who was known for little else but his really swell haircut, Gustav Eiffel, J. Paul Getty, Jeff Chandler, Alan Freed, Ernie Pintoff, Tim Conway, Helen Slater, Neil DeGrasse-Tyson, Don Johnson is 74, Julie Taymor is 71
1815- Giacomo Rossini received the commission to write a new opera based on Beaumarchais’ play The Marriage of Figaro- The Barber of Seville.
1893- Composer Antonin Dvorak premiered a symphony he wrote while living with the Czech community in Spillville, Iowa. The New World Symphony. He said that If Americans wanted to create their own national style of music, they needed to study the music of African-Americans and Native Americans.
1939- The gala premiere of Gone with The Wind at the Loews Grand Theater in Atlanta Georgia. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh flew out from Hollywood and the Governor of Georgia declared it a state holiday. Clark Gable called Margaret Mitchell “ The most fascinating woman I ever met.” Hattie McDaniel, the first black woman to win an Oscar for her portrayal, was not invited to the premiere.
1941- The American Federation of Labor announced there would be no strikes or other labor actions for the duration of World War II.
1941- Lena Horne recorded her signature tune “Stormy Weather.”
1943- In Harlem jazz great Fats Waller died of alcoholism and heart failure. He was 39.
1944- Band Leader Glen Miller's plane disappeared over the English Channel. In 1988, a retired RAF pilot admitted he may have jettisoned some leftover bombs above the entertainer's plane while returning home from a bombing run. Other experts claim it may have been a faulty carburetor or icing in the fuel lines.
1954- “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier” starring Fess Parker was featured on The Walt Disney TV show for the first time. The show created a mania for little kids all wanting coonskin caps. “Born on a mountaintop in Tenn-Ah-See..”
1966- Walt Disney died at age 65. He was alone in the room at Saint Joseph's when he died. His brother Roy had been in earlier rubbing his legs. On his desk, scribbled on a piece of paper the name- Kurt Russell. A heavy cigarette smoker- his favorites were Malboro and French Gitanes- he suffered from lung cancer and respiratory failure. Contrary to the legend that he's cryogenically frozen in a room in the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, he was cremated and his ashes interred at Forest Lawn.
1974- Mel Brooks film Young Frankenstein opened in general release.
1979- Lupin III- The Castle of Cagliostro opened. The first theatrical film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. He had directed TV series with his friend Isao Takahata, but this was his first feature film as sole director.
1985- Sylvester Stallone married model Birgit Nielson. This was after he divorced his first wife Sasha who had shared his years of privation up to stardom. She worked as an usher at the Crown movie theater in NY to support Sly while he went to acting school.
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