Wednesday, June 22, 2011

This Date in History - June 22


Happy birthday, Billy Wilder.  The greatest film director ever.

217 BC:  PTOLEMY IV PHILOPATOR OF EGYPT DEFEATS ANTIOCHUS III THE GREAT OF THE SELEUCID KINGDOM.

Seleucid?  I think that has some nasty side effects.

1633:  THE HOLY OFFICE IN ROME FORCES GALILEO GALILEI TO RECANT HIS VIEW THAT THE SUN, NOT THE EARTH, IS CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE.

Sun 1, Earth 0.

1783:  A POISONOUS CLOUD CAUSED BY THE ERUPTION OF THE LAKI VOLCANO IN ICELAND REACHES LE HAVRE IN FRANCE.

As if the French would even recognize a nasty odor.

1807:  IN THE CHESAPEAKE-LEOPOLD AFFAIR, THE BRITISH WARSHIP HMS LEOPARD ATTACKS AND BOARDS THE AMERICAN FRIGATE USS CHESAPEAKE.

Leopard 1, Chesapeake 0.

1844:  THE FRATERNITY DELTA KAPPA EPSILON IS FOUNDED AT YALE UNIVERSITY.

And then thereby inventing alcoholism amongst college students.

1898:  DURING THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, THE U.S. MARINES LAND IN CUBA.

Cigars all around.

1903:  GANGSTER JOHN DILLINGER IS BORN.

He should have watched the movie on Netflix.

1906:  DIRECTOR BILLY WILDER IS BORN.

A film legacy that is unequaled.

1906:  THE FLAG OF SWEDEN IS ADOPTED.

After several years being a foster flag.

1919: DANCER GOWER CHAMPION IS BORN.

A good thing since, otherwise, Marge would have had to do a solo.

1918:  THE HAMMOND CIRCUS TRAIN WRECK KILLS 86 AND INJURES 127 NEAR HAMMOND, INDIANA.

An idea plagarized years later by Cecil B. DeMille in "The Greatest Show on Earth."

1921:  BROADWAY PRODUCER JOSEPH PAPP IS BORN.

Also famous for his smear.

1941:  GERMANY INVADES RUSSIA.

Oh, sure, those goose steps are impressive now, but just you wait...

1944:  PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT SIGNS INTO LAW THE GI BILL.

The smartest thing he ever did.  Oh, yeah, that and cheating on the wife.

1945:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA ENDS JAPANESE ARMY FORCES COLLAPSE.

Years later, they still couldn't get a break when Ghidra the Three-Headed Monster came to town.

1949:  ACTRESS MERYL STREEP IS BORN.

She made two movies last week.  Oh, wait, make that four movies last week.

1953:  SINGER CYNDI LAUPER IS BORN.

Girls just want to have fun.

1969:  SINGER JUDY GARLAND DIES.

Over the rainbow and she expires while on the toilet bowl.  PS, her crypt is right around the corner from my mother at Ferncliff Cemetery.

1976:  THE CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS ABOLISHES CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

At least, their criminals can travel to the United States if they want to be executed.

1987:  ACTOR-DANCER FRED ASTAIRE DIES.

Never gonna dance...

1988:  SINGER DENNIS DAY DIES.

Not his day at all.

1990:  CHECKPOINT CHARLIE IS DISMANTLED IN BERLIN.

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that Checkpoint.

1993:  FORMER FIRST LADY PAT NIXON DIES.

Mrs. "I am not a crook" to you.

2002:  BASEBALL PITCHER DARRYL KILE DIES.

Met physicians just put him on the 60-day disabled list.

2002:  COLUMNIST ANN LANDERS DIED.

Dear Abby,...er, never mind.

2006:  DOG ACTOR MOOSE DIES.

The mutt from "Frasier."  Who gets his rerun residuals?

2008:  COMEDIAN GEORGE CARLIN DIES.

A bad forecast for that hippy dippy weatherman.

2009:  EASTMAN KODAK ANNOUNCES THAT IT WILL DISCONTINUE SALES OF KODACHROME COLOR FILM.

Well, there goes Paul Simon's career.

Dinner last night:  Pizza with pancetta and black olives at Maria's Italian Kitchen.

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