This Date in History - August 6

How do you not salute Lucy on this, her birthday?   It's also a bad day to be Pope.  You will see what I mean.

258:  POPE SIXTUS II DIES.

One.

523:  POPE HORMISDAS DIES.

Two.

1284:  THE REPUBLIC OF PISA IS DEFEATED IN THE BATTLE OF MELORIA BY THE REPUBLIC OF GENOA.

So, People of Pisa, which side are you leaning to?

1458:  POPE CALLIXTUS III DIES.

Three.

1777:  DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE BLOODY BATTLE OF ORISKANY PREVENTS AMERICAN RELIEF OF THE SIEGE OF FORT STANWIX.

Stanwix?  Barbara?

1787:  SIXTY PROOF SHEETS OF THE US CONSTITUTION ARE DELIVERED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

Who's got a red pen?

1806:  FRANCIS II, THE LAST HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR, ABDICATES ENDING THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE.

It lasted a lot longer than Vegas thought.

1819:  NORWICH UNIVERSITY IS FOUNDED IN VERMONT AS THE FIRST PRIVATE MILITARY SCHOOL IN THE US.

Ten-shun.

1845:  THE RUSSIAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY IS FOUNDED.

So now we know what magazines are hanging around dentists' offices in Moscow.

1870:  DURING THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR, THE BATTLE OF SPICHEREN IS FOUGHT, RESULTING IN A PRUSSIAN VICTORY.

Who was the winning Prussian pitcher?

1870:  DURING THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR, THE BATTLE OF WORTH RESULTS IN A PRUSSIAN VICTORY.

Ah, a day-night doubleheader.

1881:  GOSSIP COLUMNIST LOUELLA PARSONS IS BORN.

Do tell.

1890:  AT AUBURN PRISON IN NEW YORK, MURDERED WILLIAM KEMMLER BECOMES THE FIRST PERSON TO BE EXECUTED BY ELECTRIC CHAIR.

The more, the merrier.

1911:  ACTRESS LUCILLE BALL IS BORN.

This should be a national holiday.

1912:  THE BULL MOOSE PARTY MEETS AT THE CHICAGO COLISEUM.

Bullwinkle gets in for free.

1914:  SERBIA DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY.  AUSTRIA DECLARES WAR ON RUSSIA.

World War II, here we come.

1917:  ACTOR ROBERT MITCHUM IS BORN.

Celebrate his birthday.  Have some beef.

1926:  GERTRUDE EDERLE BECOMES THE FIRST WOMAN TO SWIM ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

Grease is the word.

1928:  ARTIST ANDY WARHOL IS BORN.

Celebrate his birthday.  Have some Campbell's Soup.

1930:  JUDGE JOSEPH CRATER STEPS INTO A NY TAXI AND IS NEVER SEEN AGAIN.

As if this has happened again since?

1938:  ACTOR/DIRECTOR PETER BONERZ IS BORN.

Met him once.  Saw him twice later at the Egyptian Theater and the Hollywood Bowl.

1942:  QUEEN WILHELMINA OF THE NETHERLANDS BECOMES THE FIRST REIGNING QUEEN TO ADDRESS A JOINT SESSION OF THE US CONGRESS.

So, Eleanor Roosevelt doesn't count?

1945:  DURING WORLD WAR II, IN HIROSHIMA, THE ATOMIC BOMB IS DROPPED BY ENOLA GAY.

Sayonara.

1946:  BASEBALL STAR TONY LAZZARI DIES.

Ciao.

1956:  AFTER GOING BANKRUPT, THE DUMONT TELEVISION NETWORK HAS ITS FINAL BROADCAST.

In 2014, it would have had a life as Direct TV Channel 437.

1959:  DIRECTOR PRESTON STURGES DIES.

Genius.  Buried in the same cemetery with my parents.

1962:  JAMAICA BECOMES INDEPENDENT FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM.

More importantly, you can change there for the Long Island Railroad.

1964:  PROMETHEUS, THE WORLD'S OLDEST TREE, IS CUT DOWN.

And dogs across the world weep.

1965:  US PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON SIGNS THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 INTO LAW.

When can we repeal?

1078:  POPE PAUL VI DIES.

Four.  Told ya.

1988: THE TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK RIOT IN NYC SPURS A REFORM OF THE NYPD, HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVENT.

Unfortunately, it took a terrorist attack 13 years later to make people respect the cops again. 

1991:  JOURNALIST HARRY REASONER DIES.

-30-.

2009:  DIRECTOR JOHN HUGHES DIES.

Another excuse for Ferris Bueller to take the day off.

2012:  COMPOSER MARVIN HAMLISCH DIES.

The way he was.

Dinner last night:   Chinese chicken salad.