This Date in History - June 23

 

Happy birthday to actor Ted Shackelford.  A "Knots Landing" star is automatically honored here.

229:  SUN QUAN PROCLAIMS HIMSELF EMPEROR OF EASTERN WU.

Who died and made him Emperor?

1611:  THE MUTINOUS CREW OF HENRY HUDSON'S FOURTH VOYAGE SETS HENRY, HIS SON AND SEVEN LOYAL CREW MEMBERS ADRIFT IN AN OPEN BOAT.  THEY ARE NEVER HEARD FROM AGAIN.

So he never got to see his parkway.

1683:  WILLIAM PENN SIGNS A FRIENDSHIP TREATY WITH LENNI LENAPE INDIANS IN PENNSYLVANIA.

Lenni Lenape Speaks.

1780:  THE BATTLE OF SPRINGFIELD, NEW JERSEY DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.  THE AREA IS NOW SHORT HILLS.

And a mall.

1860:  THE US CONGRESS ESTABLISHES THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

Lots of dollar bills to come.

1917:  IN A GAME AGAINST THE WASHINGTON SENATORS, BOSTON RED SOX PITCHER ERNIE SHORE RETIRES 26 BATTERS IN A ROW AFTER REPLACING BABE RUTH, WHO HAD BEEN EJECTED FOR PUNCHING THE UMPIRE.

Forget the pitching performance.   I want to know about the umpire being punched.

1927:  DANCER BOB FOSSE IS BORN.

And all that jazz.

1931:  WILEY POST AND HAROLD GATTY TAKE OFF FROM ROOSEVELT FIELD, LONG ISLAND IN AN ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE THE WORLD IN A SINGLE EMPIRE PLANE.

And they got stuck on the LIE near Islip.

1940:  ADOLF HITLER GOES ON A THREE-HOUR TOUR OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF PARIS.

Too bad the three hour tour wasn't like on "Gilligan's Island" and he never came back.

1946:  ACTOR TED SHACKELFORD IS BORN.

TV's Gary Ewing.

1956:  MUSICIAN RANDY JACKSON IS BORN.

Beginning his "journey."

1957:  ACTRESS FRANCES MCDORMAND IS BORN.

She won an Oscar this year for one of the dullest movies ever.

1960:  THE US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION DECLARES ENOVID TO BE THE FIRST OFFICIALLY APPROVED ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILL IN THE WORLD.

Take two and wake me in the morning.

1969:  IBM ANNOUNCES THAT EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1970 IT WILL PRICES ITS SOFTWARE AND SERVICES SEPARATELY FROM HARDWARE THUS CREATING THE MODERN SOFTWARE INDUSTRY.

And we have never been the same since.

1972:  WATERGATE - US PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON AND WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF H.R. HALDEMAN ARE TAPED TALKING ABOUT USING THE CIA TO OBSTRUCT THE FBI'S INVESTIGATION INTO THE WATERGATE BREAK-IN.

Is this thing on?

1980:  ACTRESS MELISSA RAUCH IS BORN.

Bernadette on TV's "Big Bang Theory."

1995:  NEWSCASTER ROGER GRIMSBY DIES.

Not here now with the news.

1998:  ACTRESS MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN DIES.

Me, Tarzan.  You, Dead.

2006:  PRODUCER AARON SPELLING DIES.

A very, very rich rich man.

2009:  TV PERSONALITY ED MCMAHON DIES.

Hi-oh.

2011:  ACTOR PETER FALK DIES.

Can I ask you one more question?

2013:  NIK WALLENDA BECOMES THE FIRST MAN TO SUCCESSFULLY WALK ACROSS THE GRAND CANYON ON A TIGHT ROPE.

Wouldn't it have been easier to take a hike?

2015:  ACTOR DICK VAN PATTEN DIES.  

87 Was Enough.

Dinner last night:  Leftover sausage and roasted vegetables.