This Date in History - May 17

 

On the occasion of what would have been his 68th birthday, we salute the late Bill Paxton.

1521:  EDWARD STAFFORD, 3RD DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM, IS EXECUTED FOR TREASON.

What happened to the first two Dukes of Buckingham?

1536:  GEORGE BOLEYN, 2ND VISCOUNT ROCHFORD IS EXECUTED FOR TREASON.

What happened to the 1st Viscount Rochford?

1536:  HENRY VIII AND ANNE BOLEYN'S MARRIAGE IS ANNULLED.

But they were not executed.

1580:  ANNE OF DENMARK IS CROWNED QUEEN OF SCOTLAND.

Isn't she being a bit of a hog?  Two countries?

1673:  LOUIS JOLLIET AND JACQUES MARQUETTE BEGIN EXPLORING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

Gee, this water is filthy.

1792:  THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE IS FORMED.

And immediately finished the day at an all time low.

1805:  MUHAMMAD ALI BECOMES WALI OF EGYPT.

Gee, that boxer was old.

1814:  OCCUPATION OF MONACO CHANGES FROM FRENCH TO AUSTRIAN.

So it went back to French at some point?

1875:  ARISTIDES WINS THE FIRST KENTUCKY DERBY.

I assume this was a horse.

1886:  BUSINESSMAN JOHN DEERE DIES.

Well, with a tractor, he was easy to bury.

1911:  ACTRESS MAUREEN O'SULLIVAN IS BORN.

Me, Tarzan.  You, toddler.

1915:  THE LAST BRITISH LIBERAL PARTY GOVERNMENT FAILS.

Don't they all?

1939:  THE COLUMBIA LIONS AND THE PRINCETON TIGERS PLAY IN THE US' FIRST TELEVISED SPORTING EVENT, A COLLEGIATE BASEBALL GAME.

Was this also the first Ballantine beer commercial?

1940:  WORLD WAR II - GERMANY OCCUPIES BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

Springtime for Sprouts.

1954:  THE US SUPREME COURT HANDS DOWN A UNANIMOUS DECISION IS BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION.

TKO in ten rounds.

1955:  ACTOR BILL PAXTON IS BORN.

Good actor.   Wonderful performance in Apollo 13.

1956:  COMIC BOB SAGET IS BORN.

The house got fuller.

1967:  SIX-DAY WAR - PRESIDENT NASSER OF EGYPT DEMANDS DISMANTLING OF THE PEACE KEEPING UN EMERGENCY FORCE IN EGYPT.

Does the UN ever manage to keep peace anywhere??

1973:  THE WATERGATE TELEVISED HEARINGS BEGIN IN THE US SENATE.

There go my episodes of Tattletales.

1974:  POLICE IN LOS ANGELES RAID THE SYMBIONESE LIBERATION ARMY HEADQUARTERS, KILLING SIX MEMBERS.

Meanwhile, whatever happened to Patty Hearst?

1992:  BANDLEADER LAWRENCE WELK DIES.

And a one and a two...

2004:  THE FIRST LEGAL SAME-SEX MARRIAGES IN THE US ARE PERFORMED IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

As opposed to illegal ones?

2004:  ACTOR TONY RANDALL DIES.

Interviewed him once.   Really nice man.

2005:  COMIC FRANK GORSHIN DIES.

???????????????   Am obscure joke.   Think about it.

2011:  BASEBALL STAR HARMON KILLEBREW DIES.

And still went 1 for 3.

2012:  SINGER DONNA SUMMER DIES.

Last dance, last chance...

2022:  MUSIC COMPOSER VANGELIS DIES.

The chariot fire has been doused.

Dinner last night:  Lasagna.