This Date in History - October 5

And the password, Allen Ludden is....Happy Birthday.  No, wait, that's two words.

610:  CORONATION OF BYZANTINE EMPEROR HERACLIUS.

Here-a Clius, there-a clius.

869:  THE FOURTH COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE IS CONVENED TO DECIDE ABOUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT PATRIARCH PHOTIUS.

I don't know what he did, but lynching is always good.

1550:  THE FOUNDATION OF CONCEPCION, A CITY IN CHILE.

A very clean city.  Indeed, it's the Immaculate Concepcion.

1582:  BECAUSE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR, THIS DAY DOES NOT EXIST IN THIS YEAR IN ITALY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, AND SPAIN.

Makes it tougher to schedule a cleaning lady.

1789:  DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, WOMEN OF PARIS MARCH TO VERSAILLES TO CONFRONT LOUIS XVI ABOUT HIS REFUSAL TO PROMULGATE THE DECREES ON THE ABOLITION OF FEUDALISM, DEMAND BREAD, AND HAVE THE KING AND HIS COURT MOVED TO PARIS.

And, oh, yeah, Louie, how about a little deodorant, please?

1793:  DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, CHRISTIANITY IS DISESTABLISHED IN FRANCE.

So much for those chicks marching to Versailles.

1813:  SHAWNEE LEADER TECUMSEH DIES.

One little Indian...

1829:  PRESIDENT CHESTER A. ARTHUR IS BORN.

As far as I know, he didn't break a thing.  Might be the last President we could say that about.

1857:  THE CITY OF ANAHEIM IS FOUNDED.

Oh, goodie.  Now we have someplace to put Disneyland.

1864:  THE INDIAN CITY OF CALCUTTA IS ALMOST TOTALLY DESTROYED BY A CYCLONE.

Call centers will be down for an hour, sorry.

1895:  THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL FOR RACING CYCLISTS IS HELD ON A 50-MILE COURSE NORTH OF LONDON.

If you couldn't get your Chinese food delivered on this day, you now know why.

1902:  STOOGE LARRY FINE IS BORN.

Why I oughta!!!!

1902:  FAST FOOD KING RAY KROC IS BORN.

He lived for 82 years.  This means he never once ate in his own restaurants.

1905:  ACTRESS HARRIET MACGIBBON IS BORN.

Mrs. Drysdale from the Beverly Hillbillies!!!!

1905:  WILBUR WRIGHT PILOTS WRIGHT FLYER III IN A FLIGHT OF 24 MILES IN 39 MINUTES, A WORLD RECORD THAT STOOD UNTIL 1908.

On the 405 Freeway at rush hour, you can't go 2.4 miles in 39 minutes.

1917:  GAME SHOW HOST ALLEN LUDDEN IS BORN.

And what happened to that Password judge, Dr. Reason A. Goodman?

1921:  THE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES IS BROADCAST ON RADIO FOR THE FIRST TIME.

And, gee whiz, I bet you could listen to it in the afternoon, too.

1924:  COMEDIAN BILL DANA IS BORN.

My name...Jose Jimenez.

1944:  SUFFRAGE IS EXTENDED TO WOMEN IN FRANCE.

Finally.  After marching to Versailles 155 years to the day.

1945:  A SIX-MONTH STRIKE BY HOLLYWOOD SET DECORATORS TURNS INTO A BLOODY RIOT AT THE GATES OF THE WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS.

Set decorators?  Gee, how tough could they be?

1947:  THE FIRST TELEVISED WHITE HOUSE ADDRESS IS GIVEN BY PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN.

And it essentially pre-empted....nothing.

1949:  BASEBALL WRITER/STAT WHIZ BILL JAMES IS BORN.

And, despite what he might tell you, baseball did exist prior to 1949.

1950:  ACTOR JEFF CONAWAY IS BORN.

And now he's dead.  Taxi!

1953:  THE FIRST DOCUMENTED RECOVERY MEETING OF NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS IS HELD.

Looking for folks who were there.  Oh, wait, sorry, you're anonymous.

1962:  THE FIRST JAMES BOND FILM, DR. NO, IS RELEASED.

And the franchise really doesn't get going until Goldfinger in 1964.

1969:  THE FIRST EPISODE OF MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS AIRS ON BBC.

And it will show up in America as soon as....

1970:  THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE IS FOUNDED.

How soon before we get the first pledge drive?

1981:  ACTRESS GLORIA GRAHAME DIES.

And that's the way the cracker crumbles.

1982:  JOHNSON AND JOHNSON INSTITUTES A NATIONWIDE RECALL OF TYLENOL AFTER SEVERAL BOTTLES IN CHICAGO ARE LACED WITH CYANIDE.

Oh, come on.  It was just a couple of disgruntled Cub fans who wanted to ease their pain after another losing season.

1986:  FILM PRODUCER HAL B. WALLIS DIES.

Hal b dead.

2001:  SENATOR MIKE MANSFIELD DIES.

He had a horrible comb over, but I don't think that's what killed him.

2001:  ROBERT STEVENS BECOMES THE FIRST VICTIM IN THE 2001 ANTHRAX ATTACKS.

And obviously Mansfield didn't die from anthrax either.

2004:  COMEDIAN RODNEY DANGERFIELD DIES.

There's really no respect now.

Dinner last night:  Baby back ribs at Champs in Dallas.