This Date in History - May 16

Happy birthday to Remington Steele.  You'll notice I didn't say James Bond.  There's only one actor who would get that accolade.

218:  JULIA MAESA, AUNT OF THE ASSASSINATED CARACALLA, IS BANISHED TO HER HOME IN SYRIA BY THE SELF-PROCLAIMED MACRINUS AND DECALRES HER 14 YEAR-OLD GRANDSON ELAGABALUS, EMPEROR OF ROME.

Go to your room Julia.  And no television!

1204:  BALDWIN IX, COUNT OF FLANDERS IS CROWNED AS THE FIRST EMPEROR OF THE LATIN EMPIRE.

The sixth Baldwin brother.

1527:  THE FLORENTINES DRIVE OUT THE MEDICI FOR A SECOND TIME AND FLORENCE RE-ESTABLISHES ITSELF AS A REPUBLIC.

For me, Florence will always be a maid to the Jeffersons.

1532:  SIR THOMAS MORE RESIGNS AS LORD CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND.

Later on, he opened up the girls dorm at Fordham University.  The only guy to have any kind of success in there.

1568:  MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, FLEES TO ENGLAND.

Whooosh!

1770:  14 YEAR-OLD MARIE ANTOINETTE MARRIES 15 YEAR-OLD LOUIS-AUGUSTE WHO LATER BECOMES KING OF FRANCE.

Oh, you crazy kids!

1843:  THE FIRST MAJOR WAGON TRAIN HEADING FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SETS OUT ON THE OREGON TRAIL WITH ONE THOUSAND PIONEERS FROM ELM GROVE, MISSOURI.

My grandmother's favorite TV western.  Paging Ward Bond.

1866:  THE US CONGRESS ELIMINATES THE HALF DIME COIN AND REPLACES IT WITH THE FIVE CENT PIECE OR NICKEL.

The one coin that has been neglected and maligned over the years.  I love my nickels.

1868:  PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON IS ACQUITTED IN HIS IMPEACHMENT TRAIL BY ONE VOTE IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE.

So there were college interns in the 1860s??  Who knew???

1905:  ACTOR HENRY FONDA IS BORN.

Little did he know what a big mouth his daughter would be.

1918:  THE SEDITION ACT OF 1918 IS PASSED BY THE US CONGRESS, MAKING CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENT AN IMPRISONABLE OFFENSE.

From what I can see, nobody ever enforces this law.

1919:  PIANIST LIBERACE IS BORN.

Do diapers come with sequins?

1920:  IN ROME, POPE BENEDICT XV CANONIZES JOAN OF ARC.

As if being burned at the stake wasn't enough.  Now they shoot her out of a cannon.  Oh, wait.  I read that too fast.

1928:  BASEBALL PLAYER/MANAGER BILLY MARTIN IS BORN.

Drunken dirtbag.  I once watched him pee in the snow.  Check my archives for the complete story.

1929:  IN HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA, THE FIRST ACADEMY AWARDS ARE HANDED OUT.

And the first Best Picture was........Wings!  Check it out on Blu-Ray. 

1931:  ACTOR JACK DODSON IS BORN.

Howard Sprague of the Andy Griffith Show!!

1951:  THE FIRST REGULARLY SCHEDULED TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHTS BEGIN BETWEEN IDLEWILD AIRPORT (NOW JFK) IN NYC AND HEATHROW AIRPORT IN LONDON.

Just curious.  What or who the hell is an Idlewild?

1953:  ACTOR PIERCE BROSNAN IS BORN.

I once saw him in a movie theater.  He looks much older in person.  Oh, the wonders of make-up and special effects.

1955:  AUTHOR JAMES AGEE DIES.

His most famous book was "A Death in the Family."  Boy, he got that right.

1956:  CANDYMAKER H.B. REESE DIES.

RIP.  Rest in Pieces.

1957:  FEDERAL AGENT ELIOT NESS DIES.

God says he's not so untouchable.

1966:  THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA ISSUES THE MAY 16 NOTICE MARKING THE BEGINNING OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION.

Culture in China?   That revolution ends with the May 17 Notice.

1974:  JOSIP BROZ TITO IS RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA.  THIS TIME HE IS ELECTED FOR LIFE.

So are most postal workers in America.

1975:  JUNKO TABEI BECOMES THE FIRST WOMAN TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVEREST.

Junko???  The first woman to do this was a clown??

1984:  COMEDIAN ANDY KAUFMAN DIES.

Or so we think.

1984:  AUTHOR IRWIN SHAW DIES.

Rich Man, Dead Man.

1985:  ACTRESS MARGARET HAMILTON DIES.

She melted.

1990:  ENTERTAINER SAMMY DAVIS JR. DIES.

One of the best.  Even with one glass eye.

1990:  PUPPETEER JIM HENSON DIES.

God ultimately pulls all our strings.

1991:  QUEEN ELIZABETH II OF THE UNITED KINGDOM ADDRESSED A JOINT SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.  SHE IS THE FIRST BRITISH MONARCH TO DO SO.

Any excuse to buy a new handbag.

2000:  BODACIOUS THE BULL DIES.

No bull.

2003:  IN CASABLANCA, MOROCCO, 33 CIVILIANS ARE KILLED AND MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE ARE INJURED IN THE CASABLANCA TERRORIST ATTACKS.

Nobody's going to Rick's on this day.

Dinner last night:  Louisiana sausage with mango salsa at the Dodger game.