This Date in History - June 4

Happy birthday to Michelle Phillips.  You all remember her from the Mamas and Papas.  Me?  She'll always be the tricky Anne Matheson on "Knots Landing."

1411:  KING CHARLES VI GRANTED A MONOPOLY FOR THE RIPENING OF ROQUEFORT CHEESE TO THE PEOPLE OF ROQUEFORT.

Those living in Mozzarella are appalled.

1745:  FREDERICK THE GREAT'S PRUSSIAN ARMY DECISIVELY DEFEATED AN AUSTRIAN ARMY.

Crap, I had Austria in the office pool.

1783:  THE MONTGOLFIER BROTHERS PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATE THEIR HOT AIR BALLOON CALLED A MONTGOLFIERE.

Clever.   How did they come up with that?

1792:  CAPTAIN GEORGE VANCOUVER CLAIMS PUGET SOUND FOR THE KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN.

Ferry funny.

1812:  FOLLOWING LOUISIANA'S ADMITTANCE AS A US STATE, THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY IS RENAMED THE MISSOURI TERRITORY.

Sounds like needless bureaucratic paperwork to me.

1855:  MAJOR HENRY C. WAYNE DEPARTS NEW YORK ABOARD THE USS SUPPLY TO PROCURE CAMELS TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST US CAMEL CORPS.

Well, Wednesday is a hump day.

1862:  DURING THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, CONFEDERATE TROOPS EVACUATE FORT PILLOW, LEAVING THE WAY CLEAR FOR UNION TROOPS TO TAKE MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

How scared would you be fighting somebody from Fort Pillow??

1876:  AN EXPRESS TRAIN CALLED THE TRANSCONTINENTAL EXPRESS ARRIVES IN SAN FRANCISCO ONLY 83 HOURS AND 39 MINUTES AFTER LEAVING NEW YORK CITY.

Can you imagine if this was a local?

1896: HENRY FORD COMPLETES THE FORD QUADRICYCLE, HIS FIRST GASOLINE-POWERED AUTOMOBILE, AND GIVES IT A TEST RUN.

And then gas prices jumped to over 5 cents a gallon.

1912:  MASSACHUSETTS BECOMES THE FIRST STATE OF THE UNITED STATES TO SET A MINIMUM WAGE.

Good because gas will soon be over a dime a gallon.

1917:  THE FIRST PULITZER PRIZES ARE AWARDED.

And I never heard of any of the winners so I'm not bothering to type them here.

1919:  THE US CONGRESS APPROVES THE 19TH AMENDMENT TO THE US CONSTITUTION, WHICH GUARANTEES SUFFRAGE TO WOMEN.

Satisfied now?   Okay, go make me my supper.

1924:  ACTOR DENNIS WEAVER IS BORN.

Mr. Dillon!!!!

1928:  THERAPIST DR. RUTH WESTHEIMER IS BORN.

Okay, so her folks weren't using a condom.

1932:  MARMADUKE GROVE AND OTHER CHILEAN MILITARY OFFICERS LEAD A COUP D'ETAT.

Included this for one reason only.   Can you guess?   Woof.

1936:  ACTOR BRUCE DERN IS BORN.

He looked a lot older in "Nebraska."

1942:  DURING WORLD WAR II, THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY ISLAND BEGINS.

Screenplay to follow.

1944:  ROME FALLS TO THE ALLIES, THE FIRST AXIS CAPITAL TO FALL.

Mussolini still hanging around?

1944:  ACTRESS MICHELLE PHILLIPS IS BORN.

One of the most clever television moments came on "Knots Landing" when they had her character try to overdose while listening to "Dedicated to the One I Love."

1957:  DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DELIVERED HIS FAMOUS POWER OF NONVIOLENCE SPEECH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY.

At Berkeley?  Wow, far out.

1961:  IN THE VIENNA SUMMIT, THE SOVIET PREMIER NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV SPARKS THE BERLIN CRISIS BY THREATENING TO SIGN A SEPARATE PEACE TREATY WITH EAST GERMANY AND AMERICAN ACCESS TO EAST BERLIN.

Mr. Khrushchev, put up your wall.

1974:  DURING TEN CENT BEER NIGHT, INEBRIATED CLEVELAND INDIAN FAN START A RIOT AND FORCE THEIR GAME TO BE FORFEITED.

Nowadays, you can't get a beer for less than ten bucks.

1975:  THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA JERRY BROWN SIGNS THE CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT.

And, lucky us, this asshole is back in charge again.

1989:  THE TIANANMEN SQUARE PROTESTS ARE VIOLENTLY ENDED IN BEIJING.

Years later, you can't breathe the air there so....what was the point?

1998:  TERRY NICHOLS IS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR HIS ROLE IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING.

Throw away the key, please.

2007: BASEBALL PLAYER CLETE BOYER DIES.

The ultimate bad hop.

2010:  BASKETBALL COACH JOHN WOODEN DIES.

Back in the late 50s, he and Vin Scully lived in the same Los Angeles apartment building.

2012:  THE DIAMOND JUBILEE CONCERT IS HELD OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE IN LONDON.

I bet the Queen eventually called the cops.

Dinner last night:  Grilled steak salad.