622: THE BEGINNING OF THE ISLAMIC CALENDAR.
Pick one up at your friendly neighborhood Islamic dry cleaner.
1661: THE FIRST BANKNOTES IN EUROPE ARE ISSUED BY THE SWEDISH BANK STOCKHOLMS BANCO.
With a free toaster to the first 50 customers.
1769; FATHER JUNIPERO SERRA FOUNDS CALIFORNIA'S FIRST MISSION, WHICH WILL LATER BECOME THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO.
Hence, the Padres.
1782: FIRST PERFORMANCE OF WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART'S OPERA "DIE ENTFUHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL."
Try going up to the box office and asking for tickets to that.
1790: THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IS ESTABLISHED AS THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED STATES.
Let the graft begin.
1849: ANTONIO MARIA CLARET Y CLARA FOUNDED THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSIONARY SONS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY IN BARCELONA, SPAIN.
Sons? It sounds like a convent to me.
1861: AT THE ORDER OF PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN, UNION TROOPS BEGIN A 25 MILE MARCH INTO VIRGINIA FOR WHAT WILL BECOME THE FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
Virginia in July can be hot and muggy.
1882: MARY TODD LINCOLN DIES.
She was supposedly a bit of a nut.
1907: ACTRESS BARBARA STANWYCK IS BORN.
So sexy on screen. It's amazing she was a lesbian.
1907: BUSINESSMAN ORVILLE REDENBACHER IS BORN.
Pop.
1909: MOHAMMAD ALI SHAH QAJAR IS FORCED OUT AS SHAH OF PERSIA AND IS REPLACED BY HIS SON AHMAD SHAH QAJAR.
Was it something he said?
1911: ACTRESS GINGER ROGERS IS BORN.
Let's face the music and dance.
1924: TV PERSONALITY BESS MYERSON IS BORN.
How did that romance with Ed Koch work out for you?
1925: SURGEON FRANK JOBE IS BORN.
One-half of Kerlan-Jobe. Tommy John sends his thanks.
1931: EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE I SIGNS THE FIRST CONSTITUTION OF ETHIOPIA.
Does Haile Selassie II sign the second?
1935: THE WORLD'S FIRST PARKING METER IS INSTALLED IN OKLAHOMA CITY.
Crap, I thought I had a quarter.
1941: JOE DIMAGGIO HITS SAFELY FOR THE 56TH CONSECUTIVE GAME, A STREAK THAT STILL STANDS AS A MLB RECORD.
A record that will stand forever.
1945: THE MANHATTAN PROJECT - THE ATOMIC AGE BEGINS WHEN THE UNITED STATES SUCCESSFULY DETONATES A NUCLEAR WEAPON NEAR NEW MEXICO.
Watch out, Japan. It's coming.
1951: "THE CATCHER IN THE RYE" BY JD SALINGER IS PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Book report due by Monday.
1956: RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM AND BAILEY CIRCUS CLOSES ITS VERY LAST "BIG TENT" IN PITTSBURGH.
Ever since they're held in arenas. And the elephants do their business on city streets outside.
1969: APOLLO 11, THE FIRST MISSION TO LAND ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON, IS LAUNCHED.
And Neil Armstrong starts thinking about what to say.
1973: WATERGATE SCANDAL - FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE ALEXANDER BUTTERFIELD INFORMS THE US SENATE THAT PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON HAD SECRETLY RECORDED CONVERSATIONS.
What tape recorder?
1979: IRAQI PRESIDENT AHMED HASSAN AL-BAKR RESIGNS AND IS REPLACED BY SADDAM HUSSEIN.
Uh oh.
1981: SONGWRITER HARRY CHAPIN DIES IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT ON LONG ISLAND.
Should have taken the taxi.
1999: JOHN F. KENNEDY JR, PILOTING A SMALL PLANE, CRASHES IN THE OCEAN NEAR MARTHA'S VINEYARD. THE CRASH ALSO KILLS HIS WIFE AND SISTER-IN-LAW.
He barely passed the bar. What makes anybody think he could fly a plane?
2008: SINGER JO STAFFORD DIES.
Her stuff was played on the record player over and over and over when I was a kid.
2012: DIRECTOR WILLIAM ASHER DIES.
He directed "I Love Lucy" and was married to Elizabeth Montgomery, so I guess life was good.
Dinner last night: Antipasto and sandwich buffet on a party boat in the middle of the Long Island Sound. First time for that.
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