Wednesday, July 31, 2024

This Date in History - July 31

 

Happy birthday to Jerry's kid.  He made it big....despite Dad.

30 BC:  IN THE BATTLE OF ALEXANDRIA, MARC ANTONY ACHIEVES A MINOR VICTORY OVER OCTAVIAN'S FORCES, BUT MOST OF HIS ARMY DESERTS, LEADING TO HIS SUICIDE.

And this despite sleeping with Liz Taylor.  Or Jennifer Lopez.

781:  THE OLDEST RECORDED ERUPTION OF MOUNT FUJI.

Can you find this on You Tube?

904:  THESSALONICA FALLS TO THE ARABS, WHO DESTROY THE CITY.

Doesn't they always?

1201:  ATTEMPTED USURPATION OF JOHN KOMNENOS THE FAT.

If that's your nickname, you really must be.

1451:  JACQUES COEUR IS ARRESTED BY ORDER OF CHARLES VII OF FRANCE.

Coeurless.

1492:  THE JEWS ARE EXPELLED FROM SPAIN.

I see a pattern forming.

1498:  ON HIS THIRD VOYAGE TO THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS BECOMES THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO DISCOVER THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD.

His fourth voyage there was on Carnival Cruises.

1703:  DANIEL DEFOE IS PLACED IN A PILLORY FOR THE CRIME OF SEDITIOUS LIBEL AFTER PUBLISHING A POLITICALLY SATIRICAL PAMPHLET.

Is this what's going to happen to me and this blog?

1763:  CHEIF PONTIAC'S FORCES DEFEAT BRITISH TROOPS AT THE BATTLE OF BLOODY RUN.

I used to like Pontiac, but only in the four door sedan.

1856:  CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND IS CHARTERED AS A CITY.

Well, if you're going to include Jesus' name, you should be a city.

1911:  ARRANGER GEORGE LIBERACE IS BORN.

"Yeah, my brother George...."

1916:  GAME SHOW PRODUCER BILL TODMAN IS BORN.

And when do we get Goodson?

1919:  SPORTSCASTER CURT GOWDY IS BORN.

"Namath back to pass....."

1929:  ACTOR DON MURRAY IS BORN.

He chose to leave "Knots Landing" after its second season.  The show ran eleven more years.  Mr. Murray, I hope you fired your agent.

1930:  THE RADIO MYSTERY "THE SHADOW" AIRS FOR THE FIRST TIME.

He knows.

1931:  WCBS-TV IN NY BEGINS EXPERIMENTAL BROADCASTS.

Some might argue that they never stopped.

1932:  ACTOR TED CASSIDY IS BORN.

You rang?

1932:  THE NAZI PARTY WINS MORE THAN 38% OF THE VOTE IN GERMAN ELECTIONS.

Not an overwhelming majority, but they had tanks and panzers.

1939:  ACTRESS FRANCE NUYEN IS BORN.

I met her once at a screening of "South Pacific."  A friend of mine made her cry.  E-mail me for the details.

1940:  A DOODLEBUG TRAIN IN OHIO COLLIDES WITH A MULTI-CAR FREIGHT TRAIN, KILLING 43 PEOPLE.

And injuring lots of doodles.

1941:  UNDER INSTRUCTIONS FROM ADOLF HITLER, NAZI OFFICIAL HERMANN GORING ORDERS A GENERAL PLAN FOR CARRYING OUT THE FINAL SOLUTION OF THE JEWISH QUESTION.

Sounds incredibly vague?  In retrospect, we get it.

1945:  MUSICIAN GARY LEWIS IS BORN.

Not a one-hit wonder, but certainly less than ten.

1948:  IDLEWILD AIRPORT IN NY IS DEDICATED.

I wonder what its three letter abbreviation was before it was renamed JFK.

1961:  AT FENWAY PARK IN BOSTON, THE FIRST ALL STAR GAME TIE IN MLB HISTORY OCCURS WHEN RAIN STOPS THE GAME IN THE 9TH INNING.

How did bookies pay this off?

1966:  ACTOR DEAN CAIN IS BORN.

He actually might have been the best Superman.

1971:  APOLLO 15 ASTRONAUTS BECOME THE FIRST TO RIDE IN A LUNAR ROVER.

Whee!!!!

1973:  A DELTA AIR LINES JET CRASHES IN THE FOG AT BOSTON'S LOGAN AIRPORT, KILLING 89.

You will soon understand why this is not a good day to fly.

1987:  FILM PRODUCER JOSEPH E. LEVINE DIES.

And the "E" stood for?  Anybody?

1992:  THAI AIRWAYS FLIGHT 311 CRASHES IN NEPAL, KILLING ALL 113 PEOPLE ON BOARD.

Like I said....

1992:  CHINA GENERAL FLIGHT 7552 CRASHES AFTER TAKING OFF, KILLING 108 PEOPLE ON BOARD.

Cancel my reservation, please.

1992:  GEORGIA JOINS THE UNITED NATIONS.

Some people will do anything to honor Jimmy Carter.

2004:  ACTRESS VIRGINIA GREY DIES.

Wife of Earl, mother of several Crayolas.

2006:  FIDEL CASTRO HANDS OVER POWER TO BROTHER RAUL CASTRO.

"Yeah, that's my brother Raul...."

2012:  MICHAEL PHELPS BREAKS THE 1964 RECORD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER OF MEDALS WON AT THE OLYMPICS.

Three of which are now on eBay.

2012:  AUTHOR GORE VIDAL DIES.

When this first happened, I thought he already was.

2017:  FRENCH ACTRESS JEANNE MOREAU DIES.

Adieu.

2022: BASKETBALL STAR BILL RUSSELL DIES.

Fifth foul.

Dinner last night:  Had a big lunch, so just some ice cream.

No comments: