AUGUST 3RD
- TODAY IS NATIONAL WATERMELON DAY
- TODAY IS GEORGIA APPRECIATION DAY
- TODAY IS NATIONAL GRAB SOME NUTS DAY
BIRTHDAYS:
- JOHN SCOPES (1900-1970)
- TONY BENNETT (1926, 92)
- MARTIN SHEEN (1940, 78)
- MARTHA STEWART (1941, 77)
- JOHN LANDIS (1950, 68)
- JAMES HETFIELD (1963, 55)
- ISAIAH WASHINGTON (1963, 55)
- TOM BRADY (1977, 41)
- EVANGELINE LILY (1979, 39)
- MAMIE GUMMER (1983, 35)
- RYAN LOCHTE (1984, 34)
ON THIS DAY:
- IN 1108, LOUS VI, DUBBED “LOUIS, THE FAT ONE” BECOMES KING OF FRANCE
- IN 1492, CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS SETS SAIL ON HIS FIRST TRIP FROM SPAIN ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IN SEARCH OF “THE INDIES”
- IN 1807, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AARON BURR GOES ON TRIAL FOR TREASON AFTER HE WAS DISCOVERED ORGANIZING AN ARMED MILITIA FOR UNKNOWN PURPOSES
- IN 1829, GIOACCHINO ROSSINI DEBUTS “WILLIAM TELL” IN PARIS
- IN 1852, HARVARD BEATS YALE IN A CREW ROWING MATCH OVER TWO MILES OF LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE IN THE FIRST INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS MATCH
- IN 1882, PRESIDENT ARTHUR SIGNS THE IMMIGRATION ACT OF 1882, SETTING THE FIRST IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS IN THE NATION. IT INCLUDES A “HEAD TAX’ FOR NON CITIZENS AND RESTRICTIONS ON WHO CAN ENTER THE COUNTRY (NO CRIMINALS, THE INSANE OR THE THOSE “UNABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES”)
- IN 1900, HARVEY FIRESTONE FOUNDS THE FIRESTONE TIRE AND RUBBER COMPANY
- IN 1908, THE BOUYSSONIE BROTHERS OF FRANCE FIND A NEARLY COMPLETE 60,000 MAN FROM THE NEANDERTHAL AGE DUBBED “OLD MAN OF LA CHAPPELLE”
- IN 1914, THE FIRST SHIP PASSES THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL
- IN 1914, GERMANY OFFICIALLY DECLARES WAR ON FRANCE IN WORLD WAR I
- IN 1921, TROY, OHIO USES THE FIRST EVER CROP DUSTING PLANE TO KILL CATERPILLARS
- IN 1923, CALVIN COOLIDGE BECOMES PRESIDENT AS ALL BASEBALL GAMES ARE CANCELLED TO HONOR THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT WARREN G. HARDING
- IN 1932, A CAMERA IS USED FOR “PHOTO FINISH” PICTURES FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC GAMES
- IN 1934, ADOLF HITLER MERGES THE TITLES OF CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT TO CREATE THE NEW TITLE OF FUHRER (LEADER)
- IN 1936, JESSE OWENS WINS THE GOLD IN THE 100M WHILE ADOLF HITLER WATCHES, THE FIRST OF HIS FOUR GOLD MEDALS AT THE BERLIN OLYMPICS
- IN 1941, GAS RATIONING BEGINS IN THE U.S.
- IN 1941, JOE DIMAGGIO ENDS HIS 74 GAME HITTING STREAK
- IN 1943, GENERAL PATTON SLAPS A G.I. IN A HOSPTIAL FOR BEING A COWARD
- IN 1944, 4,000 GYPSIES ARE KILLED AT THE AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP
- IN 1948, NEGRO LEAGUE LEGEND SATCHEL PAIGE DEBUTS WITH CLEVELAND
- IN 1949, THE BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA AND THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE MERGE TO FORM THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA)
- IN 1958, BILLBOARD MAGAZINE DEBUTS THE “BILLBOARD HOT 100” SINGLES CHART
- IN 1963, ALLAN SHERMAN RELEASES “HELLO MUDDA, HELLO FADDA”
- IN 1963, THE BEACH BOYS RELEASE “SURFER GIRL”, THE FIRST SONG EVER WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY BRIAN WILSON
- IN 1966, LENNY BRUCE DIES OF A MORPHINE OVERDOSE AT 39
- IN 1967, 45,000 U.S. TROOPS ARE DEPLOYED TO VIETNAM
- IN 1971, PAUL MCCARTNEY INTRODUCES HIS NEW BAND WINGS
- IN 1973, STEVIE WONDER RELEASES “INNERVISIONS”
- IN 1975, THE SUPERDOME OPENS IN NEW ORLEANS
- IN 1977, THE 10TH JAMES BOND MOVIE “THE SPY WHO LOVED ME” OPENS
- IN 1981, 13,000 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS GO ON STRIKE, PROMPTING PRESIDENT REAGAN TO GIVE THEM A 48 HOUR ULTIMATUM TO RETURN OR LOSE THEIR JOBS
- IN 1984, MARY LOU RETTON BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO WIN A GOLD MEDAL AT THE OLYMPICS FOR GYMNASTICS
- IN 1985, MADONNA HITS #1 WITH “INTO THE GROOVE” IN EUROPE WHILE TEARS FOR FEARS HIT #1 IN THE U.S. WITH “SHOUT”
- IN 1986, THE CHICAGO BEARS BEAT THE DALLAS COWBOYS IN THE FIRST PRE-SEASON EXHIBITION GAME IN LONDON, DUBBED “THE AMERICAN BOWL”
- IN 1986, THE “NEWS OF THE WORLD” PRINTS AN INTERVIEW WITH 16 YEAR OLD MODEL MANDY SMITH ABOUT HER 2 ½ YEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH ROLLING STONES BASSIST BILL WYMAN
- IN 1987, DEF LEPPARD RELEASES “HYSTERIA”
- IN 1992, CLINT EASTWOOD DEBUTS “UNFORGIVEN”
- IN 1993, GAYLE GARDNER IS THE FIRST WOMAN TO DO PLAY-BY-PLAY FOR A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME
- IN 1996, GENERAL WILLIAM GARRISON ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILED 1993 RAID IN SOMALIA AND RETIRES FROM THE MILITARY. THE MOVIE “BLACK HAWK DOWN” IS BASED ON THE EVENTS
- IN 1996, LOS DEL RIO BEGINS A 14 WEEK RUN AT #1 WITH “MACARENA”
- IN 1996, ANDRE AGASSI WINS GOLD IN TENNIS AT THE ATLANTA OLYMPICS
- IN 1997, GARTH BROOKS PERFORMS A FREE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK, NYC
- IN 1999, ROD ANSELL, AN AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMAN WHO WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR “CROCODILE DUNDEE” DIES IN A SHOOT OUT WITH POLICE AT 44
- IN 2001, DISNEY RELEASES “THE PRINCESS DIARIES”
- IN 2001, PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS THE “IRAN AND LIBYA SANCTIONS ACT”
- IN 2004, THE PEDESTAL OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY OPENS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE 9/11 ATTACKS IN 2001
- IN 2008, 71 YEAR OLD MORGAN FREEMAN CRASHES HIS CAR AND FLIPS IT OVER SEVERAL TIMES BUT WALKS AWAY WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES
- IN 2008, KID ROCK HITS #1 WITH “ALL SUMMER LONG”
- IN 2012, MICHAEL PHELPS WINS THE 100M BUTTERFLY, BRINGING HIS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL TOTAL TO 17
- IN 2012, STEVIE WONDER DIVORCES HIS WIFE KAI MILLARD AFTER 11 YEARS
- IN 2015, GWEN STEFANI AND GAVIN ROSSDALE DIVORCE AFTER 13 YEARS
- IN 2015, PRESIDENT OBAMA UNVEILS HIS “CLEAN POWER PLAN”
- IN 2017, IRANIAN PRESIDENT HASSAN ROUHANI IS RE-ELECTED TO HIS SECOND TERM
- IN 2017, MICHELLE CARTER IS SENTENCED TO 2 ½ YEARS IN PRISON FOR URGING HER BOYFRIEND TO COMMIT SUICIDE