1953

Gary Lewis was 65 on the 31st of July

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (commonly known as ASCAP) was founded by composer Victor Herbert in New York City, New York, to
protect the musical copyrights of its member’s, who were mostly writers and
publishers associated with New York City’s Tin Pan Alley. ASCAP’s initial
members included the era’s most popular songwriters such as Irving 
Berlin, Jerome Kern, and John Phillip Sousa. As of July 2009, the non-
profit organization’s membership included over 360,000 songwriters,
composers and music publishers
.   

Victor Herbert

The American Magazine was the first magazine published in the American colonies, 
edited by John Webbe in Philadelphia. It preceded Benjamin Franklin’s General 
Magazine by three days. The monthly periodical covered the proceedings of 
colonial government, as well as moral, political, and historical topics. It was 
in print for only three months.