President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.
The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.
Louis Arthur Johnson (January 10, 1891 – April 24, 1966)
Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday" for President John F. Kennedy (below). The event was a fund-raiser at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Malcolm X (Malcolm Little) (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965)
Iconic Muslim minister, leader of the Nation of Islam, and human rights activist, Malcom X spoke out against disenfranchisement of African Americans and white supremacy. His autobiography, published shortly after his assassination in 1965, is considered one of the most important nonfiction books of the 20th century.
John and Jacqueline Kennedy.
Aristotle and Jacqueline Onassis.
Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis (Bouvier) (July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994)
In Massapequa, NY. on this day in 1992, Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot and seriously wounded by Amy Fisher. Fisher was her husband Joey’s teen-age lover.
Amy Elizabeth Fisher will be 44 on August 21.
Mary Jo and her husband Joey Buttafuoco.
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is 73 years old today.
Pete Townshend is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Who. His career with the Who spans over 50 years, during which time the band grew to be considered one of the most influential bands of the 20th century.
