Charles Edward Anderson Berry
(October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017)
Music pioneer Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and
blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive
with songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven"
(1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode"
(1958)
On October 18, 1867, the U.S. formally took possession of
Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2
million, or less than two cents an acre. Indigenous peoples
settled the unforgiving territory thousands of years earlier.
The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412 square miles, about
twice the size of Texas, and was championed by William
Henry Seward, the enthusiastically expansionist secretary
of state under President Andrew Johnson.
Russia wanted to sell its Alaska territory, which was remote
and difficult to defend, to the U.S. rather than risk losing it
in battle with a rival such as Great Britain.
Treasury warrant in the amount of $7.2 million for the
purchase of Alaska. (Department of the Treasury;
National Archives)
(May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872)
On October 17, 1974, Benji, a film about a stray dog who helps
rescue several kidnapped children, opens in theaters; it will
go on to become a family classic.
Written and directed by Joe Camp, Benji starred a mutt named
Higgins, who had been rescued as a puppy from a California
animal shelter and went on to appear in the 1960s TV series
Petticoat Junction and the 1971 movie Mooch Goes to
Hollywood, with Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Benji was a commercial hit and spawned a series of TV movies
as well as the follow-up features For the Love of Benji (1977),
Oh Heavenly Dog (1980) and Benji the Hunted (1987), all
starring Higgins’ daughter Benjean.
