Richard (Dick) Wagstaff Clark
(November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012)

On August 5, 1957, TV’s "American Bandstand" began
broadcasting nationally beaming images of clean-cut,
average teenagers dancing to the not-so-clean-cut
Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” to
67 ABC affiliates across the nation.

The show would become an iconic expression of
American teen culture.         
    
“American Bandstand" aired five days a week in live
national broadcast until 1963, when the show moved
west to Los Angeles and began a 24-year run as a taped
weekly program with Dick Clark as host.

On August 4, 1790, the first U.S. Congress authorized the
construction of 10 vessels to patrol U.S. ports from
Massachusetts to Georgia.

The United States Coast Guard took form in this small
fleet of “cutters”—fast-moving, speedy sailboats—
tasked with intercepting marine smugglers and
collecting tariffs on imported goods.

It’s the brainchild of Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S.
secretary of the treasury under President George
Washington.

Originally called the “Revenue Marine” and then the
“Revenue Cutter Service,” the Coast Guard was one
of Hamilton’s many bold ideas for funding the U.S.
federal government, which was mired in debt after
the costly Revolutionary War.  

“Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” a comedy
based in the fictionalized world of American stock car
racing, premiered in movie theaters around the United
States on August 4, 2006.

The comedian Will Ferrell (who also co-wrote the screenplay
with director Adam McKay and served as an executive
producer) starred as Ricky Bobby, a leading driver on the
National Association for Stock Auto Car Racing (NASCAR)
circuit.

John William Ferrell (56)