Postcard photo of the Southern Pacific’s “Sunset Limited” train as it traveled between Los Angeles and San Francisco, c. 1910s.

The Southern Pacific Railroad completed its transcontinental “Sunset Route”
from New Orleans to California, consolidating its dominance over rail traffic
to the Pacific.

One of the most powerful railroad companies of the 19th century, the “Espee”
(as the railroad was often called) originated in an ambitious plan conceived in
1870 by the “Big Four” western railroad barons: Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins. A year earlier, the Big Four’s
western-based Central Pacific had linked up with the eastern-based Union
Pacific in Utah, creating the first transcontinental American railway. With
that finished, the “Big Four” began to look for ways to increase their control
over West Coast shipping, and decided to focus their efforts on extending
the California-based Southern Pacific southward.

Early 20th-century postcard of the “Sunset Express” train passing
through Yuma, Arizona.

SANDY KOZEL

The Mount Vesuvius eruption killed approximately 20,000 people
and much of the area was buried in volcanic ash. 

It happened on this day in 1814.

On this day in 2006.

The planet Pluto was reclassified as a "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Pluto’s status was changed due to the IAU’s
new rules for an object qualifying as a planet. Pluto met two of the three
rules because it orbits the sun and is large enough to assume a nearly
round shape. However, since Pluto has an oblong orbit and overlaps the
orbit of Neptune it disqualified Pluto as a planet.
 

On this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly
across the U.S. non-stop. The trip from Los Angeles, CA to Newark,
NJ, took about 19 hours in her Lockheed Vega (above).

Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Model 5B Vega, NR7952, on display at
the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum.

On this day in 1989, Pete Rose, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds,
was banned from baseball for life after being accused of gambling
on baseball.

Former Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose at the start of a
news conference at Riverfront Stadium after being given his 
lifetime suspension from baseball.

Frankie Avalon was born Francis Thomas Avallone in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Avalon appeared with Annette Funicello in several beach party
movies during the mid-60s. His song "Why" became the last #1
hit of the 1950s. He played the trumpet during his first television
appearance at age twelve.

1963

Al Martino (Jasper Cini) (October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009)

Al Martino’s recording of “Here in My Heart” made history as the first number one
on the UK Singles Chart, on 14 November 1952, the song remained in the top
position for nine weeks in the United Kingdom, setting a record for the longest consecutive run at number one, a record which, over 50 years on, has only been
beaten by five other singles.