ED DANAHUE

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American actor,
producer, businessman, retired bodybuilder, and former
politician who served as the 38th governor of California
from 2003 to 2011. Arnold is 74 today.

1984

Alton Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 – disappeared December 15, 1944)

Glenn Miller was a big-band trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader
in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1942,
leading one of the best-known big bands. Miller’s recordings include "In the
Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Chattanooga Choo
Choo", "A String of Pearls", "At Last", "(I’ve Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo",
"American Patrol", "Tuxedo Junction", "Elmer’s Tune", and "Little Brown
Jug". In just four years Glenn Miller scored 16 number-one records and 69
top ten hits—more than Elvis Presley (38 top 10s) and the Beatles (33 top - 
10s) did in their careers.   
       

In 1942, Miller volunteered to join the U.S. military to entertain troops during
World War II, ending up with the U.S. Army Air Forces. On December 15,
1944, while flying to Paris, Miller’s aircraft disappeared in bad weather over
the English Channel. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

ED DANAHUE

It was on this day in 1975.    
    
    

On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson (left) signed
into law the Social Security Act that established Medicare and
Medicaid. It went into effect the following year.

Wrecked warehouses and scattered debris after the explosion.

The Black Tom explosion on July 30, 1916, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was
an act of sabotage by German agents to destroy American-made munitions
that were to be supplied to the Allies in World War I. This incident, which
happened prior to American entry into the war, is also notable for causing
damage to the Statue of Liberty.

The Lehigh Valley pier after the blast.

The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on
this day in 1945. The ship had just delivered key components of the
Hiroshima atomic bomb to the Pacific island of Tinian. Only 316 out
of 1,196 men aboard survived the attack.

The USS Indianapolis in San Diego Harbor prior to the attack.

Ford at age 25.

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947)

Founder of Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, developed the assembly-
line process for mass production. One of his first cars was the Model T
(below).

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is 70 years old today.

Bodybuilder, actor, and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger served as the governor
of California from 2003 to 2011. His best known films include Conan the Barbarian
(1982) Predator (1987), The Terminator series (beginning in 1984), and Total Recall
(1990). He decided to pursue a career as a bodybuilder at age fourteen, despite demonstrating ability in football. He became the youngest person to win the Mr.
Universe contest when he was 20.