Workers at a Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, assemble the
first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that would become an
American icon. The first completed production car rolled off
the assembly line two days later (below), one of just 300
Corvettes made that year.
(History) – The last Packard–the classic American luxury car with the
famously enigmatic slogan “Ask the Man Who Owns One”–rolls off
the production line at Packard’s plant in Detroit, Michigan on this
day in 1956.
Mechanical engineer James Ward Packard and his brother, William
Dowd Packard, built their first automobile, a buggy-type vehicle with
a single cylinder engine, in Warren, Ohio in 1899 (below).
The first Boeing 737 (100 series) makes its maiden flight.
The first Boeing 737 under construction at Boeing Field in 1966.
The original Boeing 737 prototype is given a champagne christening during the January 17, 1967 roll out event by flight attendants representing the aircraft’s customers.
ED DANAHUE
On this day in 1994, Civil war erupted in Rwanda between the
Patriotic Front rebel group and government soldiers. Hundreds
of thousands were slaughtered in the months that followed.
Aftermath of the Genocide.
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947)
The first long-distance TV transmission was sent from Washington,
DC, to New York City on this day in 1927. The audience saw an image
of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover (below).
On this day in 1949, the musical "South Pacific" by Rodgers and Hammerstein debuted on Broadway.
Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan) (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959)
Holiday, was a jazz musician and singer-songwriter with a career
spanning nearly thirty years. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend
and music partner Lester Young, she had a huge influence on jazz
music and pop singing.
ED DANAHUE
Saddam Hussein was executed on this day in 2006.
About 600 people died on this day in 1903 when fire broke out at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago, IL.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed on this
day in 1922. Vladimir Lenin (above) proclaimed the establishment.
The United Auto Workers union staged its first sit-down strike, at the Fisher Body Plant in Flint, MI. on this day in 1936.
On this day in 1948, the musical "Kiss Me Kate" opened at the New Century Theatre in New York City. Cole Porter composed the music
for the classic play that ran for 1,077 performances.
Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, and Julie Wilson.
Bo Diddley (Ellas Otha Bates) (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008)
Singer, guitarist, songwriter and music producer Bo Diddley who played a
key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many
artists, including Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones with his
use of African rhythms and a signature beat.
