TIM MAGUIRE

An exchange between Sen. Joseph McCarthy (right) and Joseph
Welch (left) took place on this day in 1954. Sen. McCarthy was
confronted by Welch over his anti-communist stance. Welch
represented the Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings.   

.

Charles John Huffam Dickens
(February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870) 

Charles Dickens was an English writer and social
critic. He created some of the world’s best-known
fictional characters and is regarded by many as
the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works
enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime,
and by the 20th century critics and scholars had
recognized him as a literary genius. His novels and
short stories enjoy lasting popularity. Dickens
suffered stroke at his home after a full day’s work
on his final novel Edwin Drood and never regained
consciousness. His ending for the unfinished book
remains unknown.

Comedian/actor Richard Pryor was severely burned by a "free-base" mixture that exploded in his home on this day in 1980. He was hospitalized more than two months.

On this day in 1973, Secretariat won the 105th Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths and ran the fastest 1 1/2 miles on dirt at 2:24.

Les Paul (Lester William Polsfuss) (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009)

Les Paul  was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar. He
taught himself how to play guitar, and while he is mainly known for jazz
and popular music, he had an early career in country music. Paul is
credited with many recording innovations. Although he was not the first
to use the technique, his early experiments with overdubbing (also known
as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay phasing effects and multitrack recording were among the first to attract widespread attention

Les Paul is the only person to be included in both the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame and the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

 

He recorded with his wife Mary Ford in the 1950s, and together 
they sold millions of records.

TIM MAGUIRE

John William King

Jasper County Assistant District Attorney Pat Hardy displays the
chain allegedly used to drag James Byrd.

The Communists completed their takeover of Czechoslovakia on
this day in 1948.

Czechoslovakian Communist Party leader Klement Gottwald,
addressing the crowds in Wenceslas Square, Prague, on 25
February 1948.

Israeli F-16 fighter-bombers destroyed Iraq’s only nuclear reactor on
this day in 1981.

On this  day in 1972, the musical “Grease” opened
on Broadway. It had been playing off-Broadway for
about 4 months.

Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016)

Prince released ten platinum-selling albums and won multiple Grammy
Awards for Purple Rain (1984), including Best Performance and Best
Soundtrack. He became known for releasing over thirty Top Forty single
hits.  He suffered from epilepsy as a child, and began writing music at
age seven. One of the first groups he worked with was 94 East.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

In Beijing on this day in 1989, Chinese troops stormed Tiananmen
Square to crush the pro-democracy movement. It is believed that hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators were killed.

The Battle of Midway began on t his day in 1942. It was the first major victory for America over Japan during World War II. The battle ended
on June 6 and ended Japanese expansion in the Pacific.

An artist’s impression of the Battle of Midway.

On this day in 1896, Henry Ford made a successful test drive of his
new car in Detroit, MI. He called the vehicle a "Quadricycle."

On this day in 1783, a hot-air balloon was demonstrated by Joseph
and Jacques Montgolfier. It reached a height of 1,500 feet.

 
                                                                                    Jacques Montgolfier.

Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by rock singer-songwriter
Bruce Springsteen. It was released by Columbia Records on this day in
1984.The album’s music was written by Springsteen and recorded with
his E Street Band and producers Chuck Plotkin and Jon Landau at The
Power Station and The Hit Factory in New York City.

When Born in the U.S.A. was first released, it was met with positive
reviews and massive commercial success. It produced seven top-10
hit singles and was promoted with a worldwide concert tour by
Springsteen. Born in the U.S.A.became his most commercially
successful album and one of the highest-selling records ever,
having sold 30 million copies by 2012. It has also been cited by
critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album
received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 1985
Grammy Awards.

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen will be 69 September 23.

ROSS SIMPSON

In New York on this day in 2002, a ceremony was held to officially
mark the end of the clean up from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

On this day in 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen, France, at the age of 19.

Bronze statue of Joan of Arc on Rue de Rivoli in Paris.

On this day in 1982,  MLB legend Cal Ripken Jr. began his record-
breaking streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. He entered
the Orioles’ lineup and didn’t leave until three more presidents
were inaugurated and nearly two decades passed.

Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. will be 58 August 24.

Benjamin David "Benny" Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986)

Benny Goodman was a jazz clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King
of Swing". In the mid-1930s, Goodman led one of the most popular musical
groups in the United States. His bands launched the careers of many major
jazz artists.

Gladys Maria Knight was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Singer, songwriter and actress Gladys Knight is a seven-time
Grammy Award-winner who is best known for the hits she
recorded during the 1960s and 1970s, for both the Motown
and Buddah Records labels, with  her group Gladys Knight
& the Pips, which included her brother Merald  "Bubba"
Knight and her cousins Edward Patten and William Guest.