On October 19, 1985, the first Blockbuster video-rental store
opened, in Dallas, Texas. At a time when most video stores
were small-scale operations featuring a limited selection of
titles, Blockbuster opened with some 8,000 tapes displayed
on shelves around the store and a computerized check-out
process.

The first store was a success and Blockbuster expanded
rapidly, eventually becoming one of the world’s largest
providers of in-home movies and game entertainment,
before eventually filing for bankruptcy in 2010.

Blockbuster was founded by David Cook, who had previously
owned a business that provided computer software services
to the oil and gas industry in Texas.

In 1987, he sold part of the business to a group of investors
that included Wayne Huizenga, founder of Waste Management,
Inc., the world’s biggest garbage disposal company.

Founder David Cook.

As of August 2018, the last Blockbuster store is in Bend,
Oregon.

1964

Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells) is an English
actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous
accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades,
including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award,
three Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and seven Golden
Globe wards as well as nominations for three Tony Awards.   

       
One of the biggest box office draws of the 1960s, Andrews has
been honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001, the
Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2007, and the
AFI Life Achievement Award in 2022.

On this day in 1988, Stacy Allison of Portland, Oregon, became
the first American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest,
which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth.

Allison, a member of the Northwest American Everest Expedition, climbed the Himalayan peak using the southeast ridge route.

At least 168 climbers and support staff died in attempts to reach
the top of Everest in the 20th century.

Actress Gwyneth Kate Paltrow was born in Las Angele,
California to filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe
Danner. 

She established herself as a leading lady appearing in
primarily mid-budget and period films during the 1990s
and early 2000s, before transitioning to blockbusters
and franchises.

Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden
Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.

1998

2013

Devils Tower in 1890.

He called the “lofty and isolated rock” a “natural wonder.”

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt Jr.
(October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919)

Devils Tower today draws more than half a million visitors
a year.