Nole Floyd "Nokie" Edwards (May 9, 1935 – March 12, 2018)
Nokie Edwards is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
who was primarily a guitarist, best known for his work with The
Ventures and was known in Japan as the King of Guitars. He was
also an actor, who made a brief appearance in Deadwood, a TV
Western drama series on HBO.
Edwards died in Yuma, Arizona following complications from
hip surgery.
MIKE GRACIA
President Andrew Johnson was acquitted during the Senate impeachment, by one vote on this day in 1868.
An illistration of President Johnson’s impeachment trial in the
Senate, published in Harper’s Weekly.
The first Academy Awards were held in Hollywood on this day in
1929.
William C Demille, President Of The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts
And Sciences hands an Oscar to Mary Pickford (with Warner Baxter
and Hans Kraly looking on) at the first ceremony.
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982)
Henry Fonda was a film and stage actor with a career spanning
five decades. Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor.
Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in their
Oscar-winning roles in "On Golden Pond"
(1981).
Singer, dancer, actor and comedian Sammy Davis, JR.
was noted for his impressions of actors, musicians and
other celebrities. At the age of three, Davis began his
career in vaudeville with his father, Sammy Davis Sr.
and the Will Mastin Trio.
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990)
Jim Henson was a puppeteer, artist, cartoonist, inventor, screenwriter,
and filmmaker who achieved international fame as the creator of the
Muppets. He died of toxic shock syndrome at age 53.
SANDY KOZEL
On this day in 1992, rioting began after a jury decision to acquit four
Los Angeles policemen (below) in the Rodney King beating trial. A
total of 54 people were killed in 3 days.
Rodney King, central figure in L.A. riots.
On this day in 1945, the Nazi death camp, Dachau, was liberated and
on the same day in a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun
(below) were married.
President Nixon announced he was releasing edited transcripts of secretly made White House tape recordings related to the Watergate scandal.
Jerome Allen "Jerry" Seinfeld is 64 years old today. He was born in
Brooklyn, New York.
Stand-up comedian, producer, actor, and writer Jerry Seinfeld co-created
and starred in the NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which became one of the most
popular television comedies of all time, winning ten Emmy Awards during
its run which began in 1989 and aired for nine seasons. In 2012, he began
the internet comedy series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, where he
chats with other comedians.
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974)
One of the jazz worlds most influential figures. He led his famed orchestra
from 1923 until his death. He called his music American Music, not jazz. He
helped compose more than 1,000 original pieces, many of which became
standards. Ellington was called Duke by his friends growing up because
his suave sophistication reminded them of a nobleman.
SANDY KOZEL
On this day in 1945, Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci
were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the
country.
Muhammad Ali (center) refused induction into the U.S. Army on this
day in 1967 and was stripped of his boxing title. He cited religious
grounds for his refusal.
A recruiting sergeant talks to Ali at the induction center in Houston.
A Russian rocket launched from Central Asia with the first space
tourist aboard on this day in 2001. The crew consisted of California businessman Dennis Tito (61) and two cosmonauts. The destination
was the international space station.
Dennis Tito Returns From Space Voyage.
Young Jay Leno High School Photo.
James Douglas Muir Leno is 68 years old today. He was born in New Rochelle, New York.
Stand-up comedian Jay Leno hosted The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2014 and
had gained additional fame for his exquisite car collection (below). He was
inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2014.
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem (April 27, 1932 – June 15, 2014) Born in
Detroit, Michigan.
Casey Kasem was the famed disc jockey of American Top 40, a national radio
show from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. He also provided the voice of
“Shaggy” (below) in the animated Saturday morning TV series Scooby-Doo.
