TIM MAGUIRE

Hermann Goering, a Nazi war criminal and founder of the Gestapo, poisoned himself just hours before his scheduled execution on this day in 1946.

On this day in 1917, Mata Hari, the archetype of the seductive female spy,
is executed for espionage by a French firing squad at Vincennes outside
of Paris.

The CBS-TV sitcom "I Love Lucy" premiered on this day in
1951. It starred Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and
William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran
from October 15, 1951 to May 6, 1957.

 

TIM MAGUIRE

An international military tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany,
found 22 top Nazi leaders guilty of war crimes on this day
in 1946.

The Berlin Airlift came to an end on this day in 1949. The airlift had taken
2.3 million tons of food into the western sector despite the Soviet blockade.

African-American James Meredith James Meredith succeeded in registering
at the University of Mississippi on this day in 1962. It was his fourth attempt
to register.

James Meredith is escorted by U.S. Marshals.

James Howard Meredith turned 84 in June.

The Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart opera The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflote)
premiered in Vienna, Austria on this day in 1791.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791)

James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931 – September 30, 1955)

ROSS SIMPSON

The destruction along Main Street in Johnstown, Pa., following the collapse of the South Fork Dam killing 2,209 people on this day in
1889.

 Walter "Walt" Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) 

American poet Walt Whitman is best known for his collections Leaves of Grass
and Drum-Taps. His 1865 poem "O Captain! My Captain!" was written on the
occasion of the death of Abraham Lincoln. He dropped out of school at the
age of eleven and, to support his family, worked as a law office assistant and
a newspaper apprentice.

It was on this day in 2003.

Serial bombing suspect Eric Robert Rudolph (C) is escorted from
the Cherokee County Jail for a hearing in federal court.

Clinton Eastwood Jr. is 87 years old today. He was born in San
Francisco, California.

Clint Eastwood from The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966).

Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry (1971).

Clint Eastwood worked as a lifeguard, a caddy, and a grocery clerk while growing
up. He became a household name after playing Rowdy Yates on the long-running
CBS-TV Western series Rawhide (1959 – 1965).

CAMILLE BOHANNON

The Golden Gate Bridge was opened to pedestrian traffic on this
day in 1937. The bridge connected San Francisco and Marin
County in California.

In The Hague, Netherlands, on this day in 1999, a war crimes tribunal indicted Slobodan Milosevic and four others for atrocities in Kosovo.

It was the first time that a sitting head of state had been charged with such a crime.

On this day in 1941. the German battleship Bismarck was sunk by
British naval and air forces. 2,300 people were killed.

Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage on this day in 1936 captured the
Blue Riband in August of that year; she lost the title to SS Normandie in 1937
and recaptured it in 1938, holding it until 1952 when she was beaten by the
new SS United States. With the outbreak of the Second World War, she was
converted into a troopship and ferried Allied soldiers for the duration of the
war.

It was on this day in 1995.

ROSS SIMPSON

A total of 26 U.S. soldiers were charged with criminal
offenses. Platoon leader, Lieutenant Calley (above),
was convicted for the killing of 22 villagers.

From left: Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin comedy team.

Jerry Lewis (Joseph Levitch) is 91 years old today.

Jerry Lewis’ early schtick was called "Record Act," which featured him miming
the lyrics of popular songs as they played on a phonograph.

1960

1963