Oscar Hammerstein I (left) was a businessman, theater manager and composer
in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses,
and he rekindled opera’s popularity in America. In 1883 Oscar Hammerstein
patented the first cigar-rolling machine and began to make a fortune that he
promptly reinvested in theaters and concert halls. He was the grandfather
of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein ll.

A cigar ad from the 1940s featuring Ronald Reagan

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Betty Garrett, the vivacious Broadway star who played Frank Sinatra’s sweetheart in two MGM musicals before her career was hampered by the Hollywood blacklist, has died in Los Angeles, her son said Sunday.

Garrett was best known as the flirtatious girl in love with the shy Sinatra in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "On the Town," both in 1949, and later in life she became well-known to TV audiences with recurring roles in the 1970s sitcoms "All in the Family"
and "Laverne and Shirley." Garrett died Saturday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, most likely from an aortic aneurysm, said her son, Garrett Parks.

When The Beatles arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York,
they were greeted by an estimated crowd of about three thousand exuberant
fans.The groups first U.S.concert was on February 11th at the Sports Arena
in Washington, D.C. (poster shown below).