It's the Feast of San Lorenzo
St. Lawrence was said to have been martyred on an iron outdoor stove on this date in 258 AD. During his torture Lawrence cried out "I' m already done on this side and it is time to turn me over."
He is, of course, the patron saint of comedians and chefs.
August 10, 1950 -
Billy Wilder's caustic, black-hearted masterpiece, Sunset Boulevard premiered in New York on this date.
As long as the lady is paying for it, why not take the Vicuna?
August 10, 1962 -
While not the worst film ever made, it is the sickest. The Brain That Wouldn't Die, premiered on this date.
I know it's shocking but the film was shot in 13 days.
Today in History:
August 10, 1628 -
To assist in the war with Poland, Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus builds a magnificent warship, the Vasa, with 64 bronze cannon on two tiers - at the time, it was the most expensive and richly ornamented warship in Sweden. But on its maiden voyage, the lower gunports are accidentally left open, and the ship immediately sinks to the bottom of Stockholm harbor. Twenty-five men and women drowned when the ship sank.
The ship remains submerged until it is raised in 1961 to become a tourist attraction.
If you think I'm going to make a joke about the Polish Navy here, the joke's on you.
August 10 1966 -
Last words of James French, sent to the Electric Chair by the state of Oklahoma: "How about this for a headline for tomorrow's paper? FRENCH FRIES." There is nothing quite like a dying man who gives good copy.
August 10 1969 -
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca are brutally murdered in their Los Feliz, California home by followers of Charles Manson.
They take some of their victims' blood and smear HELTER SKELTER on the refrigerator door.
August 10, 1977 -
Postal employee and avid dog listener David Berkowitz was arrested in Yonkers, N.Y., accused of being the "Son of Sam" gunman responsible for six random slayings and seven woundings. Berkowitz is serving six consecutive terms of 25 years to life in state prison.
So much for the rantings of the neighbor's dog.
August 10 1996 -
Heated by the sun, power lines begin to sag in Oregon. Somehow this triggers a series of failures which cascades throughout the Western states. Four million people lose electrical service in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Montana, and Texas. It is probably the worst power outage in US history.
And so it goes,
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