July 9, 1956 -
America's favorite actor, Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born on this date.
Let's hope someday, Tom finds himself and successes in a career.
July 9, 1964 -
Being a rock star is like being a cult leader - you really have to be in your own religion.
Courtney Michelle Love, rock musician and actress, was born on this date.
Today in History:
On the Fourth of July in 1850, President Zachary Taylor snacked on cherries and milk while attending a ceremony at the Washington Monument. It was a hot day, and the heat made him sick.
He remains the only U.S. president to have died from indigestion (with the possible exception of Warren G Harding, who may or may not have been poisoned by his wife - which could be considered death by extreme indigestion - but that's another story.)
His last words were, "I regret nothing, but I am sorry to leave my friends."
I firmly believe he actually regretted eating the cherries-and-milk that caused his fatal indigestion, but I'm not going to quibble with a man's dying words.
July 9, 1856 -
Nikola Tesla, electrical engineer, inventor, and visionary, was born in Croatia (well actually, not today.)
(I seem to have jumped the gun and Tesla's birthday is actually tomorrow but please feel free to celebrate the great man's natal anniversary a day early.)
July 9, 1918 -
Two passenger trains crossing the Dutchman's Curve in downtown Nashville, Tennessee,
The great wreck of 1918 is still considered the worst rail disaster in US history.
July 9, 1945 -
... dirty money always brings sorrow and sadness and misery and disgrace. Said by a man who never took a bribe.
During a newspaper strike, New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia read the daily comic strips aloud on WNYC radio on this date.
July 9, 1958 -
A tsunami wave struck Lituya Bay in southeast Alaska on this date. The tsunami wave was 1,719 feet high - taller than the Empire State Building (1,470 feet tall). It was caused by an earthquake and descriptions by witnesses as moving at 600 miles per hour. It was later determined that this was the largest wave to ever strike land in history.
The wave destroyed 6-foot trees and stripped the shore down to bedrock. It killed two people when it sank their boat, while two other boats rode it out with all passengers surviving.
July 9, 1982 -
Michael Fagan, dressed in jeans and a dirty t-shirt, and bleeding from a fresh cut on his hand, walks into the private bedroom of Queen Elizabeth II while she was asleep and her personal guard out walking her dogs. Fagan had scaled the wall surrounding Buckingham Palace and gained entry without triggering any alarms. The two carried on a 12-minute conversation, while the intruder holds a jagged broken ashtray, before somebody finally apprehended him.
Who knew that Queen could carry on a 12 minute conversation with one of her subjects?
July 9, 1995 -
The Grateful Dead, who had been performing for 30 years, gave their last performance on this day, when they performed at Soldier Field in Chicago. During their 30 years, they performed more than 2,300 live concerts.
The lead guitarist and backbone of the band, Jerry Garcia, died one month after the final show.
And so it goes.
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