S'mores - the most popular campfire treat is recognized each year on August 10th. In 1927, Girl Scouts troop leader Loretta Scott Crew wrote a recipe for "Some Mores," and published it in Tramping and Trailing With the Girl Scouts, an official Girl Scouts publication, though the exact origin of S'mores is unknown.
This delicious, gooey treat is loved by millions across the United States.
Speaking of roasting something over an open fire; Today is the feast of St. Lawrence. 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.
Interesting aside: the Perseid Meteor Shower has been known for years as the Tears of Saint Lawrence because they usually occur every year in mid-August, on or near Saint Lawrence's feast day.
This year the event peaks on the night of August 12th/13th.
August 10, 1948 -
Candid Camera, considered by many to be the first reality tv show, debuted on ABC-TV on this date.
The series was previously known on the radio. Its name: Candid Microphone. For a period in 1958, the show appeared as a regular segment of Jack Paar's The Tonight Show, airing on NBC. In 1959 Candid Camera was a weekly feature on The Garry Moore Show, airing on CBS.
August 10, 1950 -
Billy Wilder's caustic, black-hearted masterpiece, Sunset Boulevard premiered in New York City, on this date.
Unlike the character she played, Gloria Swanson had accepted the fact that the movies didn't want her anymore and had moved to New York, where she worked on radio and, later, television. Although she had long before ruled out the possibility of a movie comeback, she was nevertheless highly intrigued when she got the offer to play the lead.
August 10, 1960 -
The Rat Pack's summer vacation home movie, Ocean's Eleven, premiered on this date.
Sammy Davis Jr. was forced to stay at a "colored only" hotel during the filming because Las Vegas would not allow blacks to stay at the major hotels despite his appearing with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and the others at the Sands Hotel. He was only allowed to stay at the major hotels after Frank Sinatra confronted the casino owners on his behalf, therefore breaking Vegas' unofficial color barrier.
August 10, 1962 -
While not the worst film ever made - it is the sickest. The Brain That Wouldn't Die, premiered on this date. (Watch it now.)
This was the first movie watched by Michael J. Nelson after Joel Hodgson had left in the previous episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
August 10, 1962 -
Comic book hero Spider-Man made his debut in issue 15 of Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy on this date.
Stan Lee had the original idea for Spider Man but Steve Ditko came up with his 'spider-sense' of danger and created villains including the Green Goblin and Sandman.
August 10, 1963 -
Stevie Wonder's single Fingertips (Part 2) becomes the first live recording to hit #1 in the US on this date.
Wonder's first two albums were The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie and Tribute to Uncle Ray, both released in 1962 and intended to frame Stevie as a young Ray Charles. They didn't catch on, but in 1963 Motown released The 12 Year Old Genius (Recorded Live), with two sides of the Fingertips single (from different performances) edited together to make one song. The album hit #1 while the single was still topping the Hot 100, making Stevie Wonder the first artist with a #1 album and single at the same time. The song was also a #1 R&B hit at the time.
August 10, 1970 -
Frank Perry's proto-independent film, Diary of a Mad Housewife, written by Eleanor Perry and starring Carrie Snodgrass, Frank Langella, and Richard Benjamin premiered on this date.
According to Carrie Snodgress, actor Richard Benjamin insisted that he and Carrie not have any interaction off-screen in order to have their onscreen tensions be more believable and authentic.
August 10, 1975 -
The musical group Manhattan Transfer's summer variety show, The Manhattan Transfer, premiered on CBS-TV on this date.
During the month of August, the show aired four episodes on Sunday evenings, and for the most part concentrated on showcasing the talents of the group.
August 10, 1979 -
Michael Jackson's meteoric second career as a solo artist began with the release of his first solo album Off the Wall, on this date.
Quincy Jones, who produced the album, encouraged Jackson to write his own songs, and the young singer quickly developed a talent for composition. Jackson wrote or co-wrote 10 #1 hits in his career, including Don't Stop Til You Get enough an We Are The World.
August 10, 1982 -
Frank and Moon Zappa appear on Late Night with David Letterman and discuss their recent release Valley Girl on this date.
The song makes fun of Valley Girl talk, an early '80s trend that started in California and led to teenage girls around the country saying things like "Gag me with a spoon." It pokes fun at what Zappa believed were spoiled rich girls living in the San Fernando Valley of California. Laraine Newman was doing variations on the Valley Girl character on Saturday Night Live at the time.
August 10, 1984 -
United Artists released John Milius jingoistic war film Red Dawn, starring Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey, on this date. It's was the first film to be released in the US with a Motion Picture Association of America PG-13 rating.
"Red Dawn" was the given code name of the military operation in Iraq that captured Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003. Writer and director John Milius felt honored by that.
August 10, 2020 -
Split Enz hit #1 in their native New Zealand with the 40th anniversary reissue of their album True Colours, on this date
The album knocked off Folklore by Taylor Swift, who was born nine years after the album was first released.
Another ACME Safety Film
Today in History:
August 10, 1628 -
The 228-foot Swedish warship Vasa, built by Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus to assist in his war with Poland, capsized and sank in Stockholm harbor on her maiden voyage because the ballast was insufficient to counterweight the 64 guns. The Vasa was the most expensive and richly ornamented warship of its time in Sweden. 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.
Please note that the ABBA museum is across the street from the Vasa museum in Stockholm. I can think of no finer outing.
August 10, 1792 -
King Louis XVI was taken into custody by mobs during the French Revolution; over 600 members of his Swiss Guards were massacred by the Parisian mob. The term 'the 10th of August' is widely used by historians as a shorthand for the Storming of the Tuileries Palace on this date.
He was put on trial for treason by the National Convention and quickly proclaimed guilty. He was later executed the following January. The Storming of the Tuileries Palace effectively ended the French monarchy until it was restored in 1814.
August 10, 1793 -
The Louvre became a royal palace in the fourteenth century under Charles V and was used from time to time by the kings of France as their main Paris residence. In 1682 Louis XIV abandoned the Louvre, and moved his court to Versailles.
The Louvre was converted into an Art Museum during the French Revolution opening on this date, with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 187 art objects. Most of its exhibits at the time consisted of treasures confiscated from the royal family or the Church.
August 10, 1846 -
In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that should the nephew die without heirs (as he did in 1835), the estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”
The motivation behind Smithson’s bequest remains mysterious. He had never traveled to the U.S. and seems to have had no correspondence with anyone there. An Act of Congress signed by President James K. Polk established The Smithsonian Institution, on this date, as a trust to administer the generous bequest of James Smithson in an amount over $500,000.
August 10, 1921 -
Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello, New Brunswick on this date. Mrs. Roosevelt acted as her partially paralyzed husband’s eyes and ears by traveling, observing and reporting her observations to him.
As First Lady, an author and newspaper columnist and, later, a delegate to the United Nations, Eleanor Roosevelt labored tirelessly for the poor and disadvantaged. In the words of historian John Kenneth Galbraith, she showed "more than any other person of her time, that an American could truly be a world citizen."
August 10, 1937 -
The world's first electric guitar (US patent #2,089,171) was awarded to Electro String Corporation on this date.
Inventor G.D. Beauchamp, who teamed up with Adolph Rickenbacher from the Electro String Instrument Corporation in Los Angeles, was awarded the patent for his guitar, the Rickenbacker Frying Pan.
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, 1968 -
According to the strip below, Snoopy's birthday is August 10.
There had, however, been no reference to this in previous years and it did not become an annual feature of the strip, (in fact, there are some references to Snoopy's birthday being August 28.)
August 10, 1969 -
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were brutally murdered in their Los Feliz, California home by followers of Charles Manson.
Some of the victims' blood was used to smear the words 'HELTER SKELTER' on the refrigerator door.
August 10, 1977 -
Postal employee and avid dog listener David Berkowitz was arrested in Yonkers, N.Y. on this date, accused of being the "Son of Sam" gunman responsible for six random slayings and seven woundings. Berkowitz is currently 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 began to sag in Oregon. Somehow this triggered a series of failures which cascaded throughout the Western states. Over seven million people lost electrical service in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Montana and Texas.
This delicious, gooey treat is loved by millions across the United States.
Speaking of roasting something over an open fire; Today is the feast of St. Lawrence. 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."
Interesting aside: the Perseid Meteor Shower has been known for years as the Tears of Saint Lawrence because they usually occur every year in mid-August, on or near Saint Lawrence's feast day.
This year the event peaks on the night of August 12th/13th.
August 10, 1948 -
Candid Camera, considered by many to be the first reality tv show, debuted on ABC-TV on this date.
The series was previously known on the radio. Its name: Candid Microphone. For a period in 1958, the show appeared as a regular segment of Jack Paar's The Tonight Show, airing on NBC. In 1959 Candid Camera was a weekly feature on The Garry Moore Show, airing on CBS.
August 10, 1950 -
Billy Wilder's caustic, black-hearted masterpiece, Sunset Boulevard premiered in New York City, on this date.
Unlike the character she played, Gloria Swanson had accepted the fact that the movies didn't want her anymore and had moved to New York, where she worked on radio and, later, television. Although she had long before ruled out the possibility of a movie comeback, she was nevertheless highly intrigued when she got the offer to play the lead.
August 10, 1960 -
The Rat Pack's summer vacation home movie, Ocean's Eleven, premiered on this date.
Sammy Davis Jr. was forced to stay at a "colored only" hotel during the filming because Las Vegas would not allow blacks to stay at the major hotels despite his appearing with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and the others at the Sands Hotel. He was only allowed to stay at the major hotels after Frank Sinatra confronted the casino owners on his behalf, therefore breaking Vegas' unofficial color barrier.
August 10, 1962 -
While not the worst film ever made - it is the sickest. The Brain That Wouldn't Die, premiered on this date. (Watch it now.)
This was the first movie watched by Michael J. Nelson after Joel Hodgson had left in the previous episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
August 10, 1962 -
Comic book hero Spider-Man made his debut in issue 15 of Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy on this date.
Stan Lee had the original idea for Spider Man but Steve Ditko came up with his 'spider-sense' of danger and created villains including the Green Goblin and Sandman.
August 10, 1963 -
Stevie Wonder's single Fingertips (Part 2) becomes the first live recording to hit #1 in the US on this date.
Wonder's first two albums were The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie and Tribute to Uncle Ray, both released in 1962 and intended to frame Stevie as a young Ray Charles. They didn't catch on, but in 1963 Motown released The 12 Year Old Genius (Recorded Live), with two sides of the Fingertips single (from different performances) edited together to make one song. The album hit #1 while the single was still topping the Hot 100, making Stevie Wonder the first artist with a #1 album and single at the same time. The song was also a #1 R&B hit at the time.
August 10, 1970 -
Frank Perry's proto-independent film, Diary of a Mad Housewife, written by Eleanor Perry and starring Carrie Snodgrass, Frank Langella, and Richard Benjamin premiered on this date.
According to Carrie Snodgress, actor Richard Benjamin insisted that he and Carrie not have any interaction off-screen in order to have their onscreen tensions be more believable and authentic.
August 10, 1975 -
The musical group Manhattan Transfer's summer variety show, The Manhattan Transfer, premiered on CBS-TV on this date.
During the month of August, the show aired four episodes on Sunday evenings, and for the most part concentrated on showcasing the talents of the group.
August 10, 1979 -
Michael Jackson's meteoric second career as a solo artist began with the release of his first solo album Off the Wall, on this date.
Quincy Jones, who produced the album, encouraged Jackson to write his own songs, and the young singer quickly developed a talent for composition. Jackson wrote or co-wrote 10 #1 hits in his career, including Don't Stop Til You Get enough an We Are The World.
August 10, 1982 -
Frank and Moon Zappa appear on Late Night with David Letterman and discuss their recent release Valley Girl on this date.
The song makes fun of Valley Girl talk, an early '80s trend that started in California and led to teenage girls around the country saying things like "Gag me with a spoon." It pokes fun at what Zappa believed were spoiled rich girls living in the San Fernando Valley of California. Laraine Newman was doing variations on the Valley Girl character on Saturday Night Live at the time.
August 10, 1984 -
United Artists released John Milius jingoistic war film Red Dawn, starring Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey, on this date. It's was the first film to be released in the US with a Motion Picture Association of America PG-13 rating.
"Red Dawn" was the given code name of the military operation in Iraq that captured Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003. Writer and director John Milius felt honored by that.
August 10, 2020 -
Split Enz hit #1 in their native New Zealand with the 40th anniversary reissue of their album True Colours, on this date
The album knocked off Folklore by Taylor Swift, who was born nine years after the album was first released.
Another ACME Safety Film
Today in History:
August 10, 1628 -
The 228-foot Swedish warship Vasa, built by Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus to assist in his war with Poland, capsized and sank in Stockholm harbor on her maiden voyage because the ballast was insufficient to counterweight the 64 guns. The Vasa was the most expensive and richly ornamented warship of its time in Sweden. 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.
Please note that the ABBA museum is across the street from the Vasa museum in Stockholm. I can think of no finer outing.
August 10, 1792 -
King Louis XVI was taken into custody by mobs during the French Revolution; over 600 members of his Swiss Guards were massacred by the Parisian mob. The term 'the 10th of August' is widely used by historians as a shorthand for the Storming of the Tuileries Palace on this date.
He was put on trial for treason by the National Convention and quickly proclaimed guilty. He was later executed the following January. The Storming of the Tuileries Palace effectively ended the French monarchy until it was restored in 1814.
August 10, 1793 -
The Louvre became a royal palace in the fourteenth century under Charles V and was used from time to time by the kings of France as their main Paris residence. In 1682 Louis XIV abandoned the Louvre, and moved his court to Versailles.
The Louvre was converted into an Art Museum during the French Revolution opening on this date, with an exhibition of 537 paintings and 187 art objects. Most of its exhibits at the time consisted of treasures confiscated from the royal family or the Church.
August 10, 1846 -
In 1826, James Smithson, a British scientist, drew up his last will and testament, naming his nephew as beneficiary. Smithson stipulated that should the nephew die without heirs (as he did in 1835), the estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”
The motivation behind Smithson’s bequest remains mysterious. He had never traveled to the U.S. and seems to have had no correspondence with anyone there. An Act of Congress signed by President James K. Polk established The Smithsonian Institution, on this date, as a trust to administer the generous bequest of James Smithson in an amount over $500,000.
August 10, 1921 -
Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello, New Brunswick on this date. Mrs. Roosevelt acted as her partially paralyzed husband’s eyes and ears by traveling, observing and reporting her observations to him.
As First Lady, an author and newspaper columnist and, later, a delegate to the United Nations, Eleanor Roosevelt labored tirelessly for the poor and disadvantaged. In the words of historian John Kenneth Galbraith, she showed "more than any other person of her time, that an American could truly be a world citizen."
August 10, 1937 -
The world's first electric guitar (US patent #2,089,171) was awarded to Electro String Corporation on this date.
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."
August 10, 1968 -
According to the strip below, Snoopy's birthday is August 10.
August 10, 1969 -
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were brutally murdered in their Los Feliz, California home by followers of Charles Manson.
Some of the victims' blood was used to smear the words 'HELTER SKELTER' on the refrigerator door.
August 10, 1977 -
Postal employee and avid dog listener David Berkowitz was arrested in Yonkers, N.Y. on this date, accused of being the "Son of Sam" gunman responsible for six random slayings and seven woundings. Berkowitz is currently 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 began to sag in Oregon. Somehow this triggered a series of failures which cascaded throughout the Western states. Over seven million people lost electrical service in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Montana and Texas.
It was probably the worst power outage in US history.
And so it goes.
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