IN MID-AIR

June 30th in history:

A large explosion occurred a few miles over Siberia on June 30th, 1908, flattening trees and causing other extensive damage. The object that exploded is thought to have been a comet or meteorite, and the blast might have been one thousand times as powerful as the atomic bomb blast at Hiroshima.

On this date in 1956, two passenger planes collided over the Grand Canyon, killing all 128 people aboard the TWA and United flights. The planes were flying around clouds, and the pilots apparently didn’t see each other until it was too late. Wreckage from the planes still remains in the canyon. (Ironic note for fans of “Airplane!”: the pilot of the United flight was named Capt. Shirley.)

And on June 30th, 1859, French acrobat Charles Blondin made the first of his famous tightrope walks across Niagara Falls.

MUSICAL/THEATER

June 29th in history:

William Shakespeare lost one of his favorite stages on June 29th, 1613, when the Globe Theater in London burned down. The fire was caused by a cannon that misfired during a performance of Shakespeare’s “Henry VIII”.

One of Juan Peron’s wives inspired a Broadway musical. Isabel Peron was not that wife, but she did succeed Juan as president of Argentina on this date in 1974, just two days before Juan died.

The composer who wrote the musicals “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” and “Guys and Dolls,” Frank Loesser, was born on June 29th, 1910. One year later, movie composer Bernard Herrmann was born. Herrmann is known for writing the scores for Citizen Kane, Vertigo, and especially Psycho.

CROWNED HEADS

June 28th in history:

England’s King Henry VIII was born on June 28th, 1491. Queen Victoria’s coronation took place on that same date in 1838.

Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand (pictured) and his wife Sophie were assassinated on June 28th, 1914, while riding in an open car in Sarajevo. They were shot several hours after someone else tried to bomb their car. Historians argue that the assassinations set off the First World War – which ended exactly five years later, June 28th, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

Mike Tyson was trying to win the WBA heavyweight boxing crown back from Evander Holyfield when he bit Holyfield’s ears during the third round of their title fight on June 28th, 1997. Tyson was disqualified, and Holyfield kept the title.

A DAY FOR DRAMA

June 27th in history:

An Air France flight from Israel to Paris was hijacked to Entebbe Airport in Uganda on June 27th, 1976. Israeli forces carried out a raid to rescue the passengers and crew on July 4th. Within a year, two American TV movies were made about the rescue.

U.S. Route 66 was decommissioned on June 27th, 1985, after nearly 60 years of service as a major link between Chicago and Southern California. The highway inspired the 1960s TV series “Route 66.”

An unusual daytime soap opera debuted on this date in 1966. “Dark Shadows” ran for five years on ABC, featuring tales of ghosts, witches and a vampire named Barnabas Collins. On that same day in ’66, J.J. Abrams, producer of the TV dramas “Alias” and “Lost,” was born. Abrams also directed the 2009 “Star Trek” movie.

SUMMER VACATION

June 26th in history:

The first portion of the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, opened on June 26th, 1870.

At the Coney Island amusement park in New York, the “Cyclone” roller coaster operated for the first time on this date in 1927.

On June 26th, 1963, President Kennedy traveled to Berlin, where the local crowd cheered upon hearing Kennedy proclaim “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

And it’s the birthday of a guy who has traveled the highways of France many times on his bicycle: three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond (1961).

LOVE AND DEATH

June 25th in history:

Two iconic celebrities who became famous in the 1970s died on this date in 2009.  Farrah Fawcett, best known for “Charlie’s Angels” and a wildly popular swimsuit poster, was 62.  She had publicly fought cancer for three years. Fawcett’s passing was the big TV news story of the day, until it was overshadowed by the sudden death of singer Michael Jackson at age 50.  Doctors said Jackson died of cardiac arrest, just hours after rehearsing for a planned concert tour. 

More than 60 million people bought Jackson’s 1982 album “Thriller,” featuring the duet “The Girl Is Mine” with Paul McCartney. On June 25th, 1967, McCartney and the rest of the Beatles performed live for a worldwide TV audience of 400 million.  The program, called “Our World,” featured remote segments from all over the globe, but the highlight of the program was the Beatles singing “All You Need Is Love.”

For many years, the state of Virginia used the tourist slogan, “Virginia is for lovers.” On this date in 1788, Virginia became the 10th state in the Union.

FINDING THE UNKNOWN AND UNUSUAL

June 24th in history:

On June 24th, 1497, English explorer John Cabot became the first European to reach Newfoundland since the Vikings.

An artist with an unusual visual style had his first art exhibition on this date in 1901. His name was Pablo Picasso.

It only took 50 years, but on June 24th, 1997, the Air Force issued a report on alleged alien sightings in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. The official report said the “aliens” actually were dummies. Many people continue to suspect a cover-up.

He wasn’t an alien - he was a “RoboCop.” Actor Peter Weller celebrates his birthday today (1947) – and so does his “RoboCop” co-star, Nancy Allen (1950).

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

June 23rd in history:

President Nixon and aide H.R. Haldeman had an Oval Office conversation on June 23rd, 1972, which would come back to haunt Nixon two years later. On that day, Nixon and Haldeman discussed recruiting the CIA to block an FBI investigation of the Watergate break-in days earlier. The Supreme Court ruled in 1974 that a recording of the conversation had to be given to a special prosecutor, and Nixon resigned the same week that the recording was made public.

The man who led the Supreme Court during Watergate, Warren Burger, became Chief Justice on June 23rd, 1969.

Justice Clarence Thomas was born on this date in 1948. Another judge with a June 23rd birthday is Randy Jackson of “American Idol” (1956).

CATASTROPHE, CAPITAL CRIMES AND CANADA

June 22nd in history:

A deadly train wreck occurred near Hammond, Indiana, on June 22nd, 1918. The engineer of one train reportedly fell asleep and was unable to stop his train from striking the rear of a circus train on the same track. The wooden cars on the circus train caught fire quickly, and 86 people died. The engineer blamed for the accident was hanged a few days later for causing the disaster.

Hanging was the method of execution in Canada, until that country abolished capital punishment. The Canadian House of Commons voted on June 22nd, 1976, to end the death penalty.

The actor who played Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Fenwick in the “Dudley Do-Right” cartoons, Paul Frees, was born on this date in 1920. Frees also was famous for providing the accents of animated characters such as Professor Ludwig Von Drake and Boris Badenov.

June 22nd is also the birthday of another performer skilled at accents…three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep (1949).  Streep used foreign accents in two of her award-winning roles…as the Polish heroine of “Sophie’s Choice,” and as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.”

FAMILY TIES

June 21st in history:

A court ruling of concern to the First Family, the Reagans, on June 21st, 1982: John Hinckley Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1981 shootings of President Reagan and three other men. Hinckley was committed to a mental hospital.

On that same day and year, there was a new addition to the British royal family. It was Prince William, the first child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Upon his birth, William became second in line to the British throne.

Later in 1982, the sitcom “Family Ties” premiered on NBC. The parents on that show, Steven and Elyse Keaton, were played by two performers born on June 21st, 1947: Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter (Birney).