WHO’S THAT LADY?

June 2nd in history:

The first “First Lady” of the U.S., Martha Washington, was born on June 2nd, 1731 – making her a few months older than George.

Frances Folsom became First Lady on June 2nd, 1886 – the day she married President Grover Cleveland at the White House. Cleveland was not the only president to marry while in office, but he was the only one to have the ceremony at the Executive Mansion.

She was not a “First Lady,” and some might not even call Bridget Bishop a “lady” at all. Somebody claimed she was a witch – and on this date in 1692, she became the first defendant in the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. Bishop was convicted, and hanged eight days after the start of her trial.

U.S. HISTORY CLASS

June 1st in history:

 

Kentucky became the 15th state in the Union on June 1st, 1792. It took four more years before a 16th star was put on the flag – for Tennessee, admitted on June 1st, 1796.

There were 18 states in the union by the time President James Madison asked Congress to declare war on Britain on this date. The war became known as … well, Madison’s request came in 1812.

James Buchanan, who was president when Southern states began seceding from the union, died on June 1st, 1868, just seven years after leaving office.

And this is Monroe’s birthday – not President Monroe, but Marilyn Monroe (1926).  The actress was known as much for her love life as for her movies.  Marilyn married Joe Di Maggio and Arthur Miller, and her relationships included one with Elia Kazan…who directed Andy Griffith (like Monroe, born June 1st, 1926) in his starring role in “A Face in the Crowd.”

IN DEEP

May 31st in history:

More than two thousand people died on May 31st, 1889, in the great Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood. Heavy rains caused a dam to break, unleashing all the water from a lake a few miles outside of Johnstown.

In legend, and in the movie “The Ten Commandments,” he’s the pharaoh whose army drowned in the Red Sea while pursuing Moses and his followers. Rameses II became the pharaoh of Egypt on May 31st in 1279 B.C.

Richard Nixon’s rule as president was sunk partly by leaks to the Washington Post from a source nicknamed “Deep Throat.” On this date in 2005, former FBI agent Mark Felt revealed himself to be Bob Woodward’s secret source.

And on May 31st, 1911, a huge ocean liner which would sink less than a year later was launched. It was the RMS Titanic.

REMEMBERING MEMORIAL DAY

May 30th in history:

Decoration Day was observed in the U.S. for the first time on May 30th, 1868. It later became known as Memorial Day, and it would be observed on May 30th every year for over a century, until 1971, when it was turned into a Monday holiday.

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., was dedicated on Memorial Day of 1922.

Memorial Day of 1911 was chosen as the occasion for a 500-mile car race in Indianapolis. The Indy 500 has continued since then – first on May 30th for many years, and now on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

Daredevil Evel Knievel jumped his vehicle of choice – a motorcycle – over 16 cars at a racetrack in California on May 30th, 1967.

THE ROAD TO EVEREST

May 29th in history:

Two famous Americans who have had U.S. Navy ships named after them were born on May 29th: President John F. Kennedy (1917), and comedian Bob Hope (1903).

Bob Hope’s partner in the “Road” pictures, Bing Crosby, recorded his biggest hit on this date in 1942. His original version of Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” was recorded in just 18 minutes.

Edmund Hillary and his guide Tenzing Norgay reached the white, snow-covered summit of Mount Everest on May 29th, 1953. While there is speculation that other climbers reached the summit years before, Hillary claimed credit as the first one to come back from the summit alive.

BELLS AND TOWERS

May 28th in history:

When wedding bells rang for King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, not everybody was happy. Henry had ended his first marriage so he could make Anne his wife, and eventually became the head of the Church of England. But on May 28th, 1533, the Archbishop of Canterbury declared that the king’s new marriage was valid.

The most famous bell in England, “Big Ben,” was hauled by 16 horses from the foundry where it was made to the Palace of Westminster on this date in 1859. The 13-ton bell still rings on the hour inside the palace tower.

On May 28th, 1930, the Chrysler Building towered over every other building in the world, when it opened in New York. It lost the honor of being the world’s tallest building less than a year later, when the Empire State Building opened several blocks away.

PROGRESS CAN BE SCARY

May 27th in history:

Henry Ford stopped making the Model T on May 27th, 1927. It had been the first really popular American car model, bought by millions of drivers over the 19 years it was on the market. Ford replaced the Model T with the Model A.

Drivers in the San Francisco area had a new way to get across the bay when the Golden Gate bridge opened on May 27th, 1937.

“The Three Little Pigs” was considered a ground-breaking Walt Disney cartoon, paving the way for animated features. It opened on this date in 1933. Like many future Disney cartoons, “Pigs” introduced a popular song, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?”

And a couple of horror-movie actors who have scared countless audiences were born on May 27th: Vincent Price (1911) and Christopher Lee (1922).

FOLKS IN HIGH PLACES

May 26th in history:

On this date in 1894, Nicholas II became the czar of Russia. As it turned out, he would be the last czar.

President Andrew Johnson narrowly avoided being removed from office as his impeachment trial in the Senate ended on May 26th, 1868. Johnson would not be the last president to be impeached and tried.

Visitors to the Eiffel Tower in Paris could get to the top by elevator for the first time on this date in 1889. The tower had opened to the public less than a month earlier.

And mountain climber George Willig chose May 26th as the day in 1977 that he would climb the South Tower of New York’s World Trade Center … from the outside. Willig had designed special climbing tools to be inserted into the tracks used for window-washing scaffolds. After he reached the top, Willig was fined for his stunt: a total of a dollar and 10 cents (one cent for each of the skyscraper’s 110 stories).

A LONG TIME AGO, IN OUR GALAXY

May 25th in history:

On May 25th, 1961, President Kennedy announced the Apollo Project, stating his goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him to Earth before the end of the decade. This was only three weeks after America’s first manned space flight.

On the same date in 1977, the original “Star Wars” movie opened around the U.S.

And, Yoda’s birthday it is, from the “Star Wars” films: Frank Oz (1944).

HIGH TECH WONDERS

May 24th in history:

(– .- -.–   ..— ….- )

Samuel Morse demonstrated his telegraph - and used the Morse code – on May 24th, 1844, by sending a message over wire from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore for the first time.

The first night game in major league baseball was played at Crosley Field in Cincinnati on May 24th, 1935. The Reds had the home field advantage, beating the Phillies, 2-1.

On this date in 1976, the Concorde supersonic jet began regular service between Washington and London.

May 24th is the birthday of “Radar” - Gary Burghoff from “M*A*S*H” (1943).