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27th day of 2011 - 338 remaining
Thursday, January 27, 2011
PERFECT FOOL DAY
Zany costumes, a comic lisp and slapstick humor earned comedian Ed Wynn the title of ‘The Perfect Fool’.
Born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, Wynn was one of television and radio’s earliest stars. He came to radio from vaudeville and Broadway, starring as the Texaco fire chief on the Texaco Star Theater. (The show’s title was better known as The Fire Chief, Texaco’s trademark and Ed Wynn’s role.) The variety show was an innovative stage for Wynn. He wore costumes and makeup to make the radio studio audiences laugh louder; and incorporated comic sounds with kazoos and cymbals. When Texaco gave up the sponsorship, the show was retitled, The Ed Wynn Show.
A year after being named by his peers as “the greatest visual comedian of our day,” Ed Wynn took the perfect fool to the new entertainment stage of television. It was 1949 and The Ed Wynn Show was the first regular show to be carried live on the West Coast, then kinescoped for rebroadcast from New York to the rest of the CBS network. This was unusual at the time because live TV shows generally originated from New York with the kinescopes being fed from Hollywood.
On this night in 1950, Ed Wynn took home the Emmy for Most Outstanding Live Personality and his show, The Ed Wynn Show, received the award for Best Live Show. Coincidentally, this same night, Wynn’s comedian friend, Milton Berle was awarded the Emmys for Most Outstanding Kinescope Personality for his performance on The Best Kinescope Show, The Texaco Star Theater on NBC television.
Ed Wynn went on to become a dramatic actor for such highly esteemed television programs as Studio One, Playhouse 90 and Kraft Theater. In the 1950s and 1960s, some forty plus years after he had first stepped on a stage, Wynn became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after character actors, appearing in a number of films, including The Greatest Story Ever Told, Mary Poppins, The Absent-Minded Professor, Cinderfella, The Diary of Anne Frank, Marjorie Morningstar, Requiem for a Heavyweight and Alice in Wonderland (voice of the Mad Hatter).
The perfect fool was nobody’s fool!
Events January 27
1870 - Kappa Alpha Theta, the first women’s Greek letter society, or sorority, was founded at Indiana Asbury University -- now DePauw University -- in Greencastle, Indiana.
1880 - Thomas Alva Edison of Menlo Park, NJ patented the electric incandescent lamp. We’ve been turning it on ever since...
1888 - The National Geographic Society was incorporated -- in Washington, DC.
1910 - Thomas Crapper, said to be the inventor and developer of the flush toilet mechanism that most of us use, died on this day.
1918 - The motion picture, Tarzan of the Apes, was released. The film was based on a series of stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The movie focused on 10-year-old Gordon Griffith who played Tarzan as a boy. An older Tarzan was played by Elmo Lincoln. Did you know that a famous baseball player turned down the chance to play the role of Tarzan? True! That famous player was the ‘Iron Man’ and pride of the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig. Four Tarzans have won Olympic medals: Johnny Weissmuller, Herman Brix, Buster Crabbe and Glen Morris. It was Johnny Weissmuller who made the Tarzan yell famous (the yell is said to be a recorded combination of violin G-string, hyenas howl, dog’s growl and a camel’s bleat).
1931 - NBC radio introduced listeners to Clara, Lu ’n’ Em on its Blue network (later, ABC radio). The show became the first daytime radio serial when it was moved from its original nighttime slot. Louise Starkey appeared as Clara, Isobel Carothers as Lu, and Helen King as Em.
1944 - Casey Stengel resigned as manager of the Boston Braves, a position he had held since 1938. He became manager of the New York Yankees in 1948. Here are some famous Stengelisms: “The Yankees don’t pay me to win every day -- just two out of three.”; “The secret of managing a club is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five guys who are undecided.”; and “You have to draft a catcher, because if you don’t have one, the ball will roll all the way back to the screen.”
1945 - The advancing Soviet Army liberated Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp. Prisoners capable of marching had been evacuated a few days earlier.
1948 - Wire Recording Corporation of America announced the first magnetic wire recorder. The ‘Wireway’ machine with a built-in oscillator sold for $149.50.
1951 - Operation Ranger started atomic testing in the Nevada desert. An Air Force plane dropped a 1-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats.
1956 - The CBS Radio Workshop was heard for the first time. This first broadcast featured Aldous Huxley narrating his classic, Brave New World.
1961 - Leontyne Price made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. She sang in the role of Leonora in Il Trovatore. Price was only the seventh black singer to make a debut at the Met. Marian Anderson was the first (1955).
1967 - Tragedy struck on the launch pad of Apollo 204, scheduled to be the first Apollo manned mission. A flash fire in the command module during a preflight test killed astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee. After the disaster, the mission was officially designated Apollo 1.
1968 - The Bee Gees played their first American concert, as a group. They earned $50,000 to entertain at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. This is identical to what the Beatles were paid to perform at the Hollywood Bowl a few years earlier.
1968 - Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay was released on this day, seven weeks after the singer’s death. It became #1 on March 16, 1968 and remained at the top spot for a month. Redding began his recording career in 1960 with Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers (on Confederate Records). He sang duet with Carla Thomas and had 11 chart hits. Redding of Dawson, GA was killed in a plane crash at Lake Monona near Madison, WI. Four members of the Bar-Kays were also killed in the crash. The Dock of the Bay, his only number one song, was recorded just three days before his death.
1972 - Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson died of heart failure. She was 60 years old. Jackson helped spread gospel music around the world. She sang "We Shall Overcome" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, just before Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” She also sang at King’s funeral.
1973 - The Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris, formally bringing to an end the longest foreign war in U.S. history. The agreement called for a cease-fire to begin the next day, the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and military advisers, and the release of all prisoners held by both sides. Diplomats held two separate ceremonies because South Vietnam refused to recognize the Viet Cong’s existence.
1976 - Laverne and Shirley, a spin-off from Happy Days, premiered on ABC TV. Penny Marshall starred as Laverne De Fazio and Cindy Williams was Shirley Feeney. The show ran through May 10, 1983.
1977 - The Vatican reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on female priests.
1982 - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened at Royale Theatre on Broadway in New York City -- for 747 performances.
1984 - Carl Lewis bettered his own two-year-old record by 9-1/4 inches when he set a new, world indoor record with a long-jump mark of 28 feet, 10-1/4 inches. The track event was held in New York City.
1984 - Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles. Pyrotechnics did not operate on cue, injuring the singer. Jackson was hospitalized for a few days and fans from around the world sent messages of concern.
1984 - ‘The Great One’, Wayne Gretzky, set a National Hockey League record for consecutive game scoring, as his streak ended at 51 games. The streak began on October 5, 1983, ending with the L.A. Kings defeating the Edmonton Oilers, 4-2. Gretzky collected 153 points (61 goals and 92 assists) during the run. Gretzky left Edmonton to play for the Kings in 1988.
1991 - Super Bowl XXV (at Tampa): New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19. The Giants had the ball for 40 minutes, 33 seconds and the Bills hung on to the ball for less than 8 minutes in the second half. Talk about ball control. MVP: Giants’ RB Ottis Anderson. Tickets: $150.00.
1992 - Boxer Mike Tyson went on trial for the rape of 1991 Miss Black America contestant Desiree Washington. He was found guilty on February 10 and sentenced to three years in prison.
1993 - American Chad Rowan (Akebono) was awarded the highest rank in sumo wrestling, making him the first foreign Yokozuna. The 6-foot-9, 510-pound naturalized Japanese citizen born in Hawaii became the 64th person to hold the top rank in the Japanese sport’s 2,000-year history.
1994 - The U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling on the Clinton administration to lift the U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam.
1995 - About five-thousand mourners gathered at the site of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its liberation.
1996 - France detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb.
1998 - In his State of the Union Address, U.S. President Clinton hailed the fact that the federal government would have a balanaced budget in 199l; the first balanced U.S. budget in thirty years.
1999 - Over 100,000 people gathered at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis to see Pope John Paul II.
2000 - U.S. President Bill Clinton delivered his last State of the Union Address. His proposals included a $350-billion tax cut, big spending increases for schools and health care and photo ID licenses for handgun purchases.
2001 - Religious and political leaders joined survivors of the Holocaust, Cambodia’s killing fields and the Rwandan genocide for the first Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in England.
2001 - Lynn Swann (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Ron Yary (Minnesota Vikings) were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their 14th year of eligibility. Also elected: Nick Buoniconti, Marv Levy, Mike Munchak, Jackie Slater, and Jack Youngblood.
2001 - Jennifer Capriati upset three-time winner Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open title and her first Grand Slam tournament championship.
2002 - The Super Bowl matchup was decided when the New England Patriots upset the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-to-17, to win the AFC championship and the St. Louis Rams defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 29-to-24, to win the NFC championship.
2004 - Jack Paar died in Greenwich, CT. He was 85 years old. Paar hosted the Tonight Show from 1957 through 1962 and headed his own NBC variety series (The Jack Paar Program) from 1962 to 1965. His 1960 memoir was titled I Kid You Not, which was one of his signature lines.
2004 - John Kerry won the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary with 39% of the vote. Howard Dean, Wesley Clark, John Edwards and Joe Lieberman followed with 26, 12, 12, and 9%.
2005 - Consumer-goods manufacturing giant Procter & Gamble announced a $55 billion deal to buy the Gillette Corp.
2006 - Movies opening in U.S. theatres: Annapolis, with James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Donnie Wahlberg, Chi McBride and Vicellous Shannon; Big Momma’s House 2, starring Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Zachary Levi, Emily Procter, Mark Moses; Bubble, with Dustin James Ashley, Katherine Beaumier, Joyce Brookhart, Daniel R. Christian, Ross Clegg, Omar Cowan, Thomas R. Davis, M. Stephen Dee, Debbie Doebereiner, Leonora K. Hornbeck, Laurie Lee, Decker Moody, Scott Smeeks, K. Smith, Madison Wilkins, Misty Dawn Wilkins and Phyllis Workman; and Nanny McPhee, starring Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury, Kelly Macdonald and Thomas Sangster.
2007 - The $57 million Portland Aerial Tram began operations. Two 78-passenger cabins carried commuters from the Banks of the Willamette River to the campus of the Oregon Health and Sciences University on Marquam Hill.
2007 - The Sundance Film Festival’s grand-jury prize for best U.S. drama was won by Padre Nuestro, an immigrant saga about a Mexican teen’s heartbreaking search for his father in America. Manda Bala (Send a Bullet), a profile of lives in Brazil, took the Documentary Grand Jury Prize (along with the cinematography prize).
2008 - Former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov was barred from the Russian ballot by election authorities who said tens of thousands of signatures on his nominating petitions were faked. Kasyanov denounced the Central Election Commission’s ruling as politically motivated and described the election as a farce. “I have no doubt that Putin personally made the decision not to register my candidacy,” he said.
2009 - A study led by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that climate change was “largely irreversible” for 1,000 years even if carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could be abruptly halted.
2009 - A $29 million SPCA pet hospital in San Francisco held its grand opening. The Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center, was named for a former association board member and animal lover whose family donated $18 million toward its construction.
2010 - Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a tablet computer device he called the iPad. The 16, 32 and 64GB gizmo with 9.7-inch display was designed to bridge the gap between smartphones and laptops. It went on sale in March 2010 for $499-$829.
Birthdays January 27
1756 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Theophilus)
composer: Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Symphony #41, Requiem, A Little Night Music; died in 1791; died Dec 5, 1791
1832 - Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
mathematician, writer: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, The Hunting of the Snark; died Jan 14, 1898
1850 - Samuel Gompers
labor union leader: 1st president of the American Federation of Labor [AFL]; died Dec 13, 1924
1850 - Edward John Smith
Captain of the ill-fated RMS Titanic; died [went down with the Titanic] Apr 15, 1912
1885 - Jerome Kern
the father of the American musical: composer: Show Boat, Ol’ Man River, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Lovely to Look At, The Way You Look Tonight, The Last Time I Saw Paris; died Nov 11, 1945
1895 - Harry Ruby (Rubinstein)
musician: composer: Duck Soup; died Feb 23, 1974
1900 - Hyman Rickover
‘Father of the Nuclear Navy’: U.S. Navy Admiral: directed development of the Nautilus, the first nuclear reactor-powered submarine; died July 8, 1986
1901 - Art Rooney
Pro Football Hall of Fame founder, administrator: bought the Pittsburgh Pirates [1933] and changed their name to the Steelers [1940]; died Aug 25, 1988
1908 - William Randolph Hearst Jr.
publishing and broadcasting mogul: newspapers: San Francisco Examiner, magazines: Cosmopolitan; Hearst Broadcasting, A&E Television Networks, The History Channel; died May 14, 1993
1915 - Ernst Schroder
actor: Das Babylon Komplott, A Song for Europe, The Odessa File, Heidi, Die Nylonschlinge, Mein Schulfreund, Geheimaktion schwarze Kapelle; died Jul 26, 1994
1916 - Milt (Milton W.) Raskin
pianist, composer Twenty Mule Train [Death Valley Days], Exotic Percussion [Kapu], Look Out Up There [w/Pete Rugolo], I Never Wanna Look Into Those Eyes [w/Johnny Mercer], Mileka; arranger: Naked City, The Fugitive, The Agony and the Ecstacy, Lawrence of Arabia; died Oct 16, 1977
1918 - Skitch (Lyle) Henderson
bandleader: musical director of NBC-TV’s The Tonight Show with Steve Allen, Johnny Carson; conductor: Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; died Nov 1, 2005
1918 - Elmore James
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blues musician: guitar: Dust My Broom, Shake Your Money Maker, Talk to Me Baby, It Hurts Me Too, The Sky is Crying; died May 24, 1963
1921 - Donna Reed (Mullenger)
actress: From Here to Eternity, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Benny Goodman Story, The Donna Reed Show; died Jan 14, 1986
1924 - Sabu (Dastagir)
actor: A Tiger Walks, The Treasure of Bengal, The Jungle Book, Arabian Nights, The Thief of Bagdad, The Elephant Boy; died Dec 2, 1963
1930 - Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland (Robert Calvin Brooks)
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer: singer: That’s the Way Love Is, Call on Me, Turn on Your Love Light, Ain’t Nothin’ You Can Do; original group: The Beale Streeters with Johnny Ace
1931 - Rudi Maugeri
singer: group: The Crew Cuts: Sh-Boom, Earth Angel, Crazy ’Bout Ya Baby, I Spoke Too Soon, Oop-Shoop, Do Me Good Baby, Ko Ko Mo [I Love You So]; died May 7, 2004
1934 - George Follmer
auto racer: Spanish Grand Prix [3rd place: 1973]; Trans-Am season win [tied w/Hurley Haywood, Carl Shafer: 1976]
1936 - Troy Donahue (Merle Johnson)
actor: Hawaiian Eye, Parrish, A Summer Place, Assault of the Party Nerds, The Godfather: Part 2, The Chilling; died Sep 2, 2001
1939 - Mike Hill
golf: champ: Doral-Eastern Open Invitational [1970], San Antonio Texas Open [1972], Ohio Kings Island Open [1977]
1944 - Nick Mason
musician: drums: group: Pink Floyd: Arnold Layne, Let There be More Light, Atom Heart Mother, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Shine on You Crazy Diamond; LP: Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall
1946 - Nedra Talley
singer: group: The Ronettes: Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, Do I Love You, Walking in the Rain, [The Best Part of] Breaking Up
1950 - Russell Lee
basketball: Milwaukee Bucks
1951 - Brian Downey
musician: drums: group: Thin Lizzy: Still in Love with You, Killer on the Loose, Whiskey in the Jar, The Rocker, Little Girl in Bloom
1951 - Seth Justman
musician: keyboard, singer, composer: group: The J. Geils Band: Give It to Me, Must Have Got Lost, One Last Kiss, Freeze-Frame, Centerfold, Angel in Blue, Land of 1000 Dances
1952 - Brian Gottfried
tennis: Trinity University [Division I National Championship: 1972]; French Open [1975, 1977], Wimbledon [w/Raul Ramirez: 1976]; 25 singles titles, 54 doubles crowns; singles ranking No. 3 in world: 1977
1956 - Mimi Rogers
actress: Full Body Massage, Monkey Trouble, Dark Horse, The Rousters, Desperate Hours, The Mighty Quinn, Someone To Watch Over Me, Blue Skies Again
1959 - Cris Collinsworth
football: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver: Super Bowl XVI, XXIII; TV sports analyst: HBO’s Inside the NFL, NFL Thursday Night Football, NBC Sunday Night Football
1961 - Gillian Gilbert
musician: keyboards: group: New Order: Shellshock, Confusion, Blue Monday
1964 - Woody Austin
golf champ: PGA Rookie of the Year [1995], Buick Open [1995], Buick Championship [2004], Stanford St. Jude Championship [2007]
1964 - Bridget Fonda
actress: Point of No Return, The Godfather, Part 3, Aria, 21 Jump Street; daughter of actor, Peter Fonda and actress, Susan Brewer, granddaughter of actor, Henry Fonda, niece of actress, Jane Fonda
1964 - Jack Haley
basketball [forward]: UCLA; NBA: Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs; FOX TV Sports college basketball analyst
1968 - Tracy Lawrence
musician: guitar, singer: Time Marches On, If the World Had a Front Porch, Texas Tornado, Stars Over Texas, Her Old Stompin’ Ground, Sticks and Stones
1968 - Rusty Meacham
baseball [pitcher]: Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
1968 - Mike Patton
singer: group: Faith No More: We Care a Lot, Introduce Yourself, From Out of Nowhere, Falling to Pieces, Midlife Crisis, Small Victory
1968 - Matt Stover
football [kicker]: Louisiana Tech Univ; NFL: Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens
1971 - Patrice Brisebois
hockey: Montreal Canadiens
1972 - Bryant Young
football: Notre Dame Univ; NFL: San Francisco 49ers
Chart Toppers January 27
1948Golden Earrings - Peggy Lee
How Soon - Jack Owens
Ballerina - Vaughn Monroe
I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) - Eddy Arnold
1957Singing the Blues - Guy Mitchell
Don’t Forbid Me - Pat Boone
Jamaica Farewell - Harry Belafonte
Singing the Blues - Marty Robbins
1966We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In) - The T-Bones
Giddyup Go - Red Sovine
1975Please Mr. Postman - Carpenters
Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka
Fire - Ohio Players
(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time - Ronnie Milsap
1984Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Talking in Your Sleep - The Romantics
In My Eyes - John Conlee
1993I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
Rump Shaker - Wreckx-N-Effect
Saving Forever for You - Shanice
Look Heart, No Hands - Randy Travis
2002Get The Party Started - Pink
U Got It Bad - Usher
Hey Baby - No Doubt
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson
By Request...Jim Croce-Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
View attachment 9836
Thursday, January 27, 2011
PERFECT FOOL DAY
Zany costumes, a comic lisp and slapstick humor earned comedian Ed Wynn the title of ‘The Perfect Fool’.
Born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, Wynn was one of television and radio’s earliest stars. He came to radio from vaudeville and Broadway, starring as the Texaco fire chief on the Texaco Star Theater. (The show’s title was better known as The Fire Chief, Texaco’s trademark and Ed Wynn’s role.) The variety show was an innovative stage for Wynn. He wore costumes and makeup to make the radio studio audiences laugh louder; and incorporated comic sounds with kazoos and cymbals. When Texaco gave up the sponsorship, the show was retitled, The Ed Wynn Show.
A year after being named by his peers as “the greatest visual comedian of our day,” Ed Wynn took the perfect fool to the new entertainment stage of television. It was 1949 and The Ed Wynn Show was the first regular show to be carried live on the West Coast, then kinescoped for rebroadcast from New York to the rest of the CBS network. This was unusual at the time because live TV shows generally originated from New York with the kinescopes being fed from Hollywood.
On this night in 1950, Ed Wynn took home the Emmy for Most Outstanding Live Personality and his show, The Ed Wynn Show, received the award for Best Live Show. Coincidentally, this same night, Wynn’s comedian friend, Milton Berle was awarded the Emmys for Most Outstanding Kinescope Personality for his performance on The Best Kinescope Show, The Texaco Star Theater on NBC television.
Ed Wynn went on to become a dramatic actor for such highly esteemed television programs as Studio One, Playhouse 90 and Kraft Theater. In the 1950s and 1960s, some forty plus years after he had first stepped on a stage, Wynn became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after character actors, appearing in a number of films, including The Greatest Story Ever Told, Mary Poppins, The Absent-Minded Professor, Cinderfella, The Diary of Anne Frank, Marjorie Morningstar, Requiem for a Heavyweight and Alice in Wonderland (voice of the Mad Hatter).
The perfect fool was nobody’s fool!
Events January 27
1870 - Kappa Alpha Theta, the first women’s Greek letter society, or sorority, was founded at Indiana Asbury University -- now DePauw University -- in Greencastle, Indiana.
1880 - Thomas Alva Edison of Menlo Park, NJ patented the electric incandescent lamp. We’ve been turning it on ever since...
1888 - The National Geographic Society was incorporated -- in Washington, DC.
1910 - Thomas Crapper, said to be the inventor and developer of the flush toilet mechanism that most of us use, died on this day.
1918 - The motion picture, Tarzan of the Apes, was released. The film was based on a series of stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The movie focused on 10-year-old Gordon Griffith who played Tarzan as a boy. An older Tarzan was played by Elmo Lincoln. Did you know that a famous baseball player turned down the chance to play the role of Tarzan? True! That famous player was the ‘Iron Man’ and pride of the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig. Four Tarzans have won Olympic medals: Johnny Weissmuller, Herman Brix, Buster Crabbe and Glen Morris. It was Johnny Weissmuller who made the Tarzan yell famous (the yell is said to be a recorded combination of violin G-string, hyenas howl, dog’s growl and a camel’s bleat).
1931 - NBC radio introduced listeners to Clara, Lu ’n’ Em on its Blue network (later, ABC radio). The show became the first daytime radio serial when it was moved from its original nighttime slot. Louise Starkey appeared as Clara, Isobel Carothers as Lu, and Helen King as Em.
1944 - Casey Stengel resigned as manager of the Boston Braves, a position he had held since 1938. He became manager of the New York Yankees in 1948. Here are some famous Stengelisms: “The Yankees don’t pay me to win every day -- just two out of three.”; “The secret of managing a club is to keep the five guys who hate you away from the five guys who are undecided.”; and “You have to draft a catcher, because if you don’t have one, the ball will roll all the way back to the screen.”
1945 - The advancing Soviet Army liberated Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp. Prisoners capable of marching had been evacuated a few days earlier.
1948 - Wire Recording Corporation of America announced the first magnetic wire recorder. The ‘Wireway’ machine with a built-in oscillator sold for $149.50.
1951 - Operation Ranger started atomic testing in the Nevada desert. An Air Force plane dropped a 1-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats.
1956 - The CBS Radio Workshop was heard for the first time. This first broadcast featured Aldous Huxley narrating his classic, Brave New World.
1961 - Leontyne Price made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. She sang in the role of Leonora in Il Trovatore. Price was only the seventh black singer to make a debut at the Met. Marian Anderson was the first (1955).
1967 - Tragedy struck on the launch pad of Apollo 204, scheduled to be the first Apollo manned mission. A flash fire in the command module during a preflight test killed astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee. After the disaster, the mission was officially designated Apollo 1.
1968 - The Bee Gees played their first American concert, as a group. They earned $50,000 to entertain at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. This is identical to what the Beatles were paid to perform at the Hollywood Bowl a few years earlier.
1968 - Otis Redding’s (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay was released on this day, seven weeks after the singer’s death. It became #1 on March 16, 1968 and remained at the top spot for a month. Redding began his recording career in 1960 with Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers (on Confederate Records). He sang duet with Carla Thomas and had 11 chart hits. Redding of Dawson, GA was killed in a plane crash at Lake Monona near Madison, WI. Four members of the Bar-Kays were also killed in the crash. The Dock of the Bay, his only number one song, was recorded just three days before his death.
1972 - Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson died of heart failure. She was 60 years old. Jackson helped spread gospel music around the world. She sang "We Shall Overcome" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, just before Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” She also sang at King’s funeral.
1973 - The Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris, formally bringing to an end the longest foreign war in U.S. history. The agreement called for a cease-fire to begin the next day, the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and military advisers, and the release of all prisoners held by both sides. Diplomats held two separate ceremonies because South Vietnam refused to recognize the Viet Cong’s existence.
1976 - Laverne and Shirley, a spin-off from Happy Days, premiered on ABC TV. Penny Marshall starred as Laverne De Fazio and Cindy Williams was Shirley Feeney. The show ran through May 10, 1983.
1977 - The Vatican reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church’s ban on female priests.
1982 - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opened at Royale Theatre on Broadway in New York City -- for 747 performances.
1984 - Carl Lewis bettered his own two-year-old record by 9-1/4 inches when he set a new, world indoor record with a long-jump mark of 28 feet, 10-1/4 inches. The track event was held in New York City.
1984 - Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in Los Angeles. Pyrotechnics did not operate on cue, injuring the singer. Jackson was hospitalized for a few days and fans from around the world sent messages of concern.
1984 - ‘The Great One’, Wayne Gretzky, set a National Hockey League record for consecutive game scoring, as his streak ended at 51 games. The streak began on October 5, 1983, ending with the L.A. Kings defeating the Edmonton Oilers, 4-2. Gretzky collected 153 points (61 goals and 92 assists) during the run. Gretzky left Edmonton to play for the Kings in 1988.
1991 - Super Bowl XXV (at Tampa): New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19. The Giants had the ball for 40 minutes, 33 seconds and the Bills hung on to the ball for less than 8 minutes in the second half. Talk about ball control. MVP: Giants’ RB Ottis Anderson. Tickets: $150.00.
1992 - Boxer Mike Tyson went on trial for the rape of 1991 Miss Black America contestant Desiree Washington. He was found guilty on February 10 and sentenced to three years in prison.
1993 - American Chad Rowan (Akebono) was awarded the highest rank in sumo wrestling, making him the first foreign Yokozuna. The 6-foot-9, 510-pound naturalized Japanese citizen born in Hawaii became the 64th person to hold the top rank in the Japanese sport’s 2,000-year history.
1994 - The U.S. Senate passed a resolution calling on the Clinton administration to lift the U.S. trade embargo against Vietnam.
1995 - About five-thousand mourners gathered at the site of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its liberation.
1996 - France detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb.
1998 - In his State of the Union Address, U.S. President Clinton hailed the fact that the federal government would have a balanaced budget in 199l; the first balanced U.S. budget in thirty years.
1999 - Over 100,000 people gathered at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis to see Pope John Paul II.
2000 - U.S. President Bill Clinton delivered his last State of the Union Address. His proposals included a $350-billion tax cut, big spending increases for schools and health care and photo ID licenses for handgun purchases.
2001 - Religious and political leaders joined survivors of the Holocaust, Cambodia’s killing fields and the Rwandan genocide for the first Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony in England.
2001 - Lynn Swann (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Ron Yary (Minnesota Vikings) were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their 14th year of eligibility. Also elected: Nick Buoniconti, Marv Levy, Mike Munchak, Jackie Slater, and Jack Youngblood.
2001 - Jennifer Capriati upset three-time winner Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-3 to win the Australian Open title and her first Grand Slam tournament championship.
2002 - The Super Bowl matchup was decided when the New England Patriots upset the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-to-17, to win the AFC championship and the St. Louis Rams defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 29-to-24, to win the NFC championship.
2004 - Jack Paar died in Greenwich, CT. He was 85 years old. Paar hosted the Tonight Show from 1957 through 1962 and headed his own NBC variety series (The Jack Paar Program) from 1962 to 1965. His 1960 memoir was titled I Kid You Not, which was one of his signature lines.
2004 - John Kerry won the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary with 39% of the vote. Howard Dean, Wesley Clark, John Edwards and Joe Lieberman followed with 26, 12, 12, and 9%.
2005 - Consumer-goods manufacturing giant Procter & Gamble announced a $55 billion deal to buy the Gillette Corp.
2006 - Movies opening in U.S. theatres: Annapolis, with James Franco, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Donnie Wahlberg, Chi McBride and Vicellous Shannon; Big Momma’s House 2, starring Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Zachary Levi, Emily Procter, Mark Moses; Bubble, with Dustin James Ashley, Katherine Beaumier, Joyce Brookhart, Daniel R. Christian, Ross Clegg, Omar Cowan, Thomas R. Davis, M. Stephen Dee, Debbie Doebereiner, Leonora K. Hornbeck, Laurie Lee, Decker Moody, Scott Smeeks, K. Smith, Madison Wilkins, Misty Dawn Wilkins and Phyllis Workman; and Nanny McPhee, starring Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Angela Lansbury, Kelly Macdonald and Thomas Sangster.
2007 - The $57 million Portland Aerial Tram began operations. Two 78-passenger cabins carried commuters from the Banks of the Willamette River to the campus of the Oregon Health and Sciences University on Marquam Hill.
2007 - The Sundance Film Festival’s grand-jury prize for best U.S. drama was won by Padre Nuestro, an immigrant saga about a Mexican teen’s heartbreaking search for his father in America. Manda Bala (Send a Bullet), a profile of lives in Brazil, took the Documentary Grand Jury Prize (along with the cinematography prize).
2008 - Former prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov was barred from the Russian ballot by election authorities who said tens of thousands of signatures on his nominating petitions were faked. Kasyanov denounced the Central Election Commission’s ruling as politically motivated and described the election as a farce. “I have no doubt that Putin personally made the decision not to register my candidacy,” he said.
2009 - A study led by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that climate change was “largely irreversible” for 1,000 years even if carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions could be abruptly halted.
2009 - A $29 million SPCA pet hospital in San Francisco held its grand opening. The Leanne B. Roberts Animal Care Center, was named for a former association board member and animal lover whose family donated $18 million toward its construction.
2010 - Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled a tablet computer device he called the iPad. The 16, 32 and 64GB gizmo with 9.7-inch display was designed to bridge the gap between smartphones and laptops. It went on sale in March 2010 for $499-$829.
Birthdays January 27
1756 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Theophilus)
composer: Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Symphony #41, Requiem, A Little Night Music; died in 1791; died Dec 5, 1791
1832 - Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson)
mathematician, writer: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, The Hunting of the Snark; died Jan 14, 1898
1850 - Samuel Gompers
labor union leader: 1st president of the American Federation of Labor [AFL]; died Dec 13, 1924
1850 - Edward John Smith
Captain of the ill-fated RMS Titanic; died [went down with the Titanic] Apr 15, 1912
1885 - Jerome Kern
the father of the American musical: composer: Show Boat, Ol’ Man River, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Lovely to Look At, The Way You Look Tonight, The Last Time I Saw Paris; died Nov 11, 1945
1895 - Harry Ruby (Rubinstein)
musician: composer: Duck Soup; died Feb 23, 1974
1900 - Hyman Rickover
‘Father of the Nuclear Navy’: U.S. Navy Admiral: directed development of the Nautilus, the first nuclear reactor-powered submarine; died July 8, 1986
1901 - Art Rooney
Pro Football Hall of Fame founder, administrator: bought the Pittsburgh Pirates [1933] and changed their name to the Steelers [1940]; died Aug 25, 1988
1908 - William Randolph Hearst Jr.
publishing and broadcasting mogul: newspapers: San Francisco Examiner, magazines: Cosmopolitan; Hearst Broadcasting, A&E Television Networks, The History Channel; died May 14, 1993
1915 - Ernst Schroder
actor: Das Babylon Komplott, A Song for Europe, The Odessa File, Heidi, Die Nylonschlinge, Mein Schulfreund, Geheimaktion schwarze Kapelle; died Jul 26, 1994
1916 - Milt (Milton W.) Raskin
pianist, composer Twenty Mule Train [Death Valley Days], Exotic Percussion [Kapu], Look Out Up There [w/Pete Rugolo], I Never Wanna Look Into Those Eyes [w/Johnny Mercer], Mileka; arranger: Naked City, The Fugitive, The Agony and the Ecstacy, Lawrence of Arabia; died Oct 16, 1977
1918 - Skitch (Lyle) Henderson
bandleader: musical director of NBC-TV’s The Tonight Show with Steve Allen, Johnny Carson; conductor: Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; died Nov 1, 2005
1918 - Elmore James
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame blues musician: guitar: Dust My Broom, Shake Your Money Maker, Talk to Me Baby, It Hurts Me Too, The Sky is Crying; died May 24, 1963
1921 - Donna Reed (Mullenger)
actress: From Here to Eternity, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Benny Goodman Story, The Donna Reed Show; died Jan 14, 1986
1924 - Sabu (Dastagir)
actor: A Tiger Walks, The Treasure of Bengal, The Jungle Book, Arabian Nights, The Thief of Bagdad, The Elephant Boy; died Dec 2, 1963
1930 - Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland (Robert Calvin Brooks)
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer: singer: That’s the Way Love Is, Call on Me, Turn on Your Love Light, Ain’t Nothin’ You Can Do; original group: The Beale Streeters with Johnny Ace
1931 - Rudi Maugeri
singer: group: The Crew Cuts: Sh-Boom, Earth Angel, Crazy ’Bout Ya Baby, I Spoke Too Soon, Oop-Shoop, Do Me Good Baby, Ko Ko Mo [I Love You So]; died May 7, 2004
1934 - George Follmer
auto racer: Spanish Grand Prix [3rd place: 1973]; Trans-Am season win [tied w/Hurley Haywood, Carl Shafer: 1976]
1936 - Troy Donahue (Merle Johnson)
actor: Hawaiian Eye, Parrish, A Summer Place, Assault of the Party Nerds, The Godfather: Part 2, The Chilling; died Sep 2, 2001
1939 - Mike Hill
golf: champ: Doral-Eastern Open Invitational [1970], San Antonio Texas Open [1972], Ohio Kings Island Open [1977]
1944 - Nick Mason
musician: drums: group: Pink Floyd: Arnold Layne, Let There be More Light, Atom Heart Mother, Echoes, Wish You Were Here, Shine on You Crazy Diamond; LP: Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall
1946 - Nedra Talley
singer: group: The Ronettes: Be My Baby, Baby I Love You, Do I Love You, Walking in the Rain, [The Best Part of] Breaking Up
1950 - Russell Lee
basketball: Milwaukee Bucks
1951 - Brian Downey
musician: drums: group: Thin Lizzy: Still in Love with You, Killer on the Loose, Whiskey in the Jar, The Rocker, Little Girl in Bloom
1951 - Seth Justman
musician: keyboard, singer, composer: group: The J. Geils Band: Give It to Me, Must Have Got Lost, One Last Kiss, Freeze-Frame, Centerfold, Angel in Blue, Land of 1000 Dances
1952 - Brian Gottfried
tennis: Trinity University [Division I National Championship: 1972]; French Open [1975, 1977], Wimbledon [w/Raul Ramirez: 1976]; 25 singles titles, 54 doubles crowns; singles ranking No. 3 in world: 1977
1956 - Mimi Rogers
actress: Full Body Massage, Monkey Trouble, Dark Horse, The Rousters, Desperate Hours, The Mighty Quinn, Someone To Watch Over Me, Blue Skies Again
1959 - Cris Collinsworth
football: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver: Super Bowl XVI, XXIII; TV sports analyst: HBO’s Inside the NFL, NFL Thursday Night Football, NBC Sunday Night Football
1961 - Gillian Gilbert
musician: keyboards: group: New Order: Shellshock, Confusion, Blue Monday
1964 - Woody Austin
golf champ: PGA Rookie of the Year [1995], Buick Open [1995], Buick Championship [2004], Stanford St. Jude Championship [2007]
1964 - Bridget Fonda
actress: Point of No Return, The Godfather, Part 3, Aria, 21 Jump Street; daughter of actor, Peter Fonda and actress, Susan Brewer, granddaughter of actor, Henry Fonda, niece of actress, Jane Fonda
1964 - Jack Haley
basketball [forward]: UCLA; NBA: Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs; FOX TV Sports college basketball analyst
1968 - Tracy Lawrence
musician: guitar, singer: Time Marches On, If the World Had a Front Porch, Texas Tornado, Stars Over Texas, Her Old Stompin’ Ground, Sticks and Stones
1968 - Rusty Meacham
baseball [pitcher]: Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
1968 - Mike Patton
singer: group: Faith No More: We Care a Lot, Introduce Yourself, From Out of Nowhere, Falling to Pieces, Midlife Crisis, Small Victory
1968 - Matt Stover
football [kicker]: Louisiana Tech Univ; NFL: Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens
1971 - Patrice Brisebois
hockey: Montreal Canadiens
1972 - Bryant Young
football: Notre Dame Univ; NFL: San Francisco 49ers
Chart Toppers January 27
1948Golden Earrings - Peggy Lee
How Soon - Jack Owens
Ballerina - Vaughn Monroe
I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) - Eddy Arnold
1957Singing the Blues - Guy Mitchell
Don’t Forbid Me - Pat Boone
Jamaica Farewell - Harry Belafonte
Singing the Blues - Marty Robbins
1966We Can Work It Out - The Beatles
Barbara Ann - The Beach Boys
No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In) - The T-Bones
Giddyup Go - Red Sovine
1975Please Mr. Postman - Carpenters
Laughter in the Rain - Neil Sedaka
Fire - Ohio Players
(I’d Be) A Legend in My Time - Ronnie Milsap
1984Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Talking in Your Sleep - The Romantics
In My Eyes - John Conlee
1993I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
Rump Shaker - Wreckx-N-Effect
Saving Forever for You - Shanice
Look Heart, No Hands - Randy Travis
2002Get The Party Started - Pink
U Got It Bad - Usher
Hey Baby - No Doubt
Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) - Alan Jackson
By Request...Jim Croce-Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
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