This Day In History

[MedicCook]

July 31st

1498
Columbus arrived at the island of Trinidad.

1790
The first U.S. patent was issued to Samuel Hopkins of Vermont for a process of making fertilizer.

1875
Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, died in Carter Station, Tenn., at age 66.

1930
The radio mystery program The Shadow is aired for the first time.

1954
Mount Godwin-Austen (K2), the world's second-highest peak, was climbed for the first time, by an Italian team led by Ardito Desio.

1964
The U.S. space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the Moon’s surface.

1976
Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear The Reaper" was released.

1981
A seven-week strike by major league baseball players ended.

2006
Fidel Castro hands over power temporarily to brother Raúl Castro.

Birthdays
80 Don Murray Actor
74 Geoffrey Lewis Actor
70 France Nuyen Actress
66 Susan Flannery Actress
66 Lobo Singer
65 Geraldine Chaplin Actress
63 Bob Welch Rock singer
62 Richard Griffiths Actor
58 Evonne Goolagong Cawley Tennis Hall of Famer
58 Barry Van Dyke Actor
57 Alan Autry Actor
56 James Read Actor
53 Michael Biehn Actor
51 Bill Berry Rock musician (R.E.M.)
51 Mark Cuban Owner of the Dallas Mavericks
47 Wesley Snipes Actor
46 Fatboy Slim Rock musician
45 Jim Corr Rock musician (The Corrs)
44 J.K. Rowling Author ("Harry Potter" books)
43 Dean Cain Actor
40 Ben Chaplin Actor
40 Loren Dean Actor
34 Annie Parisse Actress ("Law and Order")
32 Robert Telfer Actor
30 B.J. Novak Actor, writer ("The Office")
~ groogs Cigar Asylum Inmate

[MedicCook]

August 4th

1735
Printer John Peter Zenger, defended by Andrew Hamilton, was acquitted of libel in a case that helped foster freedom of the press.

1884
Thomas Stevens became the first person to bicycle across the United States. He later bicycled around the world.

1914
Germany invaded Belgium and, in response, Britain declared war on Germany.

1916
Denmark ceded the Danish West Indies, including the Danish Virgin Islands, to the United States for 25 million.

1944
Anne Frank and her family were found hiding in Amsterdam by Nazis.

1977
President Carter signed a congressional act that established the Department of Energy.

1983
New York Yankee outfielder Dave Winfield threw a baseball during warm-ups and accidentally killed a seagull. After the game, Toronto police arrested him for "causing unnecessary suffering to an animal."

1985
Tom Seaver of the Chicago White Sox achieved his 300th victory.

1985
Rod Carew of the California angels got his 3,000th major league hit.

1989
The final episode of "Highway to Heaven" aired.

2007
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants tied Hank Aaron's 755 career home runs.

2007
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees became at age 32 the youngest player in major league history to hit his 500th career home run.

Birthdays
70 Frankie Ford Rock singer
66 Tina Cole Actress, singer
65 Richard Belzer Actor, comedian ("Law and Order: Special Victims Unit")
60 John Riggins Football Hall of Famer
54 Billy Bob Thornton Actor
51 Kym Karath Actress ("The Sound of Music")
50 Lauren Tom Actress
48 Barack Obama 44th President of the United States
47 Roger Clemens Baseball player
41 Daniel Dae Kim Actor ("Lost")
40 Michael DeLuise Actor
38 Jeff Gordon Race car driver
22 Stog-a-Boy Cigar Asylum Inmate
~ jwintosh Cigar Asylum Inmate

69 Louis Armstrong 8/4/1901 - 7/6/1971 American jazz trumpeter