On this date in . . .
1942: Though his family had produced 30-million
automobiles, Edsel Ford of Detroit was not allowed to obtain a new car because of strict
wartime rationing.
1946: Four days after the U.S. dropped an atomic
bomb on deserted Bikini Atoll, designer Louis Reard introduced a new 2-piece woman’s
swimsuit at a fashion show in Paris. He proclaimed the suit the "ultimate"
concept and called it the bikini.
1947: Larry Doby signed a contract with
baseball's Cleveland Indians, becoming the first black player in the American League.
1948:
My Favorite Husband starring Lucille
Ball debuted on CBS Radio. Lee Bowman co-starred with Lucy as "two people who live
together and like it."
1954: Elvis Presley recorded for the first time in
Memphis with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass slapper Bill Black. The result was Sun record
#209, "That's All Right, Mama" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky."
1975: Arthur Ashe defeated Jimmy Connors to become
the first black men’s singles champion at Wimbledon.
1980: Tom Shufflebotham charmed 511 worms out of
the ground in 30 minutes at the World Worm Charming Championships in Willaston, England.
Worm charmers ply their talent by shaking the ground (digging?) with various garden tools.
Water may not be used.
1985: The New York Mets scored five runs in the
19th inning to beat the Braves 16-13 in Atlanta. Game totals: 46 hits, 29 runs, and two
rain delays in 6 hours and 10 minutes. Fourth of July fireworks followed the game at 4:00
a.m.
1989:
The pilot episode of ''Seinfeld'' premiered.
NBC originally called the show "The Seinfeld Chronicles."
1991:
After
three years of restoration, a new law was imposed on the opening of the Trevi Fountain in
Rome, banning the throwing of coins into the fountain.
1993: Dave Lampson of Centreville, Virginia,
received a tax statement from IRS claiming he owed $68-billion! He was to pay $500
a month for 11-million years. An IRS official said it was a computer error.
2002:
Baseball's Ted Williams -- The Kid, Splendid Splinter,
Teddy Ballgame, and The Thumper -- died at age 83. He was likely the
greatest hitter in baseball.
2003:
An Estonian couple won the
Wife-Carrying World Championship in Sonkajarvi, Finland, for the third straight year.
Leaping timbers and wading through waist-high water, Egle Soll carried Margo Uusorg
over the 760-foot course in just over a minute. Estonian couples have won the race every
year since 1998 when they introduced a new style of carrying their partners upside down
over their backs.
Birthdays:
