Ford introduced the V-8 engine on this day in 1932. It was the first engine to run on vegetable juice.

     The first man to orbit Earth, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, was born on this day in 1934. Gagarin's flight into space lasted 108 minutes and everything went well except for one major problem -- he landed back in Russia.
     In Russia, a man who goes around in circles is called a "cosmonaut." In the U.S. he's called a "congressman."

     Napoleon married Josephine on this day in 1796. What a great French wedding that must have been. Instead of rice, they probably threw croissants.

    The Russians launched the first dog into space on this date in 1961. At that time the Russian space program was far ahead of the U.S. because NASA was still trying to find a dog that liked Tang.

     Happy 76th birthday to country singer Mickey Gilley. Mickey is a honky tonker whose cousins are Jimmy Swaggart and Jerry Lee Lewis, so you can bet their family reunions are a big night for the vice squad.

     On this date in 1822 Charles Graham received the first patent for false teeth. Charles was so proud of his patent, he kept it by his bedside in a glass of water.

     On this day in 1873, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was founded. The red tunic, Stetson hat, and riding pants are very distinctive. So when Mounties go undercover, their horses wear nondescript sunglasses.

     The Russians launched a dog into space on this day in 1961. It was right after he chewed up Nikita Krushchev's shoe.
     Wouldn't it have been easier to put him into the back of a pickup and turn him loose in Albania?
     The dog, not Krushchev.

     The first helicopter to cross a picket line did so at New Bedford, Massachusetts, on this day in 1947. Another first was set that day. When the helicopter crossed the picket line it became the first aircraft ever shot down by a surface-to-air picket sign.

     Napoleon married Josephine on this day in 1796. She said he was a lousy lover, so he compensated by conquering everybody -- except Josephine.

     Poncho Villa ravaged Columbus, New Mexico, on this day in 1916. So General Pershing and 6,000 U.S. troops invaded Mexico to capture Poncho. Eleven months and $130-million later, the troops gave up and went home. But Poncho did not return to the U.S. -- except once. To buy a new car. (Honest.)

     Mrs. John Haasen of Melbourne, Australia, set a record on this day in 1973 by ironing continuously for three days and 17 hours. She'd been letting her ironing pile up for 14 years.

     Adolph Hitler staged a beer hall putsch in Munich on this day in 1923. I'm not sure what "putsch" means, in English, but there was a lot of pushing, shoving, and fighting. So I guess "putsch" means hockey game.

     Mickey Spillane was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1918. Mickey wrote dozens of mystery novels, but he became most famous as the only guy in the Lite Beer TV commercials who ever got a date.
     Ooohhh, Mickey!

     On this day in 1822 C. M. Graham patented false teeth. There had been false teeth already, but Graham's were self-propelled. Just wind them up, they'd chew for you. Which was nice at dinner when your mouth had had a hard day

     On this date in 1969 CBS replaced "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" with "Hee Haw." CBS decided, instead of Tommy and Dickie, America preferred Grandpa Jones and Goober. Personally, I never could tell that much difference.

     Franz Gall was born on this day in 1758. He invented phrenology, the study of bumps on a person's head. It was very expensive: $10.00 for shaving, plus 200 bucks a bump.

      Amerigo Vespucci was born in Italy on this day in 1451. Thank heavens they named our country after him and not Columbus. Or we'd all be citizens of the Unites States of Chris.

     Singer Mickey Gilley turns 76 today. In the 1970s his honky tonk helped make mechanical bulls popular. If you've never seen a mechanical bull, just picture Arnold Swarzenegger line dancing.