History Blog

July 1

Happy Birthday RIP “Estée Lauder”(Josephine Mentzer 1906–2004) Sydney Pollack(1934–2008) Princess Diana Spencer(1961–1997) ; Olivia de Havilland–98 “Jamie Farr”(Jameel Farah)–80 “Deborah Harry”(Angela Tremble)–69 Daniel Aykroyd–62 Brian George–62 Alan Ruck–58 Dale Midkiff–55 Evelyn King–54 Pamela Anderson–47 Melissa “Missy” Elliott–43 Liv Tyler(Rundgren)–37 ; 1979 – Sony introduces the Walkman ; 1984 – The PG-13 rating is introduced by the MPAA.

June 30

Happy Birthday RIP “Susan Hayward”(Edythe Marrenner 1917–1975) Lena Horne(1917–2010) ; David Alan Grier–58 Vincent D’Onofrio–55 Mike Tyson–48 Brian Bloom–44 Willam Belli–32 Fantasia Barrino–30 Michael Phelps–29 ; 1937 – The world’s first emergency telephone number, 999, is introduced in London England

June 29

Happy Birthday RIP “Slim Pickens”(Louis Lindley 1919–1983) ; William Gary Busey–70 Richard Lewis–67 Fred Grandy–66 Colin Hay–61 Christopher Egan–30 ; 2007 – Apple Inc. releases their first mobile phone, the iPhone, and smartphone craze begins for millions!

June 28

Happy Birthday RIP Gilda Radner(1946–1989) ; Melvin Kaminsky(“Mel Brooks”)–88 John Biener–77 Bruce Davison–68 Kathleen “Kathy” Bates–66 Alice Krige–56 John Cusack–48 Mary Stuart Masterson–48 Danielle Brisebois–45 Michael “Mike” White–45 Jack “Steve” Burton–44 ; 1969 – Stonewall Riots begin in New York City marking the start of the Gay Rights Movement at the Greenwich village bar.

June 27

Happy Birthday RIP Helen Keller(1880–1968) Robert Keeshan(1927–2004) ; Vera Wang–64 Julia Duffy(Hinds)–62 Isabelle Adjani–58 Jeffrey Jacob “J.J.” Abrams–47 Tobias “Toby” Maguire–38 ; 1893 – The New York stock market crashed

June 26

Happy Birthday RIP Eleanor Parker(1922–2013) ; Michael “Mick” Jones–59 Christopher Isaak–58 Mark McKinney–55 Chris O’Donnell–44 Jason Schwartzman–34 ; 1934 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act, which establishes credit unions ; 1974 – The Universal Product Code is scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley’s chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio

June 25

Happy Birthday RIP “George Orwell”(Eric Blair 1903–1950) Sidney Lumet(1924–2011) ; June Lockhart–89 Carly Simon–69 James “Jimmie” Walker–67 Ricky Gervais–53 Georgios Panayiotou(“George Michael”)–51 Jason Lewis–43 Linda Cardellini–38 ; 1951 – The first commercial color telecast took place as CBS transmitted a one-hour special from New York to four other cities.

June 24

Happy Birthday RIP William “Jack” Dempsey(1895–1983) ; Albert Molinaro–95 Jack Carter(Chakrin)–91 Michele Lee Dusick–72 Michael “Mick” Fleetwood–67 Peter Weller–67 Nancy Allen–64 Joseph Penny Jr–58 Curtis Smith–53 Minka Kelly(Dufay)–34 ; 1916 – Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million dollar contract. ; 1949 – The first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, is aired on NBC starring William Boyd.

June 23

Happy Birthday RIP Alan Mathison Turing(1912–1954) Robert “Bob” Fosse(1927–1987) ; Theodore Shackelford III–68 Frances McDormand–57 Selma Blair Beitner–42 Jason Mraz–37 Melissa Rauch–34 Corey Sorenson–34 James “Miles” Fisher–31 Aimee Duffy–30 ; 1868 – Christopher Latham Sholes received a patent for an invention he called the “Type-Writer.”

June 22

Happy Birthday RIP Freddie Prinze(Pruetzel 1954–1977) ; Dianne Feinstein–81 Kristoffer “Kris” Kristofferson–78 Alexander Brit Hume–71 David L. Landau–67 Mary Louise “Meryl” Streep–65 Lindsay Wagner–65 Graham Greene–62 Cyndi Lauper–61 Tim Russ–58 Erin Brockovich(Pattee)–54 Carson Daly–41 Donald Faison–38 ; 1870 – Congress created the Department of Justice.