Daily History Blog

June 4

Happy Birthday RIP Catherine Rosalind Russell(1907–1976) William Dennis Weaver(1924–2006) ; Bruce Dern–77 Richard Stevenson Parker–61 Eldra “El” DeBarge–52 Albert Brown(“Al B Sure”)–45 Scott Wolf–45 Noah Wyle–42 Angelina Jolie Voight–38 Russell Brand–38 Todd “T.J.” Miller–31 ; 1912 – Massachusetts became the first state to adopt a minimum wage law.

June 3

Happy Birthday RIP “Josephine Baker”(Freda McDonald 1906–1975) “Tony Curtis”(Bernard Schwartz 1925–2010) ; Chuck Barris–84 Ian Hunter Patterson–74 “Deniece Williams”(June Chandler)–63 Suzie Plakson–55 Anderson Cooper–46 ; 1889 – The first long-distance electric power transmission line in the United States is completed, running 14 miles (23 km) between a generator at Willamette Falls and downtown Portland, Oregon.

June 2

Happy Birthday RIP Marvin Hamlisch(1944–2012) ; Sally Kellerman–76 Walter Stacy Keach–72 Lars Hallström–67 Jerry Mathers–65 Joanna Gleason(Hall)–63 Dana Carvey–58 Wentworth Miller–41 Zachary Quinto–37 Justin Long–35 Dominic Cooper–35 ; 1924 – Congress granted U.S. citizenship to all American Indians

June 1

Happy Birthday RIP Marilyn Monroe(Norma Jeane Mortenson 1926–1962) Cleavon Little(1939–1992) Andy Griffith(1926–2012) ; Charles “Pat” Boone–79 Morgan Freeman–76 Rene Auberjonois–73 Brian Cox–67 John Price–66 Heidi Klum–40 Alanis Morissette–39 ; 1980 – CNN made its debut.

May 31

Happy Birthday RIP Walter “Walt” Whitman(1819–1892) Dominic “Don” Ameche(Amici 1908–1993) ; Clinton Eastwood–83 Peter Yarrow–75 Sharon Gless–70 Joseph “Joe” Namath–70 Thomas Berenger(Moore)–64 Christopher Elliott–53 Lea Thompson–52 Corey Hart–51 Brooke Shields–48 Colin Farrell–37 ; 1889 – Johnstown Flood: Over 2,200 people die after a dam break sends a 60-foot (18-meter) wall of water over the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

May 30

Happy Birthday RIP Mel Blanc(Melvin Blank 1908–1989) Benjamin “Benny” Goodman(1909–1986) ; Colm Meaney–60 Ted McGinley–55 Mark Sheppard–49 “Wynonna Judd”(Christina Ciminella)–49 Idina Menzel–42 Omri Katz–37 ; 1911 – At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first Indianapolis 500 ends with Ray Harroun in his Marmon Wasp becoming the first winner of the 500-mile auto race.

May 29

Happy Birthday RIP John F. Kennedy(1917–1963) Leslie “Bob” Hope(1903–2003) ; Anthony Geary–66 Danny Elfman–60 Frank “Ted” Levine–56 Annette Bening-Beatty–55 Rupert Everett–54 Adrian Paul Hewett–54 Melissa Etheridge–52 Lisa Whelchel–50 David Burtka–38 Daniel Tosh–38 ; 1942 – Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra record Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas”, the best-selling Christmas single in history

May 28

Happy Birthday RIP Zelda Rubinstein(1933–2010) ; Beth Howland–72 Gladys Knight–69 Rudolph Giuliani–69 John Fogerty–68 Brandon Cruz(Williams)–51 Kylie Minogue–45 Justin Kirk–44 Jesse Bradford Watrouse–34 Carey Mulligan–28 Joseph Cross–27 ; 1892 – In San Francisco, California, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club.

May 27

Happy Birthday RIP Vincent Price(1911–1993) ; Christopher Lee–91 Heinz “Henry” Kissinger–90 Lee Meriwether–78 Louis Gossett Jr–77 “Siouxsie Sioux”(Susan Ballion)–56 Peri Gilpin(Oldham)–52 Adam Carolla–49 Todd Bridges–48 Joseph Fiennes–43 Paul Bettany–42 Chris Colfer–23 ; 1896 – The F4-strength St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado hits in St. Louis, Missouri and East Saint Louis, Illinois, killing at least 255 people and causing $2.9 billion in damage ; 1927 – The Ford Motor Company ceases manufacture of the Ford Model T and begins to retool plants to make the Ford Model A.

May 26

Happy Birthday RIP “John Wayne”(Marion Morrison 1907–1979) Peter Cushing(1913–1994) Miles Davis(1926–1991) “Peggy Lee”(Norma Egstrom 1920–2002) ; Brent Musburger–74 Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks–65 Philip Michael Thomas–64 Pamela Grier–64 Randall Hank Williams–64 Eugenie “Genie” Francis–51 Robert “Bobcat” Goldthwait–51 Leonard “Lenny” Kravitz–49 Helena Bonham Carter–47 Matt Stone–42 ; 1896 – Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The average price of the 11 initial stocks was 40.94