The Brighter Side of History


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1842 John Tyler's daughter Elizabeth marries in the White House
1851 Gail Borden announced his invention of evaporated milk. More ...
1862 Telescope maker Alvin Clark discovers dwarf companion of Sirius More ...
1865 Congress passes 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America More ...
1874 Jesse James gang robs train at Gads Hill, MO More ...
1893 COCA-COLA trademark for "nutrient or tonic beverages" registered More ...
1927 National League President John Heydler rules against stockholder Roger Hornsby More ...
1927 Jean Goldkette and his dancing orchestra recorded, "I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" More ...
1930 First US glider flight from a dirigible, Lakehurst New Jersey More ...
1934 FDR devalues the dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce More ...
1936 "The Green Hornet" was first heard on WXYZ radio in Detroit, MI More ...
1949 First daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago) More ...
1950 President Truman ordered the development of the hydrogen bomb More ...
1953 New York, Cleveland & Boston retaliate at Bill Veeck, forcing the Browns to play afternoon games to avoid sharing TV revenues
1953 "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" by Perry Como More ...
1955 RCA demonstrates first music synthesizer More ...
1958 "Jackpot Bowling" premieres on NBC with Leo Durocher as host
1958 US launches their first artificial satellite, Explorer 1 More ...
1959 "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by The Platters topped the charts More ...
1960 TV special titled, "The Fabulous Fifties" airs on CBS More ...
1961 Ham is first primate in space (158 miles) aboard Mercury/Redstone 2 More ...
1961 USAF launches Samos spy satellite to replace U-2 flights More ...
1966 Luna 9 launched for moon More ...
1970 "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 topped the charts More ...
1971 Apollo 14 blasted off with astronaut/golfer Allen B. Sheppard Jr. on board More ...
1974 McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys San Diego Padres
1976 "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players topped the charts More ...
1981 "The Tide Is High" by Blondie topped the charts More ...
1983 Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was copyrighted
1987 "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & the Beaters topped the charts More ...
1990 First McDonald's in Russia opens in Moscow, world's biggest McDonald's
1998 "Together Again" by Janet Jackson topped the charts More ...

National League President John Heydler ruled that Rogers Hornsby cannot continue to both hold stock in the St. Louis Cardinals and play for the New York Giants. Seemingly oblivious, the Cards board of directors meeting in St. Louis, voted stockholders a 10% dividend, earning Hornsby $2916 for his 1167 shares.
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In 1950, President Harry S. Truman announced a program to develop the American hydrogen bomb. "I have directed ... work on all forms of atomic weapons, including the so called hydrogen or superbomb.” This response followed his earlier announcement, on September 23, 1949, that had shocked America, "We have evidence that within recent weeks an atomic explosion occurred in the USSR."
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"Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" was written by Slim Willet and was recorded by Perry Como on November 4, 1952. It was released by RCA Victor, as a 78rpm single and a 45rpm single, with the flip side "Lies." This record reached #1 on the US Billboard charts.
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Although The Platters recording has become the definitive version, recordings have been made by Artie Shaw (1941), Harry Belafonte (1950), Sarah Vaughan, and others.
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