Friday, June 24, 2005

Friday, June 24

This Day In History

  • 1314   The forces of Scotland's King Robert I defeated the English in the Battle of Bannockburn.
  • 1497   The first recorded sighting of North America by a European took place as explorer John Cabot, on a voyage for England, spotted land, probably in present-day Canada.
  • 1509   Henry VIII was crowned king of England.
  • 1647   Margaret Brent, a niece of Lord Baltimore, was ejected from the Maryland Assembly after demanding a place and vote in the body.
  • 1793   The first republican constitution in France was adopted.
  • 1908   Former President Grover Cleveland died in Princeton, N.J., at age 71.
  • 1916   The most lucrative movie contract to the time was signed by actress, Mary Pickford. She inked the first seven-figure Hollywood deal. Pickford would get $250,000 per film with a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 a week against half of the profits, including bonuses and the right of approval of all creative aspects of her films. Not a bad deal for the former vaudeville and stage actress, who once appeared on Broadway with Cecil B. DeMille in "The Warrens of Virginia" for a measly $25 a week.
  • 1922   The American Professional Football Association took on a new name. They decided to name themselves the National Football League.
  • 1940   France signed an armistice with Italy during World War II.
  • 1940   TV cameras were used for the first time in a political convention as the Republicans convened in Philadelphia, PA.
  • 1948   Communist forces cut off all land and water routes between West Germany and West Berlin, prompting the United States to organize the massive Berlin airlift.
  • 1968   ''Resurrection City,'' a shantytown constructed as part of the Poor People's March on Washington D.C., was closed down by authorities.
  • 1975   An Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 crashed while attempting to land during a thunderstorm at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, killing 113 people.
  • 1987   Actor Jackie Gleason died at age 71.
Happy Birthday To
  • 1895   Jack (William Harrison) Dempsey (boxer: ‘The Manassa Mauler’: world heavyweight boxing champion [1919-1926]; NY restaurateur; died May 31, 1983)
  • 1919   Al Molinaro (actor: Happy Days, Joanie Loves Chachi)

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