This day in history April 17

[buddyjh]

107th day of 2009 - 258 remaining

Friday, April 17, 2009
IT’S A LO-O-ONG WAR DAY

We are all aware of short wars like 3-day, 7-day, and 3-month wars, but have you ever heard of a 335-year war? Today is the anniversary of the day such a war officially ended.

In the year 1651, a war began between the Isles of Scilly and the Netherlands. No one seems to know or care what started the war. What seems to be more important is that, although the actual fighting ended in the 17th century, no one had ever officially declared an end to the war until this day in 1986. It was then that the Netherlands ambassador to the Isles of Scilly, Jonkheer Rein Huydecoper, flew to the islands delivering a proclamation that terminated the war.

We’d say that 335 years is a lo-o-ong time to hold a grudge!

Events

April 17
1629 - Horses were first imported into the colonies by the Massachusetts Bay Colony on this day.

1704 - John Campbell, known by many as America’s first news vendor, published what would eventually become the first successful American newspaper, the Boston News-Letter.

1810 - Pineapple cheese was patented by Lewis M. Norton. Mr. Norton lived nowhere near pineapples. He was from Troy, PA. Pineapple cheese... Yummy!

1860 - New Yorkers learned of a new law. It required fire escapes to be provided for tenement houses.

1916 - The American Academy of Arts and Letters obtained its charter from Congress.

1933 - Backed by the On the Trail portion of the magnificent Grand Canyon Suite, Johnny Roventini, pillbox hat and all, uttered the words “Call for Philip Morris” for the first time on radio. The famous phrase was said in perfect B flat pitch and tone to perfectly match the accompanying music. This “Call for Philip Morris” phrase became one of the most famous in all of advertising. Here are a few other classics from advertising’s golden age to jog your brain’s memory cells: “See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet,” “Pepsi Cola hits the spot, 12 full ounces and that’s a lot,” “When better cars are built, Buick will build them,” “Aren’t you glad you use Dial? Don’t you wish everybody did?”

1935 - People gathered around the radio to listen for the first time to what would become the ultimate horror show on NBC Radio. Lights Out remained on radio until 1946.

1941 - Igor Sikorsky accomplished the first successful helicopter (or heliocopter as it was called then) lift-off from water near Stratford, CT.

1956 - Two of the greats began their major-league baseball careers this day: Luis Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox and Don Drysdale began work with the Brooklyn (later, LA) Dodgers. Aparicio became the American League Rookie of the Year. Drysdale won 209 games before he retired. Both were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY on the same day, August 12, 1984. Drysdale later became a broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox and the Dodgers.

1961 - The 33rd Annual Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Bob Hope, ended the ten year drought during which producer, writer, director Billy Wilder could not capture the elusive Oscar. Wilder was no stranger to Oscar, though. He had three of the golden statuettes sitting on his mantle (or wherever the Wilders keep their awards) from previous years. But this year, the winnings were much sweeter. Not only did Mr. Wilder receive the Oscar for Best Writing/Story and Screenplay/Written Directly for the Screen (shared with I.A.L. Diamond) and the Best Director Oscar (both for The Apartment), he and The Apartment also received the top award, Best Picture. There were other happy Oscar recipients this night at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, as well. Burt Lancaster took the Best Actor honors and Shirley Jones, the Best Supporting Actress, for their performances in Elmer Gantry. Elizabeth Taylor was voted Best Actress for her role in Butterfield 8. Spartacus, nominated in six categories, won four Oscars, including one for Peter Ustinov as Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The Best Music/Song was awarded to Never on Sunday and Manos Hadjidakis from the foreign flick: Pote tin Kyriaki. Yes, we know ... it’s all Greek to you. Some one-Oscar wonder films from 1960: Sons and Lovers, The Alamo, The Time Machine, Exodus. Some multi-nominations but no wins from that year include: Inherit the Wind, The Sundowners, Cimarron, Sunrise at Campobello, Psycho, Bells are Ringing, The Magnificent Seven, Can-Can.

1964 - The CBS television network paid $1,800,000 for the rights to the 1964-1965 National Football League (NFL) Championship games.

1967 - Comedian Joey Bishop got the opportunity to attempt to unseat the king of late night, Johnny Carson. The Joey Bishop Show made its debut on ABC-TV this night. Bishop, Regis Philbin (announcer) and Johnny Mann (music) couldn’t beat Carson, but held out until December 26, 1969 (the show’s last broadcast).

1970 - The breakup of the most influential rock group in music history was official when Paul McCartney’s solo LP, McCartney, was released. Paul played all the instruments himself on this Apple album.

1971 - Joy to the World, by Three Dog Night, made it to the top of the pop music charts on this day. The song was number one for six weeks. Now that’s a hit!

1972 - Betcha by Golly, Wow, by The Stylistics from Philadelphia, earned a gold record for the group. The Stylistics also scored million sellers with You are Everything, I’m Stone in Love with You, Break Up to Make Up and You Make Me Feel Brand New. The smooth R&B group could have won an award for the most creative use of the words, Betcha, by Golly, Wow, too, if anyone had thought about it...

1985 - The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its new 22-cent LOVE stamp. In a clever promotion, the USPS used the set of ABC-TV’s The Love Boat as a backdrop. The stamp went on to become one of the most popular ever offered by the postal service.

1985 - Many fans of the TV soap opera, Days of Our Lives, lined up in Hollywood, CA in hopes of getting the hottest tickets in town -- for the wedding of Bo and Hope on the popular soap. It was the first soap wedding open to fans.

Birthdays

April 17
1837 - J.P. (John Pierpoint) Morgan
financier; died Mar 31, 1913

1894 - Nikita Khrushchev
U.S.S.R. premier [1958-1964]; died Sep 11, 1971

1897 - Thornton Wilder
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist: The Bridge of San Luis Rey [1928] and playwright: Our Town [1938], The Skin of Our Teeth [1943]; died Dec 7, 1975

1903 - Gregor Piatigorsky
Russian-born cellist: performed worldwide; teacher: Univ. Southern California; died Aug 6, 1976

1905 - Arthur Lake (Silverlake)
actor: Blondie series, It’s a Great Life; died Jan 9, 1987

1916 - Sirimavo Bandaranaike
Ceylon Prime Minister: first woman prime minister in the world; died Oct 10, 2000

1918 - William Holden (Beedle Jr.)
Academy Award-winning actor: Stalag 17 [1953], Love is a Many-Splendored Thing, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Born Yesterday, The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Casino Royale, The Moon is Blue, Network, Picnic, Sunset Boulevard, The Towering Inferno, The World of Suzie Wong; died Nov 16, 1981

1923 - Lindsay Anderson
director: This Sporting Life, The Whales of August, Glory! Glory!, Britannia Hospital, If..., O Lucky Man!; died Aug 30, 1994

1923 - Solly (Solomon Joseph) Hemus
baseball: SL Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies

1923 - Harry Reasoner
newsman: Sixty Minutes, CBS Sunday Night News with Harry Reasoner, ABC News with Harry Reasoner and Barbara Walters; died Aug 6, 1991

1924 - Roy Gallant
author: Mirages & Sundogs, Earth’s Vanishing Forests

1930 - Chris Barber
musician: trombone, bandleader: Petite Fleur; appeared in film: Look Back in Anger

1934 - Warren Chiasson
jazz musician: vibes: group: Warren Chiasson Duo: LP: Point Counterpoint

1934 - Don Kirshner
music publisher: Aldon Music with Al Nevins, Brill Building mogul: Screen Gems Music: started Bubblegum music fad with creation of The Monkees

1935 - Lamar Lundy
football: LA Rams

1943 - Dennis Hextall
hockey: NHL: NY Rangers, LA Kings, California Golden Seals, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals; son of Hockey Hall of Famer Bryan A. Hextall

1944 - Bobby Curtola
singer: one of Canada’s early teen idols: Hand In Hand With You, Don’t You Sweetheart Me, Three Rows Over, Fortune Teller; TV host: After Four, Shake, Rock, Roll

1949 - Monroe Eley
football: British Columbia Lions

1950 - Pedro (Modesto Delfi) Garcia
baseball: Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays

1951 - Olivia Hussey
actress: Ice Cream Man, Stephen King’s It, Psycho 4: The Beginning, Death on the Nile, The Bastard, Romeo and Juliet

1955 - Pete Shelley (McNeish)
musician, singer: group: The Buzzcocks: Totally from the Heart, Alright O.K., Going Steady, Love Bites, What Do I Get, Orgasm Addict, Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn’t Fall in Love With, I Don't Mind, Promises

1959 - Sean Bean
actor: Goldeneye, Sharpe’s series, Patriot Games, The Field, Stormy Monday, The Lord of the Rings series

1959 - Stephen Singleton
musician: saxophone: group: ABC: Tears are Not Enough, Poison Arrow, Be Near Me, When Smokey Sings, King Without a Crown

1961 - Boomer (Norman) Esiason
football: quarterback: NY Jets, Cincinnati Bengals [Super Bowl XXIII]; TV commentator: ABC Monday Night Football [1998-1999]

1967 - Liz Phair
singer, songwriter: LPs: Exile in Guyville, whitechocolatespaceegg

Chart Toppers

April 17
1947The Anniversary Song - Dinah Shore
Heartaches - The Ted Weems Orchestra (whistler: Elmo Tanner)
How are Things in Glocca Morra - Buddy Clark
So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed - Merle Travis

1955The Ballad of Davy Crockett - Bill Hayes
The Ballad of Davy Crockett - Fess Parker
Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
In the Jailhouse Now - Webb Pierce

1963He’s So Fine - The Chiffons
Can’t Get Used to Losing You - Andy Williams
South Street - The Orlons
Still - Bill Anderson

1971Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
Another Day/Oh Woman Oh Why - Paul McCartney
Put Your Hand in the Hand - Ocean
Empty Arms - Sonny James

1979What a Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers
Knock on Wood - Amii Stewart
Music Box Dancer - Frank Mills
(If Loving You is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right - Barbara Mandrell

1987Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) - Aretha Franklin & George Michael
Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House
"You’ve Got" the Touch - Alabama

Number 1 April 17th, 1971....Joy To The World-Three Dog Night

01 - Joy to the World.zip

[ccelectro]

Thanks Buddy, another good read as always. Keep em' coming.

[peggy13]

Thanks...amazing information.

[marty napier]

thinks buddyjh

[eclipsemoon]

Thanks Buddy!

[MOE23]

Thanks buddy!!!

[jc7257]

Thanks Buddy. I had that 8 track of TDN. Few years have passed since then...

[zekester]

Another BUSY day in History...

[jell691]

i learn something new every day. THANKS!!

[Victor Hugo]

As always thanks for the great information.You really made my day, thank you.!!!!!!!