This Day In History: September 1, 1850 Before there was Madonna, Britney, or heaven forbid, Miley, Jenny Lind was packing them in like crazy and setting box-office records all over the country. And here’s the truly impressive thing about her achievement – she managed to create this kind of demand before anyone in the U.S. heard her sing a note. […]

This Day In History: August 29, 1789 Shays’ Rebellion was the result of the farmers in central and western Massachusetts, who were already barely eking out a living, being pushed to the brink by the tax and debt-collecting policies set by politicians back east in Boston. Unimpressed by the fact that the rural settlers did not use paper money and […]

This Day In History: August 28, 1565 The city of St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest permanently occupied European settlement in the United States, making both Jamestown and Plymouth look like Johnny-Come-Latelys by comparison. Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sighted land on August 28, 1565, the feast day of St. Augustine of Hippo. By September 7th, the Spanish had […]

This Day In History: August 27, 1967 On August 27, 1967, the man who launched the career of the most celebrated rock band of all time was found dead in his Sussex, England home of what was believed to be an accidental drug overdose. He was just 32 years old. When Brian Epstein began his association with the Beatles in […]

This Day In History: August 26, 1986 During the early morning hours of August 26, 1986, a cyclist out for an early ride discovered the half-nude and badly bruised body of an attractive young woman under a tree behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It was obvious she was dead. The unfortunate victim was eighteen-year-old Jennifer […]

This Day In History: August 25, 1939 On August 25, 1939, 75 years ago today, one of the best-known and most-loved films in cinematic history was released in movie theaters across the country. Far from being a huge box office smash from the get-go, The Wizard of Oz took its sweet time to reach the heights of popularity and profitability […]

This Day In History: August 22, 1893 “The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue.” ―Dorothy Parker On August 22, 1893, writer, poet and critic Dorothy Parker was born in West End, New Jersey. Her witty, irreverent and sometimes scathing sense of humor enthralled and entertained audiences across numerous genres from the […]

This Day In History: August 21, 1920 “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh Christopher Robin Milne was born in London on August 21, 1920 to author Alan Alexander Milne and his wife Dorothy. For a first birthday gift, he received […]

This Day In History: August 20, 1619 On August 20, 1619, the first seeds were planted for the American/African slave trade. Although the “20 and odd” Africans aboard the ‘Man of War” were not considered slaves as slavery as it became was not practiced in the New World at that time; little is known about their status. It is believed […]

This Day In History: August 19, 1399 On August 19, 1399, the troubled reign of King Richard II came to an end when he surrendered power to his cousin, Henry of Bolingbroke. His reign is remembered as a series of blunders, goofs, and general ineptitude, but what do you expect from a king who inherits the throne at the age […]

This Day In History: August 18, 1634 On August 18, 1634, Urbain Grandier, a parish priest from St.-Pierre-du-Marché of Loudun, France, was executed for the crime of sorcery, when all he was really guilty of was ignoring that pesky vow of celibacy (like most clerics before him, including Pope Alexander VI who had seven known children) and provoking the anger […]

This Day In History: August 15, 1969 The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in upstate New York over a period of four days beginning on August 15, 1969. It was rainy, chaotic, and proclaimed a disaster area by the U.S. government. Most of those in attendance say it was the most magical and […]

This Day In History: August 14, 1976 On an August morning in Belfast, Ireland during the mid-‘70s, a member of the I.R.A. named Danny Lennon was speeding down Finaghy Road North and was shot dead by British soldiers chasing him in hot pursuit. His car careened into a young mother named Anne Maguire who was walking down the road with […]

This Day In History: August 13, 1997 Once upon a time, way back in 1992, there were two young students at the University of Colorado named Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They collaborated on a crudely done short film called “Jesus vs. Frosty” which caught the eye of FOX exec Brian Graden in 1995. He hired the two lads to […]

Today in History: August 12, 1938 On August 12, 1938, Adolph Hitler introduced the Mother’s Cross as an incentive for German women to produce as many children for the Third Reich as possible. The date was chosen to honor his mother Klara every year on her birthday. A gold medal was presented to mothers with seven children, a silver to […]

Today in History: August 11, 1492 Rodrigo Borgia was elected to (or bought) the papacy on August 11, 1492 and became Pope Alexander VI. He was arguably the most controversial pope in the history of the Catholic Church, and certainly one of the most fascinating figures of his time. Though the Borgias are strongly associated with Italy, the family originated […]

This Day In History: August 8, 1775 “They are remarkably stout and hardy men; many of them exceeding six feet in height. They are dressed in white frocks, or rifle-shirts, and round hats. These men are remarkable for the accuracy of their aim; striking a mark with great certainty at two hundred yards distance. At a review, a company of […]

This Day In History: August 7, 1782 The Purple Heart was created by George Washington to honor merit, especially in the case of enlisted solders, as the Continental Congress rejected his request to grant commissions and promotions in ranks based on merit. Yet Washington firmly believed meritorious action should be acknowledged, and on August 7, 1782, he issued an order […]