Author Archives: Eddie Deezen

The First African American to Co-Star in a Dramatic TV Series

Like so many later-comedians, Bill Cosby described himself in school as “the class clown”.  Born in 1937, William Henry Cosby worked at several different jobs growing up, including selling produce, stocking shelves in a supermarket, and apprenticing in a shoe repair store.  He served four years in the U.S. Navy and later entered Temple University on a track and field […]

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The First African American Invited to Dinner at the White House

In the autumn of 1901, Booker T. Washington, the great educator, author, and orator, was on a speaking tour.  In Mississippi, he received a telegram from President Theodore Roosevelt.  (President William McKinley had been assassinated less than two months before, an event which led to Roosevelt being sworn in as President.) The telegram asked Washington to come to the capitol […]

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The Only Major League Baseball Player to Openly Admit He was Gay During His Career Also May Have “Invented” the High-Five

“They can’t say that a gay man can’t play in the Majors, because I’m a gay man and I made it.”- Glenn Burke Major League Baseball has been going strong now for well over a century. Many thousands of players have taken the field since the beginning of organized professional baseball, but only one, Glenn Burke, ever “came out of […]

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The First “First Lady”

For those not familiar, the “First Lady” is a title which refers to the official hostess of the White House.  Although it is not a firm prerequisite for the title, the First Lady is commonly thought to be the wife of the President.  But who was actually the first-ever “First Lady”? If you guessed the logical answer, you, of course, […]

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The Guy Who Gave Hitler the Finger

Bob Young was born in Bakersfield, CA., on January 15, 1916.  As a relay runner, he was to compete in the 1936 Olympics and would go on to win a silver medal.  But despite these two historic (and very cool) accomplishments, Bob Young’s “coolest ever” accomplishment was a very unique one.  He gave the finger to Adolf Hitler. Bob was […]

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The Dogs Aboard the Titanic

On April 15, 1912, the legendary, ill-fated ship RMS Titanic sank. It remains, to this day, the most famous disaster in maritime history.  There were approximately 2,223 passengers aboard the ship, of which 1,502 perished. (Some sources site the figures at 2,228, with 1,503 dying.) Besides humans, a dozen dogs were aboard the ship on its luckless maiden voyage.  Just […]

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The Story Behind Marilyn Monroe’s Nude Calendar

It was 1949, then as now, countless thousands of young actresses in Hollywood were unemployed.  Many give up the struggle.  Others take a wrong turn and make decisions they will later regret. A certain unknown, very small, percentage persevere. That songbird they are all chasing, called “success”, inevitably proves elusive. But this article isn’t about the countless scores of would […]

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A Few Things You May Not Know About Mel Brooks

What can you say about the great comedic genius Mel Brooks?  He has given us some of the funniest movies in history, such as “The Producers”, “Blazing Saddles”, “Young Frankenstein”, and “Space Balls”.  A brilliant writer, director and performer, Mel is a true comedy immortal. For your reading pleasure, here are a few Mel Brooks facts you may not know: […]

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