Bizarro Files: 4 Aug. 2010

Today is Revolution Day in Burkina Faso, Constitution Day in the Cook Islands, and the feast day of Sithney, patron saint of mad dogs. And the invention of champagne by Dom Perignon is traditionally marked on this date in 1693.

Notables born on this date include English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822); French designer Louis Vuitton (1821-1892); American jazz legend Louis Armstrong (1901-1971); author and former pimp Iceberg Slim (1918-1992); journalist Helen Thomas (born in 1920); actor, comedian and writer Richard Belzer (born in 1944); former U.S. attorney general and war criminal Alberto Gonzales and actor, writer and occasional musician Billy Bob Thornton (both born in 1955); President Barack Obama (born in 1961); crime novelist Dennis Lehane (born this day in 1965); former Lost co-star Daniel Dae Kim (born this day in 1968); and Angel co-star Andy Hallett (1975-2009).

Deaths on this date include Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875); and American actor Victor Mature (1915-1999).

Incidents, chart-toppers, etc.:

The first publication of the Saturday Evening Post as a weekly newspaper occurred this day in 1821.

Members of the Borden family were found murdered in their home in Fall River, Mass., this day in 1892.

The Greenwich foot tunnel under the River Thames became accessible this day in 1902.

The Billboard Hot 100 was first published this day in 1958.

Sitting at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart on this date: "These Foolish Things Remind Me of You" (Amazon | iTunes) by Benny Goodman (1936); "Poor Little Fool" (Amazon | iTunes) by Ricky Nelson (1958); "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" (Amazon | iTunes) by Brian Hyland (1960); "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" (Amazon | iTunes) by Herman's Hermits (1965); "Jive Talkin'" (Amazon | iTunes) by the Bee Gees (1975); "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (Amazon | iTunes) by Elton John and Kiki Dee (1976); "Miss You" (Amazon | iTunes) by the Rolling Stones (1978); "Jessie's Girl" (Amazon | iTunes) by Rick Springfield (1981); "Eye of the Tiger" (Amazon | iTunes) by Survivor (1982); "Every Breath You Take" (Amazon | iTunes) by The Police (1983); "When Doves Cry" (Amazon | iTunes) by Prince (1984); "Shout" (Amazon | iTunes) by Tears for Fears (1985); and "Glory of Love" (Amazon | iTunes) by Peter Cetera (1986).

The bodies of murdered civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found in Mississippi this day in 1964; they had disappeared that June, and the incident was mentioned last weekend in the Mad Men season four premiere. On the same day, American destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy reported taking fire in the Gulf of Tonkin.

President Jimmy Carter signed the U.S. Department of Energy into law this day in 1977.

The Federal Communications Commission, amid all of Ronald Reagan's nation-wrecking deregulation, revoked the Fairness Doctrine this day in 1987, allowing the rise of fact-free right-wing hate radio and, later, their television equivalent in Faux News.

Other chart-toppers on this date: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (Amazon | iTunes) by U2 (1987); "Batdance" (Amazon | iTunes) by Prince (1989); "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Amazon | iTunes) by Bryan Adams (1991); "This Used to Be My Playground" (Amazon | iTunes) by Madonna (1992); "Can't Help Falling in Love" (Amazon | iTunes) by UB40 (1993); "Stay (I Missed You)" (Amazon | iTunes) by Lisa Loeb and Nine Stories (1994); "Waterfalls" (Amazon | iTunes) by TLC (1995); "Bootylicious" (Amazon | iTunes) by Destiny's Child (2001); "Hey There Delilah" (Amazon | iTunes) by Plain White T's (2007); and "I Kissed a Girl" (Amazon | iTunes) by Katy Perry (2008).

Sources: Wikipedia, Josh Hosler's site, bad ideas Don Draper would sneer at me for voicing.