The Manliest Damn Things You'll Read All Day: Born on this day in 1891 were two professional wrestlers with manly, manly names: Man Mountain Dean (1891-1953) and Ed "Strangler" Lewis (1891-1966). And on this day in 1859, French acrobat Charles Blondin walked across a tightrope ... a tightrope stretched over Niagara Falls.
Today's (other) notable births include American singer and actress Lena Horne (born in 1917, died earlier this year); magician Harry Blackstone Jr. (1934-1997); musician Stanley Clarke (born in 1951); the Chevrolet Corvette (first of which came off a Flint, Mich., assembly line this day in 1953); actor and comic David Alan Grier (born in 1955); actor Vincent D'Onofrio (born in 1959); actress Monica Potter (born in 1971); reggae singer Matisyahu and actor Rick Gonzalez (both born in 1979); British musician Andy Knowles (of Franz Ferdinand, born in 1982); American actress and celebrity crush Lizzy Caplan (also born in 1982); and American swimmer Michael Phelps (born in 1985).
Deaths on this date include English general James Oglethorpe (1696-1785), founder of the state of Georgia; American assassin Charles J. Guiteau (1841-1882), who killed President James A. Garfield -- Garfield, incidentally, did NOT return from the dead after Guiteau was hanged and other presidential assassinations and assassination attempts have happened since then, so apparently that "killy-deterry" thing didn't work out for the government murder machine; playwright Lillian Hellman (1905-1984); Little Rascals
child actor George "Spanky" McFarland (1928-1993); country guitarist and producer Chet Atkins (1924-2001); comic and actor Buddy Hackett (1924-2003); and children's book author and illustrator Robert McCloskey (whose works included the charming Make Way for Ducklings
, 1915-2003).Events, Happenings, Hit Songs on This Date:
Congress passed the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act this day in 1906. Just don't remind any modern-day Republican politicians, or they'll try to retract them, seeing as 1.) government never works, ever, and 2.) they were senseless intrusions into people's right to be poisoned by their foods and medications.
The Tunguska event happened in remote Siberia this day in 1908. Probably Doctor Who fighting aliens, nothing to see here.
U.S. President Warren G. Harding (a former R-and-B singer) named former President William Howard Taft to the position of Chief Justice in the U.S. Supreme Court this day in 1921. An early draft of his announcement started with the phrase "They say that cat Taft is a bad mother...," but writers edited that out, sadly.
Among the songs to top the U.S. singles chart on this day in history: "Stormy Weather"
by Ethel Waters (1933 and later recorded by birthday lady Lena Horne
); "The Glory of Love"
by Benny Goodman (1936); "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"
by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb (1938); "Wishing (Will Make It So)"
by Glenn Miller (1939); "Maria Elena"
by Jimmy Dorsey (1941); "I'll Be Seeing You"
by Bing Crosby (1944); "Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)"
by Vaughn Monroe (1949); "The Battle of New Orleans"
by Johnny Horton (1959); "Everybody's Somebody's Fool"
by Connie Francis (1960); "I Can't Stop Loving You"
by Ray Charles (1962); "I Get Around"
by The Beach Boys (1964); "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" by The Four Tops (1965); "Strangers in the Night"
by Frank Sinatra (1966); "Windy"
by The Association (1967); "This Guy's in Love With You"
by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (1968); "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet"
by Henry Mancini (1969); "It's Too Late
/I Feel the Earth Move
" by Carole King (1971); "Song Sung Blue"
by Neil Diamond (1972); "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"
by George Harrison (1973); "Love Will Keep Us Together"
by The Captain and Tenille (1975); "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)"
by Bill Conti (1977); "Don't You Want Me"
by The Human League (1982); and "Sussudio"
by Phil Collins (1985).
features covers of both "Love Will Keep Us Together" (done by Flea with the legendary Jimmy Scott) and "This Guy's in Love With You" (done by Fastball), among other groovy things.Nigeria's government banned Red Cross humanitarian assistance to the starving people of the breakaway province of Biafra this day in 1969.
America's voting age was lowered to 18 this day in 1971, when Ohio ratified the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The U.S. Supreme Court (wrongly) ruled that states could outlaw homosexual acts between consenting adults this day in 1986 -- government intrusion the Republicans can believe in!
More recent No. 1 singles in America on this date include "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)"
by Billy Ocean (1986); "Baby Got Back"
by Sir Mix-A-Lot (1992); "Hot in Herre"
by Nelly (2002, and soundtrack to one of the most awkward moments in Ye Olde Podcaster's work history, a tale for some other time); "This Is the Night"
by American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken (2003, occasionally still seen); "Inside Your Heaven"
by American Idol Carrie Underwood (2005, and still making music); "Do I Make You Proud"
by American Idol winner Taylor Hicks (2006, and never to be seen again); "Umbrella"
by Rihanna feat. Jay-Z (2007); "I Kissed a Girl"
by Katy Perry (2008); and "California Gurls"
by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg (urm, that would be today).Sources for stuff that isn't me snarking: Wikipedia and Josh Hosler's site.
Headlining today's show are a return engagement from electronic maestro Julian Shah-Tayler and funk powered by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, plus two other artists new to the show. I also address the shift to a biweekly status and the indefinite hold on Pod Across America because of my current living situation.
"Show Me Your Soul"
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