This Week In History: July 20 – July 26

Headlines & Tidbits from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s

American Experience:

1933 – Wiley Post is the first airplane pilot to fly solo around the world. 7days, 19hrs

1962 – House passes bill requiring equal pay for equal work regardless of sex

1964 – Jimmy Hoffa, President of International Brotherhood of Teamsters convicted of fraud & conspiracy and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

1969 – Neil Armstrong & Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin become the first men on the Moon!

1983 – Dick Smith completes the first solo helicopter flight around the world

Movies & TV:

1950 – “Arthur Murray Party” premieres on ABC TV

1955 – The Seven Year Itch starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell was in theaters

1957 – Jack Paar becomes the new host of “The Tonight Show”

1958 – CBS airs a documentary on upheaval in the Middle East called “Kuwait Middle East Oil Prize”

1958 – Brigitte Bardot stars in La Parisienne

Music & Radio:

1935 – “Gang Busters” first broadcast on NBC radio

1940 – The first Singles Record Chart is published by Billboard. The #1 spot went to Tommy Dorsey’s “I’ll Never Smile Again”

1964 – The Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” album goes #1 & stays #1 for 14 weeks

1964 – Jan & Dean’s “Surf City” is the first surfin’ record to go #1

1965 – Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” is released

1966 – Supremes release “You Can’t Hurry Love”

1969 – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young gave their first performance at Fillmore East, NY

1970 – The Carpenters’ (They Long to Be) Close to You” reaches #1

The Arts:

1975 – “A Chorus Line,” premieres. It is the longest running Broadway show with 6,137 shows.

1976 – “Guys & Dolls” opens at Broadway Theater in New York

Celebrity Headlines:

1968 – Jane Asher ends her engagement to Paul McCartney on live TV

1969 – Aretha Franklin arrested for disturbing the peace in Detroit

1973 – Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor (Enter the Dragon) dies at 32

1984 – Vanessa Williams, the first Black Miss America, is asked to resign due to indecent photographs published in Penthouse magazine

Sports:

1989 – Mike Tyson KOs Carl Williams in 1:33 for heavyweight boxing title

Technology & Inventions:

1938 – Freeze-dried instant coffee invented by Nescafe

Famous Birthdays:

1938: Natalie Wood, actress (Gypsy, Rebel Without A Cause), is born Natasha Gurdin

1940 – Don Imus, radio disc jockey (WNBC)

1943 – Jim McCarty member of the Yardbirds

1943 – Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones

1947 – Cat Stevens, singer-songwriter is born Steven Demetre Georgiou. Now known as Yusuf Islam

1947 – Don Henley, vocalist and drummer for the Eagles and solo artist

1948 – Garry Trudeau, creator of the political cartoon Doonesbury

1951 – Lynda Carter, actress (Wonder Woman) and Miss World USA, 1973

1952 – Robin Williams, actor and comedian

1956 – Paul Cook, drummer for the Sex Pistols

1956 – Dorothy Hamill, figure skater and Olympic Gold Medalist