It’s History…

A look back on this date in history…

111 years ago – In 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was founded.  Since then, more than 110 million Americans have been participants in BSA programs.

53 years ago – In 1968, the original “Planet of the Apes” premiered in New York.  It starred Charlton Heston as astronaut George Taylor and the great Roddy McDowall as his chimpanzee captor Cornelius.

45 years ago – In 1976, “Taxi Driver” premiered in New York.  It starred Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster.  “You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? . . . Well I’m the only one here.  Who the [eff] do you think you’re talking to?  Oh yeah.  OK.”

38 years ago – In 1983, Wayne Gretzky set a record when he scored four goals in one period during the NHL All Star Game.

36 years ago – In 1985,  “The Dukes of Hazzard” ended its six-year run.  It ran for seven seasons and 147 episodes.

35 years ago – In 1986, Spud Webb won the NBA slam dunk contest, at the impressive height of 5’7″.  His competition included the previous year’s champ, Dominique Wilkins, who towers over Spud at 6’8″.

31 years ago – In 1990, singer Del Shannon, best known for the 1961 smash “Runaway“, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  He was 55.

27 years ago – In 1994, Jack Nicholson attacked a guy’s windshield with a golf club in a fit of road rage after the other guy cut him off in Hollywood traffic.  Jack eventually reached an undisclosed settlement to avoid a criminal lawsuit.

25 years ago – In 1996, Cleveland agreed to drop its lawsuit after the NFL announced that Art Modell could move his NFL franchise to Baltimore but that he’d have to leave the Browns’ name behind.  Three years later Cleveland would get a football franchise back . . . but they’ve had a rough existence ever since.

And some Birthdays of note…

Cecily Strong is 37.  Melania Trump on “SNL”.  Here’s her first one.

Liam McIntyre is 39.

Dawn Olivieri is 40.  Monica Talbot on “House of Lies”, and Lydia on “Heroes”.

William Jackson Harper is 41.  Chidi on “The Good Place”.

Seth Green is 47.  Co-creator of “Robot Chicken”.  He’s also Scott Evil in the “Austin Powers” movies, Oz on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, AND the voice of Chris on “Family Guy”.

The Big Show” is 49.  WWE Superstar AND Captain Insane-O in “Waterboy”.

Stephanie Courtney is 51.  Flo from the Progressive insurance commercials.

Mary McCormack is 52.  The mom on the ABC sitcom “The Kids Are Alright“.  You’d also remember her as the badass star of USA Network’s “In Plain Sight”.

Vince Neil from Motley Crue is 60.

John Grisham is 66.  Legend behind “The Firm”, “The Client”, “The Rainmaker”, “The Chamber”, and “The Pelican Brief”.

Mary Steenburgen is 68.

Creed Bratton is 78.  Creed on “The Office”.  He also played guitar in The Grass Roots back in the ’60s.

Nick Nolte is 80.

Ted Koppel is 81.

John Williams is 89.  Mega-composer:  “Star Wars”,“Harry Potter”, “Indiana Jones”,“E.T.”,“Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, “Jaws”,“Superman”, “Jurassic Park”,“Schindler’s List”, and “Memoirs of a Geisha”.

Gary Coleman  (1968 – 2010)

Jack Lemmon  (1925 – 2001)

James Dean  (1931 – 1955)

Jules Verne  (1828 – 1905)  “Around the World in Eighty Days”, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea”, and “Journey to the Center of the Earth”.