Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

May 19

1992
Murphy Brown: Vice-Pres. Dan Quayle criticizes the TV character Murphy Brown's moral values after she has her baby.

1939
First American Indian beatified by the Catholic Church: Pope Pius XII approves the selection of Kateri Tekakwitha.

1910
Halley's Comet: Earth is believed to have passed through the tail of the famous comet.

1906
Federated Boys' Clubs is organized, now called the Boys' Clubs of America.

1780
The Dark Day: Much of New England becomes almost totally dark, causing many people to believe the end of the world had come. The cause has never been determined.

1643
First federation of the four American colonies: The United Colonies of New England is formed.

1952
Grace Jones, Jamaican-born model, singer, actress. Film: Conan the Destroyer (1984) and A View to a Kill (1985).

1945
Pete Townshend, British singer, with The Who. Music: My Generation (1965). He wrote rock's first opera Tommy (1969) with the hit Pinball Wizard.

1940
Donald James Johnson, American bowler, PBA Hall of Famer, Bowler of the Year (1971-72).

1935
David Hartman, American actor. TV: Lucas Tanner (title role) and Good Morning America (host).

1934
Jim Lehrer, American news correspondent. TV: PBS's MacNeil/Lehrer Report.

1928
Dolph Schayes, American basketball player, first professional player to score 15,000 points (1960).

1925     d. 1965
Malcolm X (Malcolm Little), American civil rights leader. While in prison he converted to the Muslim Nation of Islam (1946) and preached that all whites were of the devil. He was assassinated by the members of the Nation of Islam after breaking from them in 1964.

1890     d. 1969
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese leader, founder and first president of North Vietnam (1954-69).

1857     d. 1938
John Jacob Abel, American physiological chemist. He was the first to produce insulin in its crystalline form, and the first to isolate (1926) the pituitary hormone.

1795     d. 1873
Johns Hopkins, American businessman, philanthropist, contributed money for the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

1996     b. 1917
John Beradino, American actor. TV: General Hospital (Dr. Steve Hardy from the show's inception in 1963 till his death).  He also played major league baseball from 1939 to 1953.

1994     b. 1929
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Jacqueline Lee Bouvier), American first lady, widow of John F. Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis.

1970     b. 1888
Martin Branner, American cartoonist, creator of Winnie Winkle, the Breadwinner (1920).

1961     b. 1878
Howard Joseph Edgar, American songwriter. Music: Hello, My Baby.

1946     b. 1869
Booth Tarkington, American Pulitzer-winning novelist. Writings: The Magnificent Ambersons (1918, Pulitzer), and Alice Adams (1921, Pulitzer).

1935     b. 1888
Lawrence of Arabia (Thomas Edward Lawrence), English soldier, spy, diplomat, and secret agent. During the World War I, he organized the Arab revolt that ended Turkish rule over Arabia.

1864     b. 1804
Nathaniel Hawthorne, American author, The Scarlet Letter (1850) and The House of Seven Gables (1851).

1846     b. 1766
Robert Bailey Thomas, American publisher, founder of The Farmer's Almanac (1792, later called The Old Farmer's Almanack), which he published until his death.

1777     b. circa 1735
Button Gwinnett, American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence. He died from injuries received in a duel.

1218     b. circa 1174
Otto IV, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1209-18).

Please send Corrections and Omissions to epicidiot.com