Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

June 10

1983
Octopussy premiers in the U.S., 13th in the James Bond series, it starred Roger Moore as 007.

1980
Comedian Richard Pryor catches on fire. A mixture of cocaine and ether exploded in his face causing him to run screaming for nearly a mile with his clothes on fire.

1947
Saab: The military aircraft supplier introduces its first automobile, the model 92.

1943
First ball-point pen is patented, by Hungarian Lasalo Biro.

1935
Alcoholics Anonymous: The self help group is started when recovering alcoholic Bill Wilson contacts Dr. Bob Smith to help him resist the temptation to drink.

1924
First radio broadcast of a national presidential convention, the Republican Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

1902
First envelope with a window: Patented by American inventor A.F. Callahan.

1898
Spanish-American War: The first U.S. armed forces land at Cuba. During the next several days, U.S. forces and Cuban rebels clear the land of Spanish forces.

1854
U.S. Naval Academy graduates its first class.

1801
Tripoli declares war against U.S.

1692
Salem Witch Trials: Bridget Bishop is hanged making her the first of 20 people executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

1652
First currency mint in America is established, in Boston, Mass. with John Hull as its master.

1982
Tara Lapinski, American figure skater.  She became the youngest Winter Olympics gold medal winner in the 1988 Olympics.  She was also the young ladies world champion at age 14.

1955
Andrew Stevens, American actor. TV: Dallas (Casey Denault).

1933
F. Lee Bailey, American lawyer, talk show host, publisher of Gallery magazine.

1928
Maurice Bernard Sendak, American children's author, illustrator. Writings: Where the Wild Things Are (1963).

1922     d. 1969
Judy Garland (Frances Gumm), American Oscar-winning actress. Film: The Wizard of Oz (1939, Dorothy).

1921
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

1904     d. 1988
Frederick Loewe, German composer of Lerner and Loewe, together they wrote My Fair Lady (1956) and Paint Your Wagon (1969).

1898     d. 1952
Hattie McDaniel, American Oscar-winning actress. She was the first black woman to sing on U.S. radio, and was the first black actress to win an Oscar (1940 for her supporting role as Mammy in Gone With The Wind).

1835     d. 1930
Rebecca Latimer Felton, American politician, first woman U.S. senator (October 3 - November 22, 1922).

1832     d. 1891
Nikolaus August Otto, German co-inventor of the internal combustion engine (1867) and built a four-stroke Otto cycle (1876) which is used in most automobiles.

1992     b. circa 1905
Pauline Tabor Webster, Kentucky's most famous brothel owner.

1988     b. 1908
Louis Dearborn L'Amour, American author, his books - known for their authentic portrayal of frontier life - sold over 200,000,000 copies.

1976     b. 1873
Adolph Zukor, Hungarian-born U.S. film executive, founder of Paramount Pictures. He distributed the first feature-length film shown in the U.S. (1912, Queen Elizabeth), which was made in France and starred Sarah Bernhardt.

1967     b. 1900
Spencer Tracy (John Edward Tracy), American actor. Film: Boys Town (1938, Father Flanagan), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941, Dr. Jekyll), and The Old Man and the Sea (1958, narrator).

1946     b. 1878
Jack Johnson, American boxer. He was the first black heavyweight champion (1908-15). He was the first person prosecuted under the Mann Act. He had encouraged Lucille Cameron, a white woman, to leave a brothel and they subsequently crossed state lines. Even though he married her, and took her away from a brothel, he was still prosecuted and sentenced to a year in prison.

1927     b. 1838
Victoria Claflin Woodhull, American politician. She was the first woman nominated for U.S. President - by the Equal Rights Party in 1872 with Frederick Douglas as her running mate.

1909     b. 1822
Edward Everett Hale, American author. Writings: The Man Without a Country (1863).

1858     b. 1773
Robert Brown, British botanist. Known for his description of the Brownian movement (1827), which is the rapid movement of minute particles suspended in liquid.

1836     b. 1775
André Marie Ampère, French physicist, mathematician, for whom the electrical measurement "ampere" is named. He also developed the science of electro-magnetism.

1692     b. ????
Bridget Bishop, hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

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