Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

June 26

1993
U.S. bombs Iraq: Eight are killed when U.S. forces launch a missile attack at Iraqi intelligence headquarters in Baghdad in retaliation for a alleged Iraqi plot to kill ex-president Bush during a visit to Kuwait the previous April.

1981
For Your Eyes Only premiers in the U.S., 12th in the James Bond series, it starred Roger Moore as 007.

1935
First practical helicopter flight: Capable of full take-off, speed, forward motion, and control.

1934
Federal Credit Union Act signed by Pres. F.D. Roosevelt, establishing Credit Unions.

1905
Automobile Association (AA) is formed.

1894
First around-the-world bicycle trip by a woman: Annie Londonberry departs from Boston. She completed her journey in September of 1895.

1848
First U.S. pure food and drug legislation is enacted, to prevent the importing of adulterated drugs and medicines.

1844
First and only U.S president to elope: John Tyler sneaks off to marry Julia Gardiner.

1819
First U.S. bicycle patent is issued, to William Clarkson, Jr.

1964     d. 1982
Zeng Jinlian, Chinese giant, world's tallest woman (8 ft. 1 3/4 in.). (source: Guinness Book of World Records)

1961
Greg LeMond, American bicyclist, three-time winner of Tour de France (1986, 89-90), the first non-European to win it.

1951
Pamela Bellwood, American actress. TV: Dynasty (Claudia Blaisdel).

1914     d. 1956
Babe Didrikson Zaharias, considered America's greatest female athlete. In the 1932 Olympics she won gold for the javelin and hurdles, silver for the high jump, and as a golfer won the British Women's Amateur (1947) and U.S. Open three times (1948, 50, 54).

1910     d. 1994
Roy J. Plunkett, American chemist, inventor of Teflon (1938). He was working with refrigerant gases when he and his co-workers discovered that the sample had polymerized spontaneously into a white, waxy solid to form polytetrafluoroethylene.

1909     d. 1964
Ralph Edward Schneider, American businessman, founded Diner's Club (1950), the first credit card company.

1904     d. 1964
Peter Lorre (Laszlo Loewenstein), American actor. Film: The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942, Ugarte), and star of the Mr. Moto movies (1930s).

1902     d. 1978
William "Bill" Powell Lear, American inventor, businessman, founder of Lear Jet, Inc. He also developed the 8-track cartridge and was co-inventor of the first practical car radio

1892     d. 1973
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck, American author, won 1938 Nobel prize for literature, and the 1932 Pulitzer prize for The Good Earth.

1824     d. 1907
First Baron Kelvin (William Thomson), British scientist, inventor, developed the Kelvin temperature scale (1848), based on the temperature of absolute zero.

1819     d. 1893
Abner Doubleday, American soldier, credited with inventing baseball, although modern research indicates similar games were played before he was born. He aimed the first shot fired at the Confederacy from Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War.

1742     d. 1787
Arthur Middleton, American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

????
Simone, the family dog on The Partridge Family.

1993     b. 1921
Roy Campanella, American baseball Hall of Famer, National League MVP (1951, 1953, and 1955).

1943     b. 1868
Karl Landsteiner, Austrian-born American pathologist, discovered the four basic blood types (1900) and that the donor and recipient of blood transfusions must be of the same type.

1922     b. 1848
Albert I, Prince of Monaco, oceanographer.

1830     b. 1762
George IV, King of Great Britain and Ireland (1820-30). He built Buckingham Palace (1820s).

1810     b. 1740
Joseph Michel Montgolfier, French inventor. He and his brother invented the hot-air balloon (1782).

1784     b. 1728
Caesar Rodney, American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

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