Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

October 7

1993
First black American to win the Nobel Prize in literature: Toni Morrison, author of Beloved (1987, Pulitzer) and Jazz (1992), wins the prize.

1985
Achille Lauro: The Italian cruise ship is hijacked by the Palestine Liberation Front, who kill wheelchair-bound Leon Klinghoffer.

1983
Never Say Never Again premiers in the U.S., 14th in the James Bond series, it starred Sean Connery as 007.

1959
First pictures of the far side of the Moon: The Soviet Lunik 3 takes the pictures, which are transmitted back to Earth 11 days later.

1959
American Bandstand debuts on ABC, with host Dick Clark.

1954
Climax debuts on CBS. Their 1954 live broadcast of Casino Royale was the first James Bond movie. It starred Barry Nelson as 007.

1949
Tokyo Rose: Mrs. Iva Toguri D'Aquino is sentenced to 7-10 years for treason. She was pardoned by Pres. Ford in 1977.

1928
Prohibition: Twenty-one people die in New York City from impure illegal liquor. Estimates say death from alcohol rose 600% during prohibition.

1903
Attempted flight of a plane capable of carrying a person, Prof. Langley attempts to fly his Aerodrome. It sank in the Potomac River.

1955
Yo-Yo Ma, French-born Chinese-American Grammy-winning cellist.

1953
Tico Torres, American drummer, with Bon Jovi. Music: Livin' on a Prayer (1986, #1) and Bad Medicine (1988, #1).

1953
Christopher Norris, American actress. TV: Trapper John, M.D. (Nurse Ripples) and Santa Barbara (Laura Asher).

1951
John Cougar Mellencamp, American singer. Music: Hurts So Good (1982), Jack and Diane (1982, #1), and Scarecrow (1985).

1943
Oliver North, American marine and National Security Council aide. He was convicted in the Iran-Contra scandal.

1931
Desmond Tutu, South African archbishop, winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.

1917     d. 2006
June Allyson (Ella Geisman), American actress, typically portraying "the girl next door." Film: Best Foot Forward (1943), Two Girls and a Sailor, and The Glenn Miller Story.

1912     d. 1973
Vaughn Monroe (Wilton Monroe), American singer, bandleader. Music: Racing With the Moon and Ghost Riders in the Sky (1949).

1888     d. 1965
Henry Agard Wallace, 33rd U.S. Vice-President (1941-45).

1885     d. 1962
Niels Bohr, Danish Nobel-winning physicist, "The father of atomic energy," developed the quantum theory of atomic structure (1913).

1849     d. 1916
James Whitcomb Riley, American author, The Hoosier Poet, wrote the poem Little Orphan Annie.

1832     d. 1918
Charles Crozat Converse, American lawyer, composer. He composed tune and words to God For Us and the tune to What a Friend We Have in Jesus. (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

1748     d. 1818
Charles XIII, King of Sweden (1809-18) and Norway (1814-18).

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

1993     b. 1910
Cyril Cusack, Irish actor. Film: The Day of the Jackal, The Taming of the Shrew, and My Left Foot. He was considered Ireland's finest actor.

1993     b. 1905
Agnes De Mille, American Tony-winning choreographer, Oklahoma! (1943), Brigadoon (1947, Tony), and Kwamina (1962, Tony).

1992     b. 1929
Ed Blackwell, American jazz drummer.

1956     b. 1886
Clarence Frank Birdseye, American inventor. He created a way of deep-freezing foods, and co-founded General Foods Corp.

1931     b. 1850
Daniel Chester French, American artist. He built the statue of Abraham Lincoln which is in the Lincoln Memorial Building and the famous statue of The Minute Man (1794).

1849     b. 1809
Edgar Allen Poe, American poet, horror story writer. He created the literary genre of the detective story with The Murders of the Rue Morgue (1841). Writings: The Raven (1845).

1787     b. 1711
Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg, American religious leader, founder of the U.S. Lutheran Church (1748). (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

336     b. ????
Saint Marcus, Italian religious leader, 34th Pope (336).

Please send Corrections and Omissions to epicidiot.com