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Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day
October 12Copyright 1989-2007 epicidiot.com
2000
USS Cole Bombing: Suicide bombers from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda explode a small craft next to the US Navy destroyer in Yemen killing 17 sailors.
1992
Is anyone out there?: NASA, using two giant radio-telescopes in California and Puerto Rico, begins scanning the skies for signs of alien life.
1992
First pig-to-human liver transplant: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center performs the operation on a 26-year-old woman. She died shortly thereafter.
1973
Gerald Rudolph Ford becomes the first U.S. Vice President appointed under the 25th Amendment. He was appointed the position after the resignation of V.P. Spiro Agnew.
1969
Paul McCartney dead?: A Detroit disc jockey and his radio audience determine from "clues" found in Beatles' songs and album covers that Paul had died in an car accident in 1966. They were wrong of course.
1960
Cold War: At a United Nations conference, Premier of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev takes off his shoe and pounds a conference table. (Note: Although commonly believed and reported, there is much debate as to whether he pounded the table with his shoe)
1949
First woman U.S. ambassador: Eugenie Moore Anderson is nominated by Pres. Truman as ambassador to Denmark. She was sworn in on the 28th.
1933
John Dillinger is freed from prison: The Pierpont Bunch rescues him, killing a sheriff in the process. They then formed the famous Dillinger Gang.
1901
First non-religious record: Three Blind Mice is recorded.
1861
First ironclad steamer of the U.S. Navy: The St. Louis is launched.
1788
John Fitch's steamboat makes the trip from Philadelphia to Burlington in 3 hours, 10 minutes.
1492
Columbus reaches one of the Bahama Islands, naming it San Salvador.
1970
Kirk Cameron, American actor. TV: Growing Pains (Mike Seaver).
1950
Susan Anton, American actress, Miss California. (1969). Film: Goldengirl (1979). TV: Baywatch.
1935
Luciano Pavarotti, Italian tenor. He was caught lip-syncing during a live BBC radio performance (1992).
1932
Jake Garn, American politician, U.S. Senator (R-Utah). He was the first U.S. public official launched into space (1985, aboard the space shuttle Discovery).
1932
Dick Gregory, American comedian, diet-mix salesman.
1860 d. 1930
Elmer Ambrose Sperry, American engineer, inventor of the gyro-compass (1910) and founder of Sperry Electric Co. (1888).
1798 d. 1834
Pedro I, first Emperor of Brazil (1822-31).
1537 d. 1553
Edward VI, King of England (1547-53). He was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour.
1997 b. 1943
John Denver (Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.), American Grammy-winning singer. Music: Rocky Mountain High (1972), Thank God I'm A Country Boy (1975, #1), and wrote Leaving On A Jet Plane (1969). He died when the small aircraft he was piloting crashed off the coast of California.
1993 b. 1903
Leon Ames (Leon Waycoff), American actor. TV: Mr. Ed. (as neighbor Gordon Kirkwood). He was one of the 19 founders of the Screen Actors Guild (1933).
1989 b. 1920
Jay Ward, American animation producer, creator of Bullwinkle J. Moose.
1969 b. 1912
Sonja Henie, Norwegian figure skater, actress. A 10-time world champion (1927-36), she won the Norwegian championship at age 11, the world title at age 13, and Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936.
1954 b. 1918
George Schwartz "Wheaties" Welch, American WWII flying ace. It is alleged that he broke the sound barrier two weeks before Chuck Yeager. However, he did so during a dive. Yeager's feat was during level flight.
1940 b. 1880
Tom Mix, American silent film western actor. His action-packed films set the pattern for future westerns.
1870 b. 1807
Robert Edward Lee, American soldier. He turned down the command of the U.S. Army to become commander of the Virginian forces during the Civil War.
1576 b. 1527
Maximilian II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1564-76).
642 b. ????
John IV, religious leader, 72nd Pope (640-642).
638 b. ????
Honorius I, religious leader, 70th Pope (625-638).
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