Friday! History, Music, Cinema, Sports, Quotes, More!

On This Date In 1588 Off the coast of Gravelines, France, Spain’s so-called “Invincible Armada” was defeated by an English naval force under the command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake. After eight hours of furious fighting, a change in wind direction prompted the Spanish to break off from the battle and retreat toward the North Sea. Its hopes of invasion crushed, the remnants of the Spanish Armada began a long and difficult journey back to Spain. On This Date In 1776 Silvestre de Escalante and Francisco Dominguez, two Spanish Franciscan priests, and seven men left the Spanish frontier town of Santa Fe and headed northwest into what is today the state of Colorado. They continued north, exploring the rugged Great Basin and canyon land country of Utah. On This Date In 1778 French Vice-Admiral Count d’Estaing established contact with the Continental Army, which was waiting for his help to retake Rhode Island from British forces. On This Date In 1848 At the height of the Potato Famine in Ireland, an abortive nationalist revolt (the Tipperary Revolt) against English rule is crushed by a government police detachment in Tipperary. In a brief skirmish in a cabbage patch, Irish nationalists under William Smith O'Brien were overcome and arrested. The nationalists, members of the Young Ireland movement, had planned to declare an independent Irish republic, but they lacked support from the Irish peasantry, who were occupied entirely with surviving the famine. On This Date In 1858 The United States and Japan signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce (the Harris Treaty). The most important points were: exchange of diplomatic agents; Edo, Kobe, Nagasaki, Niigata, and Yokohama’s opening to foreign trade as ports; ability of United States citizens to live and trade in those ports; a system of extraterritoriality that provided for the subjugation of foreign residents to the laws of their own consular courts instead of the Japanese law system; and fixed low import-export duties, subject to international control. On This Date In 1862 Confederate spy Marie Isabella “Belle” Boyd was arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C. It was the first of three arrests for this skilled spy who provided crucial information to the Confederates during the Civil War. On This Date In 1900 In Monza, Italy, King Umberto I was shot to death by Gaetano Bresci, an Italian-born anarchist who resided in America before returning to his homeland to murder the king. On This Date In 1909 The newly formed General Motors Corporation (GM) acquired the country’s leading luxury automaker, the Cadillac Automobile Company, for $4.5 million On This Date In 1914 Czar Nicholas II of Russia and his first cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, began a frantic exchange of telegrams regarding the newly erupted war in the Balkan region and the possibility of its escalation into a general European war. On This Date In 1914 Transcontinental telephone service began. The first chat was between callers in San Francisco and New York. On This Date In 1921 Adolf Hitler (1934-1945) became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party. Under Hitler, the Nazi Party grew into a mass movement and ruled Germany as a totalitarian state from 1933 to 1945. On This Date In 1926 Don Carter, one of the greatest professional bowlers of all time, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. On This Date In 1937 The Tungchow Mutiny, sometimes referred to as the T?ngzh?u Incident, was an assault on Japanese troops and civilians by Japanese-trained East Hopei Army in T?ngzh?u, China, shortly after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident that marked the official beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. On This Date In 1938 Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings (July 29, 1938 - August 7, 2005) was born. A Canadian-American journalist and news anchor, he was the sole anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight from 1983 until his death in 2005 of complications from lung cancer. On This Date In 1948 The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, n international multi-sport event, was held in London, United Kingdom from July 29 - August 14. After a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin. On This Date In 1953 Geddy Lee, born Gary Lee Weinrib, was born. He is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined Rush in September 1968 at the request of his childhood friend Alex Lifeson in order to replace frontman Jeff Jones. On This Date In 1958 The National Aeronautics and Space Act (Pub.L. 85-568) is the United States federal statute that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Act, which followed close on the heels of the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, was drafted by the United States House Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration, and on July 29, 1958 was signed by President Eisenhower. On This Date In 1964 “One Potato, Two Potato”, a “critic’s darling” film dealing with the then-daring topic of miscegenation, and directed by Larry Peerce, was released. The principal roles are played by Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton. Robert Earl Jones also appears in the film. On This Date In 1965 “Ship of Fools”, a 1965 film which tells the overlapping stories of several passengers aboard an ocean liner during the 1930s, was released. It was directed by Stanley Kramer, and stars Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Oskar Werner, Michael Dunn, Elizabeth Ashley, George Segal, José Greco and Heinz Rühmann. On This Date In 1965 The first 4,000 paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay. During the war, troopers from the 101st won 17 Medals of Honor for bravery in combat. The division suffered almost 20,000 soldiers killed or wounded in action in Vietnam, over twice as many as the 9,328 casualties it suffered in World War II. On This Date In 1967 “Light My Fire”, The Doors’ first bona fide smash hit, earned the top spot in the Billboard Hot 100, transforming the rock band from cult favorites of the rock cognoscenti into international pop stars and avatars of the 60s counterculture. On This Date In 1967 The 1967 USS Forrestal fire occurred. It was a devastating fire and series of chain-reaction explosions that killed 134 sailors and injured 161 on the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CV-59), after an unusual electrical anomaly discharged a Zuni rocket on the flight deck. On This Date In 1981 The wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Frances Spencer took place at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, England. Their marriage was widely billed as a “fairytale wedding” and the “wedding of the century”. It was watched by a global television audience of 750 million. On This Date In 1996 Track and field legend Carl Lewis won his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the long jump. It was the ninth and final Olympic gold of his storied career. On This Date In 1997 “A Fistful of Alice”, a live album by Alice Cooper, was released. It was recorded the previous year at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. On This Date In 2000 Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, one of Hollywood’s highest-profile couples, marry at the Malibu, California, estate of producer Marcy Carsey (The Cosby Show). The two actors reportedly met on a blind date in 1998, and quickly became favorites of the tabloid media once they went public with their romance. Their wedding cost an estimated $1 million and featured tight security to keep out the paparazzi. On This Date In 2008 ‘Along Came a Spider”, Alice Cooper’s 25th studio album, was released. It follows his 2005 studio album “Dirty Diamonds”. Released in July in both Europe and North America through Steamhammer Records and SPV GmbH, it is the highest-charting Cooper album since “Hey Stoopid” in 1991. On This Date In 2008 “Soulcalibur IV”. the fifth installment in Namco's Soul series of fighting games, was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on July 29, 2008, in North America, on July 31, 2008, in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and on August 1, 2008, in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The game is notable for its inclusion of several characters from the popular Star Wars franchise as playable fighters. On This Date In 2009 The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel made up of medical and public health experts, met to make recommendations on who should receive the new H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm On This Date In 2009 Irving H. Picard, the trustee trying to recover money for investors defrauded by Bernard L. Madoff, sued Mrs. Madoff for $44.8 million. Mr. Picard claimed Mrs. Madoff received tens of millions of dollars from her husband’s investment firm, enabling her to live a “life of splendor”. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/business/30madoff.html?em On This Date In 2009 The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined tanning beds to be as carcinogenic as cigarettes. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/29/sunbeds.cancer.study/index.html On This Date In 2010 Scientists, referencing a chemical dispersant used in the Gulf of Mexico by BP, reported it to be making its way into the food chain along with droplets of oil it has broken down. http://www.newser.com/story/96839/oil-dispersant-enters-gulf-food-chain.html
Hat tip to any included contributing sources, along with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page , http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history , http://timelines.com/

Happy Birthday Don Carter (1926), Charles Schwab (1937), David Warner(1941), Tony Sirico (1942), Roz Kelly (1943), Leslie Easterbrook (1949), Marilyn Quayle (1949), Patti Scialfa (1953), Tim Gunn (1953), Geddy Lee (1953), Alvin Martin (1958), Sanjay Dutt (1959), Alexandra Paul (1963), Martina McBride (1966), Rodney Allen Rippy (1968), Wil Wheaton (1972), Stephen Dorff (1973), Josh Radnor (1974), Rodney Jerkins (1977), Rachel Miner (1980), Fernando Gonzalez (1980), and Fernando Alonso (1981).
RIP Maria Ouspenskaya (1876 – 1949), Theda Bara (1885 – 1955), William Powell (1892 – 1984), Clara Bow (1905 – 1965), Thelma Todd (1906 – 1935), Melvin Belli (1907 – 1996), Stephen McNally (1913 – 1994), Elizabeth Short (1924 – 1947), Diane Webber (1932 – 2008), and Peter Jennings (1938 – 2005).

Quotes
The experienced mountain climber is not intimidated by a mountain - he is inspired by it. The persistent winner is not discouraged by a problem - he is challenged by it. Mountains are created to be conquered; adversities are designed to be defeated; problems are sent to be solved. It is better to master one mountain than a thousand foothills. William Arthur Ward
Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see Life with a clearer view again. Alex Tan
Remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, ALWAYS. Mahatma Ghandi
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Marianne Williamson
Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. Pamela Vaull Starr

Courtesy YouTube et al
Robotic Lander Prototype Free Flight NASA's Robotic Lander Development Project is testing new pulsed thrusters, sensors, software and more. These tests will help develop the next generation in science research capable un-manned landers for multiple solar system destinations.

Grace Bawden - Song to the Moon & Vissi D'Arte Grace Bawden @ The Hilton Hotel Ballroom for the 150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy - 25th June 2011
"Gifts of Grace" is available from http://www.gracebawden.com
Vote for Grace @ http://www.classical-crossover.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=114:grace-bawden&catid=45:upcomers&Itemid=115

Bugatti Veyron SS & Hennessey Venom GT at 2011 Goodwood FoS Watch what happens when the Hennessey Venom GT lines up behind the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport during the supercar run at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed. http://www.venomgt.com http://www.hennesseyperformance.com http://www.tunerschool.com




Time for space, and a place for time, with loved ones, and remembrances to savor meanings of life and living. Enjoy your weekend!