I watched the Seinfeld finale and remember watching Mash with mom while she cried. I think she watched cheers as well, but Mash was her show. I can't believe it was 98 when seinfeld aired. I'm getting old!

Today May 15th
 

1972: Governor George Wallace is shot
Alabama Governor George Wallace was shot today while campaigning for President of the United States. Although a bullet was lodged in his lower spine, leaving Wallace paralyzed, he vowed to continue his campaign.

On May 16, 1972, The Daily Kennebec Journal described the event, reporting: "The governor had just finished a speech at the shopping complex 15 miles from Washington. He stepped from behind the podium on the rostrum to exchange handshakes with some of the 1,000 gathered to hear him. A man wearing Wallace buttons pushed through the crowd, asking the governor to shake hands. When he got near enough, the man stuck a gun in Wallace's stomach and fired. Wallace fell backward, hit four times."

NOTE : The assailant, Arthur Bremer, was arrested and sentenced to 53 years in prison. Wallace did continue his presidential campaign, but eventually lost the Democratic Party's nomination to Senator George McGovern of South Dakota.

1957: Britain tests first hydrogen bomb
"British newspapers declared today Britain's first hydrogen bomb test had restored the nation's independence of the United States and increased its stature as a world power. Asian nations quickly expressed regret at the blast, exploded yesterday in the Christmas Island area of the Pacific. But U.S. officials welcomed the news as contributing to Allied strength by making Britain the world's third full-fledged nuclear power, along with Russia and the United States," explained The Odessa American on May 16, 1957. NOTE: This test, known as Grapple, exploded with 300 kilotons of force, much short of the expected one megaton. Even so, Britain proclaimed the test a success.

1942: Gas rationing goes into effect
In order to aid in the war effort, the United States began rationing gasoline today in 17 states along the East coast. "New Yorkers already were shopping for new ways to get around, and it appeared likely that more and more bicycles and even roller-skates would be put to use," informed The Galveston Daily News on May 16, 1942. "From all parts of the area affected by rationing, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. [yesterday], came reports that gasoline pumps were running dry, partly as a result of a last-minute rush by motorists to stock up before the restrictions went into effect."

1918: Airmail service begins
Thousands of people, including President Woodrow Wilson, cheered the first flight of U.S. airmail service today. "The great machine mounted into the air piloted by Lieut. George L. Boyle, of Fort Scott, Kan., cut its way through a light, low hanging haze, then soared away on the first lap of its journey to Philadelphia and New York," informed The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel on May 15, 1918. NOTE: The inaugural flight carried 5,000 letters and cut the New York to Washington mail delivery time down from 32 to three hours

1911: Standard Oil declared a monopoly
The United States Supreme Court declared Standard Oil an unreasonable monopoly today. The oil company drew a lot of criticism for its business tactics, prompting the U.S. Department of Justice to sue the company for violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. "From the very beginning, the business and the legal worlds recognized that the suit put the Sherman anti-trust law to the most severe test to which it had been subjected. The law has been on the statute book since 1890 and has been the basis of some eighteen suits finally passed upon by the supreme court of the United States," reported The Fort Wayne Sentinel on May 16, 1911. NOTE: As a result of the verdict, Standard Oil was ordered to dissolve into 34 companies.

Today May 16th
 

1938: Fire destroys Terminal Hotel
The Terminal Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, caught fire today, in a disaster that killed more than 25 people. Within 30 minutes, the blaze had engulfed the five-story building, giving many guests little chance to escape.

"The fire was described by Fire Chief O.J. Parker as 'the deadliest in the history of Atlanta.' Collapse of the roof, plunging debris through charred floors to the basement, cut off hope of survival for any who were trapped. Only the walls were left standing," reported the Charleston Daily Mail on May 16, 1938. "Hotel attaches said 'at least fifty' were registered when the flames broke out with an explosion in the basement kitchen shortly after 3 a.m. (EST)."

NOTE: Fourteen men who were originally believed to have perished in the fire managed to escape by sliding down a rope which was hanging from a painter's scaffold.

1991: Queen addresses U.S. Congress
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address the United States Congress today. "'I do hope you can see me today from where you are,' said the diminutive queen, making gentle reference to a protocol gaffe at the White House earlier in the visit when her face was hidden by microphones and one of her trademark hats. The House chamber rocked with laughter and applause, and the members of Congress and diplomats rose to a standing ovation," explained the Daily Herald on May 17, 1991.

1975: First woman climbs Mt. Everest
Japanese mountain climber Junko Tabei reached the summit of Mount Everest today, becoming the first woman to climb the world's highest peak. "Mrs. Junko Tabei, packing a limited stock of gear, braved bad weather to reach the top of 29,028-foot Mt. Everest at noon Friday to end a 22-year male domain," informed The Coshocton Tribune on May 18, 1975. "The achievement was made more remarkable by the fact that she and her party was hit by an avalanche May 4 at their second high altitude camp pitched at 21,000 feet." NOTE: Tabei's climb made her the 36th person to reach the summit.

1960: Summit in Paris collapses
At a world summit in Paris today, Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev came to verbal blows with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower over American U-2 spy plane flights over the Soviet Union. Khrushchev demanded the flights stop and withdrew his invitation for Eisenhower to visit the Soviet Union the following month. "The summit conference collapsed in its first session today, with the Soviet Union and the United States accusing each other of torpedoing the historic session called in an effort to ease world tensions," reported The Daily Times-News on May 16, 1960. "Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev bitterly attacking U.S. policy, called for a six-month delay and said a later U.S. administration may understand the situation if the present administration can't."

1868: President Johnson is acquitted
U.S. President Andrew Johnson was acquitted today during his impeachment trial. Thirty-five senators voted "guilty" and 19 voted "not guilty," just one vote shy of the necessary two-thirds required to remove Johnson from office. "The President might go forth nominally acquitted, but he would go forth nevertheless a blasted public functionary," informed The Davenport Daily Gazette on May 18, 1868. NOTE: Three months earlier, the House had passed a resolution to impeach Johnson for his violation of the Tenure of Office Act. Members of Congress alleged that the president had violated the act by removing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from office.

Today May 16th
 

1974: Police raid SLA hideout

Police today raided a Los Angeles home, seeking leaders of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) , a terrorist group known kidnapping newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. Group members had also committed several murders and bank robberies, as well as other acts of violence.

"Five bodies were found inside a south-central Los Angeles house after flak-jacketed police hoping to trap members of the Symbionese Liberation Army waged an hour-long gun battle with those inside," reported The Capital on May 18, 1974. "Hundreds of police and FBI agents had massed in the south-central Los Angeles area in hopes of trapping SLA members believed to have taken refuge in the area. The SLA claims responsibility for the Feb. 4 kidnapping of Miss Hearst."

NOTE: During the exchange of gunfire, the house was virtually destroyed by a blaze. Patty Hearst, who was found in September of 1975 and later convicted of armed robbery, was not inside the home during the raid.

1992: Lawrence Welk dies

"Lawrence Welk, the smiling maestro whose danceable 'champagne music' entertained millions of Americans during his 30 years on television, has died. He was 89," informed The Gettysburg Times on May 19, 1992. "The affable, German-accented bandleader toured the country for 25 years early in his career without making much impression in the music business. But from the time he appeared on Los Angeles television in 1951, his lilting music attracted an adoring audience, mostly those of mature years. He appeared on television regularly until 1982."

1978: Charlie Chaplin's stolen coffin is found

The body of Charlie Chaplin was found today, more than two months after it was taken from its burial spot and held for ransom. "The two men who stole Charlie Chaplin's body said they got the idea from news reports about grave robbers in Italy who collected ransom for the body of a prominent Italian," reported the Bucks County Courier Times on May 18, 1978. "The 300-pound oak coffin containing the body of the famed film comedian was found yesterday buried in a cornfield 10 miles from the village cemetery of Corsier-Sur-Vevey where Chaplin was buried Dec. 27. Police said the body had not been touched."

1973: Watergate probe begins

The United States Senate began televised hearings on the Watergate scandal today. "A tribunal of seven senators opened historic hearings into the Watergate scandal, and an aide in President Nixon's reelection campaign testified there was no doubt that final political authority rested with the White House," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on May 17, 1973. "The leadoff witness, Robert C. Odle Jr., who served as director of administration at the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, said he did not know of political sabotage or surveillance by that organization." NOTE: The hearings would eventually reveal corruption within the highest levels of the U.S. government and result in Nixon’s resignation.

1954: U.S. outlaws segregation in schools

The United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously today in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, outlawing racial segregation in public schools. The decision overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that created the "separate but equal" justification, which established the segregation of public facilities. "Speaking for a unanimous court, Chief Justice Earl Warren said education must be available to all on an equal basis," explained The Charleston Daily Mail on May 17, 1954. "The decision, a sweeping victory for Negroes, is probably the most important in U.S. race relations since the famous Dred Scott decision of 1857, which held that a Negro was not a citizen. The Civil War reversed that decision."

ooooohh these were all interesting to read.

Today May 18
 

1980: Mount St. Helens erupts

Mount St. Helens, a volcano in southwestern Washington, erupted today, spewing gas and hot ash into the earth's atmosphere. The eruption killed 57 people and destroyed trees and wildlife in the area.

"Mount St. Helens blew off 1,300 feet of its top Sunday in violent eruptions which sent hot mud, ash and gases raging down its slopes," reported The Chronicle Telegram on May 19, 1980. "Heavy ash, boiling up as high as 10 miles from the top of the mountain, drifted eastward today, blotting out the sky and leaving gritty, slippery deposits on roads as far east as Montana and Wyoming, 500 miles away. The ash turned day into night in most of eastern Washington."

NOTE: The volcano began showing signs of activity almost two months before the devastating eruption. Before 1980, Mount St. Helens had remained silent since a small eruption occurred in 1857, 123 years earlier.

1969: Apollo 10 blasts off

Apollo 10, the fourth manned Apollo mission, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center today. "Apollo 10 hurtled away Sunday on its lonely mission to skim over the craters of the moon, the last daring test for a lunar landing this summer. The three astronauts beamed back brilliant and unprecedented color television pictures of the earth, hanging 26,000 miles away like a blue and white ball," explained The Times Recorder one day after the launch. "Apollo 10 provided the final dress rehearsal for the Apollo 11 manned landing on the moon in July." NOTE: The mission was described as a dress rehearsal because the crew tested the lunar module while in orbit.

1933: Roosevelt creates Tennessee Valley Authority

As a part of his New Deal policies, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act into law today. "Under the new law, the president will appoint a board of three as a 'Tennessee valley authority' to manage industrial and agricultural development of the valley," informed the Winnipeg Free Press on May 19, 1933. "Early employment of thousands of men is hoped for by the administration in putting the vast project into operation."

1927: Explosions kill students in Bath

After killing his wife and setting fire to his farm, school board member Andrew Kehoe set off dynamite at a school in Bath, Michigan today. Kehoe was allegedly upset over a property tax increase to fund the school building. "Explosion of dynamite mysteriously planted under the foundations of the Bath Consolidated grade school here today, took an estimated toll of between 30 and 40 young lives and completely demolished the west wing of the two story brick structure," reported The Warren Tribune on May 18, 1927. "Work of the physicians and nurses was hampered by the heartbreaking search of parents for their children. Parents went from group to group and the general rescue activity was frequently interrupted by the sobbing of a mother who had found what she feared."

1910: Earth passes through tail of Halley's Comet

The Earth passed through the tail of Halley's Comet today. "Old earth entered into the midst of the comet's tenuous tail at 2 o'clock this afternoon if the astronomers have not been handing out false promises," explained The Fort Wayne Sentinel on May 18, 1910. "Tonight at 10 o'clock the head and tail of the comet and the earth and the sun will be on a direct line." However, just one day after this report was printed, the same newspaper reported that "Mother Earth fell down on the job and did not go through the comet's tail," since nothing significant seemed to happen.

1980: Mount St. Helens erupts
 

I was in Basic training at Ft Jackson SC when this happened. We had a girl in the barracks from that area.

Hey, where is May 19th? I miss my Today In History!

Hello - what happened to the last 2 days?

She got tangled up in one of Katy's Bows.:p

Sorry Ladies, I have my regular job, one web site and 400 bows on my plate. But I am catching up!

Today May 19th
 

1994: Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis dies
Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died today of cancer at the age of 64. Jackie, as she was popularly called, was renowned for her grace and sophistication. She married John F. Kennedy in 1953 when she was 24. Five years after his assassination, she became the wife of shipping mogul Aristotle Onassis.

"Her exquisite style epitomized a presidency; her stoic dignity carried the nation through the assassination that cut it short," reported the Daily Herald on May 20, 1994. "And in the years that followed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' glamour sustained the tattered myth of an American Camelot. There were women who had more money, more fame or more class, but there was nobody like her. In the end Jackie O was more than a thin, beautiful socialite with a soft little voice. She was more than the wife and widow of a president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and a Greek tycoon, Aristotle Onassis. She married fame and wealth, but earned respect and admiration."

NOTE: From 1978 until her death, Jackie worked as an editor for Doubleday. She and Kennedy had two children, John Jr. and Caroline. John Jr. died on July 16, 1999, when his plane went down into the ocean off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

1982: Sophia Loren imprisoned for tax evasion
Actress Sophia Loren began serving a 30-day prison sentence in Italy today, after a court found her guilty of failing to report five million lire on her income tax return for 1970. "I'm very worried about the time I will have to spend in jail," she told reporters at the Rome airport in 1982. While Loren filed a petition for pardon with President Sandro Pertini, saying her accountants made an error, the actress and her husband, producer Carlo Ponti, had been under investigation for tax and currency violations for quite some time. NOTE: In 1977, finance police nabbed Loren before she caught a flight to Paris and detained her for nine hours at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport. Prior to that, 10 Italian police agents searched the couple's villa in Rome for seven hours without giving a reason for the search.

1971: Soviet Union launches Mars 2
The Soviet Union launched its second Mars probe today. The first mission was launched in 1962, but failed to reach the Red Planet. "A five-ton Soviet rocket hurled through space today on a six-month unmanned voyage to Mars. It was the Soviets' second expedition to explore the Red Planet. At Cape Kennedy, America's Martian probe, Mariner, sat on the launch pad, its firing postponed indefinitely for the second time since May 8 for additional tests on a control unit," Bucks County Courier Times reported on May 20, 1971.

1962: Kennedy ‘Birthday Salute’More than 15,000 people gathered in New York’s Madison Square Garden for the 42nd birthday of President John F. Kennedy. Marilyn Monroe, in a sheer dress with 2,500 rhinestones sewn in, sang a now-famous sultry version of “Happy Birthday to You.” “As Miss Monroe, in a slinky white dress, sang her version of ‘Happy Birthday,’ two chefs carried around the arena a five-foot birthday cake, sparkling with 45 blue candles. The President actually won’t be 45 until May 29,” explained the Independent Record on May 20, 1962.

1897: Oscar Wilde set free
Playwright Oscar Wilde was set free today after serving two years in Reading Gaol Prison on charges of indecency. The North Adams Transcript noted, "Oscar Wilde, sentenced May 25, 1895, was released from prison today. He goes to Paris but will return and engage in literary work over his own signature. One of his first acts on regaining freedom was to refuse £1,000 for the story of his prison experiences." NOTE: Wilde wrote a letter entitled De Profundis to former lover Lord Alfred Douglas while in prison, and later wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol about his experience there.

Today May 20
 

1927: Lindbergh begins trans-Atlantic flight
Aviator Charles Lindbergh attempted a non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean today in a gray monoplane. Lindbergh began his flight at Roosevelt Field in Long Island shortly before 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

"Government vessels and steamships are watching for the intrepid American, but are not expected to sight him until he swings his airplane off the coast of Newfoundland," reported the Oakland Tribune on May 20, 1927.

NOTE: After flying 33 ½ hours, Lindbergh arrived at Le Bourget Field in France to become the first man ever to fly solo from New York to Paris.

1989: Comedian Gilda Radner dies of cancer
Gilda Radner, an original star of Saturday Night Live, died of cancer today at the age of 42. "As the obnoxious, nasal-voiced TV news commentator Roseanna Roseannadana, her catch-phrase was 'It's always something,' which became the title of her book on cancer," explained the Chronicle Telegram on May 21, 1989.

1932: Earhart takes off for Europe
Amelia Earhart Putnam began her historic solo flight across the Atlantic today on the anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's famous flight. "Lindbergh's was the first solo flight across the Atlantic. The woman flier was the first trans-Atlantic woman passenger. She hopes to be the first woman to make the solo flight," reported The Vidette-Messenger on May 20, 1932. NOTE: While Earhart did not land in Paris as planned, she successfully made it across the Atlantic alone.

1902: U.S. ends occupation of Cuba
"Secretary of State Hay took final steps today of acquainting the nations that the United States government has redeemed its pledge to make free the people of Cuba," informed in the Davenport Daily Republican on May 21, 1902. "This was done by cabling every capital where there is a resident, either ambassador or minister for the United States, of an identical note informing our representatives that the military occupation ceased and that an independent government, republican in form, had been inaugurated there, under the presidency of Tomas Estrada Palma."

Today May 21
 

1932: Amelia Earhart lands in Ireland
Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first woman to make a successful trans-Atlantic solo flight after she landed her black and red monoplane in Northern Ireland today. While she originally planned to arrive in Paris, she was forced to cut her flight short due to mechanical

"Mrs. Putnam said she decided to land in Ireland because of a slight leakage of gasoline, she feared she might not be able to reach Paris without a mishap and elected to make a safe landing," reported the New Castle News on May 21, 1932.

NOTE: According to newspaper reports from 1932, Earhart immediately telephoned London after landing in Ireland in order to get a message to her husband, George Palmer Putnam, about her success. Earhart's achievement came on the fifth anniversary of the trans-Atlantic flight of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh.

1972: Michelangelo's Pieta is damaged
Michelangelo's famous sculpture Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City was damaged today after mentally disturbed Laszlo Toth attacked it with a hammer. "The statue, completed by Michelangelo in 1500, was shipped to New York World's Fair in April 1964, reportedly insured for $10 million against damage in transit. After its return to the Vatican Pope Paul VI declared that it never again would leave its place in St. Peter's," informed the Independent read on May 22, 1972. NOTE: Toth was not charged with the crime, but instead committed to a psychiatric institution for two years.

1945: Humphrey Bogart marries Lauren Bacall
Hollywood's Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart married today during a simple ceremony on a farm in Ohio. "Miss Bacall recited the vows, her voice a little more husky than usual. Bogart, on his fourth trip to the altar, spoke softly but with precision," explained The Fresno Bee Republican on May 21, 1945. NOTE: The couple remained married until Bogart’s death in 1957.

1927: Lindbergh arrives in Paris
Aviator Charles Lindbergh arrived at Le Bourget Field in France today after flying 33 1/2 hours solo from New York. "He was the first man ever to fly from New York to Paris and as the wheels of Lindbergh's monoplane touched the ground the dream of airmen that the North American and European continents should be linked in non-stop airplane flight was realized," reported the Stevens Point Daily Journal on May 21, 1927.

1917: Fire devastates Atlanta
A horrific fire destroyed much of Atlanta today as flames engulfed almost 2,000 homes in 75 blocks. "It was the greatest fire in Atlanta's history since civil war days when General Sherman, terming this city the backbone of the confederacy, decreed it must be burned," explained The La Crosse Tribune and Leader-Press on May 22, 1917. NOTE: The fire, which started with in a stack of burning mattresses, only resulted in one death: a woman who suffered a heart attack after watching her home burn to the ground.

thanks Michelle!

Friday, May 30, 2008
 

Today in History - May 30

Today is Friday, May 30, the 151st day of 2008. There are 215 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On May 30, 1958, unidentified American service members killed in World War II and the Korean War were interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
On this date:
In 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France.
In 1854, the territories of Nebraska and Kansas were established.
In 1883, 12 people were trampled to death when a rumor that the recently opened Brooklyn Bridge was in imminent danger of collapsing triggered a stampede.
In 1908, "the man of a thousand voices," Mel Blanc, was born in San Francisco.
In 1911, Indianapolis saw its first long-distance auto race; Ray Harroun was the winner.
In 1922, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington by President Harding, Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Robert Todd Lincoln.
In 1937, 10 people were killed when police fired on steelworkers demonstrating near the Republic Steel plant in South Chicago.
In 1943, American forces secured the Aleutian island of Attu from the Japanese during World War II.
In 1971, the American space probe Mariner 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on a journey to Mars.
In 1986, 21 elderly passengers were killed when a tour bus went out of control on a mountain road and plunged into the Walker River near the California-Nevada border.
Ten years ago: Northern Afghanistan was rocked by a powerful earthquake believed to have killed up to 5,000 people. A tornado tore through Spencer, S.D., killing six people. Pakistan set off another nuclear blast.
Five years ago: President Bush left for a weeklong tour of Europe and the Middle East. The U.N. Security Council unanimously authorized the deployment of a French-led international force in northeastern Congo, the scene of ethnic fighting.
One year ago: The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down a Chinook helicopter over southern Afghanistan, killing five U.S. soldiers, a Canadian and a Briton. A Saudi being held at the Guantanamo Bay prison since 2002 was found dead, an apparent suicide.
Today's Birthdays: Country musician Johnny Gimble is 82. Actor Clint Walker is 81. Actor Keir Dullea is 72. Actress Ruta Lee is 72. Actor Michael J. Pollard is 69. Rock musician Lenny Davidson (The Dave Clark Five) is 64. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 57. Actor Colm Meaney is 55. Actor Ted McGinley is 50. Actor Ralph Carter is 47. Actress Tonya Pinkins is 46. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 44. Rock musician Tom Morello (Audioslave; Rage Against The Machine) is 44. Movie director Antoine Fuqua is 43. Rock musician Patrick Dahlheimer (Live) is 37. Actress Idina Menzel is 37. Actor Trey Parker is 36. Rapper Cee-Lo is 34. Rapper Remy Ma is 28. Actor Blake Bashoff is 27.
Thought for Today: "There are two statements about human beings that are true: that all human beings are alike, and that all are different. On those two facts all human wisdom is founded." — Mark Van Doren, American poet (1894-1972).

TODAY: 1st Annual 4 WT Meet-up

1966: Surveyor lands on moon

Surveyor 1 landed on the moon's surface today, marking the United States' first successful soft landing on the moon.. The spacecraft was launched from Cape Canaveral on May 30 and landed on the moon 63 hours and a quarter million miles later.

"Surveyor 1, defying longshot odds against a first-try success, televised earthward today striking photos of the lunar landscape after a seemingly perfect gentle landing on the moon,” reported the Modesto Bee and News-Herald on June 2, 1966. “The pictures indicated to scientific viewers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that the Sea of Storms target area has a relatively smooth, hard surface apparently suitable as a possible descent point for future astronauts."

NOTE: The spacecraft carried two television cameras and transmitted more than 11,000 images to the Earth. It continued to send data from the moon until July 14, 1966. For more information about space

1953: Elizabeth II is crowned queen

On a damp and cool day in London, Elizabeth II was crowned Great Britain's queen during a coronation ceremony full of pomp and pageantry at Westminster Abbey. As the Archbishop of Canterbury placed the five-pound jewel-encrusted crown of St. Edward upon her head, symbolizing her formal accession, four-year-old Charles watched his mother with awe as he sucked his thumb. "The coronation of Elizabeth II was the mightiest pageant of our generation, and it was many other things: It was the Middle Ages marching confidently through the 20th Century, an old way of life holding its own in a new way of life, the weaving of ancient threads into a fresh pattern," explained The Ada Evening News on June 2, 1953.

1935: Babe Ruth retires

Babe Ruth announced his retirement from baseball today. He quit the Braves after having an argument with the president of the team, Judge Emil Fuchs. "A seething mountain of a man was George Herman Ruth today, but all the arguments in the world, all the hot words, bitter recriminations that have passed between him and the Boston Braves couldn't hide this epochal line for baseball's history: Babe Ruth is all done," reported The Oshkosh Northwestern on June 4, 1935.

1886: President Cleveland marries in White House

U.S. President Grover Cleveland became the only president to wed in the White House today. He married 21-year-old Frances Folsom, the daughter of his former law partner. On June 4, 1886, The Semi Weekly Age explained, "It was a great event because of the exalted position of the groom - the Chief Magistrate of a nation of 60,000,000 people, and because it was the first wedding of the kind that has ever occurred under the roof of the Executive Mansion."

Today June 3rd
 

1969: Last Star Trek episode airs

The last original Star Trek segment aired today. "In it a scorned woman (and you know all about them), trades bodies with Captain Kirk and convinces the crew that he (or should it be she?) is insane. If it sounds complicated, it is. But count on William Shatner to give a good performance," reported The Valley Independent on June 3, 1969.

While Star Trek fans were able to save Gene Roddenberry's 1968-1969 season of the show after thousands of letters protested the cancellation, network authorities said letters would not bring the show back for the 1969-1970 season. The show became one of the most successful rerun syndications in television history.

"Since that dark day in 1969 when NBC brought the programming hammer down on 'Star Trek,' there probably hasn't been a 24-hour period when the original program, one of the original episodes, wasn't being broadcast somewhere," explained the Chronicle Telegram on December 20, 1987.

1968: Andy Warhol is shot

Artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol was shot in his New York studio today by actress Valerie Solanas, who starred in Warhol's film I, A Man. "Doctors said today Warhol had a '50-50' chance of surviving," informed the Bucks County Courier Times on June 4, 1968. "Miss Solanas, who last year placed an ad in a Greenwich Village weekly, The Village Voice, announcing formation of 'The Society for Cutting up Men' (SCUM), said she shot Warhol because he 'had too much control of my life.'" NOTE: Although Warhol recovered, his injuries and the trauma of the event continue to affect him for the rest of his life. Solanas pleaded guilty to attempted murder, was sentenced to three years in prison, on her release was again prosecuted for harassing Warhol, and spent the rest of her life in and out of mental hospitals.

1965: White walks in space

Connected to Gemini 4 by a tether, astronaut Edward H. White II became the first American to walk in space today. "Part of today's plan called for White and his command pilot, James A. McDivitt to pretend they are returning from a moon trip and try to orient themselves visually by spotting landmarks such as the Florida Peninsula," reported The Post Crescent on June 4, 1965. "White stayed alone in space for 20 minutes, double the time spent by a Soviet cosmonaut last March, and had to be coaxed back into the capsule by McDivitt, who followed peremptory commands barked into space from mission control in Houston."

1963: Pope John XXIII dies of stomach cancer

Less than five years into his papacy, Pope John XXIII, born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, died of stomach cancer today at age 81. "The tributes to Pope John XXIII came today from the high and the humble, the religious and the not so religious - and they all sounded the same basic theme. He was a good man," explained The Daily Messenger on June 4, 1963. NOTE: In the fall of 1962, Pope John XXIII convened the first general council of the Church - known as Vatican II - in almost a century. He was succeeded by Pope Paul VI.

Today June 4th
 

1998: Nichols sentenced for bombing
Terry Nichols, accomplice to Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, was sentenced to life in prison today after he was convicted of manslaughter for the 1995 terrorist attack., which killed 168 people on April 19, 1995.

"The jury deadlocked over whether to give him the death penalty on the conspiracy conviction, so sentencing fell to [Judge] Matsch, who under law could impose no more than the sentence he did," reported the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 5, 1998. "The judge didn't just impose a sentence. As Nichols sat without visible emotion, Matsch called him an 'enemy of the Constitution' and ridiculed the bombing plot as a vain attempt to throw the nation into chaos."

NOTE: Six years after his federal sentencing, Nichols was also found guilty of 161 counts of first-degree murder by the state of Oklahoma. He received 161 consecutive life terms without parole for these crimes.

2003: Martha Stewart is indicted
Claiming her innocence and promising to fight to "clear my name," 61-year-old Martha Stewart and her stockbroker Peter Bacanovic were indicted on nine criminal counts today, including obstruction of justice, securities fraud, and conspiracy in relation to the ImClone stock scandal. Just hours later, Stewart announced her resignation. "The queen of home décor resigned late Wednesday as chairwoman and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the company she used to stamp her style on everything from magazines and TV screens to bed linens and bath towels," informed The Valley Independent on June 5, 2003. NOTE: Stewart spent five months in prison after being convicted on March 5, 2004.

1989: Tiananmen Square Massacre
The student protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, were brought to a violent halt this morning by the Chinese military. Martial law was originally declared on May 20, but the sheer number of protesters halted the army’s entry into Beijing. Soldiers and tanks were finally ordered to take the city, moving in late at night on June 3 and early on June 4. Soldiers arriving on armored personnel carriers began the attack, firing into crowds and clearing the square with fixed bayonets. Tiananmen Square was emptied by 6:00 a.m., after the death of hundreds of protesters. NOTE: The true number of dead is not known; the Chinese government reported between 200 and 300, while the Chinese Red Cross reported the loss of 2,000 to 3,000.

1984: Springsteen releases best-selling album
Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A. today, his seventh studio album. Just one month after its release, the album reached number one on Billboard's 200 Chart. Although it would become Springsteen's best-selling album, newspaper reviews were mixed. "Springsteen's great talents as a storyteller and wordsmith are not evident in his new songs; what he says he has said before – and better – on previous albums," explained one review in The Post-Standard on June 22, 1984. NOTE: The album went on to sell more than 15 million copies in the United States alone.

1944: Rome falls to Allies
The Allied forces captured their first Axis capital, Rome, today. “American troops entered the city limits of Rome yesterday while the whole civilized world waited to see whether the Germans would seriously defend it and so make a battleground of the venerated capital,” reported the London Stars and Stripes on June 5, 1944. NOTE: The Germans declared Rome an “open city,” meaning that it would not be defended. Allied forces marched through the city and pursued the Axis forces north.

1919: U.S. Congress approves 19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was approved by Congress today. "With the passage by the Senate of the resolution proposing the Susan B. Anthony suffrage amendment to the Constitution, the 40 years' fight for universal suffrage is brought to an end, so far as Congress is concerned," reported The Washington Post on June 6, 1919. "The final decision now rests with the States, and it is confidently predicted that the legislatures of the necessary three-fourths of the States will ratify the amendment within a comparatively short time." NOTE: The amendment was ratified just over one year later, on August 18, 1920.

Today June 5th
 

1968: Robert Kennedy is shot

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. presidential candidate, was shot in the head and neck at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California, today. Kennedy was leaving a campaign rally when assassin Sirhan Sirhan fired the shots.

"The 42-year-old brother of the late President Kennedy was shot from about three feet away by a swarthy man in his 20's who was subdued by three Kennedy aides but not until he had emptied all eight bullets from a .22 caliber revolver toward the senator," reported the Bucks County Courier Times on June 5, 1968. "Kennedy's wife Ethel, who is expecting their 11th child, was not hurt."

NOTE: Kennedy died the day after the shooting occurred, and Sirhan was convicted in 1969 and sentenced to life in prison. After Kennedy's death, the U.S. Secret Service extended its protection to include presidential candidates.

2004: Ronald Reagan dies

"Ronald Reagan, the cheerful crusader who devoted his presidency to winning the Cold War, trying to scale back government and making people believe it was 'morning again in America,' died Saturday after a long twilight struggle with Alzheimer's disease," informed The Intelligencer on June 6, 2004. NOTE: Since Reagan’s death, his widow Nancy Reagan has been a staunch advocate of stem-cell research, stating that she believes that it could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

1981: Report introduces first recognized AIDS case

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a report today announcing that rare cases of pneumonia were found among five homosexual men in Los Angeles, California. "The AIDS epidemic - a wave of death spread by sex, blood, birth and dirty drug needles - officially began," explained North Hills News Record on June 5, 1996, referring to the report that was issued 15 years earlier. "And social observers were making bold predictions. The sexual revolution was over, early marriage and premarital virginity would come back into vogue and the drug war would be transformed."

1967: Six-Day War begins in Mideast

"For the third time in 20 years, war broke out today in the Middle East and gunfire sounded in Israel and in three of its Arab neighbors - Egypt, Jordan and Syria. The Arabs, sworn to destroy Israel, were battling the Jewish state's forces on two fronts, at Egypt's Sinai frontier and on the Syria and Jordan borders. Each side accused the other of lighting the fuse for the explosion which, as in 1956, threatened to involve the major powers," reported the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on June 5, 1967. NOTE: By the end of the war, Israel had gained control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, two areas under disputed ownership to this day.

1947: Marshall Plan speech is given

U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall gave a speech at Harvard University today asking for economic aid to be sent to war-torn Europe. On June 5, 1947, the Middletown Times Herald reported, "Secretary of State George C. Marshall, in a thinly-veiled attack on communist tactics, warned today that the United States would oppose firmly any governments or groups that sought to 'perpetuate human misery' for political purposes. At the same time, Marshall declared that this country must extend Europe additional financial help for the next three or four years to prevent crises of 'grave character.'"

You know Michelle, I love these posts so much. Some things of course, I remember, but they just don't seem like they happened soooo long ago. Other things seemed like just a few weeks.

I totally agree. As I posted the one on the Bombing, it seems like it was just last year. I am getting old!

Today June 6th
 

1944: D-Day
Allied forces launched one of the largest amphibious assaults in history on the northern coast of France today, beginning the final chapter in the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany. The military operation (named Overlord) was postponed on June 5 due to poor weather.

"The British, Canadian and American assault forces which stormed the beaches of Normandy were being reinforced constantly by hundreds of gliders and by surface craft sailing in to the coast from which the Germans had been driven," reported the Winnipeg Free Press on June 7, 1944.

NOTE: The 130,000 troop Normandy landing was the largest single-day invasion in history. By August 25, Allied forces liberated Paris.

1985: Nazi "Angel of Death" found in Brazil
Police in Brazil reported today that they unearthed a body in Embu, 17 miles from Sao Paulo, which they believe is Josef Mengele, the Nazi "Angel of Death" during World War II. "Robert Mengele, 41, broke years of silence last week to announce that his father, implicated in the death of more than 400,000 concentration camp inmates, had died in 1979. He said he was certain that remains exhumed June 6 near Sao Paulo, Brazil, are his father's," explained The Daily Intelligencer on June 19, 1985. NOTE: In 1992, DNA tests confirmed the conclusions of the police report.

1971: The Ed Sullivan Show ends
The Ed Sullivan Show ended today with a re-run, but not without a few personal comments from Ed Sullivan before the show's close. "Not for its artistic quality, but for its historical interest, The Ed Sullivan Show is worth seeing. It's the last. Ed exits, smiling, with a repeat of a typical Ed Sullivan mish-mash of acts, perhaps a bit better than usual but still the same old vaudeville turns," informed The Odessa American on June 6, 1971.


1968: Robert Kennedy dies
Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at 1:44 a.m. PDT today, a little more than 24 hours after he was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. "Robert Kennedy, 42, never regained consciousness, never showed signs of recovery after a savage burst of revolver fire sent a bullet plunging into his brain – at the pinnacle of his own campaign for the White House," reported the Panama City Herald on June 6, 1968. NOTE: President Johnson called for a national day of mourning, while Gov. Ronald Reagan proclaimed a state of mourning in California.

1966: Meredith is shot during civil rights march
James Meredith, the first African-American to attend the University of Mississippi, was shot during a civil rights march from Memphis to Jackson today. "An unemployed white hardware clerk from Memphis, Aubrey James Norvell, 40, was trapped in the woods with a shotgun in his hand and admitted to the shooting. He was jailed overnight and was scheduled for a hearing today on charges of assault and battery with intent to murder," The Valley Independent reported on June 7, 1966. NOTE: The photograph of Meredith after being shot won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography in 1967. Meredith fully recovered.

Today is Dae Lynn's birthday (26) and the anniversary of my Dad's death (2 years ago).

Well tell Dae Lynn ..Happy Birthday. Hopefully I'll be able to meet her and her mother someday. It's hard to believe but my dad has been gone 34 years come this August. I still miss him so much. He would be so amazed with the technology today. He didn't even like 'dialing' the phone..he would always ask me to do it for him.

June 7th
 

1982: Graceland opens to the public
Priscilla Presley allowed public tours into Graceland for the first time today, almost five years after Elvis' death. "Graceland officials readied the 14-acre estate for 21,000 visitors to take the two-hour tour this week, with peeks at the living, dining, jungle and television rooms, and on to the trophy room, where Presley's awards are housed," explained the Syracuse Herald Journal on June 7, 1982. "The tour ends in the meditation garden where the singer, his parents and grandmother are buried."


1966: Reagan receives nomination for California governor
"Actor Ronald Reagan won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in a landslide in his first try for political office and prepared today to battle California's two-term Democratic Gov. Edmund G. Brown in November," informed the Bucks County Courier on June 8, 1966. "Reagan, one of Hollywood's leading men in the 1940's and more recently a television personality, crushed former San Francisco Mayor George Christopher under a wave of votes from populous Southern California in Tuesday's primary." NOTE: Reagan went on to win the election, serving as the governor of California until 1975.

1965: Supreme Court recognizes contraceptive rights
In the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court today struck down the Connecticut anti-birth control law, which disallowed all contraceptive use. "The vote was 7 to 2, with Justice William O. Douglas speaking for the majority. Douglas based his reasoning on the principle that 'a governmental purpose to control or prevent activities constitutionally subject to state regulation may not be achieved by means which sweep unnecessarily broadly and thereby invade the area of protected freedom,'" reported the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern on June 7, 1965.

1942: Battle of Midway ends
American planes defeated a Japanese fleet that was headed to invade the Midway Islands today. "The victory off Midway, ranking with the greatest in United States naval history, undoubtedly brought greatly nearer the zero hour for an all-out attack against Japan by the Allied Nations. This was made certain by crippling blows to the enemy fleet and its air arm. As in the battle of the Coral Sea, which opened the second phase of the war in the Pacific, air power played the principal part in repelling the attempted invasion of Midway," explained The Gleaner on June 9, 1942.

June 8th
 

1953: Court says D.C. restaurants must serve African-Americans
The Supreme Court ruled today that restaurants and bars in Washington D.C. are required to serve African-American customers. "The court ruled 8-0 that an 80-year-old District of Columbia law forbidding racial discrimination by cafes, bars and ice cream parlors is valid and still in effect," informed The Frederick Post on June 9, 1953. NOTE: The decision came after a restaurant operated by the Thompson chain refused to serve African-Americans.

1949: FBI report calls Hollywood celebrities communists
"Hollywood movie stars Fredric March, Edward G. Robinson and other major figures in the West Coast film colony were named in a secret FBI report today as alleged members of the Communist Party," explained The News in 1949. The FBI report became public at the espionage trial of Judith Coplon, who was a former Justice Department analyst. NOTE: March responded by saying that the communist charges in the report are "absurd."

1892: Outlaw Robert Ford killed
Deputy Sheriff Edward O'Kelly shot and killed Bob Ford, the outlaw who assassinated Jesse James, today. On June 9, 1892, the Decatur Daily Republican reported, "An unknown man was seen to hand Kelly a double-barreled shot gun when he stepped into the hall and called 'Bob!' Ford turned around when but five feet away and placed his hand on his hip pocket. Kelly raised his gun and fired a load of buckshot into Ford's neck, severing the windpipe and jugular vein and killing him instantly."

1789: Madison proposes Bill of Rights
James Madison proposed 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution today, the final ten achieving approval to become what is now called the Bill of Rights. On September 21, 1934, 145 years later, The Soda Springs Sun noted in retrospect, "Certain members opposed all amendments until the Constitution had been longer established and the federal government more fully organized; others felt that even stronger safeguards were essential. But these objections were overcome, and Madison's proposals referred to a committee composed of one member from each state."

June 9th
 

1986: Report on Challenger disaster is released
The Challenger commission told President Reagan today in a 250 page report that seven astronauts died from "an accident that didn't have to happen." "The report will say the explosion of the Challenger, 73 seconds after liftoff on Jan. 28, was triggered by a flame that found a path between segments of the right booster rocket and that such a catastrophic failure was foreshadowed by a long history of known but unsolved problems," reported The Daily Intelligencer on June 9, 1986. NOTE: When preparing the report, the commission conducted 160 interviews and studied 122,000 pages of related documents.

1909: Woman begins auto trip across U.S.
Alice Ramsey, the president of the Women's Motoring Club of New York, set off on an automobile trip from New York to San Francisco today along with three other women. "From the start to the end, Mrs. Ramsey will do the driving and, furthermore, will have to make alone all tire repairs, tire changes and such for, while she will not be alone in the car she will be unaccompanied by man. It is this that makes the trip all the more interesting for it will be the first time that a woman has ever attempted the long journey between the two cities under these conditions. Unassisted she will have to pick the route, guide the car across the Rocky mountains, and in fact, will travel over roads and routes that would tax an expert male driver," The Atlanta Constitution reported on June 6, 1909. NOTE: She made it just fine.

1899: Jeffries wins heavyweight title
James Jeffries, born in Carroll, Ohio, was named heavyweight champion "in a contest for supremacy in pugilism of the world" when he won the Jeffries-Fitzsimmons fight at Coney Island today. "The idea of Fitzsimmons, the conqueror, being put to sleep by a man who had hitherto been regarded as a second-rater, was too much for the sports. Fitzsimmons soon got up on his feet and doggedly walked out of the ring," informed The Fort Wayne News on June 10, 1899.

1870: Charles Dickens dies
British author Charles Dickens was mourned today as "death struck him with sudden power, and in the midst of another work of genius, took him away," according to The Daily Gazette on June 11, 1870. On June 25 of the same year, the St. Joseph Herald reprinted comments made in the The London Times about Charles Dickens: "The ordinary expressions of regret are not cold and conventional. Millions of people feel it as a personal bereavement. Statesmen, savants and benefactors of the race, when they die, can leave no such void. They cannot, like this great novelist, have been an inmate of every house."

June 10th
 

1977: James Earl Ray escapes
James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., escaped from a maximum security prison in Tennessee today along with five other prisoners. It was the third time he tried to flee from his 99-year sentence.

"The prisoners went over the wall about 8 p.m. EDT using a makeshift ladder made of a metal conduit. Prison officials said the escape was covered by a mock fight between two prisoners in the yard of Brushy Mountain State Prison, the state's maximum security facility," reported the Oakland Tribune on June 11, 1977.

NOTE: Three days later, two bloodhounds found Ray hiding beneath a pile of leaves within 10 miles of the state prison. According to newspaper reports from 1977, he surrendered without a struggle once he was spotted.

2004: Ray Charles dies
Legendary musician Ray Charles died of acute liver disease today in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 73. "Blind by age 7, and an orphan at 15, the gifted pianist and saxophonist spent his life shattering any notion of musical categories and defying easy definition," explained the Gettysburg Times on June 11, 2004.

1985: Socialite Claus von Bulow is acquitted
A jury in Providence, Rhode Island, found Danish-born socialite Claus von Bulow innocent of trying to kill his heiress wife, Martha 'Sunny' von Bulow, with insulin injections today. Von Bulow was on trial for a second time as his wife laid in an irreversible coma in a New York hospital. "After their 1966 marriage in an intimate chapel ceremony, Claus and Martha von Bulow seemed to have everything money could buy – palatial homes, limousines, servants and a reigning spot in the whirl of high society," informed The Post Standard on June 11, 1985. "But they became one of the world's best known couples because of their private unhappiness."

1945: Eisenhower receives Order of Victory
General Dwight D. Eisenhower and British Field Marshal Sir Bernard L. Montgomery were presented with the Soviet Order of Victory today. "It was the first time that Soviet Russia's highest award had been presented to any but Russians. Eisenhower was the eighth person to receive the award, and the British field marshal, the ninth," reported The Lowell Sun on June 11, 1945.

hmmmm apparently,nothing happened in history on June 11th, 12th, 13th! :D

No, all the typewriters in the world were broken those days and the repair place was closed.

Saturday, June 14, 2008
 

Today is Saturday, June 14, the 166th day of 2008. There are 200 days left in the year. This is Flag Day.
Today's Highlight in History:
On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia adopted the Stars and Stripes as the national flag.
On this date:
In 1775, the Continental Army, forerunner of the United States Army, was created.
In 1801, former American Revolutionary War General and notorious turncoat Benedict Arnold died in London.
In 1846, a group of U.S. settlers in Sonoma proclaimed the Republic of California.
In 1928, the Republican National Convention nominated Herbert Hoover for president on the first ballot.
In 1940, in German-occupied Poland, the Nazis opened their concentration camp at Auschwitz; the same day, German troops entered Paris.
In 1943, the Supreme Court, in West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, ruled that schoolchildren could not be compelled to salute the flag of the United States.
In 1954, the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1967, the space probe Mariner 5 was launched from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on a flight that took it past Venus.
In 1982, Argentine forces surrendered to British troops on the disputed Falkland Islands.
In 1985, the 17-day hijack ordeal of TWA Flight 847 began as a pair of Lebanese Shiite Muslim extremists seized the jetliner shortly after takeoff from Athens, Greece.
Ten years ago: The Chicago Bulls clinched their sixth NBA championship, defeating the Utah Jazz in Game 6 played in Salt Lake City, 87-86.

Today is Tuesday, June 17, the 169th day of 2008. There are 197 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On June 17, 1775, the Revolutionary War Battle of Bunker Hill took place near Boston. The battle, which actually occurred on Breed's Hill, was a costly victory for the British, who suffered heavy losses while dislodging the rebels.

On this date:

In 1856, the Republican Party, meeting in Philadelphia, nominated John Charles Fremont to be its presidential candidate. Fremont ended up losing to James Buchanan.

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere.

In 1928, Amelia Earhart embarked on a trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland to Wales with pilots Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon, becoming the first woman to make the trip as a passenger.

In 1944, the Republic of Iceland was established.

In 1948, a United Air Lines DC-6 crashed near Mount Carmel, Pa., killing all 43 people on board.

In 1957, mob underboss Frank Scalice was shot to death at a produce market in New York.

In 1961, Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.

In 1963, the Supreme Court, in Abington School District v. Schempp, struck down rules requiring the recitation of the Lord's Prayer or reading of Biblical verses in public schools.

In 1971, the United States and Japan signed a treaty under which Okinawa would revert to Japanese control following America's postwar occupation.

In 1972, President Nixon's eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington's Watergate complex.

In 1885, the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor aboard the French ship Isere.

I remember this day like it was yesterday..:dreaming:

:sidesplit::sidesplit:And for some darn reason....I believe you.....

June 18, 1988 I got married!:D

Congratulations, Teri and your husband!!!!!! How many years has it been? Did you do something special?

Well, I didn't see this!! Happy Anniversary (late) !!!! Congratulations.

Thanks guys. Apparently Diana doesn't do math:D It was 20 years. We didn't do anything because he works 3 jobs so he doesn't get home until 10 pm. (He leaves the house at 5 am) So, I guess the special thing I did was wait up for him that night! (I can't keep my eyes open past 9:30) He brought me the most gorgeous roses! He got them at Shoprite, I'm shocked how beautiful they are, they don't even look real!