On this day in history.

[giradman]

Barbara Cook, Cabaret & Broadway Singer, Dies Today at 89 years!

Susan & I are saddened today - we both are Broadway fans and devoted listeners to the 20th century American songbook - Barbara Cook, one of the premiere interpreters of those songs died today - NPR just had a short tribute. She emerged on Broadway in the mid-1950s (see quotes below) and as her 'star' there faded (for a variety of reasons), she re-emerged as a superb cabaret singer; around 1990, we saw her in San Francisco at the small 'bar' in the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill - we were just enthralled.

Below some pics of her, early & later and from the Kennedy Center Honors. The last pic is a DVD that we own of a live concert devoted to the music of Stephen Sondheim, a favorite of Susan (who is a soprano, and often plays his music and sings on her piano). I own a few CDs of her performances which I'll pull for our dinner music tonight. Dave

P.S. Glen Campbell also passed away today, yet another fav of ours from the old days - we saw him a couple years ago on a visit to our son in Indianapolis, but unfortunately his Alzheimer's disease was worsening (he performed for a few months after that concert).

Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals Plain and Fancy (1955), Candide (1956) and The Music Man(1957) among others, winning a Tony Award for the latter. She continued performing mostly in theatre until the mid-1970s, when she began a second career as a cabaret and concert singer. She also made numerous recordings. (Source)

During her years as Broadway’s leading ingénue Cook was lauded for her excellent lyric soprano voice. She was particularly admired for her vocal agility, wide range, warm sound, and emotive interpretations. As she aged her voice took on a darker quality, even in her head voice, that was less prominent in her youth. At the time of her death, Cook was widely recognized as one of the "premier interpreters" of musical theatre songs and standards, in particular the songs of composer Stephen Sondheim. Her subtle and sensitive interpretations of American popular song continued to earn high praise even into her eighties. She was named an honoree at the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors. (Source)

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[giradman]

Smithsonian Institution Act Signed Today by President Polk in 1846

The Smithosonia Institution was created today in 1846 by an act signed by President James K. Polk. Many of the museums are located around the Mall and takes days to visit properly - a few new ones have opened since our last visit to D.C. Also, keep in mind that there are a number of wonderful non-Smithsonian museums and attractions (look HERE) - our most recent visit in the latter category a few years ago was to the Newseum, highly recommended. Dave

After a decade of debate about how best to spend a bequest left to America from an obscure English scientist, President James K. Polk signs the Smithsonian Institution Act into law. In 1829, James Smithson died in Italy, leaving behind a will with a peculiar footnote. In the event that his only nephew died without any heirs, Smithson decreed that the whole of his estate would go to “the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” (Source)

Six years after his death, his nephew, Henry James Hungerford, indeed died without children, and on July 1, 1836, the U.S. Congress authorized acceptance of Smithson’s gift. President Andrew Jackson sent diplomat Richard Rush to England to negotiate for transfer of the funds, and two years later Rush set sail for home with 11 boxes containing a total of 104,960 gold sovereigns, 8 shillings, and 7 pence, as well as Smithson’s mineral collection, library, scientific notes, and personal effects. After the gold was melted down, it amounted to a fortune worth well over $500,000. After considering a series of recommendations, including the creation of a national university, a public library, or an astronomical observatory, Congress agreed that the bequest would support the creation of a museum, a library, and a program of research, publication, and collection in the sciences, arts, and history. On August 10, 1846, the act establishing the Smithsonian Institution was signed into law by President James K. Polk. (Source)

Today, the Smithsonian is composed of 19 museums and galleries including the recently announced National Museum of African American History and Culture,nine research facilities throughout the United States and the world, and the national zoo. Besides the original Smithsonian Institution Building, popularly known as the “Castle,” visitors to Washington, D.C., tour the National Museum of Natural History, which houses the natural science collections, the National Zoological Park, and the National Portrait Gallery. The National Museum of American History houses the original Star-Spangled Banner and other artifacts of U.S. history. The National Air and Space Museum has the distinction of being the most visited museum in the world, exhibiting such marvels of aviation and space history as the Wright brothers’ plane and Freedom 7, the space capsule that took the first American into space. John Smithson, the Smithsonian Institution’s great benefactor, is interred in a tomb in the Smithsonian Building. (Source)

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[giradman]

Swing Era begins with Benny Goodman’s triumphant Palomar Ballroom performance in 1935!

Well, many important events occurred today - just a short list in first quote (Source), but I've picked the appearance of the Benny Goodman band at the Palomar Ballroom this day in 1935 in Los Angeles - next three quotes from that link.

In the early 1930s in New York City, Benny Goodman put together a band that played Fletcher Henderson arrangements late at night on the east coast on a radio show, Let's Dance - this led to a tour from coast to coast which seemed a disaster (usually forced to play sweet mellow dance music) - the group arrived at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, and the first half of their performance seemed like another 'flop' until a suggestion was made to play their Henderson material - the crowd came ALIVE! Due to the 3-hour time difference, the music from the Let's Dance radio show was well known to them - the event was a SMASH success, and as is said 'history was made' and the Swing Era launched.

Pics below show a listing of a 'failing tour' across in the country until Los Angeles. In 1956, a film bioptic was released called The Benny Goodman Story w/ Steve Allen as Goodman and Donna Reed as Alice Hammond, a New York socialite who he eventually married making him the brother-in-law of John Hammond (see last quote below from link). The film is not historically accurate and Allen was not much of an actor, BUT the appearances of the 'real' Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, & Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman on clarinet makes this movie a MUST watch for fans of this music. Finally, I also own the book below (last image) which is recommended for a more honest portrayal of Goodman. Dave

1754 - Banastre Tarleton born (Cornwallis dragoon officer)
1831 - Nat Turner slave revolt erupts in Virginia
1858 - Lincoln-Douglas debates begin
1863 - Guerillas massacre residents of Lawrence, Kansas
1959 - Hawaii becomes 50th state in the USA
1987 - Dirty Dancing opens (partly filmed in Lake Lure, NC)

The sound of swing, which utterly dominated the American popular-music scene in the late 1930s and early 1940s, instantly evokes images of tuxedo-clad Big Bands and dance floors crowded with exuberant jitterbugs dancing. While the roots of swing music clearly lie in earlier forms of jazz—and particularly in African-American jazz performance styles—swing as we know it may just have been born at a specific time and in a specific place, with an electric performance by one particular Big Band for one particularly enthusiastic audience. The time and place was August 21, 1935, at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, California, where Benny Goodman and his band emphatically opened the Swing Era with an exuberant performance witnessed by thousands of young fans in the live audience and millions more tuning in to a live radio broadcast.

Benny Goodman had been a successful featured soloist in various prominent bands and the leader of his own trio and big band for several years before making his breakthrough at Palomar. From a large Jewish family in Chicago, Goodman had been sent at the age of 10 in 1919 to the local synagogue for clarinet lessons in the hopes that a music career might provide him a way out of poverty. By his early teens, Goodman had become a working professional, and by 24, he was successful enough to land his band a regular gig on a weekly radio program broadcast out of New York City called Let’s Dance. It was there that Goodman began performing “hot” arrangements by African-American bandleader Fletcher Henderson —arrangements that employed loose, upbeat, syncopated rhythms that had been common in African-American jazz ensembles. Goodman’s band would often appear well past midnight, New York time, on Let’s Dance. And while this limited their exposure on the East Coast, Goodman would soon discover a huge new fan base when he took his group west to California.

Already familiar with Benny Goodman’s exciting new style from his Friday night radio appearances, a huge crowd of young people turned out for his Palomar Ballroom debut on this day in 1935. It was a promising start to an engagement Goodman hoped would salvage a summer tour otherwise judged a failure. But Goodman stuck to relatively staid, stock arrangements during the first part of that night’s show, and he began to lose the young crowd. Before their return from the first intermission, the band’s drummer, Gene Krupa urged Goodman, “If we’re gonna die, Benny, let’s die playing our own thing.” It was at that point that Benny Goodman famously pulled out Henderson’s arrangements along with all the stops on his talented orchestra, to the crowd’s immense delight.

John Henry Hammond (1910–1987) was an American record producer, civil rights activist and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s. In his service as a talent scout, Hammond became one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music. Hammond was instrumental in sparking or furthering numerous musical careers, including those of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Charlie Christian, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, Big Joe Turner, Pete Seeger, Babatunde Olatunji, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Freddie Green, Leonard Cohen, Arthur Russell, Jim Copp, Asha Puthli and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He is also largely responsible for the revival of delta blues artist Robert Johnson's music.

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[giradman]

Vesuvius Eruption in 79 A.D. Today Destroys Pompeii & Herculaneum

Below the asterisks is a post that I left a year ago on the same topic - not discussed then is the 'casting' of cavities that contained the bodies of those that were killed by the eruption - below is a short quote - check the link for much more detail; the casting techniques have changed over the centuries from using plaster initially (first pic from source given) to much more modern methods. We went through the Pompeii Museum in 1971 and would love to return; also, the exhibit mentioned below in Charlotte had a number of these 'recreated' bodies of people and animals. Dave

In 79 AD, Vesuvius erupted, destroying the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. In Herculaneum, the inhabitants were incinerated when a single pyroclastic surge hit the town. But in Pompeii, the eruption preserved as well as destroyed. Archaeologists have discovered approximately 1150 bodies since excavations of the city began. The unique set of circumstances created by the eruption has allowed archaeologists to bring one hundred of those bodies ‘back to life’ in the form of casts that preserve the body at the moment of death. (Source)

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Vesuvius Erupts in 79 A.D. Destroying Pompeii & Herculaneum

Today, the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius destroys the Roman cities of Pompeii & Herculaneum just south of Naples - Kevin mentioned this event in one of his threads which prompted this posting - first two quotes below from the History Website - check the link for further information. A map below shows the location of the Pompeii ruins (along w/ a panoramic pic w/ the dormant volcano in the background). In 1971, Susan & I did a 3-week tour of Italy which included a beautiful Amalfi coastal drive - we lunched on the lower slopes of Vesuvius and visited Pompeii on our way to a few days on the Isle of Capri. Dave

P.S. In 2008, there was an excellent touring exhibit at the Discovery Place in Charlotte, NC - we did a 2-night trip from Winston-Salem (just 90 mins in the car) - a great experience which brought back memories.

After centuries of dormancy, Mount Vesuvius erupts in southern Italy, devastating the prosperous Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing thousands. The cities, buried under a thick layer of volcanic material and mud, were never rebuilt and largely forgotten in the course of history. In the 18th century, Pompeii and Herculaneum were rediscovered and excavated, providing an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization, startlingly preserved in sudden death (Source).

The ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum thrived near the base of Mount Vesuvius at the Bay of Naples. In the time of the early Roman Empire, 20,000 people lived in Pompeii, including merchants, manufacturers, and farmers who exploited the rich soil of the region with numerous vineyards and orchards. None suspected that the black fertile earth was the legacy of earlier eruptions of Mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum was a city of 5,000 and a favorite summer destination for rich Romans. Named for the mythic hero Hercules, Herculaneum housed opulent villas and grand Roman baths. Gambling artifacts found in Herculaneum and a brothel unearthed in Pompeii attest to the decadent nature of the cities. There were smaller resort communities in the area as well, such as the quiet little town of Stabile (Source).

Guests Can Spend A Day in Pompeii When New Exhibition Opens at Discovery Place
More than 10,000 advance tickets currently sold for world-class exhibition.
June 24, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The ancient Roman city of Pompeii is brought up from the ashes as Discovery Place introduces its newest exhibition, A Day in Pompeii, opening Friday, July 11. The exhibition only has appeared in three U.S. cities with Charlotte being the fourth and final U.S. destination.

A Day in Pompeii paints a rich portrait of ancient Roman life in 79 A.D. and explores the fateful day in history when the city was buried by the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

The exhibition features dazzling examples of ancient Rome’s artistry and craftsmanship. More than 13,000 square feet, A Day in Pompeii showcases the city’s sophisticated culture, national treasures, priceless artifacts and beautiful art with more than 250 exceptionally, well-preserved items that once were buried beneath 13 feet of volcanic ash and mud (Source).

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[scifan57]

August 25, 1962;

Little Eva has her first and only number one hit with the release of The Loco-motion.

Little Eva - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

August 25, 1962;

Little Eva has her first and only number one hit with the release of The Loco-motion.

Little Eva - Wikipedia

Back in 1962, I was in high school and certainly remember the song - checked the Wiki link and found some interesting geographic history related to my days in the Army Medical Corps, 1975-77, at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Little Eva died of cervical cancer in Kinston, NC (see map) at only 59 years - she is buried in Belhaven's (her birthplace) Black Bottom Cemetery - her grave site received a 'proper' marker in 2008 (see quote & pic below).

But in my 'army days', the four of us radiologists at Womack Army Hospital use to cover 'local' radiology practices to make some extra money - one of our jobs was working for Dr. Sandy in 'Little Washington', NC (see map) - our day would start at the Washington hospital, then a drive at lunch time to Williamston (a half hour north for a few hours of work), and finally back to Sandy's private office for some afternoon film reading, which included a suitcase from the small Belhaven hospital filled w/ exams to interpret (see map again) - a LONG day (including the 2+ hr drive each way). Dave

The grave of Eva Narcissus Boyd Harris (otherwise known as Little Eva, the singer of the 1962 hit "The Locomotion") is in Belhaven's Black Bottom Cemetery. She died in 2003 and was buried with just a small metal plaque marking the spot. The headstone with the engraved train was put up in 2008 and was a gift from a local monument maker who'd seen a newscast about the neglected state of Black Bottom.There's ongoing clean up and restoration work at the cemetery, but there's a lot left to be done. (Source)

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[J. A.]

August 25, 2016
Exactly one year ago, the "first Apple computer", a prototype Apple 1, sells for $ 815,000.
'First Apple computer' sells for $815,000 - BBC News

 

[giradman]

August 25, 2016
Exactly one year ago, the "first Apple computer", a prototype Apple 1, sells for $ 815,000.
'First Apple computer' sells for $815,000 - BBC News

From your link (quote below), the Apple I sold for $667 in 1976 ($2,860 in today's dollars) - my first computer was an Apple II+ (predating the IIe in the image below but looking similar) bought in 1980 - my cost was $2000 for the computer, monitor, & one floppy drive; an extra floppy and a Hayes 300 baud modem card added for $500 each; SO, about $3000 total then ($8,880 in today's USD - WOW!) - also had an Epson dot-matrix & a Brother daisy-wheel printers - Dave

* The Apple 1 went on sale in July 1976 at a price of $666.66.
* About 175 of the 200 units were sold, while the remaining units were destroyed.
* Two weeks after Apple's formation, Mr Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800.
* The company's annual revenue last year was $234 billion!

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[scifan57]

Here's the registry of all 66 known surviving Apple 1 computers. Apple 1 Registry


Here's a demo of a working Apple 1.

 

[giradman]

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Adopted Today in 1920 - Women Could Vote!

The Woman Suffrage Movement started in Seneca Falls, New York in July 1848 at a meeting organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Stanton; the American Woman Suffrage Association was formed the same year led by Lucy Stone - the two groups united in 1890, when Wyoming became the first state to grant women the vote; however, another 30 years would pass before the adoption of the 19th Amendment. Dave

The 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution by proclamation of Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. The amendment was the culmination of more than 70 years of struggle by woman suffragists. Its two sections read simply: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” and “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” (Source)

America’s woman suffrage movement was founded in the mid 19th century by women who had become politically active through their work in the abolitionist and temperance movements. In July 1848, 200 woman suffragists, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, met in Seneca Falls, New York, to discuss women’s rights. After approving measures asserting the right of women to educational and employment opportunities, they passed a resolution that declared “it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.” For proclaiming a women’s right to vote, the Seneca Falls Convention was subjected to public ridicule, and some backers of women’s rights withdrew their support. However, the resolution marked the beginning of the woman suffrage movement in America. (Source)

The first national woman’s rights convention was held in 1850 and then repeated annually, providing an important focus for the growing woman suffrage movement. In the Reconstruction era, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted, granting African American men the right to vote, but Congress declined to expand enfranchisement into the sphere of gender. In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to push for a woman suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Another organization, the American Woman Suffrage Association, led by Lucy Stone, was formed in the same year to work through the state legislatures. In 1890, these two groups were united as the National American Woman Suffrage Association. That year, Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote. (Source)

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[scifan57]

On December 10, 1869 the territory of Wyoming was the first to grant women unrestricted suffrage.
Woman Suffrage

 

[giradman]

On December 10, 1869 the territory of Wyoming was the first to grant women unrestricted suffrage.
Woman Suffrage

Hi SciFan.. the dates on Wyoming and woman suffrage are confusing in my quote vs. the above date of 1869 - believe the issue is simply whether a locale was a 'territory' or a 'state' at the time - below is a listing from your link above. Indeed, Wyoming was the first to grant the vote to women in 1869, but was a territory at the time, as you noted (more info) - came into the union in 1890, which corresponds to the date given in my previously quoted material; hope that helps others who may be reading our posts. Dave
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[giradman]

Just for further clarification of United States voting regulations, especially in 'national elections', e.g. as for the President - US territorial citizens are not allowed to vote in these elections (Puerto Rico is a current example); so despite giving women the 'right to vote' in 1869, the ladies of Wyoming could not vote for President until the 1892 (see pic below - Source) - of course, this would have been true for other US territories. Dave
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[scifan57]

August 30, 1862;

The Second Battle of Bull Run ends with a Union retreat to Centreville and a tactical victory for the Confederate forces.

Second Battle of Bull Run - Wikipedia

 

[giradman]

August 30, 1862;

The Second Battle of Bull Run ends with a Union retreat to Centreville and a tactical victory for the Confederate forces.
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Second Battle of Bull Run - Wikipedia

For those interested in a 'personal visit' to the Bull Run Battlefields, check out my travelogue HERE (starts w/ post #28) - SciFan.. and I exchange a bunch of posts, and includes many of my own pics. Dave