William Claude Dukenfield Is Born
On this day in 1880, the actor known as W.C. Fields was born. Here he is in his first short film, Pool Sharks, from 1915.
W.C. Fields was one of a kind. These days he would be considered his own “franchise“, as they like to say. He had a way of making people laugh, even though, when you look back on things, he wasn’t really that funny at all. It just shows you that nothing has really changed in Hollywood, except the faces.
On This Day…
In 1737, John Hancock was born.
In 1789, Georgetown College was established. How would you have liked to have been the real estate agent that handled that transaction?
In 1832, Edouard Manet was born.
In 1898, Randolph Scott was born.
In 1899, Humphrey Bogart was born.
In 1907, Charles Curtis became the first American Indian U.S. Senator (He later became Pres. Herbert Hoover’s vice-president).
In 1919, Ernie Kovacs was born.
In 1950, Richard Dean Anderson was born.
In 1975, Barney Miller debuted on ABC-TV.
In 1989, Salvador Dali died.
In 2004, Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) died.
You can find out more about this day in history at the History Channel, Those Were The Days, and InfoPlease .
Sphere: Related ContentThis Day In History
In 1519, Magellan sets sail.
In 1863, it was the second day of the Battle of Chickamauga.
In 1878, Upton Sinclair was born.
In 1881, Chester Arthur becomes the third president to serve in one year.
In 1929, Anne Meara was born.
In 1934, Sophia Loren was born.
In 1969, Sugar Sugar was number one on the Billboard Charts.
In 1973, Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the Battle Of The Sexes
You can find out more about this day in history at the History Channel, and Those Were The Days.
Stepping Back In Time
We spent the entire afternoon today at Sweetwater Creek State Park for New Manchester Days.
We had a blast.
New Manchester was the name of the town that built up around the mill on Sweetwater Creek. The textile mill was rolling out tons of material for the Confederate Army when Sherman ordered troops to burn it.
The mill has been fenced off for years, and everytime we hike down the trail we wonder what it would be like to look at it from the inside. Well, today we found out. They were giving guided tours to the mill, and allowed visitors to venture inside the decaying walls to see what it was like.
Here are some images of the mill, you can click them for a better look.
While we were there, we saw firearms demonstrations, a union army camp, people dressed in the clothing of the era, and a reptile show. I am not sure how the reptile show fits in other than the fact that all of the creatures in the show are native to Georgia.
So, what did you do this weekend?
America, Why I Love Her
Check out this link to the poem “America, Why I Love Her” by John Mitchum, recited by John Wayne.
Enjoy.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
On this day in 1922, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang won the first Southsea Speed Carnival. In honor of that day, I thought I would find a CCBB clip on YouTube. Enjoy.