Hello and welcome to your weekend.
So, how is the summer going for you? As we tip past the middle of August, it seems impossible to believe that we are nearing a flip of the seasons, right?! But here we are. Time marches on.
And on this Saturday morning we invite you intentionally slow things down a bit with our weekly “scroll down memory lane.” It’s a simple look back at some events that happened on these dates in history before you head out to make new history today.
So, grab your favorite sippin’ drink and let’s scroll!
Tomorrow is Sunday, August 17th, the 229th day of the year.
On this day:
In 1903, Joseph Pulitzer donated one-million-dollars to Columbia University. The Pulitzer Prizes were named in his honor.
In 1915, Charles Kettering patented the “engine-starting device.” It is considered the first electric ignition device for cars.
In 1945, Korea is divided into North and South Korea along the 38 parallel.
In 1969, Hurricane Camille ravaged Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. The storm killed 259 people and injured thousands more. Camille packed winds in excess of 200 miles per hour.
In 1969, the final day of Woodstock took place, closing with Jimi Hendrix as the final act. They did not take the stage until nine o’clock the next day due to bad weather and other delays.
In 1979, actress Vivian Vance died at the age of 70. She is best known for playing the role of Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy.”
In 1983, lyricist Ira Gershwin died at the age of 86. He teamed with his brother George to write some of the most famous songs in music history.
In 1987, Adolf Hitler’s former deputy Rudolf Hess died at a Berlin hospital at the age of 93. He reportedly committed suicide by strangling himself with an electrical cord. He spent 46 years in prison in Berlin, Germany.
In 1990, singer-actress Pearl Bailey died of a heart attack at the age of 72. She had received a Special Tony Award for the title role in the all-Black production of “Hello, Dolly!” in 1968.
In 1992, actor-director Woody Allen admitted to being romantically involved with his adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn.
In 1998, President Clinton, via closed-circuit TV, gave more than four hours of grand jury testimony in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He later announced during a televised speech, quote, “I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate.” Clinton also denied previously committing perjury and criticized Kenneth Starr’s investigation.
In 2008, swimmer Michael Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. He broke Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
In 2008, Rafael Nadal won the men’s tennis gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. It was Spain’s first gold medal in tennis.
In 2014, a private autopsy showed Michael Brown was shot at least six times by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer.
In 2015, actress Yvonne Craig died at the age of 78. Craig was best known for playing Batgirl in the final season of the 1960s TV show “Batman.”
In 2020, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first U.S. college to send students home and convert fully to online learning after over 100 COVID-19 cases were detected.
In 2023, for the first time in 21 years the U.S. 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose above seven percent.
That bring us here to this day.
Whatever plans you have for this day and beyond, we hope there are moments to record on the pages of your own personal history books.
Thanks for stopping by!
