Hello.
As we sink into the home stretch of August (and collectively wonder how the summer went so fast?!) we want to savor as much as we can. That’s why we intentionally slow things down on Satuday morning with our “scroll down memory lane.” It’s a simple way to look back at events that happened on these dates in history before you head out to make new history today.
If you are new, welcome! If this has been part of your weekend routine for awhile, thank you! We appreciate you being a part of the 715 Newsroom. Grab your favorite sippin’ drink and let’s scroll!
Tomorrow is is Sunday, August 24th, the 236th day of the year.
On this day:
In 1814, during the War of 1812 between the United States and England, British troops entered Washington D.C. and burned many public buildings down including the White House.
In 1853, Chef George Crum introduced the first potato chips in Saratoga Springs, New York.
In 1869, Cornelius Swarthout patented the waffle iron.
In 1891, Thomas Edison applied for a patent for the motion picture camera.
In 1909, construction on the Panama Canal begins.
In 1946, Norma Jean Baker signed a contract with 20th Century Fox. She later changed her name to Marilyn Monroe.
In 1954, the Communist Control Act went into effect, outlawing the Communist Party in the U.S..
In 1963, the Little League World Series was covered for the first time by ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.”
In 1977, Waylon Jennings was arrested on cocaine charges. Just before the run-in with the law he was named an honorary police chief in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1979, “The Facts Of Life” made its debut on NBC. The TV comedy lasted ten seasons, making it one of the longest-running sitcoms of the 80’s.
In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced to 20-years-to-life in prison for the murder of former Beatles frontman John Lennon.
In 1988, Minnesota North Star Dino Ciccarelli became the first hockey player to serve jail time for a penalty on the ice. He was sentenced to 24-hours in jail and fined one-thousand dollars for hitting another player with a stick. He only stayed behind bars for two hours.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew with 165 mph winds smashed into South Florida, causing a record billions of dollars in damage and numerous deaths. President Bush declared southern Florida a federal disaster area.
In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95, and purchased the rights to the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” for a reported 12-million dollars.
In 2006, NFL star Jerry Rice officially retired as a San Francisco 49er, the team where his NFL career began, signing a one-day contract for almost two-million-dollars.
In 2007, the NFL suspended embattled Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick indefinitely without pay after Vick’s attorneys filed a plea agreement in federal court admitting the football star’s role a dogfighting case.
In 2010, actress Lindsay Lohan was released from a rehabilitation facility just 23 days into a three-month program.
In 2011, as a result of his pancreatic cancer, Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple Inc. and was succeeded by Tim Cook.
In 2014, dozens were injured by an earthquake in Napa, California.
In 2014, ISIS seized a major military airbase in Syria in a battle that left hundreds dead.
In 2014, Death Row Records founder ‘Suge’ Knight was injured in a shooting at a party that Chris Brown was hosting in Los Angeles. Another man and a woman, were also shot at the 1 Oak nightclub in West Hollywood. All three victims were treated at local hospitals.
In 2015, IndyCar driver Justin Wilson died following his injuries during the ABC Supply 500 at Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway. The 37-year-old British driver had seven wins and 27 podiums in his U.S. open-wheel career.
In 2015, Marcy Borders died at the age of 42 from stomach cancer. She was featured in an iconic photo showing her covered in dust following the World Trade Center Attack on 9-11. The New Jersey native was working at Bank of America on the 81st floor of the north tower when a plane struck a few stories above. She believed her illness was linked to the attack.
In 2015, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg announced one billion people had logged onto the social media site for the first time.
In 2017, actor Jay Thomas died of cancer. Thomas had recurring roles on “Cheers” and “Murphy Brown.” He was 69.
In 2018, television personality Robin Leach died at the age of 76. Leach was best know as host of the TV series “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
In 2020, a 33-year-old Hong Kong man was infected a second time with coronavirus more than four months after his first bout, becoming the first documented case of a person being re-infected with COVID-19 a second time.
In 2021, Kathy Hochul became the state of New York’s first female governor.
In 2021, Beyonce became the first Black woman to wear the iconic yellow Tiffany diamond. She wore the jewel in an ad campaign alongside husband Jay-Z.
In 2021, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died at age 80.
In 2022, President Biden announced plans to cancel student loan debts.
In 2022, American Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Dawson died. He was 87.
In 2023, former president Trump surrendered at Fulton County Jail and booked on 13 felony counts related to the Georgia election case.
In 2023, pro wrestler Bray Wyatt died of a heart attack at the age of 36. His real name was Wyndham Rotunda and he was the son of former pro wrestler Mike Rotunda.
In 2024, author and journalist Gail Sheehy died at the age of 83.
In 2024, former Detroit Tigers All-Star and World Series champion Don Wert died at the age of 86.
That brings us here to this day. Whatever plans you have for your own weekend, we hope there are moments along the way to record on the pages of your own personal history books!
Thanks for stopping by!
