Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history today in 1956. It was the sixth perfect game in baseball history and the first in 34 years. Larsen was pitching on just two days rest, he had started game two for the Yankees and even though he’d been handed a 6-0 lead, he only lasted 1.2 innings in a game the Yanks would lose to the Brooklyn Dodgers 13-8. The Yankees’ pitcher would put together five straight complete games to win the series 4-3 and Larsen was named MVP. It was the last World Series to ever be played with no scheduled days off.

It was this day in 1967 that the CIA and Bolivian police captured Che Guevara, the Argentine Marxist revolutionary, who was also a major figure in the Cuban revolution. Guevara was killed the next day by Bolivian police, he was 39 years old and his picture has become the face of counterculture and rebellion. Time magazine voted Guevara one of the 100 most influential people of last century. He was probably the top rated “Che.”

Speaking of rebellious Cubans, it was today in 1972 that the A’s Bert Campaneris whipped his bat at Tigers pitcher Lerrin LaGrow. Campy had three hits and had scored two runs by the time LeGrow hit him in the ankle in the seventh inning. Campaneris was suspended for the rest of the series. Tigers manager Billy Martin had to be restrained from going after Campy and it prompted this quote from Martin after the game: “I’m not going to get after him now, but if there’s ever another fight out there, I’m going out there and find him and beat the shit out of him.”

By my count, five Oscars have been won by movies released today (Matt Damon’s birthday) over the years. “The Last Picture Show” came out today in 1971, the story of small-town kids in West Texas caught between adolescence and adulthood won supporting Oscars for Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman. Another movie set in a small town, this one in Nebraska, came out today in 1999. Hilary Swank won best actress for her role in, “Boys Don’t Cry.” Though Boston is anything but a small town, murder was the centerpiece for “Mystic River,” which was released today in 2003. Both Sean Penn and Tim Robbins won Oscars for their work in that movie.

No Oscars were won, but 2004’s, “Friday Night Lights” did spawn one of the best television shows ever made.

“Cats” opened on Broadway today in 1982 and ran for nearly 18 years, making it the second longest running Broadway show ever.

Believe it or not, I’ve seen all of those movies, but not the play.

Prince hit the big time today in 1980 with the release of, “Dirty Mind.” Called, “new-wave funk by a sex junkie,” “Dirty Mind” had the hits, “Dirty Mind,”, “Head,” “Uptown,” “When You Were Mine,” and “Do It All Night.”

John Mellencamp released his first album without “Cougar” involved today in 1991. “Whenever We Wanted” contained the hit songs “Again Tonight,” “Get A Leg Up,” and “Now More Than Ever.”

In 1999 Debbie Rowe filed for divorce. Probably because her husband looked like this:

— Bill Hubbell

It was voted the third most memorable moment in television history: On October 3, 1995, the entire country watched, riveted as it was announced that O.J. Simpson was found innocent of two murder charges. The replacement jury  A jury of Simpson’s peers ignored the video and confession mountain of evidence against Simpson in a verdict that upset many, made many cheer and stunned everybody.

Today in 1951, Bobby Thomson hit the “shot heard ’round the world,” a three run blast in bottom of the 9th to lead the New York Giants to a 5-4 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in game three of their playoff series that gave the Giants the National League pennant.

Today in 1964, the first batch of Buffalo wings was made at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Fat people would have to wait for for over 40 years for HD television and the NFL Red Zone channel to complete their happiness.

Tonight in 1992 Sinead O’Connor finished a version of Bob Marley’s “War,” by holding up a picture of Pope John Paul II and saying, “fight the real enemy” and tearing up the photo and tossing it towards the camera. The audience sat in a stunned silence. The following week during the opening monologue, Joe Pesci held up a picture of the Pope and said he had taped it back together and then tore up a picture of O’Connor to loud cheers from the audience.

“The Elephant Man” opened today in 1980. The movie received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.

— Bill Hubbell

And so it began. Today in 1950 “Peanuts” appeared in nine newspapers across the country (including The Minneapolis Tribune, The Denver Post, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Seattle Times, The Washington Post and the Boston Globe) and would continue to run until February 13, 2000. Charles M. Schulz’s made 17,897 strips of “Peanuts” and according to media scholar Robert Thompson of Syracuse University, it is, “arguably the longest story ever told by one human being.”

CBS debuted “The Twilight Zone” today in 1959 and it ran for five seasons. The spooky show that usually involved a plot twist and some type of moral lesson had appearances by then unknowns Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds and William Shatner. The show’s name has been referenced a zillion times since it went off the air, most recently by Green Bay Packers fans after Golden Tate’s catch of a guy who caught a football.

Today in 1945, a 10-year old Elvis Presley made his first public appearance at the Mississippi/Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Elvis sang “Old Shep” and came in second place. Simon said he had a decent voice, but lacked any charisma.

Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African-American Supreme Court Justice today in 1967.

It was 10 years ago today that the Beltway Sniper Attacks began, when James Martin, 55, was killed in a grocery store parking lot. Five more people were killed the next day. The sniper was put to death by lethal injection in 2009 and the minor that was with him is serving six life sentences.

“Mean Streets” came out today in 1973 and launched Martin Scorcese and Robert DeNiro into the big time. The movie centered around Harvey Keitel’s character, but it’s DeNiro who steals the show as the reckless, jittery gambler.

Two of the best albums of the last 30 years came out on October 2, “Let It Be,” by the Replacements in 1984, and “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” by Oasis in 1995. The ‘Mats album is one of the most beloved “indie” records ever made, and the song, “Unsatisfied” neatly summarizes every punk rock song ever recorded. Robert Christgau, the Village Voices’ “dean of rock critics” gave the record one of the few A+ grades he’s handed out. (Fun fact: I grew up less than three miles from the roof they’re on top of on the cover).

    >    and I love the Beatles.

Oasis’ second album vaulted them to a place the Replacements never got to go, world famous rock stardom. It sold over 30 million copies and is largely considered one of the best albums of the 90’s.

Rock Hudson became the first celebrity to die from AIDS today in 1985. The 6’5″, star of film and television was 59 years old.

It was today in 1968 that Bob Gibson opened the World Series with a masterful 4-0 shutout of the Detroit Tigers. Gibson set a World Series record with 17 strikeouts.

And nobody in Boston probably needs reminding that it was today that Bucky Dent hit a 3-run homer in the 7th inning to lead the Yankees over the Red Sox in a one game playoff in 1978. It was a lot more fun to remind them of that before they won a World Series.

Musical icons celebrating birthdays today include the two-named Don McLean, 67, and one-namers Sting, 61 and Tiffany, 41. Ok, one of them is an icon, one of them has an iconic song and one of them just sort of was.

Annie Leibovitz turns 63 today, which is a good excuse to post a couple of her best known portraits:

— Bill Hubbell

Is there a more iconic album cover than this one?

“Abbey Road” came out today in 1969, it was the last recorded album by the Beatles (even though “Let It Be” would be released after it.) Filled with classics like, “Come Together,” “Something,” and “Here Comes the Sun,” the album closed with a 16-minute medley of short songs that ended, fittingly with, “Carry That Weight” and “In the End.” How good were the Beatles? “Here Comes the Sun” wasn’t even released as a single. Frank Sinatra once commented that “Something” was his favorite Lennon-McCartney song and the greatest love song ever written. Of course he was wrong, it was written by George, and it’s the only non John-Paul written Beatles song to ever reach number one.

While it’s no “Abbey Road,” U2 released, “The Unforgettable Fire” 23 years later. While not as critically loved as U2’s first two offerings, the album’s hit song, “Pride (In the Name of Love)” carried them to a much bigger world wide audience. While we cringe to put them in the same conversation as those two bands, Matchbox Twenty debuted today in 1996, with, “Yourself or Someone Like You.” The album sold 15 million copies and set the boys from Orlando up for life.

Today in 1962 was the first episode of, “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” Carson would hold the chair for 29 years before retiring in 1992.

Today in 1975 saw one of the greatest heavyweight boxing matches of all time. “The Thrilla in Manila” started at 10:45 am local time to best coincide with a worldwide audience. It was the third fight between Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier. Ali won the fight by TKO when Frazier’s corner wouldn’t let him continue fighting after the 14th round. It would come out after the fight that Ali had told his corner to cut off his gloves after the 14th round as well, that he was done fighting. Frazier wanted to finish the fight, but his trainer, Eddie Futch, told him, “It’s all over. No one will ever forget what you did here today.” They didn’t.

It’s probably fitting that we list Roger Maris hitting his 61st home run today in 1961 second among our sports items. Maris broke the hallowed home run mark set by Babe Ruth in 1927, much to the dismay of many Yankees fans. Mark McGwire was born two years to the day after Maris set his record. We don’t know when steroids were born.

More baseball history was set today in 2004, when Ichiro Suzuki got his 258th hit of the season, breaking the 84-year old record set by George Sisler.

“Mystery, Alaska” was the one major release that Russell Crowe made in between “L.A. Confidential” and superstardom. It was a decent enough flick if you could get past Crowe’s complete inability to skate. “Three Kings” came out the same day as “Mystery, Alaska,” and it’s too bad that it’s most famous for the fighting between George Clooney and director David O. Russell during filming, because it’s a pretty good movie.

A great movie came out today in 2010. There’s not a chance in hell that all of the characters in, “The Social Network” can actually be as witty and as engaging as Aaron Sorkin wrote them to be, but my god, what a great movie. (I almost wrote that they couldn’t be as smart as he wrote them, which only would have meant that I’m not as smart as he wrote them.) This movie losing best picture to “The King’s Speech” is right at the top of Academy Award injustices. It’s simply one of the best screenplays ever written.

Birthdays of note today include: Jimmy Carter, 88, Julie Andrews, 77, Rod Carew, 67 and Zach Galifianakis, 43. Also listed is someone named, Charlie McDonnell, who turns 22 and is listed as a “YouTube Personality.” God, I’m old.

— Bill Hubbell

“I’m going to leave y’all with one thought, I’m a big believer in fate. I have a good feeling about this.”

So said Ben Crenshaw on the night of September 25, 1999, following play at the Ryder Cup in Brookline, Massachusetts. Most just rolled their eyes at Crenshaw as the U.S.’s hopes were all but dashed after falling behind 10-6 with just Sunday’s singles matches to go. Brookline is 300 miles from Lake Placid, but another miracle was capped when Justin Leonard poured in a 45-foot putt to beat Jose Maria Olazabel and clinch the Cup for the Americans. Actually it didn’t clinch the Cup, Olazabel still had a chance to halve the hole (sort of like we still had to beat Finland to win the gold in Lake Placid.)

Leonard played the hero at Brookline, but today’s hero role goes to Stanislav Petrov, who all but saved the world today in 1983. Petrov was the duty officer on command at a Soviet Nuclear base in Oko, where a computer glich twice reported that the United States had launched missiles at the Soviet Union. Petrov deemed it to be a false alarm, and probably kept the Soviets from launching a retaliatory nuclear attack on the U.S. But Katy Perry’s life story had to be made into a movie first.

Mickey Mantle was flawless on eight chances at shortstop today in 1954. With the Bronx Bombers eight games out, Manager Casey Stengel decided to have a little fun with his lineup. Yogi Berra was also without error on his two grounders at third base.

Machine Gun Kelly was apprehended by the FBI today in 1933, and reportedly yelled “don’t shoot G-Men, don’t shoot G-Men,” a phrase that would stick with the FBI since then. Now this guy looked like a prohibition era gangster:

In other gangster news, “West Side Story” opened on Broadway today in 1957. The play took Romeo and Juliet and set it in NYC’s gangs.

Speaking of gangster, Johnny Appleseed was born today in 1774. No? Okay, speaking of gangster, Olivia Newton-John turns 64 today. Still no? Okay, maybe Olivia didn’t really get physical, but this chick who turns 56 today certainly did.

 definitely more gangster than 

Speaking of Olivia Newton-John, wait, were we? Crocodile Dundee opened today in 1986. I’m thinking Linda Hamilton could have kicked his ass.

Lord knows what the Croc man would have thought of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” which opened today in 1975.

Following the two classic, but slower albums, REM wanted to get back to rocking on their next album. They certainly did on “Monster,” released today in 1994. Peter Buck’s opening licks on the opening song showed that REM was back to rocking.

One of the all-time greats passed away today in 2008.

— Bill Hubbell