Today began the Nuremberg Trials in 1945. Though many argued the legitimacy of the trials, very few argued with their outcome. An international military tribunal put 24 of the most important political and military leaders of the Third Reich on trial for war crimes. Of the 24 tried, only two were acquitted. Harlan Fiske Stone, the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court at the time, called the trials a fraud. If only “The Daily Show” were around back then.
Hermann Goring, far left, front row, was the highest ranking member of the Third Reich who was still alive when the trials began.
Over 100 million Americans watched, “The Day After,” tonight in 1983. The ABC made for TV movie was a depiction of what we might wake up to the day after a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was SO not as a bad ass as what would happen if the Russkies tried to invade us and Patrick Swayze and a bunch of teenagers were holding down the fort. I remember there being a huge build up for the telecast and I remember everyone sort of shrugging their shoulders afterwards. ABC held a panel debate after the movie, hosted by Ted Koppel and featuring Carl Sagan and William F. Buckley Jr. among others.
Much more dramatic than “The Day After” was what occurred today in 1982. The Cal Bears defeated the Stanford Cardinal 25-20 on a 5 lateral kickoff return with Cal’s Kevin Moen running through the Stanford band before going into the end zone.
Today in 1977 Walter Payton rushed for 275 yards leading the Chicago Bears to a 10-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Payton’s 275 yards broke O.J. Simpson’s record of yards in a single game by two.
Perhaps the single most famous hit in NFL history occurred today in 1960 when the Eagles Chuck Bednarik blindsided Giants running back Frank Gifford and knocked him cold during the Eagles win. Gifford suffered a concussion and missed the rest of the season and all of 1961 as well.
Speaking of concussed football players, it was today in 2006 that former Eagle great Andre Watters committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Watters, one of the hardest hitters in the league while he played, was just 44 years old. Doctors later found that Watters had suffered severe brain damage that had caused depression. His brain tissue had degenerated to that of an 85-year old at the time of his death. One day humans will look back in horror at what young men did to each other on football fields. That day is probably not in the near future.
Today in 2001 saw the release of two stellar Rock ‘N Roll albums: Kid Rock released “Cocky” and Pink hit the big time with “Missundaztood.” “Cocky” cemented Kid Rock as more than just a rap/metal guy as he threw in large doses of country and good old fashion rock with songs like, “Cocky,” “Forever,” “Picture,” “Lonely Road of Faith,” and “Baby Come Home.” Pink broke through with “Get the Party Started” and added massive hits with “Just Like a Pill,” “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” and “Family Portrait.”
— Bill Hubbell