“We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and “slipped the surly bonds of earth” to “touch the face of God.””– Ronald Reagan
It was today in 1986, at 11:38 am, that the space shuttle “Challenger” disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, just 73 seconds into it’s flight, killing all seven on board, the only time the U.S. has lost lives in space. The Challenger disaster was being watched by a national television audience as it had a teacher, Christa McAuliffe on board.
“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” — Jane Austen
“Pride and Prejudice” was first published today in the United Kingdom in 1813. The novel follows the travails of Elizabeth Bennett in her search for self. Along the way Ms. Bennett tackles manners, education, upbringing and marriage. It is one of the most beloved novels ever written. The two pictures are from different adaptations, but the two played their respective parts the best.
Elvis Presley made his first ever television appearance tonight in 1956, singing “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Heartbreak Hotel” on CBS’ “Dorsey Brothers Show”. There was no outrage over his appearance, that would come later when he performed on Milton Berle and Steve Allen’s shows.
Tonight in 1995, 27-year old production assistant for “Entertainment Tonight” was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his homemade movie, “The Brothers McMullen.”
Coming off a 1-10-1 season, the Green Bay Packers today in 1959 hired Vince Lombardi, who’d been an assistant with the New York Giants. Just two years later, Lombardi’s Packers would defeat the Giants to win the NFL Championship. Lombardi would win five titles, including the first two Super Bowls.
Happy Birthdays go out to Sarah McLachlan (45) and Gaslight Anthem lead singer Brian Fallon (33). Their top fives (and I would take Fallon’s top 60 over any McLachlan song):
McLachlan:
- Building a Mystery
- I Will Remember You (the theme song from “Brothers McMullen”)
- Adia
- Possession
- Angel
Fallon:
- Stay Lucky
- We Came to Dance
- Here’s Looking At You, Kid
- The ’59 Sound
- Great Expectations
— Bill Hubbell