Men in History (02-03-17)

1904        Henry Dreyfuss, industrial designer of everything from telephones to the interior of the Boeing 707, was born. 1908        Gabriel Lippman introduced the new three-dimensional color photography at the Academy of Sciences. 1915        Vladmir Jabotinsky formed a Jewish military force to fight in Palestine. 1918        Hubert Bancroft (b.1832) San Francisco-based historian and ethnologist, died in SF. His work included compiling and editing a 39-volume chronicle that traced the saga of the Pacific Coast from the Spanish conquistadors to the Gold Rush. The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley was named in his honor after UC purchased his book collection in 1905. In 2014 his great-great granddaughter reduced and published his 800-page autobiography as a 225-page book. 1923        The first issue of the weekly periodical, “TIME” appeared on newsstands. The first issue, dated March 3, was 32 pages and featured a charcoal sketch of Congressman Joseph Gurney Cannon on the cover. It was the United States’ first modern newsmagazine. The worldwide Time Magazine was conceived by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden (d.1929) in 1922. Luce and Hadden had just graduated from Yale. In 2006 Isaiah Wilner authored “The Man Time Forgot,” a biography of Hadden. 1923       In Italy, Mussolini admitted that women have a right to vote, but declares that the time was not right. 1927        Babe Ruth (aka George Herman Ruth Jnr) signed a 3-year contract with the New York Yankees for a guarantee of $70,000 a year, thus becoming baseball’s highest paid player. 1930        Harry Kuchins made the first indoor glider flight inside the St. Louis, MO, Terminal Building. We laugh hysterically at this and we know you think we make this stuff up, but we don’t. It really happened. 1930        Novelist D.H. Lawrence died of tuberculosis in a sanitarium in Vence, France, at the age of 45. 1939        Roman Catholic Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected Pope; he took the name Pius XII. 1939        Howard Carter, archeologist, died in London at age 62. He led the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. 1942        At the 14th Academy Awards: “How Green was My Valley”, Gary Cooper and Joan Fontaine won. 1944        In the 16th Academy Awards presentation moved from a banquet hall to Graumann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles this night. Jennifer Jones (24) won an Oscar for Best Actress in the film, “The Song of Bernadette”. Jack Benny was the host that year. Best film was “Casablanca,” Paul Lukas won for best actor. 1957       Boxer Carlos Ortiz won a technical knockout against Lou Filippo (1925-2009). Filippo was originally awarded a victory in the 1st bout against Ortiz after being hit after the bell, but a Times reporter questioned a member of the California State Athletic Commission about that ruling, and the no-contest decision was invoked. Filippo lost the next fight to Ortiz about a month later, and retired at 23-9-3 with 8 knockouts and one no-contest. Both were later named to the Boxing Hall of Fame. Filippo went on to play a role in all five of the “Rocky” movies. 1959        Miles Davis began recording “Kind of Blue” with John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly, Philley Joe Jones, Paul Chambers and Bill Evans. Modes rather than chords formed the basis for improvisation on “So What” and “Flamenco Sketches.” In 2000 Ashley Kahn authored “Kind of Blue,” The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece. Eric Nisenson authored “The Making of Kind of Blue: Miles Davis and His Masterpiece.” 1965        The movie version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “The Sound of Music,” starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, had its world premiere at New York’s Rivoli Theater. The musical, about the Trapp Family, was a hit on the Great White Way for 3-1/2 years and one of the most popular motion pictures of all time. It remains a classic even today. The movie brought instant stardom for Miss Andrews, who went on to star in other singing roles in the theatre, on television, in movies and as a popular recording artist. 1967        At the 9th Grammy Awards: “Strangers in Night” by Frank Sinatra won Record of the Year and “Michele” by the Beatleswon Song of the Year. 1974        In the 16th Grammy Awards Roberta Flack won for the song “Killing Me Softly” & Bette Midler won as Best New Artist.Stevie Wonder got five Grammy Awards for his album, “Innervisions” and his hit songs, “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” and “Superstition”. 1997        Saudi Arab billionaire Prince al-Waleed bin Talal acquired 5% of Apple. 2000        Dr. Larry C. Ford committed suicide just days after a botched assassination attempt on his business partner at Biofem Inc., of Irvine, California. Ford had met with scientists from South Africa’s Project Coast in the 1980s to discuss chemical and biological warfare under Wouter Basson, head of the project. Project Coast, which has been accused of trying to create deadly bacteria that would only affect blacks, poisoning opponents’ clothing and stockpiling cholera, HIV and anthrax, opened an offshore bank account to pay Ford. In 2002 former FBI informant Peter Fitzpatrick told “60 Minutes” that Ford passed a bag filled with cholera, typhoid, botulism, anthrax and bubonic plague to a South African military doctor during a meeting at the house of the South African trade attache in California. 2000       Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet left Britain for his homeland, hours after he was ruled mentally unfit to stand trial on charges of human rights abuses. 2003        Fidel Castro offered to mediate with North Korea over its nuclear program, though he acknowledged Cuba’s ability to stem the growing crisis was limited. 2004        Bernard Ebbers, former WorldCom CEO, was indicted on federal charges in the multibillion-dollar accounting scandal at the telecommunications giant. Scott Sullivan, his top financial officer, pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against him. 2005        Queen Elizabeth II dubbed Bill Gates (49) an honorary noble. 2007        Moammar Gadhafi said in an unusual debate that it was time for his long-isolated nation to open up to the world and that one day Libya won’t need him as leader. Still, he insisted that the ruling ideology he has entrenched here for three decades is superior to Western democracy. 2009        Cuban President Raul Castro‘s ousted powerful officials close to his brother Fidel in the biggest government shakeup since he took power a year ago. 2011       Libyan strongman Moamer Kadhafi warned “thousands” would die if the West intervened to support the uprising against him. Government troops briefly captured Marsa El Brega, an oil export terminal, before being driven back by rebels. Shells splashed in the Mediterranean and a warplane bombed a beach where rebel fighters were charging over the dunes. At least five people were killed in the fighting. Thousands of Bangladheshi migrant workers, desperate to leave Libya, pressed up against the gates of the Tunisia frontier, angry at their government for sending no help. Britain, Spain, France and others launched emergency airlifts along Libya’s borders, trying to prevent racially charged attacks on the tens of thousands of foreign workers try to flee. 2011        Zimbabwe’s Pres. Mugabe threatened to boycott Western products before seizing companies from countries that have imposed sanctions against him and his allies. 2013        In Nigeria Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, denied in a newly released video any peace talks with the government. 2014        At the Hollywood Academy Awards “12 Years a Slave,” directed by Steve McQueen of Britain, won the Best Picture Oscar. Matthew McConaughtey won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club.” Cate Blanchett won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in “Blue Jasmine.” Actress Lupita Nyong’o (31) of Kenya won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in the movie “12 Years A Slave.” Jared Leto won the Best Supporting Oscar for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club.” Alfonso Cuaron won the Best Director Oscar for “Gravity,” which won a total of seven Oscars.