What Happened On
Worst Movie Ever Made - Ishtar
May 15, 1987
The film that would become synonymous with "box office flop," Ishtar is released. Starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman with a production cost of $55 million, it made only $14 million at the box office. Although it maintains a strong cult following, many call it the worst movie ever made.
Cars fueling up before gas rationing begins
Cars fueling up before gas rationing begins
World War II - Gas Rationing
May 15, 1942
Seventeen eastern U.S. states begin rationing gas. The purpose was not just to conserve gas, but to also conserve rubber. There was a shortage of natural rubber, as Japan had conquered many of the rubber-producing regions of Southeast Asia. Nationwide gas rationing would begin the following December.
Other measures that would be taken to conserve fuel and rubber included a 35 mph (56 km/h) speed limit, known as the "Victory Speed Limit", banning of new car sales, and banning all forms of automobile racing, including the Indianapolis 500.
DiMaggio's 56-Game Hitting Streak
May 15, 1941
Joe DiMaggio begins his legendary 56-game hitting streak. It ended July 17 after 91 hits for a .408 average, 15 home runs, and 55 runs drove in. He recorded at least one hit in each of the 56 games. DiMaggio's streak surpassed surpassed the record of 44 consecutive games held by Willie Keeler since 1897. DiMaggio's record still stands as the longest hitting streak in Major League Baseball history.
Photo Credit: Erik Liljeroth, Nordiska museet
Photo Credit: Erik Liljeroth, Nordiska museet
Nylon Stockings
May 15, 1940
Nylon stockings first go on sale across the U.S. Stronger and cheaper than silk stockings, they were an instant hit selling out all 4,000,000 pairs in four days. Prior to this, they were only available in Wilmington, Delaware stores, home of DuPont where they were manufactured. And you had to prove you were a Wilmington resident in order to buy them.
First Mickey Mouse Cartoon
May 15, 1928
Plane Crazy is test screened in a theater as a silent film. It featured Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. It didn't test well and was not distributed to other theaters. However, after the success of Steamboat Willie, sound was added and it was released in 1929.
The Waco Horror
May 15, 1916
Right after being sentenced to death, black teenager Jesse Washington is dragged out of the court house and lynched in front of the Waco, Texas city hall. His fingers, toes, and genitals were cut off and he was raised and lowered over a fire until he burned to death. Over 10,000 spectators, including city officials and police, gathered to watch. His body was then dragged through town and put on public display. His remains, such as teeth, bones, and genitals, were sold afterwards as souvenirs.
He had confessed and was convicted of raping and murdering his white employer's wife. The media outcry from this event led to a change in the U.S. public's attitude towards lynching.
First Newborn to Receive Gene Therapy
May 15, 1993
4-day-old Andrew Gobea at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. His genes were altered to correct ADA enzyme deficiency - an inherited condition known as "bubble boy" disease which makes them unable to fight off most types of infections. Blood was removed from his mother's placenta and umbilical cord immediately after birth, to acquire stem cells.
After treatment, his stem cells produced T cells (white blood cells) that were able to make ADA enzymes using the ADA gene.
At four years old, he needed more treatment. Hopefully, he will be able to avoid the current standard treatment of regular injections of white blood cells, costing over $100,000 a year.
Alabama Governor Shot
May 15, 1972
Alabama Governor George Wallace is shot five times by Arthur Herman Bremer in Maryland while campaigning for the U.S. presidency. Wallace was paralyzed below the waist for the rest of his life. Bremer was sentenced to 63 years in prison for the shooting and was paroled in 2007. Bremer's diaries indicated he committed the crime for fame, not for political reasons.
First Successful U.S. Helicopter Flight
May 15, 1940
A craft built by the Vought-Sikorsky Corporation.
First Airline Flight with a Stewardess
May 15, 1930
A United Airlines flight employing Ellen Church, a registered nurse.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
May 15, 1862
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is established.
First College Sorority
May 15, 1851
The first college sorority formed, the Adelphians of Wesleyan College, becoming Alpha Delta Pi in 1904.
First Private Psychiatric Hospital in the U.S.
May 15, 1817
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania open the "Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason". It is still open, now under the name of Friends Hospital.
Birthdays
First Female U.S. Secretary of State
First Female U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright (Marie Jana Korbelová)
Born May 15, 1937 d. 2022
American diplomat. Madeleine Albright served as the United States Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She was the first female U.S. Secretary of State.
In 1948, Albright immigrated with her family to the United States from Czechoslovakia and she became a U.S. citizen in 1957.
The Tennessee Plowboy
Eddy Arnold (Richard Edward Arnold)
Born May 15, 1918 d. 2008
American Hall of Fame country-western singer. Known as "The Tennessee Plowboy," he is the all-time best-selling country singer, selling over 85 million records. Music: Bouquet of Roses (1948, #1) and I Really Don't Want to Know (1954, #1).
First to Summit Mt. Everest
Tenzing Norgay (Namgyal Wangdi)
Born May 15, 1914 d. 1986
Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer. He and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first to summit Mt. Everest (1953).
Pierre and Marie Curie in the laboratory
Pierre and Marie Curie in the laboratory
Pierre Curie
Born May 15, 1859 d. 1906
French Nobel-winning physicist. He and his wife Marie Curie were pioneers in the study of radioactivity.
He died while crossing a street in the rain when he slipped and fell under a heavy horse-drawn cart. One of the wheels ran over his head, fracturing his skull and killing him instantly.
Had he not died of an accident, he likely would have eventually died of the effects of radiation, as did his wife, their daughter Irène, and her husband Frédéric Joliot. Even to this day, all their papers from the 1890s, even her cookbooks, are too dangerous to touch.
The Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum
Born May 15, 1856 d. 1919
American author. Writings: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), which was adapted into a play in 1902 and the classic movie in 1939.
In the book version, the wicked witch sends a pack of wolves to kill Dorothy and her traveling companions, but the Tin Woodsman kills them with his axe. She then sends a flock of crows to peck out their eyes. The crows are killed by the Scarecrow who wrings their necks. After The Cowardly Lion fends off her Winkie slaves, the Wicked Witch sends her flying monkeys who capture Dorothy and make her the witch's personal slave.
First Underground Comix Artist
Jack "Jaxon" Jackson
Born May 15, 1941 d. 2006
American underground cartoonist. Considered the "first underground comix artist" for his comic God Nose (1964). Co-founder of Rip Off Press. Writings: The graphic novel Comanche Moon (1979).
Anna Maria Alberghetti
Born May 15, 1936
Italian-born singer, Tony-winning actress. She made her American debut at Carnegie Hall when she was 14. Stage: Carnival, (1962, Tony award for best actress).
Joseph Cotten
Born May 15, 1905 d. 1994
American actor. Film: Citizen Kane (1941), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), and Journey into Fear (1942).
Abraham Zapruder
Born May 15, 1905 d. 1970
American clothing manufacturer. He made the famous film of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas.
Richard Joseph Daley
Born May 15, 1902 d. 1976
American politician, mayor of Chicago (1955-76). Said in response to the 1968 civil disorder during the Democratic National Convention, "the police aren't here to create disorder, the police are here to preserve disorder." He ordered police to shoot to kill arsonists and to maim looters.
Arletty (Léonie Bathiat)
Born May 15, 1898 d. 1992
French actress. The famous French actress was imprisoned for treason for her wartime liaison with a German Luftwaffe officer during the occupation of France (1945). She allegedly later commented, "My heart is French but my ass is international." She was given a sentence of eighteen months imprisonment, most of which was served in a private chateau. In 1995, France issued a series of commemorative coins, one of which was a 100 frank coin featuring Arletty's image.
Deaths
Father Flanagan (Edward Joseph Flanagan)
Died May 15, 1948 b. 1886
Irish-born American Roman Catholic monsignor, founder of the orphanage Boys Town (1917). His motto was "There is no such thing as a bad boy." Father Flanagan didn't believe in the reform school model, thus Boys Town had its own boy-mayor, schools, and other facilities where boys between the ages of 10 and 16 could receive an education and learn a trade.
The film Boys Town (1938), starring Spencer Tracy, was based on his life. The film earned both Flanagan and Tracy Oscars, with Flanagan's inscribed, "To Father Flanagan, whose great humanity, kindly simplicity, and inspiring courage were strong enough to shine through my humble effort. Spencer Tracy."
Started the Tradition of Playing Taps at Military Funerals
John C. Tidball (John Caldwell Tidball)
Died May 15, 1906 b. 1825
American soldier. He started the tradition of playing Taps at military funerals. In early July 1862, a cannoneer of Tidball's Battery A, 2nd U.S. Artillery, was killed in action. Tidball wished to bury him with full military honors, but was afraid the traditional three volleys of seven rifles might stir hostilities with the nearby enemy. Tidball later wrote, "The thought suggested itself to me to sound taps instead, which I did. The idea was taken up by others, until in a short time it was adopted by the entire army and is now looked upon as the most appropriate and touching part of a military funeral".
Taps is traditionally used to signal lights out. The current version was arranged into its present form by the Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield in 1862.
Emily Dickinson
Died May 15, 1886 b. 1830
American poet. Of her over 1,800 poems, less than a dozen were published during her lifetime.
"Because I could not stop for Death -
He kindly stopped for me -
The Carriage held but just Ourselves -
And Immortality."
Jerry Falwell (Jerry Lamon Falwell Sr.)
Died May 15, 2007 b. 1933
American fundamentalist Baptist pastor, televangelist. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. He also founded Lynchburg Christian Academy (1967, now Liberty Christian Academy), Liberty University (1971), and co-founded the Moral Majority (1979).
Falwell claimed God allowed the 9/11 Attacks to happen because LGBT organizations had angered God. While Falwell claimed homosexuality was against the Bible, he supported civil rights for the LGBT community.
June Carter Cash
Died May 15, 2003 b. 1929
American Grammy-winning singer, wife of Johnny Cash. TV: Grand Ole Opry.
Darwood Kaye (Darwood Kenneth Smith)
Died May 15, 2002 b. 1929
American actor. The rich and scholarly Waldo of The Little Rascals, he appeared in 21 Our Gang films (1937-40). He went on to become a Seventh Day Adventist Pastor until he was killed by a hit-and-run driver.
Johnny Green (John Waldo Green)
Died May 15, 1989 b. 1908
American Oscar-winning Hall of Fame songwriter. Music: Coquette (1928), Body and Soul (1930), West Side Story (1961), and Oliver! (1968).
Theodore H. White
Died May 15, 1986 b. 1915
American Pulitzer-Emmy winning author. Writings: The Making of the President 1960 (1961, Pulitzer), The Making of the President 1964, The Making of the President 1968, and The Making of the President 1972.
White's books started a trend of more personality-driven political reporting. White would in later years express regret about this change.
Marinus I
Died May 15, 884 b. ????
religious leader, 108th Pope (882-884).