Holidays
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Holy day of obligation, solemnity, commemorating Mary's entering Heaven, both body and soul.
What Happened On
First Female Cadet to Attend the Citadel
August 15, 1995
19-year-old Shannon Faulkner becomes the 151-year-old military college's first female cadet. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled the all-male admissions policy unconstitutional. After four hours of military indoctrination training, she spent the remainder of the first week in the infirmary before voluntarily resigning, citing emotional and psychological abuse and physical exhaustion. In 2012, Faulkner claimed she had quit due to a threat to kill her parents by a person present when she entered.
Wow! Signal - Alien Life?
August 15, 1977
SETI detects a 72-second radio signal that so closely matched the type of signal they expected from an intelligent life form that one of the scientists wrote "Wow!" in the margin of the printout. SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) detected the strong narrowband radio signal using Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope. The signal sequence lasted for the full 72 seconds that Big Ear was able to observe it. It appeared to have originated from within the Sagittarius constellation. Earth-bound sources, asteroids, exo-planets, and stars were ruled out, leaving the source of the signal undetermined.
For 40 years, this remained the strongest candidate for an alien radio transmission ever detected - Until the mystery was solved in 2017. The frequency of the signal was 1,420 MHz, the same frequency as hydrogen. Scientists suggested the signal might be from a passing comet's hydrogen cloud. It was determined that two comets, that were unknown in 1977, were in the part of the sky monitored by the Big Ear during that time. This theory was tested when the comets reappeared in late 2016 and one of the comets generated a signal similar to the one in 1977. Though not certain this was the same comet that caused the 1977 signal, it demonstrated that it was most likely caused by a comet.
First Woman to Play Football In a Predominately Male Professional League
August 15, 1970
Pat Palinkas holds the ball for her place kicker husband, Steve Palinkas, on the Orlando Panthers (Atlantic Coast football league), making her the first woman to play professional American football in a league made up predominately of men.
Swami Satchidananda giving the opening speech of Woodstock
Swami Satchidananda giving the opening speech of Woodstock
Woodstock
August 15, 1969
The music festival near Bethel, New York begins. More than 400,000 people attended the event billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music."
It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm near White Lake in Bethel, New York, 43 miles (70 km) southwest of Woodstock.
Coup supporters celebrate victory in Tehran
Coup supporters celebrate victory in Tehran
US and GB Overthrow of Iran's Prime Minister
August 15, 1953
The United States and Great Britain with help from the CIA begin operations to overthrow Iran's democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favor of strengthening the monarchical rule of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Mosaddegh had made moves to nationalize Iran's oil fields after the British oil company Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC, now part of BP) refused to cooperate in the auditing of oil payments. Following the coup, a government formed placing the Shah of Iran to rule as a monarch. The Shah ruled for 26 years until anti Shah sentiment led to the 1979 Iranian Revolution in which he was overthrown.
DuMont with the first 21-inch color TV picture tube (1954)
DuMont with the first 21-inch color TV picture tube (1954)
DuMont Television Network
August 15, 1946
Allen B. DuMont's DuMont Television Network begins operations. It was the first licensed television network, connecting New York's WABD and Washington D.C.'s W3XWT. DuMont aired the first TV situation comedy, Mary Kay and Johnny, and the first network-televised soap opera, Faraway Hill. Jackie Gleason went on to fame as host of the variety show Cavalcade of Stars. DuMont went out of business in 1956.
DuMont's parent company, DuMont Laboratories, was a television equipment and set manufacturer and was looking to boost sales with their broadcasting.
SS Ancon transiting the Panama Canal
SS Ancon transiting the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
August 15, 1914
The Panama Canal is declared open to world commerce. The first ship to cross after the official opening was the cargo ship SS Ancon.
Michael Jackson Buys the Beatles
August 15, 1985
The King of Pop Michael Jackson pays $47.5 million for the publishing rights to The Beatles song catalog.
Bomb craters in Cambodia
Photo Credit: Kimlong Meng
Bomb craters in CambodiaPhoto Credit: Kimlong Meng
Vietnam War
August 15, 1973
U.S. ceases bombing Cambodia. The bombing campaign, known as Operation Freedom Deal, had begun May 19, 1970. During 1973 alone, Freedom Deal aircraft dropped 250,000 tons of bombs. This was more than the 180,000 tons dropped on Japan during the entire Second World War.
Douglas Edwards
Douglas Edwards
First Network TV News
August 15, 1948
CBS begins the first network TV news broadcast featuring an anchor, CBS Television News. Douglas Edwards served as its first anchor. It had previously been a local program. Walter Cronkite took over the anchor position from 1962 to 1981.
India
August 15, 1947
India gains its independence from Britain.
World War II
August 15, 1945
Japanese Emperor Hirohito, upon announcing the Japanese surrender, tells his people to "bear the unbearable and endure the unendurable."
German Plot to Create Disorder in America
August 15, 1915
Papers revealing Germany's plans to create disorder among the American people are published by the New York World. They were signed by the German Ambassador and the German Embassy financial advisor, who had lost the papers.
First Continuous Chain of Rails Connecting Pacific and Atlantic Ports
August 15, 1870
The first continuous chain of rails connecting Pacific and Atlantic ports is completed, Comanche (Strasburg), Colorado.
First American Bishop
August 15, 1790
Father John Carroll is ordained. He was placed in charge of the Diocese of Baltimore.
Birthdays
Photo Credit: Lynn Gilbert
Photo Credit: Lynn Gilbert
Julia Child (Julia Carolyn McWilliams)
Born August 15, 1912 d. 2004
American chef. Her book Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961) is considered a culinary masterwork. Her book was soon followed by her TV show The French Chef (1963-73).
She also served and has been honored for her work with the OSS during WWII, during which time she developed a shark repellent that is still in use today. Sharks had been a problem for the OSS, because curious sharks were accidentally setting off underwater explosives. Child experimented with cooking various concoctions as a shark repellent, which were sprinkled in the water near the explosives and repelled sharks. This was her first venture into professional cooking.
Known for her trademark signoff, "This is Julia Child. Bon appétit!"
First Lady of the American Theater
Ethel Barrymore (Ethel Mae Blyth)
Born August 15, 1879 d. 1959
American actress. Known as the "First Lady of the American Theater." TV: Ethel Barrymore Theatre (1956).
Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David (1805)
Napoleon Crossing the Alps, by Jacques-Louis David (1805)
Napoleon Bonaparte
Born August 15, 1769 d. 1821
Emperor of France (1804-14), King of Italy (1805-14). He was exiled to the south Atlantic island of St. Helena after his defeat in 1815 to the British at the Battle of Waterloo.
Anne Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise)
Born August 15, 1950
She is the only member of the British Royal Family to have competed in the Olympic Games (1976, as part of the British riding team).
Linda Ellerbee
Born August 15, 1944
American TV news journalist.
Jingle Bell Rock
Bobby Helms
Born August 15, 1933 d. 1997
American country singer. Music: Jingle Bell Rock (1957), Fraulein (1956, #1), and My Special Angel (1957, #1).
Mike Connors (Krekor Ohanian)
Born August 15, 1925 d. 2017
American actor. TV: Mannix (1967-75, Joe Mannix). He also played Kirk Ohanian in the TV movie The Killer Who Wouldn't Die (1976).
Hus birth name was Krekor Ohanian, but he originally took the stage name "Touch Connors" based on his basketball nickname "Touch". When Connors later decided he wanted to be credited using his birth name of Ohanian, Columbia Pictures told him that he had already done too much work as Connors, though he was allowed to change his first name to Mike. Connors later stated he hated the name "Touch Connors" from the beginning and said not using his real name the only big regret of his career.
Phyllis Schlafly (Phyllis McAlpin Stewart)
Born August 15, 1924 d. 2016
American conservative activist. She successfully campaigned against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the U.S. Constitution. She opposed feminism, gay rights, and abortion.
Writings: A Choice Not an Echo (1964).
Edna Ferber
Born August 15, 1885 d. 1968
American Pulitzer-winning author. Writings: So Big (1924, Pulitzer), Show Boat (1926), and Giant (1952).
Sir Walter Scott
Born August 15, 1771 d. 1832
Scottish poet, novelist. Writings: Waverley (1814) and Ivanhoe (1819).
Toody (left) and Muldoon
Toody (left) and Muldoon
Gunther Toody
Born August 15, ????
character on the TV show Car 54, Where Are You? Played by Joe E. Ross.
Deaths
Photo Credit: Novemberchild
Photo Credit: Novemberchild
Created the Lava Lamp
Craven Walker
Died August 15, 2000 b. 1918
English inventor. He created the Lava Lamp (1963). He got the idea from similar device he saw in a pub that had been created by a then deceased patron. He spent the next 15 years developing a commercial version of the oozing lamp.
Will Rogers
Died August 15, 1935 b. 1879
American humorist, author. He died in an airplane crash with Wiley Post.
Quote: "I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I didn't like."
Quote: "You know everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects."
Quote: "You can't say that civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way."
Quote: "A comedian can only last till he either takes himself serious or his audience takes him serious."
Quote: "An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out."
John Cameron Swayze
Died August 15, 1995 b. 1906
American actor, TV personality, and Timex pitchman ("Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.").
Robert Kempner
Died August 15, 1993 b. 1899
German member of the U.S. prosecution team for the Nuremberg trials. He discovered the Wannsee Protocol, a record of the 1942 Nazi meeting that approved plans for the "final solution" - the murder of 6,000,000 Jews. As chief legal adviser in the Prussian Ministry of the Interior (1928-35), he sought to prosecute Adolf Hitler for high treason and to ban the Nazi Party. After the rise of the Nazi Party he was expelled from Germany.
Ernie Bushmiller (Ernest Paul Bushmiller)
Died August 15, 1982 b. 1905
American cartoonist. Creator of Nancy and her friend Sluggo. The character of Nancy first appeared in 1933 in the strip Fritzi Ritz as the title character's niece. Originally intended as an incidental character, she soon became the focus of the strip and the strip was renamed Nancy in 1938.
Mickey Goldmill
Died August 15, 1981 b. 1905
fictional character in the Rocky movies. He was Rocky Balboa's manager and gym manager, as played by Burgess Meredith. It is thought that Mickey Goldmill may be based on Charley Goldman, who was the boxing trainer of Rocky Marciano, on whom the Rocky Balboa character is based. Goldman trained Marciano in many ways similar to how Goldmill trained Balboa, such as tying their ankles together with string to teach them to spread their feet to the appropriate width.
In Rocky III, the Mickey Goldmill character suffers a heart attack during a scuffle between the Balboa and Clubber Lang characters and dies on the way to the hospital.