What Happened On
Clinton-Lewinsky Affair - The Blue Dress
July 30, 1998
Monica Lewinsky turns over the blue dress that contained physical evidence of her affair with U.S. President Bill Clinton. She claimed it had semen on it from when she performed oral sex on Clinton in February of 1997. The following month, the FBI reported that Clinton was the source of the semen on the dress. This evidence prompted Clinton's famous "What the meaning of 'IS' is" statement in defense of his previous denials of having sexual relations with Lewinsky.
Jimmy Hoffa Disappears
July 30, 1975
The ex-teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa is last seen outside of a restaurant in a Detroit, Michigan suburb. He said he was going there to meet with two mafia leaders.
Hoffa was Teamster boss from 1957 to 1971, playing a major role in the growth and development of the Teamsters union, which eventually became the largest in the U.S. with over 2.3 million members. Hoffa was involved with organized crime during his Teamsters work and in 1964 was convicted of jury tampering, attempted bribery, and fraud. He was sentenced to 13 years and imprisoned in 1967. In 1971, he resigned as president of the union as part of a pardon agreement with President Richard Nixon.
Photo Credit: Heritage Auctions
Photo Credit: Heritage Auctions
In God We Trust
July 30, 1956
The phrase "In God We Trust" is adopted as the official U.S. motto. It was first used on coins in 1864 and began appearing on paper money in 1957.
Elvis Presley Makes His Professional Debut
July 30, 1954
The future King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis Presley gives his first professional performance; on a country and western jamboree, opening for headliner Slim Whitman, at Overton Park Shell.
His name was misspelled "Ellis Presley" in the advertisement for the performance.
Pilot ACE computer
Photo Credit: Karl Baron
Pilot ACE computerPhoto Credit: Karl Baron
First Checkers Program
July 30, 1951
The first checkers (draughts) playing computer program is run for the first time. It was written by British computer scientist Christopher Strachey and run on the National Physical Laboratory Pilot ACE computer.
USS Indianapolis (left) and survivors taken to Guam
USS Indianapolis (left) and survivors taken to Guam
U.S. Navy's Worst Wartime Loss at Sea
July 30, 1945
After the USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese torpedo, the survivors were stranded for three and half days in shark-infested waters. Only 316 of the 1,195-man crew survived the ordeal. This was the greatest single loss of life at sea, from a single ship, in the history of the U.S. Navy. In the 1975 movie Jaws, Quint's (Robert Shaw) 
Indianapolis speech was based on these events.
The ship was struck by a Japanese torpedo and sank 12 minutes later with about 300 men going down with the ship. The remaining men were left stranded with little food or water. When the Indianapolis didn't arrive in port the following day as scheduled, no one followed up to find out why it was missing, leaving the crew stranded on the ocean for another three days until, by accident, another ship on a routine mission spotted the survivors on the water. During this time, many of the men were eaten by sharks or succumbed to the elements.
First to arrive on the scene was an amphibious patrol plane. Even though they had standing orders not to land in open ocean, the plane's crew took a vote and decided to disobey their orders and land the aircraft in the twelve-foot (3.7 m) swells. With the plane filled to capacity and additional men tied to the wings with parachute cords, the plane was unable to take off and had to wait until a rescue ship could arrive.
The Indianapolis had just completed a top-secret mission to deliver parts of the Little Boy bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima a week later.
Gulf War
July 30, 1992
Iran announces that it is keeping the planes Iraq had stored there for safe keeping during the Gulf War.
Vietnam War
July 30, 1966
U.S. begins bombing the demilitarized zone which separates North and South Vietnam. These types of attacks would lead to many civilian casualties.
Medicare
July 30, 1965
The Medicare Bill is signed by U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson to provide health care benefits to the elderly beginning in July.
First Major League Baseball Team to Travel by Air
July 30, 1936
The Boston Red Sox become the first major league baseball team to travel by air.
Photo Credit: Time
Photo Credit: Time
First Time magazine Cover to Feature a Woman
July 30, 1923
Italian actress Eleonora Duse becomes the first woman featured on a Time magazine cover. She is considered the greatest tragic actress of modern time. She was also the first Italian featured on the cover.
America's First Elected Governing Body
July 30, 1619
The First elected governing body in America, the House of Burgesses, is formed in Jamestown, Virginia.
Birthdays
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Born July 30, 1947
Austrian-born bodybuilder, actor. Governator of California (2003-11) and Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (1990-93). Titles: Mr. Universe (1968-70), Mr. Olympia (1970-75, 80). Film: Pumping Iron (1977), Conan the Barbarian (1982), The Terminator (1984), Predator (1987), and Total Recall (1990).
Edd Byrnes as Kookie with his comb
Edd Byrnes as Kookie with his comb
Edd Byrnes (Edward Byrne Breitenberger)
Born July 30, 1933 d. 2020
American actor. TV: 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1963, Kookie, with his 1959 hit song Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb). Film: Grease (1978, National Bandstand host Vince Fontaine).
In the 1958 pilot movie for 77 Sunset Strip (Girl on the Run), Byrnes played a vicious killer who compulsively combed his hair. The character was so well liked, that the character and his comb were added to the series as Kookie, despite the fact that the original character was sent to prison to be executed.
Henry Ford
Born July 30, 1863 d. 1947
American auto maker. He introduced the automobile assembly line and the $5-a-day wage to automobile production.
Quote: Show me who makes a profit from war, and I'll show you how to stop the war.
Hillary Swank
Born July 30, 1974
American actress. Film: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) and The Next Karate Kid (1994, title role).
Delta Burke
Born July 30, 1956
American actress, 1974 Miss Florida. TV: Designing Women (Suzanne Sugarbaker).
Ken Olin
Born July 30, 1954
American actor. TV: thirtysomething (Michael Steadman).
Paul Anka
Born July 30, 1941
Canadian singer, songwriter. Music: Diana (1957, #1), Puppy Love (1960), and the theme for The Tonight Show.
Peter Bogdanovich
Born July 30, 1939 d. 2022
American Grammy-winning director. Film: The Last Picture Show (1971), What's Up, Doc? (1972), and Paper Moon (1973).
Turned Down Role of James Bond
Richard Johnson
Born July 30, 1927 d. 2015
British actor. He was the first choice for the role of James Bond in the film series, but turned it down making way for Sean Connery. Film: The Haunting (1963) and Zombi 2 (1979).
Northcote Parkinson
Born July 30, 1909 d. 1993
British author, historian, creator of Parkinson's Law (work expands to fill the time available for its completion).
Emily Brontë
Born July 30, 1818 d. 1848
English novelist. Writings: Wuthering Heights (1847).
Deaths
Nichelle Nichols (Grace Dell Nichols)
Died July 30, 2022 b. 1932
American actress, singer. Noted for her role as communications officer Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek television series (1966-69) and later movies. Her character and William Shatner's character engaged in what many consider U.S. television's first scripted interracial kiss in the Star Trek episode Plato's Stepchildren (1967).
Asteroid 68410 Nichols is named in her honor.
Her brother, Thomas Nichols, was one of the victims of the Heaven's Gate mass suicide.
Note: Sammy Davis, Jr. and Nancy Sinatra kissed in her TV special the previous year; however, this was an unscripted kiss, whereas the Star Trek kiss was scripted.
Buffalo Bob Smith (Robert Emil Schmidt)
Died July 30, 1998 b. 1917
American entertainer. TV: Howdy Doody (1947-60, host).
Discovered Adding Sugar to Wine to Increase Alcohol Content
Jean-Antoine Chaptal
Died July 30, 1832 b. 1756
French chemist. He developed the process of adding sugar to unfermented wine to increase its alcohol content. He also coined the name "nitrogen" and wrote the first book on industrial chemistry.
Paul Reubens
Died July 30, 2023 b. 1952
American comedian. Known for his character Pee-wee Herman. The Pee-wee Herman character was developed by Reubens and Phil Hartman into a sold-out stage act which became an HBO special in 1981. This led to the movie, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and then the Emmy-winning children's show Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986-91). In 1991, Reubens was arrested for masturbating during a film at an adult movie theater.
Gloria DeHaven
Died July 30, 2016 b. 1925
American actress. TV: Ryan's Hope (Bess Shelby), As the World Turns (Sara Fuller), and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (Annie "Tippy-toes" Wylie).
Lynn Anderson
Died July 30, 2015 b. 1947
American Grammy-winning country singer. Music: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1971).
Michelangelo Antonioni
Died July 30, 2007 b. 1912
Italian award-winning film director, Best known for his trilogy L'Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961), and Eclipse (1962), and for Blow-Up (1966, featuring its ball-less tennis match). His films, using minimal plots and dialogues, are known for using their sets and long lingering shots to reveal their character's innermost feelings.
Ingmar Bergman
Died July 30, 2007 b. 1918
Swedish Oscar-winning film director, producer. Film: Wild Strawberries (1957), The Seventh Seal (1957), and Persona (1966).
Claudette Colbert (Claudette Lily Chauchoin)
Died July 30, 1996 b. 1903
Oscar-winning French-American actress. Film: It Happened One Night (Oscar).
Prince Otto von Bismarck
Died July 30, 1898 b. 1815
Prussian statesman. He created and became first chancellor of the German Empire.
William Penn
Died July 30, 1718 b. 1644
English Quaker, founded Pennsylvania. He was expelled from the Christ Church College, Oxford in 1662 and jailed several times for his religious beliefs.
Benedict I
Died July 30, 579 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 62nd Pope (575-579).