Today's Puzzle
What do you call a bird that is afraid to fly?
What Happened On
The Terminator Arrives
May 13, 1984
According to 1984 action classic movie The Terminator, the Terminator arrives back in 1984 from the year 2029 to kill Sarah Connor to prevent her son from saving humans from machines in a post-apocalyptic future.
The movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. O.J. Simpson was suggested for the terminator role, but director James Cameron did not feel Simpson would be believable as a killer. Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson also turned down the role of terminator. Schwarzenegger was originally wanted for the role of Kyle Reese, the human soldier sent from 2029 to rescue Sarah Conner, but Cameron thought Schwarzenegger would make a better terminator. Schwarzenegger speaks fewer than 100 words in the film.
Pope John Paul II Shot
May 13, 1981
Escaped Turkish terrorist Mehmet Ali Ağca shoots Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City. The Pope was struck four times. Ağca was apprehended and later sentenced to life in prison. But the Pope forgave Ağca and he was pardoned by Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the Pope's request and then deported to Turkey in 2000, where he was imprisoned for a previous murder. Ağca made conflicting claims about who hired him for the assassination attempt. One of the claims was the Russian government hired him because of the Pope's involvement in Polish solidarity. Others that he also claimed had hired him included Cardinal Agostino Casaroli and the Ayatollah Khomeini.
I Have Nothing to Offer But Blood and Toil and Tears and Sweat
May 13, 1940
Winston Churchill declares to the House of Commons, "I have nothing to offer but blood and toil and tears and sweat."
Henry Hull as the werewolf
Henry Hull as the werewolf
First Werewolf Movie
May 13, 1935
Werewolf of London is released. It was the first werewolf film by a major Hollywood studio. It starred Warner Oland (of Charlie Chan fame) as a werewolf who infects Dr. Glendon (played by Henry Hull) who becomes the main werewolf of the film. The makeup was done by famed makeup artist Jack Pierce.
First U.S. Airmail Stamps
May 13, 1918
A 24¢ denomination picturing a Curtis Jenny biplane is issued. These included the infamous "Inverted Jenny" stamp, in which the airplane was accidentally printed upside down. The stamps were for use with the newly-created Washington-Philadelphia-New York route.
(left to right) Lúcia dos Santos with her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, 1917
(left to right) Lúcia dos Santos with her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, 1917
Our Lady of Fátima - Children See Virgin Mary
May 13, 1917
Three shepherd children claim to have seen the Virgin Mary in Fátima, Portugal. They said she was, "brighter than the sun, shedding rays of light clearer and stronger than a crystal goblet filled with the most sparkling water and pierced by the burning rays of the sun." They also said the Virgin Mary asked them to devote themselves to the Holy Trinity and to pray "the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world and an end to the war."
The visions began in the spring of 1916 when the three children, Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, reported seeing three apparitions of an Angel in Valinhos.
Francisco and Jacinta Marto would both die in the in the Great Influenza Epidemic several years later.
Proving the Goodness of People
May 13, 1992
While on a walk across America to prove that people are basically good, Fred Turner is robbed and pushed off a bridge. He says he'll try again someday.
Police Burn Down a Philadelphia Neighborhood
May 13, 1985
Eleven people are killed and more than 60 homes are destroyed as a result of the police bombing the heavily-armed home of the radical group "MOVE." The police were attempting to end a two-day siege.
Dick Cavett
May 13, 1983
Dick Cavett drops his pants to show his running shorts on The Tonight Show. Johnny Carson replies "You do things like this; no wonder your show is going off PBS."
First Major U.S. Airline to Go Bankrupt
May 13, 1982
Braniff International, the nation's eighth-largest airline declares bankruptcy.
World War II - Germany Surrenders North Africa
May 13, 1943
German and Italian troops in North Africa surrender ending their effort to gain an African empire.
Voyage of the Damned
May 13, 1939
More than 900 Jews fleeing from the Nazis depart from Hamburg, Germany for Cuba aboard the German liner St. Louis. All but 28 passengers were turned away by the Cuban, U.S., and Canadian governments and returned to Europe where many died in the Holocaust. These events were the basis of the book and 1976 film Voyage of the Damned.
Tennessee Valley Authority
May 13, 1933
Tennessee Valley Authority is established, for the development of economic growth of the Tennessee Valley region.
Mandatory Bible Reading
May 13, 1925
Daily reading of the Bible becomes mandatory in Florida public schools.
Civil War
May 13, 1861
England declares its neutrality. The South had been hoping for her to join as their ally.
Mexican War
May 13, 1846
The U.S. declares war on Mexico. After Mexico had refused to sell California the previous January, U.S. President James K. Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to enter Mexico and provoke them into war.
First Permanent English Settlement in North America
May 13, 1607
Jamestown, Virginia is founded by Captain John Smith, making it the first permanent English settlement in North America.
Birthdays
Stevie Wonder (Steveland Morris)
Born May 13, 1950
American Grammy-Oscar-winning Hall of Fame singer. Blind since shortly after birth, he was a child prodigy who signed with Motown when he was 11 years old. When he was 13, his single Fingertips made #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold over 100,000,000 records.
His blindness was a result being born six weeks premature and placed in a oxygen-rich hospital incubator, which caused the growth of his eyes to stop resulting in detached retinas.
Music: Superstition (1972, #1), Ebony and Ivory (1982, #1), and I Just Called To Say I Love You (1984, #1 and Oscar winner).
Queen of Motown
Mary Wells
Born May 13, 1943 d. 1992
American soul singer. Known as the "Queen of Motown." Music: The One Who Really Loves You (1962) and My Guy (1964, #1).
Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela)
Born May 13, 1941 d. 1959
American singer. Music: Donna (1958, #2) and La Bamba (1959). He died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly, which has become known as The Day the Music Died.
Photo Credit: Jonestown Institute
Photo Credit: Jonestown Institute
Jim Jones
Born May 13, 1931 d. 1978
American cult leader. When practices at his Guyana commune were about to be exposed (1978), he ordered the killing of California Rep. Leo Ryan, and then ordered his 900 followers to commit suicide by drinking cyanide-laced grape drink in what became known as the Jonestown Massacre.
Beatrice Arthur as Maude and 1943 U.S. Marine Corps ID photo
Beatrice Arthur as Maude and 1943 U.S. Marine Corps ID photo
Beatrice Arthur (Bernice Frankel)
Born May 13, 1922 d. 2009
American Tony-Emmy-winning actress, and served as a U.S. Marine during WWII. TV: Maude (1972-78, Maude Findlay) and The Golden Girls (1985-92, Dorothy Zbornak). Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof (1964, Yente the Matchmaker).
Joe Louis (Joseph Louis Barrow)
Born May 13, 1914 d. 1981
American boxer, "The Brown Bomber," heavyweight champion (1937-49). His title fight against Billy Conn was the first televised heavyweight boxing championship fight.
Herbert Ross
Born May 13, 1927 d. 2001
American director, choreographer. Film: Goodbye Mr. Chips (1969), Play It Again, Sam (1972), and Steel Magnolias (1989).
Daphne de Maurier
Born May 13, 1907 d. 1989
English gothic romance author. Writings: Rebecca (1938, later made into a Hitchcock film), The Birds (1952, later made into a Hitchcock film), and Jamaica Inn (1936, later made into a Hitchcock film).
Inventor of the Pap Smear
George Papanikolaou
Born May 13, 1883 d. 1962
Greek-born American physician. Inventor of the Pap Smear test for cervical cancer.
Georges Braque
Born May 13, 1882 d. 1963
French painter. In 1907 he and Pablo Picasso founded the cubist movement and in 1962 he became the first living artist to exhibit in the Louvre.
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
Born May 13, 1842 d. 1900
English composer, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame.
Pius IX
Born May 13, 1792 d. 1878
Italian religious leader, 255th Pope (1846-78). Proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary as dogma (1854), and the infallibility of the Pope (1870).
John VI
Born May 13, 1767 d. 1826
King of Portugal (1816-26).
Innocent XIII
Born May 13, 1655 d. 1724
Italian religious leader, 244th Pope (1721-24).
Deaths
Doris Day (Doris von Kappelhoff)
Died May 13, 2019 b. 1922
American actress. When her 3rd husband Martin Melcher died in 1968, Day discovered that Melcher had lost her earnings in bad business deals with their attorney and she was deeply in debt. She also found that, even though she detested doing television, they had without her consent signed her up to do a TV series and specials. The series became The Doris Day Show and ran from 1968 to 1973. The show was popular and helped her recover financially. She also sued her attorney and won a multi-million dollar settlement.
Film: Pajama Game (1957) and Pillow Talk (1959). TV: The Doris Day Show (1968-73).
First Modern-Style Drive-In
First Modern-Style Drive-In
Inventor of the Modern Drive-in Theater
Richard Milton Hollingshead, Jr.
Died May 13, 1975 b. 1900
American inventor of the modern-style drive-in theater. He patented the drive-in featuring ramped parking (U.S. Patent #1,909,537), opening the first one in 1933. It held 400 cars, had a 40 x 50 ft (12 x 15 m) screen, and advertised with the slogan, "The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are." The cost was $0.25 per car plus $0.25 per person. His patent was ruled invalid in 1950. Earlier attempts at drive-ins featured silent movies and impromptu car parking as opposed to his arranged ramped parking.
According to some, Hollingshead came up with the idea because his mother was too large to sit comfortably in a regular theater.
Dan Blocker (Bobby Dan Davis Blocker)
Died May 13, 1972 b. 1928
American actor. TV: Bonanza (1959-72, Hoss Cartwright). Blocker weighed 14 pounds (6.4 kg) at birth, the record at the time for the largest baby ever born in Bowie County, Texas. At 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) and 300 pounds (140 kilograms), he was a star football player in college. He went on to serve in the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat.
Blocker died at age 43 of a pulmonary embolism following gall bladder surgery.
Margot Kidder (Margaret Ruth Kidder)
Died May 13, 2018 b. 1948
Canadian-born American actress. Kidder dated former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Film: the Superman movies (Lois Lane) and The Amityville Horror (1979, the mother).
Dr. Joyce Brothers (Joyce Diane Bauer)
Died May 13, 2013 b. 1927
American psychologist, newspaper columnist, radio and TV host. She was the first woman to win the top prize on the TV show The $64,000 Question (1955).
Frank Aletter
Died May 13, 2009 b. 1926
American actor. He had appearances in almost every TV series between 1955 and 1991. His first wife was Lee Meriwether.
TV: Bringing Up Buddy (1960-61, title role) and It's About Time (1966-1967, Mac). Film: Mister Roberts (1955, Gerhart) and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).
Gary Cooper (Frank James Cooper)
Died May 13, 1961 b. 1901
American actor. Film: Sergeant York (1941) and High Noon (1952). He originally moved to California to become a political cartoonist.
Cyrus McCormick and an 1884 ad for his reaper
Cyrus McCormick and an 1884 ad for his reaper
Cyrus Hall McCormick
Died May 13, 1884 b. 1809
American inventor. He invented the modern style reaper (1831), which was largely responsible for the U.S. agricultural revolution. His company became part of International Harvester in 1902.