Video: 'Lou Gehrig's Toughest Day in Yankee Stadium'
(Tuesday, July 4, 1939, mid-afternoon EDT) — Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a debilitating motor neuron disease, delivered his famous farewell speech today at Yankee Stadium in which he called himself “the luckiest man on the face of the earth” Continue reading Lou Gehrig delivers ‘Luckiest Man’ speech at Yankee Stadium 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 4 1939)
(Saturday, June 17, 1939) — “Wishing (Will Make It So)” by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (Ray Eberle, vocal) peaked at #1 on today’s Your Hit Parade weekly music chart for four consecutive weeks (May 20/27, June 3/10, 1939). Continue reading ‘Wishing (Will Make It So)’ by Glenn Miller peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 17 1939)
Video: 'Opening of the Baseball Hall of Fame with Babe Ruth and Cy Young'
(Monday, June 12, 1939, 12:15 p.m. EDT) — The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, an American history museum and hall of fame that serves as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, was dedicated today in Cooperstown, New York. Continue reading National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum dedicated in Cooperstown 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 12 1939)
Video: 'King George VI And Queen Elizabeth In Washington (1939)'
(Thursday, June 8, 1939, 11:00 a.m. EDT) — With war clouds looming on the European continent, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, welcomed Britain’s King George VI and his wife, Queen Elizabeth, today at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Continue reading FDR welcomes Britain’s King George and Queen Elizabeth to Washington 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 8 1939)
Video: 'The Doomed Voyage of the St Louis Documentary'
(Sunday, June 4, 1939) — “Sailing so close to Florida that they could see the lights of Miami,” 907 passengers aboard MS St. Louis, most of them Jewish refugees seeking asylum from Nazi persecution of Jews in Germany, arrived off the American coast today, only to be denied entry into the United States. Continue reading 907 Jewish refugees from Germany aboard MS St. Louis off Florida coast denied U.S. entry 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jun 4 1939)
(Saturday, May 6, 1939) — “And the Angels Sing” by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (Martha Tilton, vocal) peaked at #1 on today’s Your Hit Parade weekly music chart for four consecutive weeks (May 20/27, June 3/10, 1939). Continue reading ‘And the Angels Sing’ by Benny Goodman peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 20 1939)
(Saturday, May 6, 1939) — “Our Love” by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra (Jack Leonard, vocal) peaked at #1 on today’s Your Hit Parade weekly music chart for two consecutive weeks (May 6/13, 1939). Continue reading ‘Our Love’ by Tommy Dorsey peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 6 1939)
(Sunday, April 30, 1939, 3:12 p.m. EDT) — Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to deliver a speech on live television today as he officially opened the 1939–40 New York World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, a public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City. Continue reading FDR delivers first televised presidential speech 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 30 1939)
(Saturday, April 22, 1939) — “Heaven Can Wait” by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (vocal chorus by Clyde Burke) peaked at #1 on today’s Your Hit Parade weekly music chart for two consecutive weeks (Apr. 22/29, 1939). Continue reading ‘Heaven Can Wait’ by Glen Gray peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 22 1939)
Video: '"Marian Anderson Sings at the Lincoln Memorial" Newreel Story'
(Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, 5:00-5:30 p.m. EST, during the Civil rights movement (1896–1954)) — Singer Marian Anderson performed an open air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to 75,000 people today after being denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because she was black. Continue reading Marian Anderson performs historic concert at Lincoln Memorial 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 9 1939)
