Actor Jason Priestly was born on this day in 1969 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Jason took speech lessons from his hockey coach, who made him practice enunciating with a puck in his mouth.
     He really rounds his O’s.

     Actor David Soul turns 65 today. He was half of TV's "Starsky & Hutch." And if you actually remember which half, you might want to consider getting out more often.

    On this day in 1973 Bobby Pickett was awarded a gold record for "Monster Mash." Proving once again that you can make it big in the recording industry if you have talent and quality material.

     On this day in 1933 Lieutenant Tito Falconi flew 250 miles form St. Louis to Joliet, Illinois, upside-down. His plane was also upside-down.
     Fortunately, he landed in Joliet right-side-up -- and uttered that famous phrase, "Where am I?"
     You may wonder what an Italian pilot was doing in the U.S. Well, when you're flying upside-down, it's hard to read a map.
     Flying upside-down is a neat trick. I wish pigeons could learn it.

    The first jail sentence for speeding was pronounced in Newport, Rhode Island, on this date in 1904. Today, people don't go to jail for speeding. Today, people only go to jail for things like murder, armed robbery, or the most serious crime of all -- not being able to afford an attorney.

     The British took Cetywayo on this day in 1879. That was during the Zulu War. At one time or another, the British have fought everybody. They've never been the least bit prejudiced about who they shoot.

     On this day in 1938 Northwestern University awarded Charlie McCarthy an honorary degree, Master of Innuendo and Snappy Comeback. Thus, Charlie became history's first ventriloquist's dummy to receive a master's degree. Master's degrees, of course, have been awarded to many regular dummies.

     On this day in 1797 Nathaniel Briggs patented the washing machine. There wasn't much to it, just a wash tub and an agitator. The agitator would stand there and insult the housewife until she got mad and washed the clothes.

     The world first oil well came in on this date in 1859. Edwin Drake struck oil in Titusville, Pennsylvania, after drilling only 69 feet. Then, of course, he capped the well and waited for the price to go up.

    On this date in 1837 pharmacists John Lea and William Perrins of Worcester, England, began manufacturing Worcester Sauce. It’s great stuff. It’ll not only spice up your steak, it’ll soften your hands, and control your dandruff.

      Lucy Hayes was born on this date in 1831. She was U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes’ First Lady. They called her "Lemonade Lucy" because she wouldn’t serve alcohol in the White House. And the conservatives probably didn’t like her either -- because she was too liberal with her lemonade.
     Lemonade Lucy's White House rule against alcohol made it really tough on visiting diplomats and Congressional leaders -- who are never at their best sober.

     On this date in 1609 Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay. Oddly enough, the natives had fished in it for centuries, but for some reason just never bothered to discover it.

      On this day in 1933 Tito Falconi flew a single engine plane upside-down 250 miles from St. Louis to Joliet, Illinois. Falconi said flying upside-down made him really airsick. He thought he'd never stop throwing down.
     Actually, flying upside-down is easy. What's hard is landing upside-down.

      Donald Vesco rode a 21-foot-long Kawasaki motorcycle at 318 miles an hour on this date in 1978. Getting the bugs out of his teeth was easy, but the hummigbird up his nose took a while.

     Henry Hudson discovered Delware Bay on this date in 1609. It was no big deal, actually. He was just plodding along and fell right in.

     On this date in 1833 the British Parliament banned slavery throughout the empire. No one was surprised. England had been led for 60 years by that great human rights advocate, Crazy George the 3rd.
     Crazy George had set the stage for equality by insisting that children under the age of six, who worked in factories all day, should be fed.
     George was crazy, but nice.

     Nathaniel Briggs patented the washing machine on this date in 1787. Before that, people just wore dirty clothes. In those days, if you smelled good, you could get mugged for your underwear.

    On this day in 1926 Emil Levsen, pitching for Cleveland against the Red Sox, became the first pitcher to win two complete games in one day. Today, pitchers have more modest goals. The ambition of the (Losers') pitchers isn't to win two games in one day -- it's to win two games in a season.