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1.
1960: U-2 Spy Plane Shot Down over Soviet Airspace.
To the great embarrassment of the Eisenhower government a US U-2 spy plane was shot down by the Soviets while flying in their airspace. The fate of the pilot was initially unknown to the US, who had presumed that he had died in the crash, only later to find that he had ejected from the plane and parachuted to safety. The CIA were firmly convinced that he could not have survived. What was the name of the pilot? |
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2.
1961: Leading Soviet Ballet Dancer Defects in France.
In June of this year, the western ballet world was overjoyed when the brilliant and flamboyant Russian dancer, Rudolph Nureyev sought political asylum at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. He left behind his role of principal male dancer of the famed Kirov ballet of then Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, seeking artistic freedom. Who was the Prima Ballerina in the West, with whom he was most closely tied, despite a major age difference?
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3.
1962: Marilyn Monroe - Dead at 36
Marilyn Monroe was found dead in the bedroom of her Brentwood home, in Los Angeles, California. Her body had been discovered by her live-in housekeeper Eunice Murray. Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the somewhat infamous LA County Coroner, declared her death to be a probable suicide, caused by 'acute barbiturate poisoning'. However, many believed she had been murdered, including Jack Clemmons, the first LAPD officer to arrive at the death scene. His opinions went no further.
Her critically acclaimed but troubled final movie, co-starring Clark Gable, had opened the year before. What was the title? |
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4.
1963 - Audacious Robbers Steal £2.6 million from Royal Mail Train.
What would come to be known as 'The Great Train Robbery' took place on Wednesday, August 7th, 1963. The train consisted of 12 carriages, carrying 72 Post Office staff, who sorted mail as they traveled from Glasgow to London, Euston. The second carriage behind the engine was known as the HVP (High Value Package). They would normally carry around £300,000 in cash, but due to a Bank Holiday weekend in Scotland, the amount was £2.6 million - worth today about £40 million or $60 million.
The Robbers made many mistakes, but one in particular severely negatively impacted their treatment by the courts. |
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5.
1964 - The Surgeon General Releases Report Citing Smoking as a Cause of Lung Cancer.
The ninth Surgeon General of the United States, Luther Leonides Terry, MD, had long believed the hazardous impact of smoking on all respiratory diseases and was a causative factor in malignancies of the lungs, esophagus and mouth, as well as contributing to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
What was the immediate result of this report, directly affecting the tobacco industry despite the fact the report did not claim definitive proof? |
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6.
1965 - Winston Churchill dies - The Mini-Skirt is Born - London Swings
This was the year that Mary Quant introduced the Mini-Skirt and Mini-Dress, supposedly named after her favorite and totally IN car of the moment, the Mini.
The Mini-Skirt became as symbolic of the era as The Beatles, The British Invasion, Twiggy, False Eyelashes and Vidal Sassoon Haircuts. Mary Quant was well established enough in the London fashion world to be able to promote the style so that it's acceptance was universal and almost instantaneous. It spread to Australia via the model Jean Shrimpton wearing an incredibly short dress the first day of the Melbourne Cup.
Although Mary Quant had brought the style to the streets, a Paris designer had originally presented a more refined, haute couture version of the style. Who was this?
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7.
1966 - Aberfan, Wales, Mining Disaster.
At about 9am on the morning of Friday, October 21st a catastrophic collapse of excavated mining debris occurred. More than 150,000 cubic meters of water-saturated waste broke away and flowed downhill at high speed. It happened so fast that no warning could be given to the farm, the twenty terraced houses and the Junior School that lay in its path.
Most of the rescue efforts were futile as thick mud and rubble engulfed everything. The final death toll was 144, 116 of which were children between 7 and 10.
The then Chairman of the National Coal Board was Lord Robens, whose actions immediately after the disaster set the tone of how this tragic event was handled. What did he do? |
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8.
1967 - Saw the deaths of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara, Spencer Tracy, Woody Guthrie, Langston Hughes, John Coltrane, and Alice B. Toklas.
Alice Toklas had been the loyal friend and companion of Gertrude Stein from 1907 to Stein's death in 1946, in Paris. Toklas had always been the cook in the household, and after Stein's death she produced a book of recipes and reminiscences called 'the Alice B. Toklas Cookbook'. Which of her recipes was she particularly known for? |
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9.
1968 - "The Producers", Starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder Opened to Mixed Reviews from the New York Critics.
This was the first movie directed by Mel Brooks. It tells the story of Max Bialystock, a producer of failed plays. He raises money from wooing lascivious little old ladies. When the play failed, as Bialystock has arranged, they write it off, never inquiring into the exact accounting details. Thus Max has made a comfortable living for many years.
Despite the mixed reviews and the discussion about whether the movie was in bad taste or just plain funny, Mel Brooks won an Oscar for the movie. In which category was the Oscar won? |
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10.
1969 - Woodstock - 3 days of Peace - Well No, let's try Altamont - Murder and Mayhem.
Altamont Free Concert, in December, 1969 was held at the Altamont Speedway in Northern California and organized by the Rolling Stones. The venue had been moved several times, which proved to be a logistical nightmare with a lack of portable toilets and a medical tent.
One highly contentious issue was the use of the San Francisco chapter of the Hell's Angels as security. There is some confusion surrounding exactly who hired them and how they were to be paid. A figure of $500 worth of beer was suggested, but the Angels never really expected to police the event, and their precise job description was never clarified.
There was an atmosphere of aggression and violence and considerable property damage and car theft. It was so unpredictable that one of the leading bands refused to play. Who was this? |
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