Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Willie Mays is 80 today, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bob Seger is 66, and five-time Oscar nominee (one win) George Clooney is 50.
Willie Mays, the Say Hey Kid, played with enthusiasm and exuberance while excelling in all phases of the game — hitting for average and power, fielding, throwing and baserunning. His staggering career statistics include 3,283 hits and 660 home runs. The Giants superstar earned National League Rookie of the Year honors in 1951 and two MVP Awards. He accumulated 12 Gold Gloves, played in a record-tying 24 All-Star games and participated in four World Series. His catch of Vic Wertz’s deep fly in the ’54 Series remains one of baseball’s most memorable moments.
Orson Welles was born on this date in 1915. To many who grew up with television, Welles was simply the larger-than-life spokesman for Paul Masson Wines — “We will sell no wine before its time.” But at age 23 Welles had scared thousands of Americans with his realistic radio production of War of the Worlds. At 25 he wrote, produced, directed and starred in what many consider the best film ever made, Citizen Kane. For that film alone, he was nominated for the Oscar for best actor, best director, best original screenplay and best picture (he won, with Herman Mankiewicz, for screenplay). Welles was nominated for the best picture Oscar again the following year — The Magnificent Ambersons.
Rudolph Valentino was born on May 6 in 1895.
The founder of the Bank of America and hero of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake recovery, Amadeo Peter Giannini was born on May 6 in 1870.
Sigmund Freud was born on May 6th in 1856.
Englishman Roger Bannister ran the first recorded sub-four-minute mile — 3:59.4 — 56 years ago today. Bannister’s record lasted only 46 days, when Australian John Landy ran 3:58.0. The current world record is 3:43.13 held by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj (who also holds the 1500 and 2000 meter world records). The four-minute-mile was such a symbolic barrier that Bannister was Sports Illustrated’s first ever Sportsman of the Year.
74-years-ago today the German passenger airship LZ 129 caught fire during mooring. 36 were killed — 13 of the 36 passengers, 22 of the 61 crew, and one ground crew member. The Hindenburg did not explode because it was filled with hydrogen as long thought. The outer skin of the aircraft — longer than three 747s — was painted with an iron oxide, powdered aluminum compound to reflect sunlight (to minimize heat build up). The powdered aluminum was highly flammable and was ignited by an electrostatic charge in the imperfectly grounded zeppelin.
How flammable is iron oxide and aluminum? It’s the fuel used to launch the Shuttle.
And Ken, official oldest child of NewMexiKen, celebrates his birthday today. Happy Birthday Ken!
Just to let you know that people are reading your blog, you have a slight typo in Freud’s birthyear (I can’t help it; I’m a copy editor).
Correction made. Thank you, Beth.
Ken the Younger, I hope you had a very Happy Birthday! I was thinking of you.