July 27th

Today is the birthday

… of television producer Norman Lear. He’s 89. Lear brought a revolution to TV when he introduced All in the Family in 1971. Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Maude, One Day At a Time and other shows were also his. The shows were primarily character-driven, taped before live audiences, and touched on political and social subjects previously unknown on sitcoms. Lear has also been an activist and philanthropist for First Amendment rights and other causes.

… of Jerry Van Dyke, 80. (Hey, I could do a whole another Ron Howard’s brother type thing with Dick Van Dyke’s brother. Or not.)

… of Bugs Bunny, who made his first featured appearance in a cartoon released on this date in 1940, A Wild Hare. Bugs was modeled on Groucho Marx with a carrot instead of a cigar — and with a Brooklyn accent.

… of Bobbie Gentry; she is 67. No word yet on what it was she and Billy Joe threw off the Tallahatchee bridge.

… of Peggy Fleming, 63 today. Miss Fleming won her gold medal for figure skating at the 1968 Winter Olympics.

… of Maya Rudolph, 39.

… of Pete Yorn, 37.

… of A-Rod. Alex Rodriguez is 36. He’s really younger because “A-Rod years” didn’t used to have Octobers.

Baseball manager Leo Durocher was born 106 years ago today. His Hall-of-Fame bio reads:

Leo Durocher was a good-field, no-hit shortstop for 17 years, but gained his greatest notoriety for accomplishments after his playing days. His combative and swashbuckling style, brilliant baseball mind, uncanny memory and fiery disposition became “The Lip’s” trademarks as a colorful and controversial manager for 24 seasons with the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs and Astros. He compiled 2,009 wins in 3,740 games, captured three pennants and won the World Series in 1954. He was named Manager of the Year three times by the “Sporting News.”

The Atlanta Olympics bombing was 15 years ago today. Six-year-old Adam Walsh was kidnapped 30 years ago today.

The truce ending the Korean War was signed on this date in 1953. Read the report from The New York Times.

The first U.S. government agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs (which became the Department of State), was established on this date in 1789.