PBS Takes To The Air On This Date In 1970

Today in 1892, the Dalton Gang, notorious for its train robberies, was practically wiped out while attempting to rob a pair of banks in Coffeyville, Kansas simultaneously. As Emmett Dalton, the sole survivor of the crew said when he returned to the site of the crime nearly 40 years later: “The biggest fool on earth is the one who thinks he can beat the law, that crime can be made to pay. It never paid and it never will and that was the one big lesson of the Coffeyville raid.”

Today in 1921, the World Series was broadcast on the radio for the first time. The game was between the New York Giants and the New York Yankees.

Today in 1947, Harry Truman became the first President to address the nation on TV, live from the White House. He asked Americans to stop eating meat on Tuesdays and chicken on Thursdays, in an effort to stockpile food for starving people in Europe.

Today in 1953, Earl Warren was sworn in as 14th chief justice of US Supreme Court.

Today in 1965, Chuck Linster set a world record by performing 6,006 consecutive push-ups. The record was broken in 1976 when Robert Louis Knecht of the USA pushed out 7,026. Currently, Japan’s Minoru Yoshida holds the record he set in 1980 – of 10,507.

Today in 1970, PBS launched as a network.

Today in 1984, the space shuttle Challenger was launched on its sixth mission. The ship held a crew of 7, including Kathryn Sullivan, who became the first woman to walk in space. Challenger safely returned to earth eight days later.

Today in 1988, Democrat Lloyd Bentsen lambasted Republican Dan Quayle during their vice-Presidential debate, famously telling Quayle, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

Today in 1989, former PTL evangelist Jim Bakker was convicted of using his TV show to defraud his followers of over $158-million. Sentenced to 45 years in prison, his sentence was later reduced and he was paroled in July 1994. He’s back on the airwaves now…and basically doing the same thing (pushing the so-called “prosperity theology”). Oh…and selling condos.

Today in 1998, the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to investigate whether President Clinton should be removed from office.

Today in 2005, the vampire novel, "Twilight," by Stephenie Meyer was first published.

Today in 2015, officials confirmed that floods in South Carolina resulting from "1,000-year storm" caused 12 deaths and 9 dams to fail.

Today in 2015, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed a bill giving terminally ill patients the "right to die."

Today in 2017, the “New York Times" first published their investigation into sexual harassment behavior by Hollywood honcho Harvey Weinstein.

Today in 2020, President Trump left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center while still infectious with COVID-19 and returned to the White House.


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