Today in History May 13

[JimmyMack]

May 13
1821 - Samuel Rust of New York City patented the first practical printing press built in the U.S.

1854 - The first big American billiards match was held at Malcolm Hall in Syracuse, NY. Joseph White and George Smith participated in the event for a $200 prize. White pocketed the award as winner of the match.

1873 - Ludwig M. Wolf of Avon, CT patented the sewing machine lampholder. Up to that time, those who could afford it had hired pygmies from their local Lampholders-R-Us company to hold their sewing machine lamps. Those who could not afford that service had to sew with one hand while holding the lamp with the other. Certainly not convenient.

1918 - The first airmail postage stamps were issued in six, 16 and 24-cent denominations. Of course, airplanes weren’t that big a deal yet...

1938 - Louis Armstrong and his orchestra recorded the New Orleans jazz standard, When the Saints Go Marching In, on Decca Records.

1949 - The first gas turbine to pump natural gas was installed in Wilmar, AR. Please don’t forget. There will be a pop quiz later...

1954 - The Pajama Game made its debut on Broadway in New York City at the St. James Theatre. Harold Prince produced The Pajama Game, his first Broadway endeavor. The show ran for 1,063 performances. John Raitt and Janis Paige starred in the leading roles. Carol Haney came to national fame for her rendition of the song, Steam Heat. The movie version also starred Raitt -- along with Doris Day.

1971 - Aretha Franklin, the ‘Queen of Soul’, received a gold record for her version of Bridge over Troubled Water, originally a Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel tune.

1973 - Tennis star Bobby Riggs defeated Margaret Court in a televised tennis match that was seen worldwide. The outrageous tennis hustler, however, didn’t fare so well against women’s tennis champion, Billy Jean King, in a much-hyped match at the Houston Astrodome. He lost, but helped bring women’s tennis to the forefront as a competitive sport with a growing legion of fans.

1985 - Tony Perez became the oldest major-league baseball player to hit a grand slam home run. Perez hit the grand slam for the Cincinnati Reds -- helping the Reds to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros. Perez was just a month shy of his 43rd birthday when he connected for the big dinger...

1985 - ‘The Boss’, Bruce Springsteen, married actress/model Julianne Phillips in ceremonies in Lake Oswego, OR. The couple went their separate ways in 1989. Springsteen’s hit, I’m on Fire, was in the top ten when the couple tied the wedding knot. Springsteen remarried in June of 1991, this time to a member of his E Street Band, Patti Scialfa. Despite his popularity, Springsteen has never had a number one song. His closest to the top of the pop music charts was a four-week stay at number two with Dancing in the Dark (June/July, 1984). Springsteen has had 11 hits in the top ten.