Thursday, July 27, 2006

 

Spotlight: Leo Durocher, the guy who said "Nice guys finish last," was born on this date in 1905. Durocher started his baseball career as a shortstop with the Yankees; he went on to play for the Reds, the Cardinals and the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1939, he took on the position of manager of the Dodgers. Abrasive, demanding and tough, he is still considered one of the top all-time managers in Major League Baseball. Durocher managed the NY Giants to the World Series in 1951; his team beat the Dodgers in the NL playoffs, with Bobby Thompson's "shot heard 'round the world."

Quote: "I believe in rules. Sure I do. If there weren't any rules, how could you break them?" – Leo Durocher

Today's News:

• bird flu: mass quantities of vaccine may be available by 2007 (story)
• California: "historic heat wave" nears 2-week mark in north and south (story)
• Monopoly: British version of classic board game replaces paper money with debit card; US edition may follow suit (story)
• vodka: by any other name might not taste the same (story)
• Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race: world's longest race for
  runners goes round and round small area in Queens, NY (story)

Today's History:

• telegraph: transatlantic cable linked US and Europe; the cord of copper, hemp and manila yam shortened communication time from days to minutes (1866)
• insulin: physiologists isolated hormone used to manage diabetes (1921)
• Bugs Bunny: debuted in A Wild Hare (1940)
• Korean War: UN, N. Korea, China signed armistice (1953); veterans memorial was dedicated in Washington by Pres. Clinton, Pres. Kim Young-sam (1995)

Today's Birthdays:

• Geoffrey De Havilland: English aviation pioneer (1882-1965)
• Jerry Van Dyke: actor/comic, brother of Dick Van Dyke (75)
• Julian McMahon: demon in love on Charmed, materialistic human on Nip/Tuck (38)
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers: actor, Match Point (29)