| July 12 |
| 1909 -- The sixth and the last of The Three Stooges 'Curly' Joe DeRita is born Joseph Wardell in Philadelphia. Since he resembled Curly Howard and the group had already had a 'Joe,' he was dubbed Curly Joe for the final days of the Stooges. Curly Joe died from complications of diabetes on July 3, 1993. He was 83 years old. 1928 -- A tennis match is broadcast for the first time as an example of the type of programming that would be possible on the still-experimental medium of television. 1944 -- Donna Denise Nicholas is born today in Detroit. Graduated from the University of Michigan, Denise has had two successful series ('Room 222' and 'In the Heat of the Night') and one unsuccessful one (the slightly obnoxious 'Baby, I'm Back' with Demond Wilson). While she hasn't been on the big or small screen since 2004, in 2005 Denise had her first novel, Freshwater Road, published by Agate Press in August, 2005. 1954 -- Elvis signs his first recording contract with Sun Records. Convinced he can be a success, he quits his job as a truck driver. 1970 -- PBS begins airing concerts by the Boston Pops. 1970 -- Johnny Cash presents an autographed gold record of 'A Boy Named Sue' to the person who reportedly inspired the song: South Dakota judge (Mr.) Sue Hicks. 1976 -- Ted Mack, who took over radio's Original Amateur Hour when Major Bowes died in 1946 and took it to television in 1952, dies in North Tarrytown, New York, of complications from cancer. By the time the series ended in 1970, the show reportedly aired more than 10,000 acts. According to imdb.com, though, two acts that tried out but did make the show were Tiny Tim and Elvis Presley. Ted, whose real name was William Edward Maguiness, was 72 when he died. 1976 -- Richard Dawson makes kissing and flirting with the female guests part of the charm as gameshow 'Family Feud premieres with Richard Dawson as host. 1990 -- The first episode of quirky dramedy 'Northern Exposure' airs on CBS. 1996 -- Long-time NBC correspondent and news anchor John Chancellor dies of stomach cancer in Princeton, New Jersey. He was 68 years of age. |
| Denise Nicholas ('Liz McIntyre') and Lloyd Haynes ('Pete Dixon') were on the faculty of Walt Whitman High from 1969 - 1974. |
| Richard Dawson's birth name is Colin Lionel Emm. |
