| June 24 |
| 1899 -- Chief Dan George is born in North Vancouver, Canada. A longshoreman and laborer before trying his hand at acting, he auditioned for the Canadian series 'Cariboo Country' and won the role of Ol' Antoine, a role he reprised in 1969 when Disney took the story to the big screen in 'Smith!' It was on the strength of this role that he won the part of Old Lodge Skins in Arthur Penn's classic 'Little Big Man,' a role for which Chief Dan George, then 71, received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. (He was beaten out by John Mills for his part in 'Ryan's Daughter.') Chief Dan George died of heart failure on September 23, 1981. He was 82 years old. His career was relatively short, but his presence and dignity stood out in each role. According to nativecelebs.com, his son, Chief Leonard George, succeeded his father as Chief of the Burrard Indian Band. 1956 -- 'The Steve Allen Show' is seen for the first time on NBC, opposite 'The Ed Sullivan Show' on CBS. 1957 -- We all loved Lucy -- and still do -- but after 181 episodes, 'I Love Lucy' airs for the last time on CBS. 1960 -- 'The Romance of Helen Trent' is heard for the last time on radio. Helen and Gil Whitney don't get married, as was expected, in case the show would be renewed. Helen's romance lasts for 27 years -- 7,222 episodes -- on CBS radio. 1963 -- the first demonstration of a home video recorder took place at the BBC Studios in London. 1970 -- Buffy Sainte-Marie guests on Michael Parks's 'Then Came Bronson' as the title character in the episode 'Mating Dance for Tender Grass.' She sang 'Piney Wood Hills.' 1972 -- 'I Am Woman,' by Helen Reddy, is released by Capitol Records and becomes one of the Australian's four million sellers (the others are 'Delta Dawn,' which was later a hit for Tanya Tucker, 'Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)' and the creepy 'Angie Baby.') The year she hosts 'The Helen Reddy Show' as a summer replacement series. 1987 -- Herbert Walter (Jackie) Gleason, Jr., succumbs to liver and colon cancer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One of the truly great stars of early television, his creation of the world of Ralph Kramden and 'The Honeymooners' remains a sharp, poignant. 'The Great One,' as he was known, was 71 years old. 1997 -- Robert Keith Richey, Jr., dies by his own hand. Although Brian Keith is remembered today as Uncle Bill on 'Family Affair' and for his Disney comedies, his off-screen life was marked by tragedy: his first child, a son, died during childhood and his daughter, Daisy, had killed herself ten weeks prior at the age of 27. Brian, suffering from terminal cancer and emphysema, was 75 years old at his death. His father, actor Robert Keith, is best-known for his final role, that of dying New Orleans patriarch Jason Foster 'The Twilight Zone's' haunting episode 'The Masks.' |