| May 28 |
| 1900 -- the famous 'His Master's Voice' RCA logo is registered as a trademark by the Canadian parliament. 1941 -- actress Beth Howland is born Boston, Massachusetts. Best-known for her role as kookie waitress Vera in '70s sitcom 'Alice,' she was married in the '60s to an actor also known for his idiosyncratic characters, actor Michael J. Pollard (Cousin Virgil on 'The Andy Griffith Show' and mechanic C.W. Moss in 'Bonnie and Clyde,' for which he received an Oscar nomination). They have one child. 1955 -- 'Billboard' reported 'The Ballad of Davy Crockett' is the most popular song in the U.S. The song is recorded by Bill Hayes, who went onto a long, long run as Doug Williams on 'Days of Our Lives.' 1971 -- war hero and actor Audie Murphy, whose life away from the battlefield was often turbulent, died in a plane crash near Roanoke, Virginia. He won 33 awards for his heroic actions in WWII, including the Congressional Medal of Honor, and was honored by the nations of France and Belgium as well. The 5'5" Murphy had only one TV series, 1961's short-lived 'Whispering Smith.' Audie, who lied about his age in order to join the Army, was just 46 at his death. 1974 -- at the 26th Emmy Awards, big winners were Alan Alda, Telly Savalas, Mary Tyler Moore and Cicely Tyson. Interestingly, film legend William Holden won an Emmy for Joseph Wambaugh's mini-series 'The Blue Knight,' which told the story of aging beat cop Bumper Morgan, a semi-tragic character who dies at the end of the movie. Bumper's death is short-lived, however; on December 12, 1975, 'The Blue Knight' premiered as a weekly series with George Kennedy in the title role. The series lasted one year. 1975 -- Portly character actor Roy Roberts, whose film career tended towards drama but whose prolific tv work consisted largely of comedy, dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles. Born Roy Barnes Jones in Tampa, Florida, Roy's face and finely-trimmed moustache became familiar to television fans in the '60s. He was bank president Mr. Cheever on 'The Lucy Show,' rival banker John Cushing on 'The Beverly Hillbillies' and Admiral Rogers on 'McHale's Navy.' Shortly before his death, though, Roy returned to the big screen as corrupt LA Mayor Bagby in 1974's Oscar-winning 'Chinatown.' Although there's some confusion over his birth date, Roy's tombstone states that he was 69 at the time of his death. 1982 -- bearded movie critic Leonard Maltin makes his debut on 'Entertainment Tonight.' 1998 -- actor and comedian Phil Hartman is shot to death by his wife while he is sleeping. She later killed herself, leaving their two children orphaned. A star on 'Saturday Night Live' for 8 seasons, he was known for such impersonations as Frank Sinatra ('Ya' betta' be givin' thanks to the Man Upstairs, baby') and Ed McMahon (the resounding 'YYYYessssss!'). Phil was just 49 at his death. 2002 -- NBC announces that Brian Williams will succeed Tom Brokaw as 'Nightly News' anchor following the 2004 presidential election. |