This Week In History
Christine Skirka
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Administration and Faculty
May 3, 1933- James Brown, American singer and songwriter is born.
James Brown, who is arguably one of the best singer/songwriters of all time, was born on May 3, 1933 in rural Georgia. Brown grew up in poverty and picked cotton as a child. While in juvenile detention for armed robbery, Brown met Bobby Byrd. Byrd's family had a gospel choir that Brown joined. Before long, Brown and Byrd decided to leave gospel behind and become The Flames. As The Flames, Brown and Byrd toured around the South before being signed to Federal Records in 1956. In 1965, Brown gained complete artistic control over his career. He went on to write and perform such classic hits as, "I Feel Good" and "Living in America." http://www.rollingstone.com
May 4, 1929- Audrey Hepburn, actress and U.N. special ambassador is born.
Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium to father Joseph and mother Ella. At the age of five, her parents sent her to a private school in England. There her mother arranged for her to take ballet lessons, and this is where her love of dance and music began. Once WWII began, Hepburn's mother sent for her to be sent back to Belgium, which was neutral territory. After the war, Hepburn and her mother moved to Amsterdam where Hepburn was accepted by Sonia Gaskell, an English ballet dancer who was a driving force behind the National Ballet, as her student. Hepburn then moved back to England and immersed herself in her studies. She modeled and performed in cabaret acts to make financial ends meet. Hepburn then went on to take part in many films and eventually star in many more. Some of those films include, "Sabrina," War and Peace," "Funny Face" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's." http://www.audreyhepburn.com
May 6, 1937- The Hindenburg explodes in Lakehurst, NJ.
On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg carrying 61 crew members and 36 passengers arrived hours behind schedule, due to inclement weather, at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. The Hindenburg was 804 feet long and was filled with over seven million cubic feet of hydrogen. Soon after the mooring lines were set, some eyewitnesses reported a blue glow on top of the Hindenburg followed by a flame towards the tail section of the craft. The flame was almost simultaneously succeeded by an explosion that quickly engulfed the craft causing it to crash into the ground killing 36 people. Spectators watched in horror as passengers and crew were burned alive or jumped to their deaths. As Herb Morrison announced for the radio, "It's burst into flames. Get out of the way, please, oh my, this is terrible. Oh, the humanity and all the passengers." Before this tragedy, no bigger aircraft had ever taken flight, and no larger aircraft has taken flight since. While the exact cause of the explosion is still unknown, there are many theories: sabotage, mechanical failure, hydrogen explosions, lightning or even the possibility that it was shot from the sky. http://www.americanhistory.about.com
James Brown, who is arguably one of the best singer/songwriters of all time, was born on May 3, 1933 in rural Georgia. Brown grew up in poverty and picked cotton as a child. While in juvenile detention for armed robbery, Brown met Bobby Byrd. Byrd's family had a gospel choir that Brown joined. Before long, Brown and Byrd decided to leave gospel behind and become The Flames. As The Flames, Brown and Byrd toured around the South before being signed to Federal Records in 1956. In 1965, Brown gained complete artistic control over his career. He went on to write and perform such classic hits as, "I Feel Good" and "Living in America." http://www.rollingstone.com
May 4, 1929- Audrey Hepburn, actress and U.N. special ambassador is born.
Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium to father Joseph and mother Ella. At the age of five, her parents sent her to a private school in England. There her mother arranged for her to take ballet lessons, and this is where her love of dance and music began. Once WWII began, Hepburn's mother sent for her to be sent back to Belgium, which was neutral territory. After the war, Hepburn and her mother moved to Amsterdam where Hepburn was accepted by Sonia Gaskell, an English ballet dancer who was a driving force behind the National Ballet, as her student. Hepburn then moved back to England and immersed herself in her studies. She modeled and performed in cabaret acts to make financial ends meet. Hepburn then went on to take part in many films and eventually star in many more. Some of those films include, "Sabrina," War and Peace," "Funny Face" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's." http://www.audreyhepburn.com
May 6, 1937- The Hindenburg explodes in Lakehurst, NJ.
On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg carrying 61 crew members and 36 passengers arrived hours behind schedule, due to inclement weather, at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey. The Hindenburg was 804 feet long and was filled with over seven million cubic feet of hydrogen. Soon after the mooring lines were set, some eyewitnesses reported a blue glow on top of the Hindenburg followed by a flame towards the tail section of the craft. The flame was almost simultaneously succeeded by an explosion that quickly engulfed the craft causing it to crash into the ground killing 36 people. Spectators watched in horror as passengers and crew were burned alive or jumped to their deaths. As Herb Morrison announced for the radio, "It's burst into flames. Get out of the way, please, oh my, this is terrible. Oh, the humanity and all the passengers." Before this tragedy, no bigger aircraft had ever taken flight, and no larger aircraft has taken flight since. While the exact cause of the explosion is still unknown, there are many theories: sabotage, mechanical failure, hydrogen explosions, lightning or even the possibility that it was shot from the sky. http://www.americanhistory.about.com
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