Today in Detroit History:

• Today in 1967, fewer than 10,000 people showed up for the City of Detroit’s annual Memorial Day Parade. The same event drew over 100,000 17 years earlier. While Detroit’s celebration lasted less than an hour, an estimated 125,000 showed up for a three-hour celebration in St. Claire Shores. Spectators stood ten deep in Dearborn and 16,000 lined the parade route in Farmington.
• Today in 1972, the Michigan Senate senate passed a bill to launch a state lottery in October. The weekly drawings would be run by a single lottery Czar and provisions to allow cities like Detroit to hold their own lotteries were removed from the bill before it passed.
• Today in 1977, only 10 people attended a $15 dollar a head fund raiser for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. There wasn’t any pot smoking at the outdoor event as the organization’s Michigan coordinator, John Sinclair noted, “I noticed a rather strong reluctance to do so.”
• Today in 1979, CBS owned the top there prime-time television shows, Eight is Enough was number three, Laverne & Shirley held down number two and the number one show in the nation was Three’s Company, starring Joyce Dewitt, Susan Somers and John Ritter. The program ran from March 1977 through September, 1984.
• Today in 1982, The biggest measles outbreak in two years hit Dearborn High Schoolk. Twenty-eight suspected cases were identified with five other related cases diagnosed in the city’s junior high and elementary schools. Those who balked at a nationwide immunization drive were told to stay home. The measles shot was introduced in 1963 but officials reported a significant number of Americans were still resisting immunization 19 years later.
• Today in 1987, theatrical releases playing in Detroit included Rocky III, Victor Victoria, Conan the Barbarian, Chariots of Fire, Porky’s and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. There was also an add noting we were 4 days from stardate 8206:04 when “Somewhere in the  darkest reaches of the universe, a battle is about to begin.”

What’s happening:

Top Gun: Maverick brought in $124 million at the domestic box office for Paramount and Skydance last night, $248 million worldwide. The film’s rave reviews will likely generate repeat viewing. Maverick was released on more than 25,000 screens globally, making it Paramount’s widest release in its history. The first Top Gun movie debuted in 1986 — 36 years ago.

Meanwhile, the Baz Luhrmann directed Elvis biopic hits theaters on June 24 with Tom Hanks donning uncomfortable prosthetics and a strange accent to play Col. Tom Parker. Early reviews call the film, which stars Austin Butler in the title role, “deliriously awful.”

The same Voyager that was the lead character in Star Trek the Motion Picture is still phoning home, 45 years after its 1977 launch. According to engineers, “VGer” is working normally, but the messages it’s sending appear to be randomly generated or physically impossible to read. Scientists are working to make sense of the gibberish and hope to keep the spacecraft in operation until at least 2030.

The BBC reports a cache of previously unseen Beatles memorabilia from before they became famous has been sold at auction. It includes photographs taken when the band played in Somerset, in 1963. Then 16-year-old Sandra Woodruff (nee Blaken) tracked the group down, and was able to get all four to autograph a number of items which sold for over 11,000 pounds at action.

Ringo Starr will become the first of the Fab Four to auction off Non-fungible token based artwork on June 13. Part of the proceeds from the 5 piece auction will go to charity and the winning bidders will also get custom audio compositions the opportunity to accompany Ringo on a virtual tour of his digital gallery experience, RingoLand.

Speaking Ringo, a 1981 film the former Beatle created, featuring Paul McCartney has emerged and is available on YouTube. Ringo mirror’s Steve McQueen’s iconic character “Virgil Hilts” from The Great Escape, descending into madness when thrown into The Cooler at the start of the 10 minute movie. Watch it here.

Number one on Keener this week in:

(1965) I Can’t Help Myself, Four Tops
(1966) Strangers in the Night, Frank Sinatra
(1967) My Girl Josephine, Jerry Jaye
(1968) Mrs Robinson, Simon & Garfunkle
(1969) Get Back/Dont Let Me Down, Beatles
(1970) Up Around The Bend, Creedence Clearwater Revival
(1971) Want Ads, Honey Cone

Today in History:

1498 Christopher Columbus departs with 6 ships for 3rd trip to America
1806 Future US President Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel after Dickinson accused Jackson’s wife of bigamy
1911 The 1st Indianapolis 500 was held: Ray Harroun driving a Marmon Wasp for Nordyke & Marmon Company comes out of retirement, wins inaugural event; average speed: 74.602 mph (120.060 km/h)
1922 Completed Lincoln Memorial dedicated by US Chief Justice William Howard Taft in front of 50,000
1964 The Beatles‘ “Love Me Do” single goes #1 in the United States
1967 Robert “Evel” Knievel‘s motorcycle jumps 16 automobiles in Gardena, California
1968 Beatles begin work on what would become known as “The White Album,” their their only double LP.
1987 North American Philips Company unveils compact disc video
1989 Margaret Ray pleads guilty to breaking into David Letterman‘s house
2003 “Finding Nemo“, directed by Andrew Stanton and starring Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres is released in the US and Canada
2017 Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John reveals her breast cancer has returned after 25 years

Rock and Roll Birthdays – Via DrRock.com:

1909 Benny Goodman, The “King of Swing” and most popular figure of the early Swing Era bandleaders, clarinetist, film actor (playing himself), died from a heart attack on 6/13/1986, age 77
1915 Maxine Powell, African American child actress turned finishing school owner who became the etiquette and style coach for Berry Gordy‘s Motown Records in the 60s, the only such training program offered at any record label at any time, died after a long period of declining health on 10/14/2013, age 98
1926 Johnny Gimble, Grammy-winning virtuoso country and Western swing fiddler, played with Bob Wills And His Texas Playboys in the 50s, as a session musician appeared on numerous albums by Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins and others in the 60s, toured with Willie Nelson, worked with Asleep At The Wheel and acted in films and on TV in the 70s and 80s, died following a stroke on 5/9/2015, age 88
1928 Herb Oscar Anderson / (Herbert Oscar Anderson), Beloved, crooning Top 40 music radio DJ, member of the “Swingin’ 7” team of announcers on world-famous WABC-am in New York City during the 60s, left when 60s pop turned to 70s harder rock, continued to host music radio programs in different markets, including a weekly show on a Vero Beach, Florida station until his death from kidney failure on 1/29/2017, age 88
1944 Lenny Davidson, Guitarist and vocals for British Invasion pop-rock Dave Clark Five, “Catch Us If You Can” (#4, 1965) and 11 other Top 25 hits in the US
1944 Gladys Horton, Founder and lead vocals for Motown pop-soul girl group The Marvelettes, “Please Mr. Postman” (#1, 1961) and nine other Top 40 singles, died following a stroke on 1/26/2011, age 66
1955 Topper Headon / (Nicholas Bowen Headon), Drummer and occasional vocals for influential and acclaimed punk-ska-dance-rock The Clash, wrote “Rock The Casbah” (#8, 1982)
1960 Stephen Duffy, Founding member, guitarist, vocals and songwriting for New Wave synth-pop Duran Duran, “Hungry Like The Wolf” (#3, 1982)
1964 Wynonna Judd / (Christina Ciminella), Country singer/songwriter in duo The Judds (with mother Naomi), “Girl’s Night Out” (Country #1, 1984) and 17 other Top 10 country hits, solo, “To Be Loved By You” (Adult Contemporary #25, Country #1, 1996)
1967 Sven Pipien, Bassist for roots/raunch rock The Black Crowes, “Hard To Handle” (Mainstream Rock #1, 1991)
1974 Cee Lo Green / (Thomas Callaway), Singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer, member of pioneering Dirty South rap group Goodie Mob, “Cell Therapy” (#13, Rap #1, 1995), then Gnarls Barkley, “Crazy” (#2, 2006) and solo, “F**k You” (#2, 2010)

Other Notable Birthdays – Via OnThisDay.com:

1896 Howard Hawks, American director and producer (Rio Bravo, Scarface), born in Goshen, Indiana (d. 1977)
1899 Irving Thalberg, American film producer (MGM), born in Booklyn, New York (d. 1936)
1902 Stepin Fetchit [Lincoln Perry], American actor (Miracle in Harlem) 1st African American film star, born in Key West, Florida (d. 1985)
1908 Mel Blanc, American voice actor best known for his Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, born in San Francisco, California (d. 1989)
1911 Douglas Fowley, American actor (Singin’ in the Rain, Pistols ‘n’ Petticoats), born in NYC, New York (d. 1998)
1912 Hugh Griffith, Welsh actor (Ben-Hur, Mutiny on the Bounty, Oliver!), born in Marian Glas, Anglesey, Wales (d. 1980)
1918 Bob Evans, American restaurateur (d. 2007)
1926 Christine Jorgensen, pioneer transsexual (born George William Jorgensen, Jr)
1927 Norman “Clint” Walker, American actor (Kodiak, Cheyenne, Dirty Dozen), born in Hartford, Illinois
1936 Keir Dullea, actor (2001, 2010, David & Lisa), born in Cleveland, Ohio
1939 Michael J Pollard [Pollack], American character actor (Bonnie & Clyde; Roxanne), born in Passaic, New Jersey (d. 2019)
1943 Gale Sayers, American College and Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback, 4X Pro Bowl, 2X NFL rushing leader (Chicago Bears), and source for the TV movie “Brian’s Song”, born in Wichita, Kansas (d. 2020)