ON THIS DAY

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1885, "Huckleberry Finn" was published for the very first time. Huck is Huck, Tom Sawyer is Tom Sawyer and never the Twain shall meet.

It was on this date in 1900 that X-ray therapy was announced as the first reported cancer cure. Apparently they didn't have any luck with rays A through W.

In 1907, in the depths of a famine in Russia, the U.S. sent that country over 600,000 tons of food. Hard to believe we could round up that many pounds of canned beets. That alone is reason enough why we should win the gold medal in men's figure skating.

On this date in 1930 Pluto was discovered. I know it has nothing to do with astrology, but I've never understood why -- in the Disney cartoons -- Goofy was a dog and he could talk and walk upright, but Pluto couldn't.

In 1953, the first feature length 3-D movie "Bwana Devil" was released in New York City. It wasn't the first time in a movie theater that things looked so real, you wanted to reach out and touch them. 

But it was the first time on screen. It was much better than the sequel, "Yes, we have no Bwanas."

On this date in 1972, a federal report claimed that alcohol was America's number one health problem. The findings were announced during the Surgeon General's annual Champagne Brunch.

In 1986, the price of oil dropped below $15 a barrel. I'm still kicking myself for not stocking up then.