Back in the Day-Al Capone Bumped Off by Syphilis

January 25th, Guiding Light broadcast on Radio, Al Capone Died, and Charles Manson convicted

1924 – The first WINTER OLYMPIC games takes place in Chamonix, France.

1937 – NBC Radio presented the first broadcast of “THE GUIDING LIGHT”.  The radio show continued until 1956.  “The Guiding Light” began its TV run on CBS in 1952.

1945 – First Lieutenant AUDIE MURPHY earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for ordering his men to retreat, jumping into a blazing tank destroyer, holding off the Germans single-handedly with a machine gun ,and ordering an artillery strike on his own position!  They only awarded seven categories of medals for heroism in World War Two;  Audie won five of them!

1947 – Notorious gangster AL CAPONE, on the verge of

insanity, died of  neuro-syphilis in Miami Beach, Florida.  He was only 48.

1949 – The first EMMY AWARDS were presented.  The winner for Most Popular Television Program:  “PANTOMIME QUIZ TIME”.

1950 – JOHN WAYNE left his tiny little footprints outside Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre . . . along with an imprint of his FIST!

1961 – WALT DISNEY’S animated movie “101 DALMATIANS” was released in movie theaters.  It cost $4 million to make.

1971 – CHARLES MANSON and three young women

followers were convicted in Los Angeles of the 1969 Tate-Labianca murders.  Manson said the murder spree was inspired by “secret messages” he heard on the BEATLES’ “White Album”.

1976 – BOB DYLAN headlined a seven-hour benefit concert for boxer RUBIN “HURRICANE” CARTER, who was wrongfully convicted of a triple murder in 1967.

(–Rubin Carter’s story was later told in the 1999 movie, “The Hurricane”, starring DENZEL WASHINGTON.  Dylan’s song RESONATED throughout the film.)

1979 – THE CARS won “Rolling Stone” magazine’s annual readers’ poll as the Best New Band of the Year.

1980 – PAUL MCCARTNEY was released from jail and deported after being imprisoned 10 days for trying to sneak a half-pound of marijuana through customs at the Tokyo airport!

1981 – Fifty-two AMERICANS HELD HOSTAGE by Iran for 444 days arrived back in the U.S.

1981 – The OAKLAND RAIDERS defeated the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, 27-to-10, to win SUPER BOWL 15.  It was the first time a wildcard team had ever won.

(–Raiders quarterback JIM PLUNKETT passed for three touchdowns, including an 80-yard touchdown bomb to Kenny King to be named the game’s MVP.)

1985 - “We Are The World“ was recorded in Los Angeles.

It was written by MICHAEL JACKSON and LIONEL RICHIE . . . and the many other stars who sang on it included Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Rogers, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Bob Dylan, and Ray Charles.

1987 - The NEW YORK GIANTS beat the DENVER BRONCOS, 39-to-20, to win SUPER BOWL 21.  It was the Giants’ first Super Bowl victory.

(–New York quarterback PHIL SIMMS was named the game’s MVP after completing 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns.)

1994 – MICHAEL JACKSON settled a civil lawsuit out of court for something between $10 and $24 MILLION to get out from under accusations of having molested a 13-year-old boy.

1998 – The Denver Broncos defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-to-24, to seize a victory in Super Bowl 32.  It was the Broncos’ first Super Bowl win after four tries.  (–Denver running back TERRELL DAVIS was the game’s MVP with a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance.)

1999 – “THE TOM GREEN SHOW” premiered on MTV!!!

2002 – SHANNEN DOHERTY married independent film producer Rick Salomon . . . who would later go on to unleash the infamous PARIS HILTON sex tape upon the world.  (–For some reason, PAMELA ANDERSON married him 2007.  The marriage was annulled five months later.)

2006 – “Survivor” winner RICHARD HATCH was found guilty of tax evasion for failing to pay taxes on his $1 million grand prize.  He was eventually sentenced to 51 months in prison. (He’s going to be on the next season of “Celebrity Apprentice”.)