Back in the Day-Apes Take Over the Planet, Dukes Are Done, Hard Rocker Turns to God

By Lori Crofford February 8, 2011 7:47 AM

February 8th-a full day in history.

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1910 - The BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA was incorporated! The first Boy-type Scouts were British.

1924 – The FIRST EXECUTION BY LETHAL GAS went down at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City. It took convicted Chinese murderer Gee Jon SIX GRUELING MINUTES to die.

1960 – The congressional hearings on “payola” opened. DICK CLARK and ALAN FREED were accused of accepting payment in return for airing records.

(–Alan Freed ended up pleading guilty to two counts of commercial bribery and never got a gig in radio again. Dick Clark somehow got off with his reputation intact.)

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1964 – HANK WILLIAMS JR. made his debut on the country charts with “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”.

1964 – Max Firetag, publisher of “Louie Louie”, as recorded by the KINGSMEN, denied Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh’s claim that the song was “pornographic” . . . and offered $1,000 to anyone who could find anything “suggestive” in the song’s lyrics. (–Of course, nothing was ever found.)

1968 - The original “Planet Of The Apes” was released, starring the extremely well-endowed RODDY MCDOWALL and the very well-armed CHARLTON HESTON.

1976 – “Taxi Driver” was released . . . with ROBERT DE NIRO, CYBILl SHEPHERD and JODIE FOSTER.

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1980 - Ten years before he was in “Pretty Woman”,

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RICHARD GERE starred in “American Gigolo”.

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1985 – Tragedy struck when “The Dukes Of Hazzard” ended its six-year run.

1986 – BILLY OCEAN‘S “WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING” HIT NUMBER ONE.

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1990 – CBS suspended ANDY ROONEY over racial remarks he supposedly made to a gay magazine.

1990 – Singer DEL SHANNON, best known for the 1961 smash “Runaway”, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 55.

1991 – MC HAMMER made his amazing acting debut, playing himself on “Amen”!

1996 – ART MODELL moved his NFL franchise to Baltimore but had to leave the Browns’ name behind. Three years later Cleveland would get a football franchise back . . . but they’ve had a rough existence ever since.

2005 – KORN guitarist BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH left the band and rededicated his life to Jesus.

(via More Sections » The Complete Sheet » Wise Brother Media.)