17
1673: Joliet & Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi; expedition is marred by pair's constant bickering over whether the river is "Big" or "Muddy."
1932: Congress changes the name "Porto Rico" to "Puerto Rico" but does not stipulate any change of pronunciation.
1961: Fidel Castro offers to exchange Bay of Pigs prisoners for 500 bulldozers; "The pretty yellow ones," he specifies.
18
1980: Mount St. Helens blows its top.
19
1792: Russian army enters Poland; Poles sigh and ask, "What is it this time?"
1977: Smokey & the Bandit premieres.
1979: In The Navy by the Village People hits #3 on the charts.
20
1916: First Saturday Evening Post cover by Norman Rockwell; the "Good Old Days" officially begin.
21
1602: Martha's Vineyard is first sighted by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold; when he tries to land there, local indians tell him it's too late for this season but that he can fill out an application for the summer of 1603.
22
1954: Bob Dylan is Bar Mitzvahed; he keeps asking how many of these he has to go through before you can call him a man.
1961: First revolving restaurant, Top Of The Space Needle, in Seattle, opens; business improves once they slow it down from 78 rpm to 33 1/3.
23
1908: Dirigible explodes over San Fransisco Bay, 16 passengers fall into the water, none die; although none delightedly squeals "Wheeeeee!" all the way down, either.
1939: Hitler proclaims he wants to move into Poland; sends in troops to look for a cozy three-bedroom, split-level rancher with a nice view of Russia.
24
1844: Samuel Morse sends first telegraph message, "What hath God wrought"; the second is, "Can you hear me now?"
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