Today in History

[2jakes]

100 years ago today Henry Ford introduced the Model T. Came in one color only.

Any color you like, so long as it's black...
Or green. Or grey. Or red.

"For the first six years of its life the Model T actually came in a dizzying rainbow of colors, before Henry Ford turned the necessity of uniform black paint, only black dried fast enough to keep pace with the new production line into a marketing campaign."
Car Magazine

 

[Peacoat]

Any color you like, so long as it's black...
Or green. Or grey. Or red.
View attachment 137934
"For the first six years of its life the Model T actually came in a dizzying rainbow of colors, before Henry Ford turned the necessity of uniform black paint, only black dried fast enough to keep pace with the new production line into a marketing campaign."
Car Magazine

Wow. Didn't know that. I had always heard they were only available in black. Seems counterintuitive for them to be anything but black.

 

[2jakes]

Wow. Didn't know that. I had always heard they were only available in black. Seems counterintuitive for them to be anything but black.

Read that the first batch of production were built to last.
But that didn't last for long.

BFM made sure to let you know about next year’s “new & improved”
models.

 

[LizzieMaine]

You could get them in a small range of colors during the last two years of production as well -- a last-ditch effort to keep the model viable while The Boys were pushing the idea of car-as-fashion-accessory and the company was hustling to cook up the Model A.

 

[GHT]

This day in 1955, a certain James Dean had a rendez-vous with destiny & entered the halls of legend. He was 24. An icon was born.

I was wondering whether to put this picture here or in the old gas stations thread. Dean seen here with The Porsche he called: The ba***rd. What really struck me about this picture was the cigarette dangling from his lips. The times I saw smokers fuelling their cars, back in the day.

 

[vitanola]

You could get them in a small range of colors during the last two years of production as well -- a last-ditch effort to keep the model viable while The Boys were pushing the idea of car-as-fashion-accessory and the company was hustling to cook up the Model A.

"Small range"?

In late '25 closed cars were available in Channel Green (Tudor Sedans and Coupés) Windsor Maroon (Fordor Sedans) from some assembly plants, but as the colored paint was merely a reformulated version of the Asphaltum "color varnish" that Ford had been using since 1914 the colors were so dark as to be nearly black. This is the "small range of which Miss Maine writes.

In mid-1926 the assembly plants were fitted with spray equipment so that the new quick drying Pyroxlin lacquers could be used. By 1927 Channel Green, Commercial Green, Highland Green, Drake Green, Windsor Maroon, Phoenix Brown, Moleskin, and Gunmetal Blue were offerred. All bodies were finished in satin, with a contrasting stripe. Fenders, running boards, and splash aprons were finished in glossy black enamel. Wire wheels in brilliant contrasting colors including Apple Green, Carmine Red, and Bronson Yellow were offered as dealer installed options.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

On this day in 1989, Bette Davis popped her clogs, aged 81.

On this day in 1981, president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat was assassinated.

On this day in 1995, the discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star was announced. It was named 51 Pegasi b.

 

[2jakes]

October 6, 1882:
The Cincinnati Red Stockings 4-0, over the Chicago White Stockings in an unauthorized game in Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first champions of the newly formed American Association. Able to re-sign several of the 1880 Cincinnati Reds players from the days before their expulsion from the National League.

 

[Peacoat]

FRANKLIN PIERCE. 1804-1869. 14th President of the United States.

When Pierce died on October 8, 1869, his death was but slightly noted – though, as befits a President of the United States, a day of official mourning was observed by the government for his funeral. Then, the salute fired, the black bunting rolled up, Franklin Pierce sank from view, ignominious and unmourned.

 

[scotrace]

Pierce saw enough failure, horror and tragedy in his life to earn the right to drink himself to death. Interesting guy, not presidential timber.

 

[GHT]

Born on this day in 1844, Henry John Heinz

a German-American entrepreneur who founded the H. J. Heinz Company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was born in that city, the son of German immigrants from the Palatinate who came independently to the United States in the early 1840s. Heinz famous logo was that of Heinz 57, meaning they had 57 products in their portfolio, but perhaps arguably their most famous product gave mirth to all things flatulent:

 

[2jakes]

October 12, 1945

 

[Peacoat]

Today in 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis began. A tense time for the country.

 

[MissMittens]

Today in 1940, Benjamin O. Davis became the U.S. Army's first Black American to be appointed Brigadier General

Also today in 1946, the first ten Nazi war criminals were hanged in Nuremberg, as a result of the Nuremberg Trials

 

[Peacoat]

This has been an interesting thread over the years. I will occasionally post in it.

I usually hang out in the Outerwear section but sometimes venture down this way to see what is going on. I see that KittyT started this thread back in 2007 when I had been a member for almost 1 1/2 years. Realizing I hadn't seen her post in a while, I clicked on her name to see when she last posted. She hasn't visited the Lounge since July, 2013.

It always bothers me when previously active members just disappear. There have been a bunch of them over the years. Many of the posters who were active back in January 2006 when I joined have dropped out. Just vanished.

So, KittyT, wherever you are, I hope you are well. Please know your thread is still going strong. Here's one to you. Peacoat.

 

[2jakes]

WALT DISNEY STUDIO

The company was founded on October 16, 1923 – by brothers Walt and Roy Disney – as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, and also operated under the names The Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney Productions before officially changing its name to The Walt Disney Company in 1986.

 

[Peacoat]

Today in 1940, Benjamin O. Davis became the U.S. Army's first Black American to be appointed Brigadier General.

An interesting career. He was a one star in the Army

He also had a son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. who did his father several stars better. Junior was in the Army Air Corps* and took command of the Tuskegee Airmen. A West Point graduate, he retired as a Lt. General (3 stars). No slouch in combat either, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star.

In my opinion, General Davis, Jr. had a more interesting career than his father. I could be wrong about some of the facts as it has been years since we studied it in military history. I am fairly certain the ranks of the father and son and the awards are correct.

Anyone who is familiar with the military knows how difficult it is to get one star, let alone 3 stars. When I was in, a friend of mine, a major at the time, was the best officer, hands down I ever knew. He was a true leader who inspired those around him. He made full general (4 stars). To make 3 or 4 stars is unbelievably difficult, bordering on impossible.

So, my hat is off to you, General Davis—both of you.

__________
*In 1948, the Army Air Corps became the U. S. Air Force.

 

[GHT]

Happy one hundredth birthday to Margarita Carmen Cansino, better know by her stage name:
Rita Hayworth was an American actress and dancer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in a total of 61 films over 37 years. The press coined the term "The Love Goddess" to describe Hayworth after she had become the most glamorous screen idol of the 1940s.
Born: 17 October 1918, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States
Died: 14 May 1987, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

 

[Peacoat]

A couple of items of note in the news today:

In 1931 Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion. Although born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrant parents, he became the top gangster in Chicago in the 1920s.

In 1933 Albert Einstein arrived in the US having fled from Nazi Germany.

 

[MissMittens]

In 1938 Evel Knievel, the motorcycle stuntman was born. Known for jumping over various objects while wearing an Elvis-style leather jumpsuit.