Jimmy Stewart Jimmy Stewart’s family had deep military roots as both of his grandfathers had fought in the Civil War, and his father had served during both the Spanish–American War and World War I. Stewart considered his father to be the biggest influence on his life, so it was not surprising that, when another war came, he too was eager to serve. Members of his family had previously been in the infantry, but Stewart chose to become a military flier. On March 22, 1941 he was inducted into the U.S. Army but as a licensed pilot soon found his way into the Air Corp and on March 22, 1944 he flew his 12th combat mission, leading the 2nd Bomb Wing in an attack on Berlin. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1959, remained currents as a pilot and retired from the Air Force in 1968 after which he was promoted to Major General on the retired list by President Ronald Reagan. Read more about his acting and military career at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Stewart.
Reprinted By Permission From OnThisDay.com
Today in History 1790 Thomas Jefferson became the first U.S. Secretary of State under President Washington; in 1941 actor Jimmy Stewart was inducted into the Army becoming the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in WWII.
Our on this day in history archives contain over 200,000 events, birthdays and deaths from 6,000 years of history. Here is a roundup of a few of them:
Historical Events
1622 - 1st American Indian (Powhattan) massacre of whites Jamestown Virginia, 347 slain
1765 - Stamp Act passed; 1st direct British tax on colonists
1784 - The Emerald Buddha is moved with great ceremony to its current place in Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand.
1790 - Thomas Jefferson becomes the 1st US Secretary of State under President Washington
1903 - Niagera Falls runs out of water because of a drought
1941 - Jimmy Stewart is inducted into the Army, becoming the first major American movie star to wear a military uniform in World War II
1944 - American movie star Jimmy Stewart flies his 12th combat mission, leading the 2nd Bomb Wing in an attack on Berlin
1954 - 1st shopping mall opened in Southfield, Mich
1965 - US confirms its troops used chemical warfare against the Vietcong
Famous Birthdays
1868 - Robert A. Millikan, American physicist (photoelectric effect; Nobel 1923)
1869 - Emilio Aguinaldo, 1st President of the Philippines (1899-1901) (d. 1964)
1912 - Karl Malden, actor (Mike-Streets of SF, American Express), born in Chicago, Illinois
1931 - William Shatner, Montreal Canada, actor (Star Trek, T J Hooker)
1943 - George Benson, American jazz/blues singer/guitarist (Greatest Love of All), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1948 - Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer (Phantom of the Opera, Cats), born in London, England
1959 - Matthew Modine, Loma Linda Cal, actor (Full Metal Jacket)
Famous Weddings
1916 - British writer ('Lord of the Rings'), poet and professor J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien marries Edith Mary Bratt at St. Mary Immaculate Roman Catholic Church, Warwick
1984 - Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (36) weds singer/dancer Sarah Brightman (23) in Hampshire, England
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