Things You Probably Didn't Know

[IceWizard]

About J. Edgar Hoover






On May 10, 1924, J. Edgar Hoover began his 48-year tenure as the
FBI director. During his tenure, Hoover became a national icon and 
personally shaped American criminal justice in the 20th century.
Here are some things you probably didn’t know about J. Edgar Hoover.




The Mob Made Him an Offer He Couldn’t Refuse

In the 1950s, when La Cosa Nostra was at the height of its power, the Federal Bureau
of Investigation not only did nothing about it, but Hoover also actively denied that it was
even a real thing. The Special Committee on Organized Crime held several public
hearings in which they concluded that organized crime was, in fact, very real. Hoover,
however, dismissed the claim as “baloney.” The prevailing theory is that the mob had
some dirt on Hoover that would have exposed that he was a member
of LGBTQ+ community.



Hoover Dug up Dirt On Everybody

Throughout his career, Hoover ordered his agents to keep track of pretty much anyone
he considered a threat - which was a lot of people. Anyone with a high profile was fair
game for Hoover. As a result, Hoover's FBI compiled thousands of pages of intelligence
on notable individuals including JFK, Martin Luther King, Liberace, Jackie Robinson,
Helen Keller and even Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.



Hoover’s FBI Didn’t Allow Women
Not only did Herbert Hoover not allow women to join the Bureau as agents, but he
also forbid women from wearing slacks and insisted that all female employees of the
FBI wear skirts or dresses to work. Hoover didn’t even let women smoke at their
desks because he considered smoking a “perk” for men alone to indulge in.



Hoover Kept a Close Eye On Albert Einstein

Hoover was extremely suspicious of Albert Einstein, and sent out several memos
in which he advocated keeping Einstein away from government business. Hoover
was so obsessed with Einstein, that the FBI file on Einstein was over 1,800 pages,
none of which ever actually found the scientist guilty of wrongdoing. When the
physicist was denied employment on the Manhattan Project, the FBI stated,
“In view of his radical background, this office would not recommend the employment
of Dr. Einstein on matters of a secret nature without a very careful investigation,
as it seems unlikely that a man of his background could, in such a short time,
become a loyal American citizen.”



It Is Believed That Hoover Wore Women’s Perfume

There were many rumors that Hoover wore women’s clothing in his downtime.
During the Gridiron Club dinner attended by President Bill Clinton, he joked,
“I might have to pick an FBI Director, and it’s going to be hard to fill
J. Edgar Hoover’s pumps.” It was also common knowledge that the FBI director
preferred to wear women’s perfume over men’s cologne—something he
refused to talk about.

[IceWizard]

About The Honeymooners







On May 9, 1971, the final episode of the sitcom The Honeymooners,
starring Jackie Gleason aired on CBS. Think you're a Honeymooner fanatic?
Here are some interesting facts you probably didn't know about the show...




In The Beginning, There Was A Different Alice

In 1951, sketches of The Honeymooners appeared regularly on “Cavalcade of Stars,”
which was Jackie Gleason’s variety show. Pert Kelton, a former vaudevillian, originated
the role of Alice, and probably would have remained on board had her husband, Ralph Bell,
not sponsored a 1948 ad in The Daily Worker, which was a communist newspaper.
Bell was branded a Communist, which got the husband and wife  blackballed from the
industry. Kelton was guilty of fascism by association so, despite Gleason’s protests, the
network terminated her while telling the viewing public that she’d left for health reasons.
Audrey Meadows appeared on the CBS series as her replacement.



Only One Of The Show's Stars Received Lifetime Residuals

Audrey Meadows probably laughed all the way to the bank when her two brothers, both lawyers,
insisted on putting a residuals clause in her contract when she signed it in 1952. The network
agreed to the clause and granted her residual income for any episode that was re-broadcast.
That lack of foresight cost the network heavily, and payments were made to Meadows for
the next four decades.



Norton's Signature Hat Belonged To Art Carney

In his role as sewer worker Ed Norton, Art Carney always sported a battered pork pie hat.
The hat belonged to Carney himself, which he bought in 1935 while he was in high school. In a
1985 interview with People magazine, Carney said that he still had the hat stashed in the closet
of his home in Westbrook, Connecticut. Carney died in his sleep of natural causes on
November 9, 2003, five days after his 85th birthday. Carney's son Brian now proudly sports
the pork pie hat that his dad made famous.



Jackie Gleason Didn’t Believe in Rehearsals

Jackie Gleason didn’t believe in rehearsals, mainly because he preferred his performance to be
spontaneous, and partially because he preferred to spend his afternoons hanging out with friends
at Toots Shor’s, the legendary Manhattan restaurant and saloon. Art Carney, Audrey Meadows
and Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, rehearsed by themselves with someone else reading
Gleason's lines.



Gleason Called It Quit After Just One Season

The Honeymooners was a big hit after it premiered, and Gleason was nicknamed the
“king of Saturday night television. However, by fall, The Perry Como Show moved into the time
slot opposite The Honeymooners and caused ratings for the show to drop. Gleason decided to
pull the plug on the show after only 39 episodes, stating that the writers had exhausted all
possible plots for the show.  The Honeymooners would return once again as a recurring skit
on The Jackie Gleason Show  whenever Art Carney was available. According to Gleason,
Carney was “90 percent” responsible for the success of The Honeymooners.

[IceWizard]

About Custer And His Last Stand






On June 25, 1876, Lt. Col. George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry died
at the hands of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors at the Battle of Little Big Horn
in Montana. To mark the anniversary of this battle here are some things you
didn’t know about Custer and his last stand.



He Was Killed At Little Bighorn Only 15 Years After Leaving West Point

Custer grossly miscalculated the strength and abilities of the Sioux and
Cheyenne warriors before the battle occurred on June 25. Bloody Knife,
his scout, told him the Seventh Cavalry didn’t have enough bullets to fight
the massed crowd of natives. Custer didn’t listen, and surprise probably
overtook him when he saw all the warriors riding toward him and his troops
in his final battle. Around 200 soldiers died at the hands of the
Native Americans on the day of the Little Bighorn battle. Among them
was Henry Reed, an 18-year-old nephew of Custer, and James Calhoun,
his brother-in-law. Custer’s two younger brothers, Thomas and Boston,
died as well. Thomas was a recipient of the Medal of Honor twice and
was a veteran of the Civil War.



He Graduated Last In His Class At West Point

Custer placed last in his graduating class at West Point. Fellow cadets attending
the U.S. Military Academy at West Point referred to him as a “dare-devil” and
someone who spent more energy playing pranks than studying. Custer’s
voluminous record of demerits earned him extra guard duty on most Saturdays,
but he did manage to graduate from West Point in 1861, albeit as the
lowest-ranking cadet, now known as “the goat.”



Custer Became a Civil War General In The Union Army at 23

Although Custer struggled in the classroom, he excelled on the battlefield.
After joining the Army of the Potomac’s cavalry following his graduation,
he gained notice for his daring cavalry charges, bold leadership style, and
tactical brilliance. In June 1863, Custer was promoted to the rank of
brigadier general at the age of 23, and he cemented his reputation as the
“Boy General” days later at the Battle of Gettysburg when he repelled a
pivotal Confederate assault led by J.E.B. Stuart. By the end of the Civil War,
Custer had risen to the rank of major general.



His Wife Received The Civil War Surrender Table As a Gift

When Robert E. Lee, the Confederate General, surrendered to General U.S. Grant,
the terms were signed on a small table. General Philip Sheridan purchased the
table and presented it to Custer's wife, Libbie, as a token of his appreciation for
her husband's service. “Permit me to say, Madam,” Sheridan wrote to Libbie,
“that there is scarcely an individual in our service who has contributed more
to bring about this desirable result than your gallant husband.” After Libbie’s
death in 1933, her will stipulated that the table be donated to the
Smithsonian Institution.



Ronald Reagan Played Custer On The Big Screen

In 1940, Santa Fe Trail opened at the box office with Ronald Reagan starring in
the role of General Custer. Historically, the movie was wildly inaccurate, starring
swashbuckler Errol Flynn as J.E.B. Stewart, as they hunted the abolitionist
John Brown in pre-Civil War Kansas. A year later, Flynn played Custer himself
in the highly mythologized biopic “They Died With Their Boots On.”

[IceWizard]

About Prince







On the morning of April 21, 2016, pop sensation Prince was found dead in
his Minnesota home and recording studio. The cause of death was an accidental
overdose of the opioid fentanyl. Here are some shocking facts you probably didn't
know about the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.




His Real Name Was Prince

The name "Prince'' seems like the perfect stage name for an artist to adopt.
But in Prince's case, this was his actual birth name. The artist was born
Prince Rogers Nelson and was named after his father's jazz combo. Not surprisingly,
both of his parents were musical artists, which can explain Prince's name
and his musical talents.



He Was A Jehovah's Witness

Prince was not just dedicated to his craft, but he was also a devout Jehovah's Witness.
He was even baptized in 2001 as a symbol of his devotion to his faith.  Like others
in the congregation, Prince went door-to-door to spread the word about his faith
and often used disguises to deflect attention from himself. A woman told the
Daily Mail that Prince once knocked on her door in St. Louis Park, Minnesota,
where he introduced himself as Brother Nelson. “Excuse me, but has anyone
ever told you that you look a lot like Prince?” she said, to which she remembers
him replying, “It has been said.”



He Wrote Many Hits For Other Singers

Prince's list of hits is quite lengthy and includes the likes of When Doves Cry,
Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, Cream, and Little Red Corvette. But his songwriting
wasn't just reserved for himself. In fact, Prince wrote some of the most iconic
songs for other artists, including "I Feel For You" for Chaka Khan, "Manic Monday''
for the Bangles, and perhaps most famously, "Nothing Compares 2 U''
for Sinéad O'Connor.



His Symbol Had a Copyrighted Name

In 1993, Prince turned his name into a symbol, in a step that he claimed was to
break away from his affiliation with Warner Bros. after a challenging working
situation. Following that, he became known as "The Artist Formerly Known as
Prince." However, the actual symbol itself had a name, "Love Symbol #2," that
Prince copyrighted in 1997. When Prince's contract with Warner Bros. expired
at midnight on December 31, 1999, he announced that he was reclaiming
his given name.



He Was Given His Own Color By Pantone

Every year, Pantone comes out with its Color of the Year. Not long after Prince
passed away, the color authority company created a royal purple shade to honor
the pop star. It was appropriately named Love Symbol #2. Prince and the color
purple went hand in hand, so it was only fitting for Pantone to come out with a
hue that suited the late singer best.



He Held The #1 Spots For Film, Album, And Single Simultaneously

The year 1984 was a big one for Prince. During the week of July 27, 1984,
Prince's film Purple Rain hit number one at the box office. That same week,
the film's soundtrack was the best-selling album and "When Doves Cry" was
holding the top spot for singles.

[IceWizard]

About Seinfeld







On the evening of May 14, 1998,
an estimated 76 million TV viewers tuned in to watch the
final episode of Seinfeld.
Think you're a Seinfeld trivia expert?
Here are a few surprising facts you probably didn't
know about about the show...




The Opening Music For Every Single Episode Was Different

Those mouth pops, and bass notes that made up the Seinfeld theme song are
truly unique and synonymous with the infamous show. But while it may have
sounded like Jerry Seinfeld's opening monologue was accompanied by the exact
same music, each track was actually made individually by composer Jonathan Wolff
based on the comic's specific monologue. Wolff claimed that his musical creations
for the show's opening monologue were built on certain factors, including what
Seinfeld was saying and the length of the monologue. As such, the music had
to be re-done for each episode.



The Real Soup Nazi Said Seinfeld Ruined His Life

Al Yeganeh, the real soup store owner upon whom The Soup Nazi is based on,
was not pleased with the way he was depicted in the series.  When he was
interviewed on CNN, he called Seinfeld  "a clown" and said the use of “the N word—the
Nazi word—is disgraceful.” He further claimed that Seinfeld was made famous
because of him, and not the other way around. When the interviewer countered
that “you’re famous because of him,” Yeganeh insisted “No. He got fame through me.
I made him famous." Yeganeh  then banned Jerry Seinfeld from his restaurant.



The Actress Who Played Jerry's Mother Dated James Dean

Seinfeld has cast a number of famous actors, many of whom were very popular in
Hollywood long before the show began in 1989. One of those actors is Elizabeth Sheridan,
who played Jerry's mother. The actress was prominent in Broadway productions in the
1970s and dozens of feature films and prime-time TV network movies. Perhaps not as
well known about Sheridan is the fact that she dated actor James Dean for about a
year before he made it big in Hollywood. She even penned a book about the experience
called Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean.



Seinfeld Turned Down $110 Million For A Tenth Season

On May 14, 1998, The Finale aired, marking the last episode of the show that lasted
nine seasons. The show could have seen a tenth season, through the comedian opted
against it. When Seinfeld turned down the chance to earn $5 million per episode—a
grand total of $110 million—to come back for a tenth season, the network finally
realized that he wasn’t kidding around.



Seinfeld Begins and Ends With Buttons

It might take binge-watching the entire series several times to realize that the very
first conversation George and Jerry had in the pilot episode and their last conversation
in the finale are about a poorly-placed button.
In fact, the dialogues are almost word-for-word.

[IceWizard]

About Bob Hope






On this day in 2003, Bob Hope turned 100 years old. 
Dubbed “Mr. Entertainment” and the “King of Comedy,”
Hope died less than two months
after his 100th birthday celebration. Here are a few things you probably
didn't know about Bob Hope…




He Spent 48 Christmases Overseas

Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. From World War II
to Desert Shield, the legendary star spent 48 Christmases overseas performing with the USO
overseas entertaining the troops. Although Hope’s WWII performances won him the adoration
of many service members, it wasn’t until the mid-twentieth century, when he began regularly
hosting his infamous “Bob Hope Christmas Show,” that the iconic entertainer cemented his
legendary status among the military and civilian communities alike.



You Can Thank Bob Hope For The Brady Bunch

It's possible that some of the most famous sitcoms may never have come to fruition if it wasn't
for Bob Hope. Sherwood Schwartz was in school studying for a biology degree but needed a job,
so he wrote jokes for Bob Hope, who had a radio program. Hope liked Schwartz’s jokes so much
he hired him as a member of his writing staff. That opportunity gave Schwartz the foot in the
door he needed to get into the biz. Not long after, he would go on to create Gilligan's Island and
The Brady Bunch. Schwartz described his rise in Hollywood as an accident his whole life



He Was A Harlem Globetrotter.

Hope was named an honorary Globetrotter in 1977, receiving jersey number 1.  He accepted the
honor in typical Hope style by joking, "To be perfectly frank, I deserve to be a Globetrotter ...The
Trotters are famed for making baskets. I’ve been making baskets myself lately, and if the psychiatrists
let me out for an hour, I’ll be there for your presentation.”  A handful of other prominent figures
have joined Hope to become honorary Globetrotters over the years, including Nelson Mandela,
Henry Kissinger, and Pope Francis.



Without Bob Hope, There Would Be No Tony Bennett

Before his singing career took off, Anthony Dominick Benedetto was performing under the stage
name of Joe Bari. In 1949, Benedetto found himself singing at the New York's Village Inn, and
that's where he was discovered by Bob Hope. After listening to him sing, Hope offered Benedetto
a spot in his show at the famed Paramount Theatre. When Hope asked what his real name was,
the young singer responded – Anthony Dominick Benedetto. Bob Hope told him that the name
was "too long for the marquee. We’ll call you Tony Bennett."



Tiger Woods Played Golf With Hope at Age Two

In 1978, Earl Woods brought his 2-year-old son, Tiger, to “The Mike Douglas Show” to compete
in a putting contest as Bob Hope and actor Jimmy Stewart looked on. The little boy missed the
first put and made the audience laugh when he moved the ball to within several inches of the
hole for his second try. At 21, when he was the hottest golf player in the country, Hope called
to ask if he would play at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic but was turned down because of a
scheduling conflict.

[IceWizard]

About Secretariat




Secretariat - Belmont Stakes 1973


On June 9, 1973, Secretariat won horse racing's Triple Crown with a victory
at the Belmont Stakes. Known as one of the greatest racehorses to ever live,
Secretariat became the first horse since 1948 to win America’s coveted Triple Crown.
Here are a few things you didn't know about the racehorse commonly known
as "Big Red".




Secretariat’s fate rested on a coin toss.

In the fall of 1969, stable owners Ogden Phipps and Penny Chenery met in the offices of the
New York Racing Association for what turned out to be one of the most important coin tosses
in sports history. The winner would receive the recently born foal of the sire Bold Ruler and
the mare Hasty Matelda, while the loser would get a second foal from Bold Ruler with a different
mare, Somethingroyal. Phipps won the coin toss, but Chenery won for the record books:
In March of the following year Somethinroyal gave birth to a red chestnut colt with three
distinctive white “socks” on his legs–Secretariat. Chenery went on to fame as the legendary
horse’s owner, while the Phipps family, successful breeders for six generations, didn’t win the
Kentucky Derby until May of this year, when Orb captured the 139th Run for the Roses.



Secretariat was named Horse of the Year twice.

After losing his very first race, at Aqueduct on July 4, 1972, Secretariat lost just once more in
his two-year-old campaign, and even that was due to a controversial disqualification in a race.
At the end of that season, he was unanimously voted the winner of the Eclipse Award as
Horse of the Year—the first 2-year-old to be so honored. In fact, only one other two-year-old
has won the award: Favorite Trick, in 1997. He was a shoo-in the following year, when his
Triple Crown wins earned him top honors in every major racing award.



Nerves were on edge when Secretariat 
lost the run-up to the Derby.

Secretariat easily won the first two races as a three-year-old, before running a disappointing
third in the Wood Memorial, his final tune-up before Churchill Downs. With many in the racing
world dismissing his chances at the Derby, Secretariat’s owner and trainers believed that their
horse’s showing at the Wood had little to do with his stamina or possible nerves. Just days
before the race, an abscess had been discovered on the top of the colt’s mouth, leaving him
in severe pain. While some prognosticators now touting another horse, Sham, a half-cousin
of Secretariat’s, as the Derby favorite, Secretariat’s team successfully lanced the painful infection
and the horse was soon on the mend.



Secretariat set records that 
are still standing today.

As the 1973 Derby began, Secretariat broke out of the gate last, before quickly moving up
on the field. Accelerating with each quarter-mile segment, he crossed the finish line at
1:59 2/5th, a new (and still standing) course record. In the 40 years since, only one other
horse, Monarchos, has finished in under 2 minutes. Two weeks later at the Preakness he
once again raced to catch up with the rest of the field before winning easily. Though his
victory was never in doubt, his official time remained a point of controversy for almost
40 years. Members of the Daily Racing Form had clocked him at 1:53 2/5th, a new track
record, while officials at Pimlico posted his official time as 1:54 2/5th. It wasn’t until
June 2012 that the Maryland Racing Commission, using a forensic review of the race,
determined that not only had Secretariat set a course record in 1973, he had been
even faster than previously believed—1:53 flat.



Secretariat was a media superstar.

Secretariat-mania reached a fever pitch as he prepared for the final leg of the Triple Crown:
The week before the Belmont, Sports Illustrated, Time and Newsweek magazines featured him
on their covers in the same week—an unheard of accomplishment that has never been repeated.
After his victory, demand for the thoroughbred’s time grew go great that his owners hired the
William Morris Agency to oversee his public appearances, surely making him the rare horse
with a Hollywood agent. His fame continued long after his career ended. He was inducted into
the Horseracing Hall of Fame just a year after winning the Triple Crown.
In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative Secretariat stamp, making him the
first equine to earn the honor; and ESPN named him to their list of the 100 greatest athletes
of the 20th century.


Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes
by a jaw-dropping margin.

Racing against only four other horses in New York, Secretariat was considered such a favorite
that no third-place “show” bets were accepted on him. As was the case at both the Derby and
the Preakness, Secretariat faced off against Sham, but this time his cousin was unable to truly
challenge him, finishing last. Secretariat, however, opened an enormous lead on the field that
kept growing with every stride. By the time he crossed the finish line in yet another record-setting
time of 2:24, he was a full 31 lengths in front of the second-place finisher. Secretariat had become
the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown. Rather than trade in their winning tickets
(which would have netted just $.20 in profit), most people who bet on Secretariat decided to keep
them as souvenirs instead.



Secretariat bailed out his financially beleaguered
owners even before he won the Triple Crown.

Helen “Penny” Chenery had inherited her father’s Meadow Stable in Virginia following his death in
1973, but the organization had begun losing money years earlier. Desperate to shore up the family’s
shaky finances, Chenery agreed to a “syndicating” agreement with Seth Hancock, the new owner
of one of the country’s most prestigious breeding operations, Kentucky Claiborne Farm.
In February 1973, four months before his history-making victory at Churchill Downs, it was
announced that 32 breeding “shares” had been sold at a record-breaking price of $190,000 a
share, netting Claiborne Farms and Meadow Stable more than $6 million—$30 million in
today’s money.



Secretariat was euthanized at just 19 years old.

Secretariat’s record off the track was not as successful as it had been on it. Put out to stud in
late 1973, he sired nearly 600 foals, including one horse that sold for more than $1 million at
auction—but nearly all of his male offspring failed miserably at the racetrack. Secretariat’s
grandsires fared a bit better, with grandsons A.P. Indy a Horse of the Year winner and
great-granddaughter Rags to Riches the 2007 Belmont Stakes champion. In the fall of 1989,
the 19-year-old champion developed laminitis, an incurable hoof condition;
he was euthanized in October of that year.




His Heart Was Enormous

Not only was Secretariat was known for being kind-hearted, but he also had a big heart in
the literal sense. In fact, his heart was about two and a half times larger than the average
horse. After Secretariat was euthanized on October 4, 1989, at the age of 19, veterinarian
Thomas Swerczek performed a necropsy. Swerczek discovered that the stallion had an
abnormally large heart. While the average heart of a horse weighs 8.5 pounds,
Secretariat’s weighed between 21-22 pounds.

[IceWizard]

About American Hero Pat Tillman







On April 22, 2004, pro football player Pat Tillman, who gave up his NFL career
to enlist in the U.S. Army after the terrorist attacks on September 11th,
was killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan.
Here are some things to remember about American Hero Pat Tillman.



He Played Football Despite His Small Stature

After leading his high school in San Jose, California to a championship, Pat Tillman received a
scholarship to Arizona State University. At 5-foot-11, he was considered too small to play
linebacker at a Division I school, but he proved his critics wrong. He played four seasons,
helping lead his undefeated Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl during his junior year. After his senior
season in 1997, he was named the Pac-10 Conference defensive player of the year, an award
that now bears his name. An Academic All-American, Tillman graduated Summa Cum Laude,
with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.



The Arizona Cardinals Drafted Him As The 226th Pick

The seventh round of the draft is not usually where teams find premier talent, but Pat Tillman
moved to the safety position and defied expectations once again, playing in all 48 games for
the Cardinals during his first three seasons. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001
Tillman enlisted in the U.S. Army.  Tillman turned down an offer from the Cardinals that
would’ve paid him about $1.2 million year. He opted instead to enlist in the U.S Army for
about $1,000 a month.



He And His Brother Became Army Rangers

Pat Tillman wasn’t the only family member to forgo a career in pro sports to serve his country.
His brother Kevin gave up the prospect of a career with the Cleveland Indians, where he played
second base in the team’s minor league system. The two brothers enlisted in the Army together
on May 31, 2002. They both became members of the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment
and took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. After Pat was killed in Afghanistan, Kevin Tillman
accompanied his body back to the United States.



The Army Initially Covered Up The Cause of Tillman’s Death

The initial claim was that Tillman died in an ambush near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan.
He received a Silver Star and Purple Heart, and was posthumously promoted. Twenty-six days
after his memorial service, the Army publicly acknowledged that Tillman had died from
friendly fire while returning to support members of his platoon from whom he and other Rangers
had been separated.  He died on April 22, 2004, after being shot in the head three times
by US soldiers who had mistaken him for the enemy. Congressional inquiries and investigations
into the incident later showed that several soldiers knew about the circumstances of
Tillman’s death and attempted to hide it.



Tillman Left A Letter For His Wife

Tillman and his wife, Marie, were high school sweethearts and were married for two years
when he died. When Tillman went overseas, he left Marie a letter to open "just in case"
he was killed.  Marie opened the letter the night of his death which read:

“Through the years, I’ve asked a great deal of you.
Therefore, it should surprise you little that I have another
favor to ask.
I ask that you live.”
Marie Tillman would go on to chronicle her life with and after Tillman.
She called her book, “The Letter.”

[IceWizard]

About Ronald Reagan







On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States,
died in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
Here are some things you probably didn't know about Ronald Reagan.




He Was Almost Killed By A Chimpanzee

Ronald Reagan became famous for his role in Bedtime for Bonzo in 1951, which co-starred
a chimpanzee. Peggy, the chimp's name, grew enamored with the tie Reagan wore in one
scene and began pulling on it like a rope. Refusing to let go, she squeezed the knot to the
size of a fingernail. After finally being released, Reagan was tended to by crew personnel
who had to cut the tie off his neck.



Jelly Beans Became a Reagan Trademark

Reagan began snacking on jelly beans in 1966, shortly after he gave up pipe smoking.
Goelitz Candy, which produced his favored jelly bean, sent him shipments from 1967 to 1975
when Reagan served as Governor of California. The company continued to ship its jelly beans
to the White House throughout Reagan's eight years in office. They were even granted
authorization to distribute jelly bean jars bearing the official presidential seal to be
given out at functions.



He Was An Informant For The FBI

Reagan served as the Screen Actors Guild chairman from the late 1940s into the early 1950s.
In 1947, he worked with the FBI as an informer, providing the Feds with the names of actors
suspected of being Communist Party members or sympathizers.  J Edgar Hoover, who regarded
Reagan as an ally, took an interest in the development of his political career. Shortly before
Reagan launched his candidacy for governor of California, the FBI discovered that his adopted
son, Michael, had unknowingly become good friends with the son of Mafia boss
Joseph 'Joe Bananas' Bonnano. Hoover arranged for a discreet tip-off to Reagan, warning him
to end the association before it became an embarrassment.



His Nickname, The "Gipper," Came From a Movie

Reagan was given the nicknames Ronnie and Dutch as a child due to his Dutch boy haircut.
However, it was during his time in Hollywood that he earned his most famous nickname,
Gipper. He starred in the film Knute Rockne, All American as football player George Gipp.
While on his deathbed, the character gives the iconic line "Win just one for the Gipper." 



He Was the Voice of the Chicago Cubs
After graduating from Eureka College in 1932, Reagan began his professional career as
a sports announcer for WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa, and became the voice of the
Chicago Cubs. But rather than being at the game, he would recreate the action from
nothing but a slip of paper typed by a telegraph operator who was transcribing plays
sent by Morse code. On June 7, 1934, with the Cubs and the Cardinals tied 0-0 in the
ninth inning, with Billy Jurges at-bat and Dizzy Dean out on the mound, the line went
dead. Rather than lose his audience, Reagan improvised a streak of foul balls that
lasted nearly twelve minutes until the wire came back.

[IceWizard]

About the Battle of Okinawa







On June 22, 1945, the World War II battle for Okinawa ended after about 81 long,
harrowing days of fighting for control of the island. Here are a few interesting facts you
didn't know about the last major battle of World War II...





It Was the Pacific Theater’s Biggest Amphibious Assault

The initial invasion of Okinawa on April 1, 1945, was the largest amphibious assault
in the Pacific Theater of World War II. More than 60,000 soldiers and US Marines of
the US Tenth Army stormed ashore at Okinawa. Possession of Okinawa would give
the United States a base large enough for an invasion of mainland Japan. There
were more than 100,000 Japanese defenders on the island, but most were deeply
entrenched in the island’s densely forested interior. The Battle of Okinawa,
codenamed Operation Iceberg, was vital to the Japanese because of its proximity
to mainland Japan, and conquering this island was essential for America.



Japanese Middle School Students "Volunteered" As Soldiers

The Imperial Japanese Army mobilized 1,780 middle school boys aged 14–17 years into
front-line service. This mobilization was conducted by an ordinance of the Ministry of the
Army. The ordinances mobilized the students as volunteer soldiers, but in reality, the
military authorities ordered schools to force almost all students to "volunteer" as soldiers;
sometimes they counterfeited the necessary documents. .Among the 21 male and female
secondary schools that made up these student corps, 2,000 students would die on the battlefield.



Corporal Desmond Doss Was a Hero at the Battle of Hacksaw Ridge

Desmond Doss is credited with saving 75 soldiers during one of the bloodiest battles of
World War II in the Pacific — and he did it without ever carrying a weapon. The battle at
Hacksaw Ridge, on the island of Okinawa, was a close combat fight with heavy weaponry.
All Americans who fought in the Battle of Okinawa were heroic, but one soldier at the
escarpment stood out—Corporal Desmond T. Doss. He was a pacifist and army medic
who refused to carry or use a weapon or firearm of any kind. He remained on the after
his commanding officers ordered a retreat. Surrounded by enemy soldiers, he went
alone into the battle fray and rescued 75 of his wounded comrades. His heroic story
was brought to life on the big screen in 2016 in the film Hacksaw Ridge and he was
decorated with a Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Okinawa.







Kamikaze Pilots Caused Many Casualties

Suicide pilots, called kamikazes by the Japanese, were well-trained and prepared to die
for their country. Although American sailors attempted to shoot down their planes, it
was difficult when the Japanese flyers were bent on suicide to cause the most damage
possible, at times flying at 500 mph into the Allied ships below. By the end of the
campaign, Japan would launch almost 2,000 suicide attacks. Of the 36 Allied ships
lost, most were destroyed by the Japanese pilots who gave up their lives in
kamikaze missions.






The Death Toll on Both Sides Was Massive

The Battle of Okinawa resulted in huge losses, including 12,520 fatalities and more
than 49,000 casualties on the American side. Among the dead was the Tenth Army’s
commander, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr., killed on June 18 by a
sniper during the final offensive. He was the highest-ranking American general
killed in action during World War II. About 90,000 Japanese combatants died in
the fighting, but deaths among Okinawan civilians may have reached 150,000.