by James D. Irwin

On this day…

49 BC— Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, nothing to do with the fruit juice/everything to do with civil war.

1863— London Underground opens, used by everybody from commuters to James Bond.

1920— The Treaty of Versailles takes effect, ending WWI/setting up the sequel.

1927— Metropolis is released in Germany, becomes Adolf Hitler’s favourite.

1962— NASA reveals plans for the C-5 rocket launch vehicle. Man would walk on the Moon just seven years later— the C-5 is better known as the Saturn V Moon rocket, which launched every Apollo mission.

Born today…

1908— Bernard Lee, the original ‘M’ in the Bond films.

1945— Gunter von Hagens, wacky anatomist who performed the first public autopsy in Britain in 170 years. It was later televised on Channel 4, and received an OFCOM record of 130 complaints.

1945— Rod Stewart, celebrity Celtic fan.

1949— George Foreman, lean, mean, grilling machine. All five of his sons are named George.

1949— Linda Lovelace, the original Deep Throat.

1953— Pat Benatar, decorated General in the battlefield of love.

 

Died today…

1961— Dashiell Hammet, pulp novelist.