Annie Oakley died on November 3, 1924 from pernicious anemia. Her life is a testament to the strength and determination of American frontierswomen. Skilled with weapons and equal to many of her male counterparts, Annie Oakley remains an integral part of western history.
It was in 1885 that the star crossed (or rifle crossed) couple joined the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. 
On August 24th, 1926, eighty thousand people broke into a riot at the corner of Broadway and 66th Street in New York City. More than two hundred policemen were dispatched to the scene and an emergency hospital was erected on site to tend to those injured by glass from broken windows or trampled as the crowd surged through the sidewalks.
The impetus for this mass mayhem was the death of America’s then-favorite onscreen lothario, Rudolph Valentino. The silent film idol was at the peak of his fame – on both the screen and in the tabloids — during the summer of 1926 when he descended on the Big Apple to promote his latest picture, The Son of the Sheik.
But all was not well with 31-year-old superstar. After collapsing in the company of friends, Valentino was rushed to New York’s Polyclinic Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a gastric ulcer and inflamed appendix. By August 19th, rumors began to circulate that the actor was at death’s door and, four days later, they proved true. Valentino laid dead, the result of post-surgical complications with his lung and septic poisoning. The news spread quickly through the streets and soon authorities were reporting multiple suicides and suicide attempts by the actor’s female admirers.
Meanwhile, Valentino’s body was shrouded in gold cloth, placed in a wicker basket, and whisked to the Campbell Funeral Parlor at Broadway and 66th. Though the press announced the actor was to lie in state beginning at four o’clock the following afternoon, mourners soon began to congregate at the corner. By the following morning, tens of thousands of those who had come to pay their last respects — the vast majority of which happened to be women — stood four wide in a line that stretched for eleven blocks.
As police tried to rearrange the crowd into a single file, more orderly fashion, mourners spilled in street, losing clothes and shoes along the way and rushing the door as deliveries of flowers poured in. High theatrics transpired inside the funeral parlor as well with approximately one hundred and thirty-eight people a minute viewing the corpse of Rudolph Valentino and many a brokenhearted girl fainting at its sight. Only fanning the flames of this mass hysteria were an honor guard of Fascist Blackshirts, reputedly dispatched by Bennito Mussolini himself to protect the body of the Italian-born film star. The remembrance’s roster of physical clashes was complete once a faction of New York anti-fascists arrived to face down their opposition.
Campbell’s Funeral Parlor closed its doors to the public on August 26th, though, after obtaining a special waiver from the New York Department of Health, Valentino was allowed to remain unburied until the actor’s brother, Alberto, could arrive from Europe. In the meantime, however, not one, but two, starlets, Polish actress Pola Negri and Ziegield Girl Marion Kay Brenda, arrived to announce that Valentino had proposed to them shortly before his passing. While the press never confirmed the veracity of either allegation, the frenzied results of the actor’s death cemented his status as a Hollywood icon once and for all time –- arguably more than any of the movies he made while alive.
| History Collectors: We offer a wide selection of museum quality replicas and authentic items representing nearly every century of the Common Era and the most significant civilizations of ancient history. Once you browse through our online catalogue, we are certain you’ll find the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one with an interest in history. |
|
|||||||||||
Tags: 1926, August 19, August 24, Bennito Mussolini, Fascist Blackshirts, gastric ulcer, History DVDs, History Store, hollywood funerals, Hollywood icon, inflamed appendix, mass mania, mass mayhem, Pola Negri, replica guns, Replica Swords, Rudolf Valentino, scale model kits, superstar funeral, The Son of the Sheik, Ziegield Girl Marion Kay Brenda
To many of us SPAM refers to junk emails or unwanted communication. Many people are more familiar with this connotation than the canned meat for which it was named that was developed in 1926 by Jay Hormel, son of company founder George Hormel. His first canned ham was Hormel Flavor-Sealed Ham and eleven years later he further developed the product so it did not need refrigeration. It was a chopped pork shoulder and ham combination and was marketed as Hormel Spiced Ham which was not a catchy name, especially for a product that would be integral in the worlds diets and wars.
The Spiced Ham got a lot of competition from other companies who introduced their own canned meats. Hormel devised a plan to give their product a catchy name and offered a cash prize to the best name and the winner was SPAM. It was promoted heavily during 1937 and was offered as an anytime product not just for lunch. They were a sponsor of the George Burns and Gracie Allen radio program and created the character Spammy the Pig. But sales really took off during WWII since it was great for the military because it required no refrigeration. It also was not rationed as beef products were so it became a popular meal staple. Russian Premier Nikita Kruschev actually credited SPAM with helping his armies survive during WWII.
During the 1950s SPAM was marketed by a group of Hormel Girls who distributed the product door to door and performed on the radio as well and as at events around the country. SPAM was sold in 12 ounce cans but was introduced as a smaller 7 ounce can in 1960 and they began to offer a variety of different flavors. In 1970 they introduced Smoke Flavored SPAM and offered a low sodium version in the mid-1980s. Other versions include SPAM-lite, SPAM Breakfast Strips, and Turkey SPAM.
