EarthStation1 MediaOutlet News: Today's 15% Off Specials & #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Titles At EarthStation1.com!

Calendar Dates: April 17

Last Updated: April 17, 2026


Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Barnum's Big Top: P. T. Barnum's Circuses + 2 Bonuses MP4 Download DVD
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17: World Circus Day: -- Created to shine a spotlight on circus creators, performers, and artists. As one of the most popular and universal forms of entertainment, circus art is brought to the forefront to create awareness for everyone involved in the industry. This day is dedicated to emphasizing their craft, talents, and skills. It also helps them raise funds, attract audiences, and enter the zeitgeist of the entertainment scene. From veteran performers to up-and-coming artists, this day is dedicated to their hard work and dedication. Circus art is not as easy as it looks - it takes years of training and perseverance to achieve mastery. Today, we celebrate them and their contributions to the arts. While the origin of the circus remains unclear, historians believe that the first circus acts began in Ancient Rome. The circus is the first form of public entertainment where men and women weren't separated. The Circus Maximus was the first circus arena built in Ancient Rome, in the Old Kingdom era. It could fit at least 250,000 spectators per show. Some of the renowned circus arenas of the Roman era include Circus Neronis, Circus Flaminius, and Circus of Maxentius. The start of the modern circus era began in the 18th century when Philip Astley opened an amphitheater in Lambeth, London. He pioneered horse riding tricks as a form of entertainment in front of a public audience. He initially called this performance arena 'Circle' but the term evolved and later on became prominently known as 'Circus.' The first mainstream clown was Joseph Grimaldi in 1781. He was well-known for his role as Little Clown in his shows - "The Triumph of Mirth" or "Harlequin's Wedding." Later on, Astley exported his circus to France and was able to build 18 more all across Europe. The first modern circus in the United States was founded by John Bill Ricketts on April 3, 1793. Known as the Circus of Pepin and Breschard, his circus group traveled from Montreal to Havana in the early 19th century. Joshua Purdy was the first one to introduce a large tent as a staple venue for circus acts in 1835. It was brought to England by Thomas Taplin Cooke in 1835, since it was a lot more practical, flexible, and allowed audiences to gather in a wide-open space. Contemporary circuses skyrocketed in the 1970s all across Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. This type of circus combined theater, stunts, and traditional circus acts to tell a story. This heavily influenced the circus we all know today. But it was in 2010 when Princess Stephanie of Monaco publicized the art of circus as a shared cultural heritage, declaring April 17 as World Circus Day. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/barnum39s-big-top-dvd-p-t-barnum-and-his-circuses-dvd-mp4-394.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: And Away We Go! US Cars + Bonus Internal Combusion Engine MP4 DVD
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17: Ford Mustang Day: -- A special day to all automobile enthusiasts as it celebrates the most successful sports car. Yes, we are talking about the classic Ford Mustang. Powered by a robust engine and luring car lovers with its sleek design, this Pony car is one of a kind. Ever since the car turned 50, the idea of fans and Mustang owners getting out on the streets to demonstrate their love for this vehicle has become a global phenomenon. Every year, Mustang lovers participate in club activities and attend demonstrative rallies to observe this day. Ford Mustang Day marks the anniversary of the Mustang's introduction to the world at the New York World Fair in 1964. There are many reasons why the Mustang has a legendary reputation. Its surprise appearance in the best cinema car chase of all time alongside Steve McQueen continues to be the crowning moment for this stallion. Interestingly, the name "Mustang" was not the first choice. The design and marketing teams battled around various other potential names like Cougar, Torino, Stiletto, Panther, Comet, and many more. Ford's executive stylist, John Najjar, suggested the name "Mustang" after the P-51 Mustang, a fighter plane used in World War II. Most of his team members did not approve of his idea. Eventually, they decided to drop the P-51 and stick with Mustang in tribute to a particular breed of horse. Although it is still not certain whether the car is named after a horse, its unique horse logo testifies to the fact. The logo led to the creation of a new motoring category altogether - "The Pony Club." There have been several transformations and remodeling that went into the Pony machine since its arrival. The Pony is currently running its sixth generation. This consistent production is no less than a feat. The only time Ford discontinued a model was the convertible in 1973. But it did make a comeback ten years later, in 1983. The brand never fails to set and break its records. In 2007, Ford came up with another new edition known as "Warriors in Pink." It featured pink interior stitching and pink rocker tape striping in alliance with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. So far, the company has raised 120M USD to support this cause and provide aid to the victims. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/and-away-we-go-american-automobile-history-dvd.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: The Divine Garbo: Greta Garbo Biography DVD, Download, USB Flash Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17: There's Nothing Like A Dame Day: -- Created to honor the women of the theater and films. The idea was further popularized when veteran actresses Dames Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith came together for the documentary "There's Nothing Like a Dame." We are here to show you how you can celebrate the day in the best way possible and tell you how the term 'Dame' has changed over the years. It went from being a female ruler to something that referred to all women. In the U.K., a Dame is a woman who has been honored for her work for a long time. In the fourteenth century, the title 'Dame' was a sign of honor to women. In places like the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, 'Dame' was the feminine counterpart of 'Sir,' which was for men. The chivalric order, 'The Order of Ermine,' was the first to recognize women. There were many notable women knights throughout the Middle Ages. Previously, the term 'Dame' referred to the wife of a knight. In the seventeenth century, it was replaced by 'Lady.' In the twentieth century, the term 'dame' referred to all women. In 1932, the film "Dames," a musical comedy, was released. It had many popular dance numbers like "The Girl at the Ironing Board" and "Try to See It My Way." In 1949, "South Pacific," a musical, came out. It featured the song "There's Nothing Like a Dame," in which seven sailors sang, longing for women in their lives. In 2018, British theater and television director Roger Michell made the film documentary "Nothing Like a Dame Day," which starred actresses of yesteryears like Judy Dench, Joan Plowright, and Maggie Smith. The documentary shed light on these women's lives and how theater and cinema changed over the years. In the U.S., the documentary went by "Tea With The Dames." On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/the-divine-garbo-greta-garbo-biography-dvd-video-download-usb-drive.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Immigration To The United States Documentaries DVD, MP4, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17: National Ellis Island Family History Day: -- A day which encourages families to explore their ancestry and discover family who immigrated through Ellis Island, at one time the busiest immigration inspection station in the United States. On this date in 1907, officials recorded 11,747 names passing through Ellis Island. It was the busiest day of immigration in the station's history; during all of 1907, officials processed over one million immigrants through Ellis Island. On April 17, 2001, Ellis Island documents become digitally accessible to the general public. This project enabled millions of families to finally retrace their ancestors' footsteps in a way they had never been able to do before. Accordingly, governors across the United States thereafter officially declared the observance of National Ellise Island Family History Day to be celebrated on April 17th annually. From 1892 to 1924, millions of immigrants to the United States passed through the Ellis Island inspection station. During its operation, approximately 12 million immigrants passed through the halls of Ellis Island. It operated from 1892 to 1954. Before Ellis Island, immigrants entered the United States in New York City at Castle Garden. Just months before Ellis Island's opening, the old depot was demolished and ushered in a new era of immigration. The Statue Of Liberty overlooks Ellis Island and was one of the first sights the nearly 2,000 immigrants a day would see as they disembarked. The new facilities offered an improvement over the Castle Garden. The large, open, and airy facility presented an overwhelming obstacle to some, though. Thousands of people from many cultures and speaking different languages gathered in one place. After such a long journey, the arrival at Ellis Island must have been stressful and confusing. For some, they entered Ellis Island as a step toward their future. Officials turned others away for a variety of reasons. If you have a family member who immigrated through Ellis Island, you can celebrate the day by exploring your ancestry and following your ancestors' footsteps. Discover the history behind your family's name or learn about their experiences as they traveled to a new land. Many documents reveal glimpses into their lives and their reasons for immigrating. To observe National Ellis Island Family History Day, use #EllisIslandFamilyHistoryDay to post on social media. Through its website, ellisisland.org, you explore the histories of famous immigrants. You can also search passenger lists and follow the clues to your family's past. While you research, take a virtual tour or learn genealogy basics. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/immigration-to-the-united-states-dvd.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: The Western Tradition TV Series DVD, MP4 Video Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1397: The History Of Literature: The History Of English Literature: Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales: -- Geoffrey Chaucer tells The Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II of England. Chaucer scholars have also identified this date (in 1387) as the start of the book's pilgrimage to Canterbury. The Canterbury Tales (Middle English: Tales Of Caunterbury) is a collection of twenty-four stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400. It is widely regarded as Chaucer's magnum opus. The tales (mostly written in verse, although some are in prose) are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southwark on their return. It has been suggested that the greatest contribution of The Canterbury Tales to English literature was the popularisation of the English vernacular in mainstream literature, as opposed to French, Italian or Latin. English had, however, been used as a literary language centuries before Chaucer's time, and several of Chaucer's contemporaries-John Gower, William Langland, the Pearl Poet, and Julian of Norwich-also wrote major literary works in English. It is unclear to what extent Chaucer was seminal in this evolution of literary preference. The Canterbury Tales is generally thought to have been incomplete at the end of Chaucer's life. In the General Prologue, some 30 pilgrims are introduced. According to the Prologue, Chaucer's intention was to write four stories from the perspective of each pilgrim, two each on the way to and from their ultimate destination, St. Thomas Becket's shrine (making for a total of about 120 stories). Although perhaps incomplete, The Canterbury Tales is revered as one of the most important works in English literature. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/the-western-tradition-dvd-set-all-52-shows-13-d5213.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Triumph Of The West 13 Part TV Documentary Series DVD, Download, USB
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1521: The History Of Christianity: The Reformation (The Protestant Reformation, The European Reformation): The Diet Of Worms Of 1521: -- The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins. Initially intimidated, he asks for time to reflect before answering and is given a stay of one day. The Diet Of Worms Of 1521 (German: Reichstag Zu Worms, "Parliament Of Worms") was an imperial diet (a formal deliberative assembly) of the Holy Roman Empire (modern Germany) called by Emperor Charles V and conducted in the Imperial Free City of Worms. Martin Luther was summoned to the Diet in order to renounce or reaffirm his views in response to a Papal bull of Pope Leo X. In answer to questioning, he defended these views and refused to recant them. At the end of the Diet, the Emperor issued the Edict of Worms (Wormser Edikt), a decree which condemned Luther as "a notorious heretic" and banned citizens of the Empire from propagating his ideas. Although the Protestant Reformation is usually considered to have begun in 1517, the edict signals the first overt schism. The diet was conducted from January 28 to May 25, 1521 at the Heylshof Garden, with the Emperor presiding. Other imperial diets had taken place at Worms in the years 829, 926, 1076, 1122, 1495, and 1545, but unless plainly qualified, the term "Diet Of Worms" usually refers to the assembly of 1521. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/triumph-of-the-west-tv-series-5-dual-layer-dvds-all-13-sh513.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Columbus & The Age Of Discovery TV Series + Bonus MP4 Download DVD Set
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1524: The Age Of Discovery (The Age Of Exploration): Giovanni da Verrazzano's 1522-24 Voyage To North America: The Discovery Of New York Bay: -- Giovanni da Verrazzano (often misspelled Verrazano in English), Florentine explorer of North America, in the service of King Francis I of France, becomes the first European to discover New York Bay when his three-masted sailing vessel La Dauphine (French: "The [feminine] Dolphin", i.e. the wife of the crown prince) sails into Upper New York Harbor. He mistakenly believed it to be a large lake, rather than the entrance to the Hudson River. There he was met by 30 canoes of the Lenape people (also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware People), the Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of what is now The United States and Canada. He gave it the name of New Angouleme (French: La Nouvelle-Angouleme) in honor of King Francis I, who had been Count Of Angouleme from 1496 until his coronation in 1515. The name refers to the town of Angouleme, in the Charente departement of France. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/columbus-and-the-age-of-discovery-epic-7-hourlong-episode-tv-serie7.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: A Moment In Time (1976) Film History DVD, Video Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1837: #BOTD: J. P. Morgan, American financier and banker who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation in the United States of America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (d. March 31, 1913) is #born John Pierpont Morgan in Hartford, Connecticut to Junius Spencer Morgan (1813-1890) and Juliet Pierpont (1816-1884) of the influential Morgan family. John Pierpont Morgan Sr. arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company in 1892 to form General Electric. He also played important roles in the formation of the United States Steel Corporation, International Harvester and ATAmpersandT. At the height of Morgan's career during the early twentieth century, he and his partners had financial investments in many large corporations and had significant influence over the nation's high finance and United States Congress members. He directed the banking coalition that stopped the Panic of 1907. He was the leading financier of the Progressive Era, and his dedication to efficiency and modernization helped transform American business. Adrian Wooldridge characterized Morgan as America's "greatest banker". Morgan died in Rome, Italy, in his sleep in 1913 at the age of 75, leaving his fortune and business to his son, John Pierpont Morgan Jr. Biographer Ron Chernow estimated his fortune at "only" 80M USD, prompting John D. Rockefeller to say: "and to think, he wasn't even a rich man.". On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/a-moment-in-time-dvd-film-history-narrated-by-gordon-parks.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Overlords Of The U.F.O. (1976) MP4 Video Download DVD
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1891: #BOTD: #HBD! George Adamski, Polish-American ufologist and author (d. April 23, 1965) is #born in Bromberg in the Kingdom Of Prussia, German Empire. He became widely known in ufology circles, and to some degree in popular culture, after he claimed to have photographed spaceships from other planets, met with friendly Nordic alien Space Brothers, and to have taken flights with them to the Moon and other planets. He was the first, and most famous, of the so-called contactees of the 1950s. Adamski called himself a "philosopher, teacher, student and saucer researcher", although most investigators concluded his claims were an elaborate hoax, and that Adamski himself was a con artist. Adamski authored three books describing his meetings with Nordic aliens and his travels with them aboard their spaceships: Flying Saucers Have Landed (co-written with Desmond Leslie) in 1953, Inside the Space Ships in 1955, and Flying Saucers Farewell in 1961. The first two books were both bestsellers; by 1960 they had sold a combined 200,000 copies. George Adamski died at the age of 74 of a heart attack at a friend's home in Silver Spring, Maryland, after giving a UFO lecture in Washington, DC. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/overlords-of-the-ufo-dvd.html


Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Calling America: Axis WW2 Radio Propaganda MP3 CD Download USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1894: #BOTD: Herbert John Burgman, American broadcaster of Nazi propaganda during World War II, broadcaster for "Radio Debunk", self-described as "The Voice Of All Free America" under the pseudonym of Joe Scanlon, convicted of treason in 1949 and sentenced to six to 20 years in prison (d. December 16, 1953) is #born in Hokah, Minnesota, the son of Gustave and Karoline (nee Dahlke) Burgman. He served with the U.S. Army from 1918 to 1920. Burgman was posted to Germany and served in the American zone in the Occupation of the Rhineland. In 1921, he joined the State Department in Berlin and worked as a clerk and economic statistician in the U.S. embassy to Germany. Burgman married a German national, Johanna Karhl, in 1924. Their son was born in 1925. By 1941, he was a committed Nazi sympathizer and when Germany declared war on America on December 11, 1941, he chose to remain in Germany rather than return to the U.S. with the repatriation of the embassy staff. In his broadcasts, Burgman attempted to persuade American listeners that prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases were widespread in the U.S. Army stationed overseas and that Britain and the Soviet Union were in collusion against the United States. He blamed Franklin D. Roosevelt and "his Jewish and Communistic pals" for the war. Burgman was arrested by American soldiers at his home in Rumpenheim, Frankfurt in November 1945. He was held in detention along with Mildred Gillars and Donald S. Day by the Counterintelligence Corps at Camp King, Oberursel, until his conditional release on December 24, 1946. He was required to report regularly to U.S. Military Police who then employed him as an interpreter even though he had been assessed as mentally incompetent by U.S. Army psychiatrists. Burgman was rearrested on the instructions of the Justice Department on November 22, 1948, and returned to military custody in Frankfurt. He was returned to the United States on February 4, 1949, to face trial for treason. On April 1, 1949, Burgman was arraigned on 69 counts of treason at the Washington U.S. District Court. On May 9, 1949, Judge Henry A. Schweinhaut ordered that a new mental examination should be made. This time, he was assessed as mentally competent and his trial began on October 11, 1949, with the original 69 counts of treason being reduced to 20. The prosecution relied on the many broadcasts featuring Burgman recorded by the Federal Communications Commission stationed in Silver Hill, Maryland to show his active participation in propaganda activities against the United States and eyewitness evidence of him broadcasting for the enemy. He admitted broadcasting wartime propaganda for the Germans, but his defense contended that he was insane when doing so. It was also argued that he had made his broadcasts in fear of the Gestapo. Burgman suffered a heart attack during his trial and appeared in a wheelchair at some of the proceedings. He was convicted of 13 acts of treason on November 15, 1949. A motion for a new trial was denied on December 15, 1949, and five days later, on December 20, 1949, Judge Alexander Holtzoff sentenced Burgman to imprisonment for 6 to 20 years. On February 8, 1951, the use of electrical transcriptions of his wartime broadcasts in his treason trial was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals. Burgman served his prison sentence at the federal prison in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Herbert John Burgman died of acute pulmonary edema due to heart disease at the age of 59. Burgman died on the first anniversary of the death of fellow Nazi propagandist Robert Henry Best, who had died in the same prison. Burgman is interred in the Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Minnesota. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/calling-america-axis-ww2-radio-propaganda-mp3-23.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: The Genius That Was China Documentary Series DVD, Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1895: The Century Of Humiliation (The Hundred Years Of National Humiliation) (1838-1945): The Sino-Japanese Wars: The First Sino-Japanese War: The Treaty of Shimonoseki (Japanese: Shimonoseki Joyaku) (The Treaty Of Maguan [Chinese: Maguan Tiaoyue], The Treaty Of Bakan (Japanese: Bakan Joyaku): -- The First Sino-Japanese War ends with the signing of The Treaty of Shimonoseki by the Qing Empire of China and the Empire Of Japan at the Shunpanro Hotel in Shimonoseki, Japan at the end of a peace conference that had begun on March 20. According to the terms of the treaty, the defeated Qing Empire was forced to renounce its claims on Korea, and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtien province, Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan. This treaty followed and superseded the Sino-Japanese Friendship And Trade Treaty of 1871. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/the-genius-that-was-china-dvd-tv-documentary-series-2-disc-se2.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: UFO MP3s Collection: Alien Phenomena CD, MP3 Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1897: UFO Incidents (Unidentified Flying Object Incidents): The Aurora, Texas, UFO Incident: -- As reported in an article published in the Dallas Morning News written by S.E. Haydon published two days later on April 19, 1897, an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) crashes into a windmill "with a terrific explosion" on a farm owned by Judge J.S. Proctor two days earlier at around 6am local (Central) time near Aurora, Texas. The article went on to report that the pilot, who was "not an inhabitant of this world" and was in the opinion of Army Signal Service officer T.J. Weems "a native of the planet Mars", did not survive the crash, was found to have documents "written in some form of hieroglyphics", and was to be buried the day after the article was published. The article further states "The ship was too badly damaged to form any conclusion as to the construction or motive power. It was built of an unknown metal, resembling somewhat a mixture of aluminum and silver... The town is full of people to-day who are viewing the wreck and gathering specimens of strange metal from the debris...". After the article's publication, the pilot was indeed buried at the nearby Aurora Cemetery, along with some of the wreckage of the crash. A stone placed as a marker on the grave was later removed; the cemetery currently contains a Texas Historical Commission marker mentioning the incident. The remaining wreckage from the crash site, which debris was scattered over several acres, was dumped into a well located under the damaged windmill. The property was sold around 1935 to Mr. Brawley Oates, who cleaned out the debris from the well in order to use it as a water source. He later developed an extremely severe case of arthritis, which he claimed to be the result of contaminated water from the wreckage dumped into the well. As a result, Oates sealed up the well with a concrete slab and placed an outbuilding atop the slab which, according to writing on the slab, was done in 1945. The Aurora, Texas, UFO Incident has many similarities to the more famous Roswell UFO Incident that occured 50 years later, and was referred to in an Above Top Secret briefing that General George Marshall gave to President Truman immediately after the Roswell crash. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/ufo-mp3s-tv-radio-and-audio-recordings-mp3-33.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: The Proud And Profane 1956 William Holden Deborh Kerr DVD Download USB
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1918: #BOTD: #HBD! William Holden, American actor, one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s (d. November 12, 1981) is #born William Franklin Beedle Jr. in O'Fallon, Illinois. William Holden won the Oscar for Best Actor for the film Stalag 17 (1953), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for the television film The Blue Knight (1973). Holden starred in some of Hollywood's most popular and critically acclaimed films, including Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Bunch, Picnic, and Network. He was named one of the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" six times (1954-1958, 1961), and appeared as 25th on the American Film Institute's list of 25 greatest male stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema. William Holden died when he bleds to death at age 63 in his apartment in Santa Monica, California after lacerating his forehead from slipping on a rug while intoxicated and hitting a bedside table. Forensic evidence recovered at the scene suggested that he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall. The causes of death were given as "exsanguination" and "blunt laceration of scalp." Rumors existed that he was suffering from lung cancer, which Holden had denied at a 1980 press conference. His death certificate makes no mention of cancer. He dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted. President Ronald Reagan released a statement: "I have a great feeling of grief. We were close friends for many years. What do you say about a longtime friend - a sense of personal loss, a fine man. Our friendship never waned." On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/the-proud-and-profane-1956-dvd-william-holden-deborah-1956.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: The Hippie Temptation (1967) w/ Harry Reasoner DVD, MP4, USB Stick
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1923: #BOTD: #HBD! Harry Reasoner, American soldier and journalist for ABC and CBS News, known for his inventive use of language as a television commentator and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program (d. August 6, 1991) is #born on First Street North in Dakota City, Iowa. Over the course of his career, Harry Truman Reasoner won three Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award in 1967. 60 Minutes is an American newsmagazine television program broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. In 2002, 60 Minutes was ranked #6 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and in 2013, it was ranked #24 on TV Guide's 60 Best Series of All Time. The New York Times has called it "one of the most esteemed news magazines on American television". Season 50 debuted on September 24, 2017. It has been renewed for a record 51st season. Harry Reasoner died within three months of his retirement in 1991 from a blood clot in the brain, resulting from a fall at his home in Westport, Connecticut, aged 68. He is interred at Union Cemetery in Humboldt, Iowa. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/the-hippie-temptation-dvd-1967-harry-reasoner-cbs-tv-documen1967.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee (1969) The Monkees DVD MP4 Download USB
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1934: #BOTD: #HBD! Don Kirshner, American impresario, songwriter and producer (d. January 17, 2011) is #born Donald Clark Kirshner into a Jewish family in the Bronx, New York. Once described by Time Magazine as The Man With the Golden Ear, was an American music publisher, rock music producer, talent manager, and songwriter. He was best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups, such as the Monkees, Kansas, and the Archies. He graduated from George Washington High School in Manhattan, and went on to study at Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey. After graduation he went to work for Vanderbilt Music, a small music publishing company owned by former Tin Pan Alley lyricist Al Lewis. Kirshner brought Lewis together with Sylvester Bradford, an African-American songwriter. Lewis and Bradford wrote "Tears on My Pillow", which was a big hit for Little Anthony and the Imperials in 1958. Kirshner achieved his first major success in the late 1950s and early 1960s as co-owner of the influential New York-based publishing company Aldon Music with partner Al Nevins, which had under contract at various times several of the most important songwriters of the so-called "Brill Building" school, including Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Paul Simon, Phil Spector, Howard Greenfield, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Tony Orlando, and Jack Keller. As a producer-promoter, Kirshner was instrumental in launching the careers of singers and songwriters, including Bobby Darin, with whom he collaborated on a number of advertising jingles and pop "ditties" - their first was called "Bubblegum Pop". He was also responsible for finding Tony Orlando, Neil Diamond, Carole King, and Sarah Dash of Labelle, as well as discovering the occasional rock act, such as Kansas. Kirshner had three record labels. The first was Chairman Records, a subsidiary of London Records. Although he was responsible for scores of hits in the 1960s, he was only to have one on the Chairman label - 1963's "Martian Hop" by The Ran-Dells - which reached number 16 nationally. Kirshner later had two other record labels: Calendar Records, which had early hits by the Archies, and later morphed into the Kirshner label, which had later hits by the Archies and Kansas. Calendar/Kirshner recordings were first distributed by RCA Records, then CBS Records. Kirshner was also involved in Dimension Records. In the early 1960s, Kirshner was a successful music publisher as head of his own company, Aldon Music, which later was sold to Screen Gems-Columbia Music. With Al Nevins, Kirshner brought performers such as Bobby Darin together with songwriters and musicians. He later became president of COLGEMS, a subsidiary of the COLPIX label, in 1966. Kirshner was hired by the producers of The Monkees to provide hit-worthy songs to accompany the television program, within a demanding schedule. Kirshner used songwriting talent from his Brill Building stable of writers and musicians to create catchy, engaging tracks which the band could pretend to perform on the show. This was required to keep up with the demanding schedule. The formula worked phenomenally well - the singles "Last Train to Clarksville", written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and "I'm a Believer", written by Neil Diamond, were, along with the first two Monkees albums, produced and released in time to catch the initial wave of the television program's popularity. After a year, the Monkees wanted a chance to play their own instruments on the records. They also wanted more control over which songs would be released as singles. The matter reached a breaking point over a disagreement regarding the Neil Diamond-penned "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" in early 1967. The song's release by Kirshner as a single, without Columbia Pictures' consent, led to his dismissal. Kirshner's later venture was the Archies, an animated series where there were only studio musicians to be managed. Kirshner was a music consultant or music supervisor for nearly two dozen TV series between 1966 and 1977, such as Bewitched. One instance brought Phil Spector, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart together on the TV show I Dream of Jeannie, a program on which Don Kirshner was credited as music consultant for 35 episodes from 1966 to 1967. From 1970 to 1979, Kirshner served as producer or executive producer for a number of made for TV movies, TV specials, and TV series. One of those series was the musical game show Musical Chairs, notable for being the first game show hosted by an African-American, Adam Wade. In the fall of 1972, Kirshner was asked by ABC Television to serve as executive producer and "creative consultant" for their new In Concert series, which aired every other week in the 11:30 p.m. slot normally showing The Dick Cavett Show. The following September, Kirshner left In Concert to produce and host his own syndicated weekly rock-concert program called Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. With its long-form live performances, it was a new direction for pop music presentation on television as compared to rehearsed, often lip-synced performances that were the staple of earlier television shows like Shindig!. The last show aired in 1981, the year that MTV was launched. The program presented many of the most successful bands of the era, usually rock and roll but occasionally from other genres, each time introduced by Kirshner's trademark monotone delivery as the program host. In its final season, Rock Concert was mostly hosted by Kirshner's son and daughter, whose delivery was similar as their father's. Kirshner's "wooden" presentation style was later lampooned on Saturday Night Live by Paul Shaffer, most notably in Shaffer's introduction of the Blues Brothers during the duo's television debut. Shaffer and Kirshner worked together on the short-lived situation comedy, A Year at the Top, which Kirshner co-produced with Norman Lear, and in which Shaffer starred. Kirshner received the 2007 Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Olman Publishing Award. He was a creative consultant for Rockrena, a company founded by Jack Wishna, and launched in 2011 to promote new music talent online. He died of heart failure in a Boca Raton, Florida hospital on January 17, 2011, at age 76, survived by his wife of 50 years, Sheila; his son, Ricky Kirshner; daughter, Daryn Lewis; and five grandchildren. He is buried at Temple Beth El Mausoleum in Boca Raton. On April 14, 2012, Don Kirshner was posthumously inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/33-13-revolutions-per-monkee-dvd-1969-tv33131969.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Ratlines WWII Escape Routes For Fascist War Criminals MP4 Download DVD
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1941: World War II: The European Civil War: The Second European War (The European Theater Of World War II): The Mediterranean And Middle East Theater Of World War II: The Balkans Campaign (World War II): The Invasion Of Yugoslavia (The April War, Operation 25): -- The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders when it signs an armistice with Germany and Italy, after only eleven days of fighting. It came into effect the following day at noon. Scholars have proposed a number of theories for the Royal Yugoslav Army's sudden collapse, including poor training and equipment, lack of leadership, generals eager to secure a quick cessation of hostilities, the army's subpar equipment and outdated tactical and strategical techniques, and a sizeable Croatian, Slovenian and German fifth column. Many Serbian nationalists blamed the loss on fifth columnist Croats who stood to gain from Italian and German rule, ignoring the primary failure of the Yugoslav Army and its almost entirely Serbian leadership. Many Croatian nationalists blamed Belgrade politicians and the inadequacy of the Serbian-dominated army. Others state that the fifth column had little effect on the ultimate outcome of the invasion, and that the insistence of the Yugoslav Army on defending all the borders assured its failure from the start. After the surrender, Yugoslavia was subsequently divided amongst Germany, Hungary, Italy and Bulgaria. Germany took control of most of Serbia. Although Ante Pavelic, leader of the fascist Ustase, declared an Independent State Of Croatia before the invasion was even over, Croatia was actually under the joint control of Germany and Italy. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/ratlines-wwii-escape-routes-for-fascist-war-criminals-mp4-download-dvd.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Ike: The War Years Complete 2 Part TV Miniseries DVD, MP4, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1942: The European Civil War: World War II: The Second European War (The European Theater Of World War II): Prisoner Of War Escapes: The Excape Of Henri Giraud: -- French prisoner of war General Henri Giraud (January 18 1879 - March 11, 1949) escapes from his castle prison in Konigstein Fortress. When World War II began, Giraud was a member of the Superior War Council, and disagreed with Charles de Gaulle about the tactics of using armoured troops. He became the commander of the 7th Army when it was sent to the Netherlands on May 10, 1940 and was able to delay German troops at Breda on May 13. Subsequently, the depleted 7th Army was merged with the 9th. While trying to block a German attack through the Ardennes, he was at the front with a reconnaissance patrol when he was captured by German troops at Wassigny on May 19. A court-martial tried Giraud for ordering the execution of two German saboteurs wearing civilian clothes but he was acquitted and taken to Konigstein Castle near Dresden, which was used as a high-security POW prison. Giraud planned his escape carefully over two years. He learned German and memorised a map of the area. He made a 150 feet (46 m) rope out of twine, torn bedsheets, and copper wire, which friends had smuggled into the prison for him. Using a simple code embedded in his letters home, he informed his family of his plans to escape. On April 17, 1942, he lowered himself down the cliff of the mountain fortress. He had shaved off his moustache and wearing a Tyrolean hat, travelled to Schandau to meet his Special Operations Executive (SOE) contact who provided him with a change of clothes, cash and identity papers. Through various ruses, he reached the Swiss border by train. To avoid border guards who were on the alert for him, he walked through the mountains until he was stopped by two Swiss soldiers, who took him to Basel. Giraud eventually slipped into Vichy France, where he made his identity known. He tried to convince Marshal Petain that Germany would lose, and that France must resist the German occupation. His views were rejected but the Vichy government refused to return Giraud to the Germans. Giraud's escape was soon known all over France. Pierre Laval tried to persuade him to return to Germany. Yet while remaining loyal to Petain and the Vichy government, Giraud refused to cooperate with the Germans. In retaliation, Heinrich Himmler ordered the Gestapo to try to assassinate him and to arrest any members of Giraud's family that could be found, who would be held hostage in order to discourage Giraud from cooperating with the Allies. Seventeen members of Giraud's extended family were arrested. He was secretly contacted by the Allies, who gave him the code name Kingpin. Giraud was already planning for the day when American troops landed in France. He agreed to support an Allied landing in French North Africa, provided that only American troops were used (like many other French officers he was bitterly resentful of the British, particularly after their attack on Mers-el-Kebir), and that he or another French officer was the commander of such an operation. He considered this latter condition essential to maintaining French sovereignty and authority over the Arab and Berber natives of North Africa. Giraud designated General Charles Mast as his representative in Algeria. At a secret meeting on 23 October with U.S. General Mark W. Clark and diplomat Robert Daniel Murphy, the invasion was agreed on, but the Americans promised only that Giraud would be in command "as soon as possible". Giraud, still in France, responded with a demand for a written commitment that he would be commander within 48 hours of the landing, and for landings in France as well as North Africa. Giraud also insisted that he could not leave France before 20 November. However, Giraud was persuaded that he had to go. He requested to be fetched by airplane, but General Dwight Eisenhower advised that he should be brought to Gibraltar by the British submarine HMS Seraph, masquerading as "USS Seraph" under the nominal command of American Captain Jerauld Wright, as no US submarines were operating in the vicinity. On November 5, he and his two sons were picked up near Toulon by HMS Seraph and taken to meet Eisenhower in Gibraltar. He arrived on November 7, only a few hours before the landings. Eisenhower asked him to assume command of French troops in North Africa during Operation Torch and order them to join the Allies. But Giraud had expected to command the whole operation, and adamantly refused to participate on any other basis. He said "his honor would be tarnished" and that he would only be a spectator in the affair. However, by the next morning, Giraud relented. He refused to leave immediately for Algiers, but rather stayed in Gibraltar until November 9. When asked why he did not go to Algiers he replied: "You may have seen something of the large De Gaullist demonstration that was held here last Sunday. Some of the demonstrators sang the Marseillaise. I entirely approve of that! Others sang the Chant Du Depart [a military ballad]. Quite satisfactory! Others again shouted 'Vive de Gaulle!' No objection. But some of them cried 'Death to Giraud!' I don't approve of that at all." Giraud assumed command of French troops in North Africa after Operation Torch following the assassination of Francois Darlan. In January 1943, he took part in the Casablanca Conference along with Charles de Gaulle, Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Later in the same year, Giraud and de Gaulle became co-presidents of the French Committee of National Liberation, but he lost support and retired in frustration in April 1944. After the war, Giraud was elected to the Constituent Assembly of the French Fourth Republic. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/ike-the-war-years-complete-tv-miniseries-dual-layer-dvd.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: The Bay Of Pigs Invasion DVD, MP4 Video Download, USB Flash Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1961: Cuba: The History Of Cuba: The Aftermath Of World War II: The Cold War: The Cuban Cold War: The Cuban Revolution: The Consolidation Of The Cuban Revolution (Cuba Under Fidel Castro): The Bay Of Pigs Invasion (Spanish: Invasion De Bahia De Cochinos, Invasion De Playa Giron, Batalla De Playa Giron): Invasion Day: -- Just one day after Cuban leader Fidel Castro admitted in a nationally broadcast speech that he had secretly been a Marxist-Leninist, and that Cuba was going to adopt Communism, a U.S.-backed attempt to overthrow Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba begins when about 1,400 anti-Castro exiles invaded the island's southern coast along the Bay Of Pigs. By April 20, they were overrun by 20,000 Cuban soldiers and jailed. Trained and guided by the U.S., the exiles had expected support from U.S. military aircraft and help from anti-Castro insurgents on the island. Instead, the invasion failed disastrously due to a series of mishaps in what became known as the Bay Of Pigs Fiasco, and the exiles had to fend for themselves without support. The failed invasion heightened Cold War tensions between Cuba's political ally, Soviet Russia, and the fledgling administration of President John F. Kennedy. The following year, the Russians installed nuclear missiles in Cuba resulting in the Cuban Missile Crisis. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/the-bay-of-pigs-invasion-dvd-mp4-download-usb-flash-driv4.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Outer Space Mission MP3 MegaSet DVD, Audio Download, USB Flash Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1961: Cuba: The History Of Cuba: The Aftermath Of World War II: The Cold War: The Cold War (1953-1962): The Cuban Cold War: The Cuban Revolution: The Consolidation Of The Cuban Revolution (Cuba Under Fidel Castro): The Bay Of Pigs Invasion (Spanish: Invasion De Bahia De Cochinos, Invasion De Playa Giron, Batalla De Playa Giron): Invasion Day: -- Just one day after Cuban leader Fidel Castro admitted in a nationally broadcast speech that he had secretly been a Marxist-Leninist, and that Cuba was going to adopt Communism, a U.S.-backed attempt to overthrow Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba begins when about 1,400 anti-Castro exiles invaded the island's southern coast along the Bay Of Pigs. By April 20, they were overrun by 20,000 Cuban soldiers and jailed. Trained and guided by the U.S., the exiles had expected support from U.S. military aircraft and help from anti-Castro insurgents on the island. Instead, the invasion failed disastrously due to a series of mishaps in what became known as the Bay Of Pigs Fiasco, and the exiles had to fend for themselves without support. The failed invasion heightened Cold War tensions between Cuba's political ally, Soviet Russia, and the fledgling administration of President John F. Kennedy. The following year, the Russians installed nuclear missiles in Cuba resulting in the Cuban Missile Crisis. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/outer-space-mission-mp3-dvd-megaset-4-dis34.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: 1968: A CBS News Special Report Harry Reasoner DVD, MP4, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
e

April 17, 1969: United States Presidential Candidate Assassination Attempts And Plots: United States Presidential Candidate Assassinations: The Assassination Of Robert F. Kennedy: -- Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy. Born Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, he is a Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship who mortally wounded Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968; Kennedy died the following day. Sirhan was convicted of murder and is currently serving a life sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County, California. Sirhan was born in Jerusalem in Mandatory Palestine to a Christian family of Greek Orthodox background, although he attended a Lutheran school and is a strong opponent of Israel. In 1989, he told David Frost, "My only connection with Robert Kennedy was his sole support of Israel and his deliberate attempt to send those 50 bombers to Israel to obviously do harm to the Palestinians." Some scholars believe that the assassination was the first major incident of political violence in the United States stemming from the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East. On appeal, Sirhan's lawyer Lawrence Teeter argued for a new trial amid claims of set-ups, police bungles, hypnotism, brainwashing, blackmail, and government conspiracies. Teeter tried since 1994 to have state and federal courts overturn the conviction, arguing that his client was hypnotized and framed, possibly by a government conspiracy. He was granted a June 30 hearing. During the hearing, Teeter referred to testimony from the original trial transcripts regarding a prosecution eyewitness to the attack, author George Plimpton, in which he said that Sirhan looked "enormously composed. He seemed ... purged." This statement coincided with the defense's argument that Sirhan had shot Kennedy while in some kind of hypnotic trance. The motion was denied. Teeter died in 2005, and Sirhan declined other counsel to replace him. On March 2, 2011, after 42 years in prison, Sirhan's 14th parole hearing was held, with Sirhan represented by his current attorney, William Francis Pepper. At this parole hearing, Sirhan testified that he continues to have no memory of the assassination nor of any details of his 1969 trial and confession. Pepper also repeated the claim, which Sirhan's lawyers had previously stated, that Sirhan was "hypno programmed" and his memory of being programmed was "wiped" by an unknown conspiracy behind the assassination which is why Sirhan has no recall of the murder. Pepper said he hired Daniel Brown of Harvard Medical School to spend more than sixty hours with Sirhan Sirhan in prison and recover his memory of both the shooting and having been put under hypnosis. His parole was denied on the grounds that Sirhan still does not understand the full ramifications of his crime. On February 10, 2016, at his fifteenth parole hearing, Sirhan was denied parole again in a federal courthouse in San Diego. One of Sirhan's shooting victims from that night, Paul Schrade, now aged 91, testified in support of Sirhan, stating his belief that a second shooter killed Robert Kennedy and that Sirhan was intended to be a distraction from the real gunman by an unknown conspiracy who plotted to kill Kennedy. Sirhan also repeated his story in claiming to have no memory of the shooting of Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel. In his testimony before the parole board, Sirhan recalled events before the shooting in some detail - going to a shooting range the day before, June 4, 1968, visiting the hotel on June 5 in search of a party and returning to the lobby after realizing he had drunk too many Tom Collins cocktails to drive. He next claimed to have drunk coffee in a backstage area near the hotel pantry with a woman to whom he was attracted, and who may have been involved with the conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy. Dr. Brown has stated that the unknown woman then took Sirhan into the pantry, which Sirhan described in his prison memory sessions as a dark room at the hotel, and that while in the pantry the woman gave Sirhan a post-hypnotic cue to fire a gun in the direction of Robert Kennedy minutes later. Sirhan was immediately subdued by several men in the pantry as Kennedy fell to the pantry floor fatally wounded. Sirhan has claimed that after having coffee with the woman, the next thing his conscious memory can remember is his being choked and unable to breathe moments after the Kennedy shooting, stating: "It's all vague now. I'm sure you all have it in your records. I can't deny it or confirm it. I just wish this whole thing had never taken place." On January 13, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom denied Sirhan's latest (16th) bid for parole. He wrote an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times stating that even though the state parole board had recommended Sirhan for parole, the severity of the crime and Sirhan's "current refusal to accept responsibility for it" led Newsom to deny the request. He was denied parole again on March 1, 2023. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/1968-dvd-cbs-news-special-report-10-years-later-harry-re196810.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Czechoslovakia: The Long Wait For Revolution DVD, Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1969: The Aftermath Of World War II: The Cold War: The Cold War (1962-1979): The Era Of Stagnation (1964-1982): Counterculture Of The 1960s: The Protests Of 1968: The Prague Spring: -- Communist Party of Czechoslovakia chairman Alexander Dubcek is deposed; it is the beginning of the end of the "Prague Spring" in Czechoslovakia. He was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC) on January 5, 1968, which brought about a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II known as the Prague Spring. It continued until 21 August 1968 when the Soviet Union and other members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country to halt the reforms. The Prague Spring reforms were a strong attempt by Dubcek to grant additional rights to the citizens of Czechoslovakia in an act of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. The freedoms granted included a loosening of restrictions on the media, speech and travel. After national discussion of dividing the country into a federation of three republics, Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia and Slovakia, Dubcek oversaw the decision to split into two, the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. The reforms, especially the decentralization of administrative authority, were not received well by the Soviets, who, after failed negotiations, sent half a million Warsaw Pact troops and tanks to occupy the country. New York Times cites reports of 650,000 men equipped with the most modern and sophisticated weapons in the Soviet military catalogue. A large wave of emigration swept the nation. A spirited non-violent resistance was mounted throughout the country, involving attempted fraternization, painting over and turning street signs (on one occasion an entire invasion force from Poland was routed back out of the country after a day' wandering), defiance of various curfews, etc. While the Soviet military had predicted that it would take four days to subdue the country the resistance held out for eight months. There were sporadic acts of violence and several suicides by self-immolation (such as that of Jan Palach), but there was no military resistance. Czechoslovakia remained Soviet-controlled until 1989, when the Velvet Revolution ended pro-Soviet rule peacefully, undoubtedly drawing upon the successes of the non-violent resistance twenty years earlier. The resistance also became an iconic example of civilian-based defense, which, along with unarmed civilian peacekeeping constitute the two ways that nonviolence can be and occasionally has been applied directly to military or paramilitary threats. After the invasion, Czechoslovakia entered a period known as "normalization": subsequent leaders attempted to restore the political and economic values that had prevailed before Dubcek gained control of the KSC. Gustav Husak, who replaced Dubcek and also became president, reversed almost all of Dubcek' reforms. The Prague Spring inspired music and literature such as the work of Vaclav Havel, Karel Husa, Karel Kryl, and Milan Kundera' novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being. #AlexanderDubcek #PragueSpring #Czechoslovakia #CzechoslovakiaSovietUnionRelations #CommunistPartyOfCzechoslovakia #EasternBloc #CommunistInternational #Comintern #ThirdInternational #SovietUnion #SovietHistory #WarsawPact #WarsawPactInvasionOfCzechoslovakia #MP4 #VideoDownload #DVD On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/czechoslovakia-the-long-wait-for-spring-dvd-1988-cold1988.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Outer Space Films 5: Apollo Moon Exploration Films DVD, Download, USB
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1970: Splashdowns: The History Of Spaceflight: The Aftermath Of World War II: The Cold War: The Space Age: Space Programs Of The United States: Human Spaceflight Programs: Missions To The Moon: Project Apollo: Apollo 13 (AS-13): -- The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely. On April 13, 1970, an oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 exploded, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the spacecraft while en route to the Moon. On April 11, Apollo 13 was launched from Cape Kennedy at 2:13 PM from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon, but the lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the Service Module (SM) upon which the Command Module (CM) had depended. Despite great hardship caused by limited power, loss of cabin heat, shortage of potable water, and the critical need to make makeshift repairs to the carbon dioxide removal system, the crew returned safely to Earth on April 17, 1970, six days after launch. The flight passed the far side of the Moon at an altitude of 137 nautical miles above the lunar surface, 248,655 nautical miles from Earth, a spaceflight record marking the farthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. The mission was commanded by James A. Lovell with John L. "Jack" Swigert as Command Module Pilot and Fred W. Haise as Lunar Module Pilot. Swigert was a late replacement for the original CM pilot Ken Mattingly, who was grounded by the flight surgeon after exposure to German measles. The story of the Apollo 13 mission has been dramatized multiple times, most notably in the 1995 film Apollo 13. Fifty six hours into the flight an oxygen tank exploded in the service module. Astronaut John L. Swigert saw a warning light that accompanied the bang and said, "OK, Houston, we've had a problem here." Swigert, James A. Lovell and Fred W. Haise then transferred into the lunar module, using it as a "lifeboat" and began a perilous return trip to Earth. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/outer-space-films-5-apollo-moon-exploration-dv5.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Cambodia: The Khmer Rouge And The Cambodian Genocide DVD MP4 USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1975: The Aftermath Of World War II: The Cold War: The Cold War In Asia: The Indochina Wars: The Cambodian Civil War: -- Khmer Rouge forces capture Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh and Cambodian government forces surrender, ending The Cambodian Civil War, a war that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (known as the Khmer Rouge) allied with both the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and with the Viet Cong against the government forces of the Kingdom of Cambodia and, after October 1970, the Khmer Republic, which were supported by the United States (U.S.) and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The struggle was complicated by the influence and actions of the allies of the two warring sides. North Vietnam's People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) involvement was designed to protect its Base Areas and sanctuaries in eastern Cambodia, without which the prosecution of its military effort in South Vietnam would have been more difficult. The Cambodian coup of 18 March 1970 put a pro-American, anti-North Vietnamese government in power and ended Cambodia's neutrality in the Vietnam War. The PAVN was now threatened by a newly unfriendly Cambodian government. Between March and June 1970, the North Vietnamese moved many of its military installations further inside Cambodia to protect them from U.S. incursions and bombing, capturing most of the northeastern third of the country in engagements with the Cambodian army. The North Vietnamese turned over some of their conquests and provided other assistance to the Khmer Rouge, thus empowering what was at the time a small guerilla movement. The Cambodian government hastened to expand its army to combat the North Vietnamese and the growing power of the Khmer Rouge. The U.S. was motivated by the desire to buy time for its withdrawal from Southeast Asia, to protect its ally in South Vietnam, and to prevent the spread of communism to Cambodia. American and both South and North Vietnamese forces directly participated (at one time or another) in the fighting. The U.S. assisted the central government with massive U.S. aerial bombing campaigns and direct material and financial aid. After five years of savage fighting, the Republican government was defeated on 17 April 1975 when the victorious Khmer Rouge proclaimed the establishment of Democratic Kampuchea. The war caused a refugee crisis in Cambodia with two million people - more than 25 percent of the population - were displaced from rural areas into the cities, especially Phnom Penh which grew from about 600,000 in 1970 to an estimated population of nearly 2 million by 1975. The Cambodian government estimated that more than 20 percent of the property in the country had been destroyed during the war. In total, 240,000 - 800,000 people were killed as a result of the war. The conflict was part of the Second Indochina War (1959-1975) which also consumed the neighboring Kingdom of Laos, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam individually referred to as the Laotian Civil War and the Vietnam War respectively. The Cambodian civil war led to the Cambodian Genocide, one of the bloodiest in history. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/cambodia-the-khmer-rouge-and-the-cambodian-genocide-dvd-mp4-usb-driv4.html

Today's EarthStation1.com 15% Off Commemorative Memorial Title: Poland: The Morning After - Post Communist Polish Life DVD, MP4, USB
Today, April 17, 2026

April 17, 1989: Eastern Block Non-Violent Revolutions: The Labor Union Movement In Poland: Solidarity (Polish Trade Union) (Independent Self-Governing Trade Union Solidarity, Solidarnosc): The Polish Round Table Agreement: -- Following on an agreement signed on April 4, 1989, the Polish labor union Solidarnosc (Solidarity) was granted legal status by the Polish government after nearly a decade of struggle, paving the way for the downfall of the Polish Communist Party. In the elections that followed, Solidarity candidates won 99 out of 100 parliamentary seats and eventually forced the acceptance of a Solidarity government led by Lech Walesa.Solidarity (Polish: Solidarnosc; full name: Independent Self-governing Labour Union "Solidarity"-Niezalezny Samorzadny Zwiazek Zawodowy "Solidarnosc") is a Polish labour union that was founded on 17 September 1980 at the Lenin Shipyard under the leadership of Lech Walesa. It was the first trade union in a Warsaw Pact country that was not controlled by a communist party. Its membership peaked at 10 million members at its September 1981 Congress, which constituted one third of the total working-age population of Poland. In the 1980s, Solidarity was a broad anti-bureaucratic social movement, using the methods of civil resistance to advance the causes of workers' rights and social change. The government attempted to destroy the union by imposing martial law in Poland, which lasted from December 1981 to July 1983 and was followed by several years of political repression from 8 October 1982, but in the end it was forced to negotiate with Solidarity. In the union's clandestine years, Pope John Paul II and the United States provided significant financial support, estimated to be as much as 50M USD. The round table talks between the government and the Solidarity-led opposition led to semi-free elections in 1989. By the end of August, a Solidarity-led coalition government was formed. In December 1990, Walesa was elected President of Poland. Since then Solidarity has become a more traditional, liberal trade union. Its membership had dropped to 680,000 by 2010 and 400,000 by 2011. On Sale @ 15% Off Discount Till Midnight PT! https://store.earthstation1.com/poland-the-morning-after-post-communism-life-dvd-mp4-us4.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: TV Commercials: The Classics Vol. 2 DVD, Video Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: Herbalist Day: -- Honors herbalists and the important role they have played in our modern lives. Plants and herbs have been used to help humans since the dawn of time. The many benefits of plants that we have thus unlocked, from their medicinal uses and healing properties to nutrition, are primarily the contribution of herbalists everywhere. On this special day, we recognize the vital role and contributions of herbalists. Herbalism is the study of plants and herbs, usually for their medicinal purposes. Throughout history, herbalists were mainly focused on studying plants and selling solutions and plants to be used for their healing properties. As much as this field of study developed during the last few decades, herbalists are now able to prepare medicinal plants in a variety of ways and sell them in pharmacies or online herbal stores. Although the practice dates back to the lives of early humans, the profession of an herbalist became a specialty during the medieval period. This profession saw particular growth during the 12th century. As of the 17th and 18th centuries, several universities across Europe had specialized courses and degrees for herbalists and several institutions dedicated to this profession. Herbalists are still recognized in many countries, though there are far fewer specialized university courses on the subject. The study of herbs became more specialized in the late 20th century, becoming a part of pharmacy and medicine. Even though herbalism is now part of several scientific disciplines, there are still courses devoted to it. Today, the practice of herbalists is still very common, as we constantly rely on herbs for several purposes. The difference, however, is that the profession is significantly different from what it was several centuries ago. In recent years, several initiatives and cooperative programs have been organized in several countries to renew herbalism. Euell Gibbons, American author, naturalist and early health food advocate who promoted eating wild foods during the 1960s and early 1970s sought to help out as well as capitalize on the growing return-to-nature movement with a series of books on wild foods, notably Stalking The Healthful Herbs in 1966. https://store.earthstation1.com/tv-commercials-the-classics-vol-2-dv2.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: The Rolling Stones Early Live In Paris 1964-1967 MP3 Audio Download CD
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: National Crawfish Day: -- A holiday particularly enjoyed by the Southern United States as the subject of the holiday is a Southern staple food. Crawfish are freshwater crustaceans that resemble small lobsters, which they are in fact related to. In certain regions, they are also known as crayfish, crawdads, crawdaddys, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, and rock lobsters, among others. In terms of classification, crawfish are members of the superfamilies of Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. Crawfish breathe through gills, which are like feathers. Some crawfish species can be found in brooks and streams where there is a flow of fresh water, while others may thrive in swamps and paddy fields. Most crawfish are intolerant of polluted water, although the Procambarus clarkii are tougher. Crawfish are omnivorous, feeding on animals and plants, both living and decomposing. Although crawfish have a long history spanning many periods and civilizations, some of the oldest accounts of their existence and consumption date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. According to the crawfish's history in America, reeds coated with deer meat served as the first fishing lure used by Native Americans to catch crawfish. The Houma Tribe of Native Americans is said to have employed a red crawfish as their emblem as early as the 17th century, representing the aggressive crawfish that lifts its claw in defense rather than retreating. The Acadians, or Cajuns, as they are now known, arrived from Canada in the 1700s and settled along the bayous in what is now the Southern United States. Consuming crawfish at the time was primarily driven by necessity because it was so affordable and accessible. By the 1800s, the Acadians had started adapting traditional Canadian lobster recipes to the much smaller cousin of crustaceans, the crawfish. According to documents from the Louisiana Office of Tourism, "Creole restaurateurs in New Orleans caught on, and once it took off in the Big Easy, the secret was out: crawfish became synonymous with Louisiana food." The Louisiana spring custom of crawfish boils emerged in the 1900s, along with other aspects of the great cultural change. The crawfish was designated as Louisiana's official crustacean by the state government in the year 1980. Red swamp and white river crawfish are the two principal species taken in Louisiana's annual 100 million pound crawfish production. https://store.earthstation1.com/the-rolling-stones-early-live-in-paris-196419196419673.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Batman And Robin And The Great Super Heroes 1989 DVD MP4 Download USB
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: International Bat Appreciation Day: -- A chance to show our flying and mostly nocturnal friends some love. As well as it obviously being a great excuse to binge a few Batman movies, it's also an opportunity to delve deep and learn the important role bats play in the ecosystem and biodiversity. There are over 1,400 different bat species and contrary to popular opinion they aren't blind. So let's creep a little deeper into the cave and take a closer look at International Bat Appreciation Day and everything these flying mammals have to offer! Bat Conservation International (BCI) was founded in 1982 by a group of concerned scientists who recognized the importance of protecting bats. Bats contribute towards controlling pests, create rich fertilizer for landowners, and pollinate fruit and flowers. BCI aims to conserve bats and their habitats through a combination of education, conservation, and research. Human activities such as deforestation, mining, and irresponsible tourism have caused a substantial decrease in the bats' population. Bats have often been understudied and misunderstood animals. They are often perceived as disease spreaders when in reality they help keep the numbers of many pests down. Between 2014 and 2018 the BCI identified 35 critically endangered species of bat that it became a priority to protect. These species are spread throughout the world including the U.S, South America, and The Philippines. To help their cause and increase awareness on all that bats do for the environment, the BCI introduced International Bat Appreciation Day to our calendars. So now you know, bats have an important role to play and we should be grateful for their presence. https://store.earthstation1.com/batman-and-robin-amp-the-great-super-heroes-dvd-1989.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Helen Keller: In Her Story + Bonus Biography DVD, Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: No Limits For Deaf Children Day: -- Provided the right platform and encouragement, Deaf kids can achieve anything. This is meant to honor and recognize hearing-impaired infants across the United States. Children with impairments are frequently overlooked, with their accomplishments and victories going unnoticed. A day like this paves a way to bring their struggles and strengths to the front and creates awareness about the abundance of potential in deaf kids. No Limits For Deaf Children Day is a date to empower youngsters and remind them that they can achieve anything! Deafness is a medical condition wherein a person is unable to hear and understand speech. It has no particular date of origin and comprehends different levels of severity, each with its own characteristics. For instance, while profound deafness means that even the highest sounds might not be heard, total deafness means that no sound at all can be detected by the individual. There are millions of people worldwide who live with deafness or loss of hearing. In the United States alone, hearing impairments affect around one in 20 Americans. A significant chunk of this number consists of deaf children. While there are several resources available to help those with hearing impairments, there are still certain aspects of society that have room for growth in their behavior towards deaf children. There continues to exist a stigma around the loss of hearing, and those who live with it are seen as less than equal to the other members of the community. Dr. Michelle Christie recognized this gap in society and its treatment of deaf children and decided to spur change. Dr. Christie created an after-school program to help children with hearing loss develop communication skills, expand vocabulary and grammar, and understand character development. She recognized the lack of opportunities for children with hearing loss and helped to improve their speaking abilities in a fun and non-academic setting. Having helped innumerable deaf children, enabling them to comfortably enter into the hearing world by role-playing, growing creativity, and honing public speaking skills, Dr. Christie went on to extend the program and opened up the No Limits Center, which provides services for low-income school-age deaf children and their families. She has brought a significant difference in deaf children's lives and helped them realize their potential. On April 17 every year, National No Limits For Deaf Children Day shines a light on the capability and potential that is within deaf children. They can reach the stars if they are given the right resources and chances, and this day is a way to remind everyone of that. https://store.earthstation1.com/helen-keller-in-her-story-dvd-plus-bonus-biography.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: The American Adventure: TV History Series 1607-1876 DVD MP4 USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: 2A Day (Second Amendment Day): -- Today the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and is observed, celebrated, and remembered. This national holiday honors the founding fathers' foresight in enshrining the rights of the American people as represented in the Second Amendment. Americans' right to own and carry firearms is protected under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. On December 15, 1791, the Second Amendment and the other nine Bill of Rights provisions were passed. The Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) that non-military people had the right to have arms in their homes for self-defense. The Second Amendment has roots that go back to ancient Roman and Florentine times, but it wasn't until the 16th century that the English roots began to emerge. This resulted from Queen Elizabeth I establishing a national militia made up of people from all social groups who were mandated by law to take part in defending the realm. Even though Queen Elizabeth's attempt to create a national militia was a dismal failure, the militia's philosophy served as a powerful political instrument up to the middle of the 18th century. The political debate over the formation and administration of the militia had a considerable impact on both the English Civil Wars and the Glorious Revolution. Several constitutional historians contested and rejected the court's finding that the Second Amendment protected people's right to "keep and bear arms" for home defense, despite the outcome of the Heller and MacDonald case before the United States Supreme Court. Before the Supreme Court's ruling in the current case, judges and academics had been discussing for about 200 years whether the Second Amendment genuinely safeguarded the right of individuals to defend themselves. However, the definition of "self-defense" was developed in the late 20th century, and a sizeable minority of judges had adopted it by that point. The majority of Americans, particularly those who opposed gun restrictions, did not hold the self-defense viewpoint in high regard. https://store.earthstation1.com/the-american-adventure-series-us-1st-century-4-dv14.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Spiro Agnew: The Speeches That Stirred America CD, MP3 Download, USB
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: Blah Blah Blah Day: -- Did you know that the word 'blah' was first used in a 1918 memoir in relation to gossiping and talking about meaningless topics? Dictionary.com defines "blah blah blah" as meaningless chatter; idle gossip. "Blah blah blah" is also used when you're uninterested in what someone is saying or feel the other person is nagging you. Blah Blah Blah Day is celebrated every April 17 to encourage you to listen to those nagging words from your loved ones or friends, and to action them. It's also a time to start accomplishing what you set as your New Year's resolution. Conversations are interactive communication between two or more people. Humans have been having conversations since the dawn of time, and it has been a critical aspect of how we shaped the world around us. Through conversations, we shared ideas, learned, and worked toward the development of human civilization. According to historians, the phrase "blah blah blah" is believed to have originated in ancient Greece from "bar bar bar." This phrase was derived from the sounds made by barbarians, and they were considered to be "meaningless noises." Over the millennia, this sound morphed into phrases such as "yada yada yada" and "blab blab blab." Aside from being used to refer to meaningless noises, 'blab' became a term for "revealing a secret." That's why we say, "don't blab." Blah was first used in writing by Howard Vincent O'Brien, an American journalist. He used it in his 1918 memoir "Wine, Women & War": "[He] pulled old blah about 'service'_" Then in 1921, the National Weekly used a double blah in their magazine. 'Blah' is thought to have evolved from "blab blab blab," which was commonly used in 19th-century books. In post-World War II, the use of "blah blah blah" increased; according to Google's Ngram viewer, it increased 50-fold between 1960 and 2000. In 2006, Ruth and Thomas Roy of Wellcat Holidays and Herb launched Blah Blah Blah Day to appreciate casual conversation and encourage people to do what others have been nagging them about. It's also about listening to people's advice and putting them into action. https://store.earthstation1.com/spiro-agnew-the-speeches-that-stirred-america-lp-album-mp3-c4.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Waging Peace 1989 New World Order Realities Possibilities DVD MP4 USB
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: International Day Of Mastering Conversations That Matter: -- Important conversations are the reason why humanity stands where it is today. The ability to communicate is what separates us from all other species in the world. The advancements in medical science and technology testify to what humans are capable of. All these achievements can be traced back to an idea. An idea that was shared, discussed, and debated. Important conversations have helped build empires from scratch, and the lack of them has resulted in their fall. Not just empires but relationships tend to break apart with poor communication. It is important for the survival of the human race to constantly share ideas and bridge gaps. It is important to learn and discuss things in the past so that we can have a better tomorrow. Do you know that it has been over 4,000 years since the first debating societies emerged in ancient Greece and India? In Greece, it was the Athenian democracy and in India, they were known as Shasthartha. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Age of Enlightenment came. It was an intellectual movement that gave birth to new perceptions regarding happiness and one's pursuit of happiness. The Trinity College Dublin established two debating societies; The Phil in 1683 and The Hill in 1770. The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies was established in 1795 and the St. Andrews Debating Society was established in Britain in 1794. Schools and educational institutions have always stressed the importance of teaching how to train the younger generation to express themselves efficiently. An idea is not of much importance if it cannot be expressed properly. Debates and effective conversation workshops are held to teach students what to talk about and how. https://store.earthstation1.com/waging-peace-1989-new-world-order-realities-possibilities-dvd-mp19894.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: The Old Time Radio Drama MP3 MegaSet DVD, Audio Download, USB Stick
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17: World Hemophilia Day: -- A day devoted to those who have hemophilia, is marked to raise awareness and help them have a better future. Hemophilia is a rare condition in which blood cannot clot properly because it lacks adequate blood-clotting proteins. World Hemophilia Day is currently celebrated globally to improve diagnosis and access to specialized treatment. The goal of World Hemophilia Day is to bring individuals with bleeding disorders from all over the world together. Hemophilia was identified in the 10th century when doctors began to take an interest in persons, particularly men, who were bleeding profusely after just minor injuries. It was known as Abulcasis at the time. Unfortunately, a thorough investigation into the illness was not possible due to the limitations of technology at the time. Numerous famous historical figures, particularly members of European royal families, are thought to have had hemophilia. They were treated with aspirin, which thinned the hemophiliac's blood even more, exacerbating the symptoms. In 1803, Dr. John Conrad Otto from Philadelphia started to investigate persons he dubbed "bleeders" more thoroughly, discovering it to be a genetic condition handed down from healthy mothers to boys. Erik von Willebrand, a Finnish physician, wrote a paper in 1926 describing 'pseudohemophilia,' a bleeding illness that affects both men and women equally. The condition was eventually named Von Willebrand Disease after him. Inga Marie Nilsson and colleagues at Malmo University Hospital in Sweden discovered that the disease was caused by low or insufficient levels of Von Willebrand factor in 1957. Hemophilia was formally classified into two categories in 1937: A and B. Though no treatment for hemophilia has been discovered yet, one can manage the disease by regularly injecting clotting factors to minimize spontaneous bleeding episodes. The World Federation of Hemophilia established World Hemophilia Day in 1989, and April 17 was selected to commemorate the birthday of the organization's founder, Frank Schnabel. The goal of the day is to promote awareness of the condition and other bleeding diseases and generate funds for people who cannot afford treatment. https://store.earthstation1.com/the-old-time-radio-drama-mp3-dvd-megase3.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: America: The Second Century Documentary Series DVD, Download, USB
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1907: Immigration: Immigration To The United States: New Immigrants: Ellis Island: -- The Ellis Island Immigration Center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day. Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the U.S. as the United States' busiest immigrant inspection station for over 60 years from 1892 until 1954. Ellis Island was opened January 1, 1892. The island was greatly expanded with land reclamation between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the site of Fort Gibson and later a naval magazine. The island was made part of the Statue Of Liberty National Monument in 1965 and has hosted a museum of immigration since 1990. It was long considered part of New York, but a 1998 United States Supreme Court decision found that most of the island is in New Jersey. The south side of the island, home to the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, is closed to the general public and the object of restoration efforts spearheaded by Save Ellis Island. https://store.earthstation1.com/america-the-second-century-us-2nd-100-years-history-621006.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: The Trial Of George Washington TV Dramatization DVD, MP4, USB Stick
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1790: #DOTD: #RIP: Benjamin Franklin, polymath, leading author, printer, political theorist, philosopher, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States (b. January 17, 1706) #dies at his home in Philadelphia at the age of 84; his last words were reportedly, "a dying man can do nothing easy". Approximately 20,000 people attended his funeral. He is interred in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He founded many civic organizations, including Philadelphia' fire department and the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity, initially as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies. As the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation. Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. In the words of historian Henry Steele Commager, "In a Franklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat." To Walter Isaacson, this makes Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become.". Professor Eugen Weber, author of The Western Tradition, cites Franklin as the greatest man of the Enlightenment. Franklin became a successful newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia, the leading city in the colonies, publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette at the age of 23. He became wealthy publishing this and Poor Richard' Almanack, which he authored under the pseudonym "Richard Saunders". After 1767, he was associated with the Pennsylvania Chronicle, a newspaper that was known for its revolutionary sentiments and criticisms of the British policies. He pioneered and was first president of Academy and College of Philadelphia which opened in 1751 and later became the University of Pennsylvania. He organized and was the first secretary of the American Philosophical Society and was elected president in 1769. Franklin became a national hero in America as an agent for several colonies when he spearheaded an effort in London to have the Parliament of Great Britain repeal the unpopular Stamp Act. An accomplished diplomat, he was widely admired among the French as American minister to Paris and was a major figure in the development of positive Franco-American relations. His efforts proved vital for the American Revolution in securing shipments of crucial munitions from France. He was promoted to deputy postmaster-general for the British colonies in 1753, having been Philadelphia postmaster for many years, and this enabled him to set up the first national communications network. During the Revolution, he became the first United States Postmaster General. He was active in community affairs and colonial and state politics, as well as national and international affairs. From 1785 to 1788, he served as governor of Pennsylvania. He initially owned and dealt in slaves but, by the 1750s, he argued against slavery from an economic perspective and became one of the most prominent abolitionists. His colorful life and legacy of scientific and political achievement, and his status as one of America' most influential Founding Fathers, have seen Franklin honored more than two centuries after his death on coinage and the 100 USD bill, warships, and the names of many towns, counties, educational institutions, and corporations, as well as countless cultural references. https://store.earthstation1.com/the-trial-of-george-washington-dvd-tv-dramatization.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Lincoln And The War Within: Election To Ft. Sumter DVD, MP4, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1861: The American Civil War (The Civil War, The War Between The States): The Secession Of The Southern States Of America: The Secession Of Virginia From The United States Of America: -- In reaction to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President, the state of Virginia's secession convention votes to secede from the United States, becoming the 8th state to join the Confederate States of America. By 1856, the South had lost control of Congress, and was no longer able to silence calls for an end to slavery, which came mostly from the more populated, free states of the North. The Republican Party, founded in 1854, pledged to stop the spread of slavery beyond those states where it already existed. After Abraham Lincoln was elected the first Republican president in 1860, seven cotton states - South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas respectively - declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America before Lincoln was inaugurated. The United States government, both outgoing and incoming, refused to recognize the Confederacy, and when the new Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered his troops to open fire on Fort Sumter in April 1861, there was an overwhelming demand, North and South, for war. Only the state of Kentucky attempted to remain neutral, and it could only do so briefly, and chose to remain in the Union. When Lincoln called for troops to suppress what he referred to as "combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary" judicial or martial means, four more states - Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina - decided to secede and join the Confederacy, which then moved its capital to Richmond, Virginia. Residents of the western counties of Virginia did not wish to secede along with the rest of the state. This section of Virginia was admitted into the Union as the state of West Virginia on June 20, 1863. Four slave states decided to stay in the Union: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri. Although divided in their loyalties, a combination of political maneuvering and Union military pressure kept these states from seceding. https://store.earthstation1.com/lincoln-and-the-war-within-election-to-sumter-dvd-mp4-us4.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: King: A Filmed Record: Montgomery To Memphis DVD, Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1990: #DOTD: #RIP: Ralph Abernathy, African American minister, activist, leader of the African American Civil Rights Movement and close friend of Martin Luther King, and Prince Hall Freemason (b. March 11, 1926) #dies in the morning at Emory Crawford Long Memorial Hospital from two blood clots that traveled to his heart and lungs, five weeks after his 64th birthday. He is entombed in the Chapel Mausoleum of Lincoln Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. At Abernathy's behest, his tomb has the simple inscription: "I TRIED." After his death, his Masonic brother George H. W. Bush, then-President of the United States, issued the statement "Barbara and I join with all Americans to mourn the passing of the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, a great leader in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans and a tireless campaigner for justice.". Ralph David Abernathy Sr. collaborated with King to create the Montgomery Improvement Association, which led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Abernathy also co-founded, and was an executive board member, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Following the assassination of King in 1968, Abernathy became president of the SCLC. As president of the SCLC, he led the Poor People's Campaign in Washington, D.C., among other marches and demonstrations for disenfranchised Americans. Abernathy also served as an advisory committee member of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE). Abernathy addressed the United Nations about world peace. He also assisted in brokering a deal between the FBI and the indigenous peoples during the Wounded Knee incident of 1973. He retired from his position as President of the SCLC in 1977, and subsequently became President emeritus. That year he unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, for the 5th district of Georgia. Abernathy later founded the Foundation for Economic Enterprises Development. And in 1982, he testified before the U.S. Congress in support of extending of the Voting Rights Act. In 1989, Abernathy wrote And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: An Autobiography, a controversial autobiography about his and King's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. After becoming ridiculed for the revelations in the book about Martin Luther King's alleged infidelity, Abernathy eventually became less active in politics and returned to his work as a minister. https://store.earthstation1.com/king-a-filmed-record--montgomery-to-memphis-dvd.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: JFK Assassination Live TV Coverage DVD, Video Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1974: #DOTD: #RIP: Frank McGee, American television journalist, best known for his work with NBC from the late 1950s into the early 1970 (b. September 12, 1921) #dies at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City at the age of 52 from complications from multiple myeloma, a type of bone cancer; his immune system was weakened by chemotherapy and radiation treatment, this caused him to succumb to overwhelming pneumonia, which killed him. He is buried at Saint Paul's Episcopal Churchyard in Woodville, Virginia along with his wife Sue. Frank McGee was born in Monroe in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. He was raised in Norman, Oklahoma. McGee's father was an oil field worker. He joined the Oklahoma National Guard in 1940, and served in the U.S. Army in World War II, then attended the University of California and the University of Oklahoma. He began his broadcast news career at KGFF in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1946 then moved to WKY-TV (now KFOR-TV) in Oklahoma City. In 1955, the owners of WKY purchased WSFA-TV in Montgomery, Alabama, and sent McGee there as news director. WSFA was an affiliate of NBC. As the civil rights movement gained national coverage, McGee's work came to the notice of NBC, which offered him a position with the network, based in New York City. He went on to become "one of television's most prominent newsmen". McGee was a floor correspondent for the national conventions of both political parties in 1960, 1964, and 1968, one member of the so-called "Four Horsemen" that included NBC newsmen John Chancellor, Edwin Newman, and Sander Vanocur. In 1960, he moderated the second debate between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon on October 7 in Washington, D.C. At that time, the debates were considered by the news media to have swung the election in favor of Kennedy among voters who watched them on television. For those who listened on radio, the influence was mixed. McGee had a great talent for descriptive language, often giving viewers a vivid word picture of the day's events. When NBC News colleague Chet Huntley broke the news of the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, McGee appeared in the studio with Huntley and Bill Ryan. Correspondent Robert MacNeil reported by telephone from Dallas, but the flash studio in New York was not equipped to put telephone calls on the air. This was eventually accomplished, but for the first hour, MacNeil spoke to McGee over the telephone, and McGee then repeated MacNeil's report to the viewing audience. During MacNeil's report that the president had died, his comments were finally heard over the air, but McGee, unaware of the change, repeated them anyway. The veteran journalist remained on duty for 45 hours with little rest, reporting without a script. McGee was also on the air in 1968 when word came of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy following the California primary, and he calmly anchored the network's breaking news coverage. In the early 1960s, he also served as a news reporter and host (referred to as "communicators") on the NBC Radio weekend show Monitor. He is most noted for his interview on that program with Martin Luther King Jr. and for asking him how he felt about being targeted for assassination. King calmly told McGee he had given serious thought of the possibility. McGee also was a featured anchor during NBC's coverage of the early U.S. crewed space flights. In 1967, McGee lived with members of the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam for almost a month to report a well-received documentary, Same Mud, Same Blood, about black soldiers in Vietnam. McGee was perhaps best known in the middle and late 1960s for hosting The Frank McGee Report, seen early Saturday and Sunday evenings. The half-hour program generally gave more attention to one or more topics than a regular newscast, sometimes employing a full documentary format. In 1969, NBC began a traditional Saturday evening newscast, and in 1970, a Sunday version, both of which replaced The Report. McGee, however, often anchored those weekend newscasts. For several months in 1970, McGee also anchored the New York City WNBC-TV local 6 p.m. newscast. In 1970, after Huntley's retirement ended the Huntley-Brinkley Report, McGee became one of a platoon of three anchors on the newly renamed NBC Nightly News, along with Chancellor and David Brinkley. When the network settled on Chancellor as permanent anchor the next year, McGee moved to The Today Show in 1971, replacing Hugh Downs, who had hosted the program since 1962. McGee moved Today into a more serious news presentation, insisting on opening and closing the show by himself while sharing other duties with co-host Barbara Walters. He also insisted that he, and not Walters, ask guests the first three questions if both of them were doing an interview, according to Walters. McGee last appeared on Today on April 11, 1974, six days before his death; following that last show, he checked himself into Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. He was succeeded on the show by another Oklahoma native, Jim Hartz, who co-hosted with Walters until 1976, when Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley arrived. https://store.earthstation1.com/jfk-assassination-live-tv-coverage-2-dual-layer-dvd2.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Journey To Shiloh (1968) DVD, MP4 Video Dowload, USB Flash Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 2011: #DOTD: #RIP: Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor whose most notable film were Journey to Shiloh (1968) and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) (b. May 22, 1940) #dies of mesothelioma aged 70, in his hometown of Montreal, Canada. According to a family spokesman, his daughters Catherine and Michele were at his side when he died. He is buried at The Cimetiere Notre-Dame-Des-Neiges in Montreal. Sarrazin was born Jacques Michel Andre Sarrazin in Quebec City, Quebec, and moved to Montreal as a child. After acting in school plays, he landed his first professional role at age 17. Sarrazin worked on television productions in Toronto such as Festival and Wojeck. He then gained a contract with MCA Universal. His early appearances include episodes of The Virginian (1965) and Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as well as the TV film The Doomsday Flight (1966) and the feature Gunfight in Abilene (1967). 20th Century Fox borrowed him for the lead role in The Flim-Flam Man (1967), co-starring George C. Scott and Sue Lyon. Universal then cast him with Anthony Franciosa in A Man Called Gannon (1968) and with James Caan in Journey to Shiloh (1968). Fox asked him back to star in The Sweet Ride (1968) alongside Jacqueline Bisset, who became his real-life girlfriend for the next several years. Sarrazin appeared in some thrillers for Universal such as Eye of the Cat (1969) with Gayle Hunnicutt and Eleanor Parker and In Search of Gregory (1969) with Julie Christie and John Hurt. He was originally cast to play Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy (1969), but he was unable to gain release from a prior contract and the part went to Jon Voight. He was announced for the male lead in Cover Me Babe, but was replaced by Robert Forster. Sarrazin's breakthrough role was in the dark Great Depression drama They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). The Sydney Pollack film earned nine Oscar nominations. Sarrazin starred alongside Jane Fonda, Susannah York, Gig Young, Red Buttons, Bonnie Bedelia and Bruce Dern. He starred in the youth dramas The Pursuit of Happiness (1971) with Barbara Hershey and Believe in Me (1971) with Bisset. He supported Henry Fonda and Paul Newman in Sometimes a Great Notion (1970), then did The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972) at Universal. Sarrazin supported James Coburn in Harry in Your Pocket (1973) and received excellent reviews for the television film Frankenstein: The True Story (1973). He appeared as Barbra Streisand's husband in the screwball comedy For Pete's Sake (1974). He then starred with Margot Kidder and Jennifer O'Neill in The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), about a man doomed to die the same kind of death twice. Sarrazin went to Europe to star opposite Ursula Andress in the sex comedy The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1976). He starred in The Gumball Rally (1976), then had lead roles in the Iran-shot film Caravans (1978), the Canadian mystery thriller Double Negative (1980), and the vigilante crime drama Fighting Back (1982). He hosted the April 15, 1978 episode of Saturday Night Live. Sarrazin increasingly shifted to television work. He starred in Beulah Land (1980) and The Seduction (1982) and had a support part in Fighting Back (1982). He also appeared in Joshua Then and Now (1985), the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Quickening" (1996) and The Outer Limits episodes "I Hear You Calling" (1996) and "The Other Side" (1999). For seven years (1967-1974), Sarrazin was in a relationship with actress Jacqueline Bisset, whom he met while making The Sweet Ride (1968). Before that, he had two daughters by an unknown girlfriend. https://store.earthstation1.com/journey-to-shiloh-dvd-1968-james-caan-michael-sarrazin-civil1968.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Television: A History Of Broadcast TV DVD MP4 Download USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1941: #DOTD: #RIP: Al Bowlly, Mozambican-born South African-British singer, songwriter, arranger and jazz guitarist, who was popular during the 1930s in Britain and recorded more than 1,000 songs, the most popular being "Midnight, the Stars and You", "Goodnight, Sweetheart", "Close Your Eyes", "The Very Thought of You", "Guilty", "Heartaches", "Love Is the Sweetest Thing", and the only English version of "Dark Eyes" by Adalgiso Ferraris as "Black Eyes" with the words of Albert Mellor (b. January 7, 1899) #dies when he is killed by a Luftwaffe parachute mine that detonated outside his flat at ten past three in the morning. His body appeared unmarked; although the explosion had not disfigured him, it had blown his bedroom door off its hinges, and the impact against his head was fatal. He was buried with other bombing victims in a mass grave at Hanwell Cemetery, Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, where his name is given as Albert Alex Bowlly. A blue plaque commemorating Bowlly was installed in November 2013 by English Heritage at Charing Cross Mansion, 26 Charing Cross Road, described as "his home at the pinnacle of his career". Al Bowlly was born Albert Allick Bowlly in Lourenco Marques (today Maputo) in the Portuguese colony of Mozambique. His father, Alick Pauli, was Greek by nationality, and by religion was Greek Orthodox; Al's mother, born Miriam Ayoub-NeeJame, was Lebanese by nationality, and Catholic by religion. They met en route to Australia, and moved to South Africa. Bowlly was brought up in Johannesburg. After a series of odd jobs in South Africa, including barber and jockey, he sang in a dance band led by Edgar Adeler on a tour of South Africa, Rhodesia, India and the Dutch East Indies during the mid-1920s. He was fired from the band in Soerabaja, Dutch East Indies. Jimmy Liquime hired him to sing with the band in India and Singapore. In 1927 Bowlly made his first record, a cover version of "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin that was recorded with Adeler in Berlin, Germany. During the next year, he worked in London, with the orchestra of Fred Elizalde. The onset of the Great Depression in 1929 resulted in Bowlly losing his job; he returned to several months of busking to survive. In the 1930s, he signed two contracts - one in May 1931 with Roy Fox, singing in his live band for the Monseigneur Restaurant, a stylish restaurant on Piccadilly in London, the other a record contract with bandleader Ray Noble in November 1930. During the next four years, he recorded over 500 songs. By 1933, Lew Stone had ousted Fox as the Monseigneur's bandleader and Bowlly was singing Stone's arrangements with Stone's band. After much radio exposure and a successful British tour with Stone, Bowlly was inundated with demands for appearances and gigs - including undertaking a solo British tour - but continued to make most of his recordings with Noble. There was considerable competition between Noble and Stone for Bowlly's time. For much of the year, Bowlly spent the day in the recording studio with Noble's band, rehearsing and recording, then the evening with Stone's band at the Monseigneur. Many of these recordings with Noble were issued in the United States by Victor, which meant that by the time Noble and Bowlly came to America, their reputation had preceded them. Bowlly performed in England with his band, the Radio City Rhythm Makers. By 1937, the band had broken up when vocal problems were traced to a wart in his throat, briefly causing him to lose his voice. Separated from his wife and with his band dissolved, he borrowed money from friends and travelled to New York City for surgery. His absence from the UK in the early 1930s damaged his popularity with British audiences, despite his association with pianist Monia Liter as his accompanist. His career began to suffer as a result of problems with his voice, which affected the frequency of his recordings. He played a few small parts in films, but the parts were often cut and scenes that were shown were brief. Noble was offered a role in Hollywood, although the offer excluded Bowlly because a singer had already been hired. Bowlly moved back to London with his wife Marjie in January 1937. With diminished success in Britain, he toured regional theatres and recorded as often as possible to make a living, moving from orchestra to orchestra, working with Sydney Lipton, Geraldo and Ken "Snakehips" Johnson. In 1940, there was a revival of interest in his career when he worked in a duo with Jimmy Messene in Radio Stars with Two Guitars on the London stage. It was his last venture before his death in April 1941. The partnership was uneasy; Messene was an alcoholic and he was occasionally unable to perform. Bowlly recorded his last song two weeks before his death. It was a duet with Messene of Irving Berlin's satirical song about Hitler, "When That Man Is Dead and Gone". In December 1931, Bowlly married Constance Freda Roberts (died 1934) in St Martin's Register Office, London; the couple separated after a fortnight and sought a divorce. He remarried in December 1934 to Marjie Fairless; this marriage lasted until his death. On April 16 1941, Bowlly and Messene had given a performance at the Rex Cinema in Oxford Street, High Wycombe. Both were offered an overnight stay in town, but Bowlly took the last train home to his flat at 32 Duke Street, Duke's Court, St James, London. https://store.earthstation1.com/television-1988-tv-documentary-series-8-shows-4-dual-laye198884.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: DJ Madness! 1950s-60s-70s Radio Shows DVD, MP3 Download, USB Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1960: #DOTD: #RIP: Eddie Cochran, pioneer American Rock & Roll and rockabilly singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. October 3, 1938) #dies in a car crash on Easter Sunday while being driven by a taxi driver named George Martin while on tour in England from January through April of 1960; his friend and fellow performing artist Gene Vincent was in the same car crash and survived his injuries. They had just finished performing at the last of their scheduled concerts at the Bristol Hippodrome on April 16, a Saturday night. They were traveling along the Bath Road in a taxi (a cream-coloured 1960 model Ford Consul Mark II saloon) from Bristol towards London. In addition to Cochran and Vincent, the other passengers in the vehicle were Sharon Sheeley (a 20-year-old songwriter who was also Cochran's fiancee at the time), Patrick Tompkins (the tour manager, 29 years old), and George Martin (the 19-year-old taxi driver). At about 11:50 p.m. that night, Martin lost control of the vehicle, which subsequently crashed into a concrete lamppost at Rowden Hill in Chippenham. At the moment of impact Cochran, who was seated in the centre of the back seat, threw himself over Sheeley to shield her. The force of the collision caused the left rear passenger door to open, and Cochran was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining a massive traumatic brain injury from blunt force trauma to the skull. The pavement was dry and the weather was good, but the vehicle was later determined to be traveling at an excessive speed. No other vehicle was involved in the incident. The occupants of the vehicle were all taken to Chippenham Community Hospital and later transferred to St Martin's Hospital in Bath. Cochran never regained consciousness, and died at 4:10 p.m. the following day - Easter Sunday. Sheeley suffered injuries to her back and thigh, Vincent suffered a fractured collarbone and severe injuries to his legs, and Tompkins sustained facial injuries and a possible fracture of the base of the skull. Martin did not sustain significant injuries. Vincent and Sheeley returned to the United States after the accident. Cochran's body was flown home, and after a funeral service was buried on April 25, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California. Martin was convicted of dangerous driving, fined _50 (and in default of payment six months imprisonment), and disqualified from driving for 15 years. His driving disqualification was lifted on May 7, 1968, after the judge at Bristol Assizes determined that Martin "had suffered considerable financial hardship". The car and other items from the crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner's inquest could be held. David Harman, a police cadet at the station, who would later become known as Dave Dee of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, is said to have played on Cochran's Gretsch 6120 guitar whilst it was held at the station. There is a plaque marking the site of the car crash on Rowden Hill. There is also a memorial stone on the grounds of St Martin's Hospital in Bath, commemorating Cochran's death. The stone was restored in 2010 on the 50th anniversary of his death and can be found in the old chapel grounds at the hospital. A memorial plaque was also placed next to the sundial at the back of the old chapel. The Eddie Cochran Memorial Project spearheaded a fundraising campaign in 2018 to restore the plaque and install a brand new "Three Steps to Heaven" base at the Chippenham crash site. Edward Raymond Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everybody", and "Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in the mid-1950s and early 1960s. He experimented with multitrack recording, distortion techniques, and overdubbing even on his earliest singles. He played the guitar, piano, bass, and drums. His image as a sharply dressed and good-looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the 1950s rocker, and in death he achieved an iconic status. https://store.earthstation1.com/dj-radio-airchecks-mp3-dvd-1950s60s70s-dis319506070.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Music Documentaries I Clapton Pink Floyd Zappa Glass Jazz MP4 DVD USB
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1983: #DOTD: #RIP: Felix Pappalardi, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (b. December 30, 1939) #dies when he is shot and killed in New York City aged 43 by his wife Gail Collins Pappalardi in their East Side Manhattan apartment, with a derringer he had given her as a gift a few months previously. Gail Pappalardi was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and was found guilty of the lesser criminally negligent homicide. He is interred next to his mother at Woodlawn Cemetery in The Bronx, New York City. Felix A. Pappalardi Jr. (December 30, 1939 - April 17, 1983) was an American music producer, songwriter, vocalist, and bassist. He is best known to the public as the bassist and vocalist of the band Mountain, whose song "Mississippi Queen" peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has become a classic rock radio staple. Originating in the eclectic music scene in New York's Greenwich Village, he became closely attached to the British power trio Cream, writing, arranging, and producing for their second album Disraeli Gears. As a producer for Atlantic Records, he worked on several projects with guitarist Leslie West; in 1969 their partnership evolved into the band Mountain. The band lasted less than five years, but their work influenced the first generation of heavy metal and hard rock music. Pappalardi continued to work as a producer, session musician, and songwriter until his death. https://store.earthstation1.com/music-documentaries-dvd-clapton-pink-floyd-zappa-glass-jazz.html

Today's EarthStation1.com #OnThisDay Commemorative Memorial Title: Jack Paar Late-Night TV Talk Shows DVD, MP4 Download, USB Flash Drive
Today, April 17, 2026
April 17, 1920: #BOTD: #HBD! Genevieve, French-American comedian, actress, and singer, best remembered for her regular appearances on Tonight Starring Jack Paar and The Jack Paar Show in the 1950s/60s (d. March 14, 2004) is #born Ginette Marguerite Auger in Paris, France. Genevieve was discovered by an American talent agent in 1954, and brought to New York as a cabaret and supper club singer. She got her break in 1957, where her mangled use of the English language pivoted her into a more comic persona. She married writer, director, and producer Ted Mills in 1960; and following the end of Paar's program in 1965, her career receded. Her final credited appearances were in the TV miniseries Scruples, released in 1980. She died at age 83 in 2004, in Los Angeles, California from complications following a stroke. Her burial details are not publiclly disclosed. Her and Mills daughter, Alley Mills, starred in the TV series "Wonder Years", and married Orson Bean. https://store.earthstation1.com/jack-paar-tv-shows-old-time-television-dual-layer-dvd.html