Tom Flores, born March 21, 1937, is the first Hispanic to start at quarterback in American professional football, and the first Hispanic head coach. He won Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach and head coach.
He played for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. He became the first Hispanic NFL head coach for the Oakland Raiders in 1979 and held the position until 1987. He was head coach of the Seattle Seahawks from 1992-1994.
He won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Raiders.
Soyuz TMA-16 (L-R): Guy Laliberte, Jeffrey Williams, Maksim Surayev
Mission patch
Soyuz TMA-16, launched September 30, 2009, carried members of Expedition 21 crew and a Canadian space tourist to the International Space Station. Its crew consisted of Commander Maksim Surayev (Roscosmos), Jeffrey Williams (NASA) and Guy Laliberte.
Laliberte remained in space for 10 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-14.
Surayev and Williams participated in Expeditions 21 and 22. They returned to Earth March 2010.
Liu Boming, born in September 1966 in China, went into space aboard Shenzhou 7 in September 2008. During the mission, he participated in the first Chinese spacewalk with fellow astronaut Zhai Zhigang.
One of the best Twilight Zone episodes, The Shelter, aired September 29, 1961. The episode followed a dinner party with a group of friends that is interrupted by a news bulletin that the country is under a nuclear attack. One family has installed a bomb shelter under their house. Their friends helped them build it, but when the crisis occurs, the friends turn against them.
Actor Joseph Bernard, who played Marty Weiss, also appeared in the Star Trek episode Wolf in the Fold. It was kinda gutsy at the time, but that was usual for the Twilight Zone, for its depiction of racism and paranoia.
My man Billy Joel released Uptown Girl, a single from his studio album An Innocent Man, September 29, 1983. The single reached #1 on the Billboard charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and England. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in the US.
Bill Nelson, born September 29, 1942 in Miami, Florida, went into space aboard Columbia (STS-61-C) as payload specialist in January 1986. He was in space for over 6 days. He was a member of the US House of Representatives from January 1979 to January 1991. He was a United States Senator from January 2001 to January 2019.
William Fraker, born September 29, 1923 in Los Angeles, California, is a six-time nominee for an Academy Award. His mother was a native Mexican who fled the revolution. His parents died when he was a child and raised by his Mexican grandmother. He served in the Coast Guard during WWII.
He was nominated for Best Cinematography for Murphy's Romance, WarGames, 1941 (for which he was also nominated for Best Visual Effects), Heaven Can Wait and Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
My girls, the Pointer Sisters appeared on the Carol Burnett Show, September 28, 1974, the third episode of the eighth season. I couldn't find any pics or videos of the episode, but they sang Steam Heat and Carol joined them on Salt Peanuts.
Luis Raul Esteves, born April 30, 1893 in Puerto Rico, was the first person of Hispanic heritage to graduate from the US Military Academy in West Point and was the founder of the Puerto Rico National Guard.
He graduated from West Point in 1915, with Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. He obtained rank of Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 23rd Infantry Regiment.
He served in the 8th Infantry Brigade under General Pershing in El Paso, Texas. He was promoted to First Lieutenant during the onset of the Battle of Columbus in June 1916.
When Esteves was promoted to Captain, he helped organize the 23rd Battalion, composed of Puerto Ricans, stationed in Panama during World War I. That is when he saw a need for a Puerto Rican National Guard. His request was approved and in 1918 he was promoted to Major. By 1919, the first regiment of the Puerto Rican National Guard was formed.
He held the position of Adjutant General until he retired in 1957. He passed away in March 1958.
Aleksey Ovchinin, born September 28, 1971 in the former USSR, is a veteran of two space mission and one aborted flight.
His first flight was aboard Soyuz TMA-20M as commander to the International Space Station in March 2016. He participated in Expeditions 47 and 48 before returning to Earth in September 2016.
His second flight was aboard Soyuz MS-10 as commander in October 2018, but the mission was aborted just after launch because the launch vehicle boosters failed. He and fellow astronaut Nick Hague returned to Earth safely.
His third mission was aboard Soyuz MS-12 to the International Space Station in March 2019. He participated in Expedition 59 and made commander of Expedition 60. He returned to Earth in October 2019.
Coco, released November 2017, is the first movie with a nine-figure budget ($175M) to feature an all-Latino principal cast. The film has been praised for its respect for the Mexican culture through music, voice acting and its heart-warming story. The film is based on the Mexican holiday, Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
The story follows Miguel, a twelve-year-old boy who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he has to seek help from his deceased great-great-grandfather to return to his family in the living.
It won two Academy Awards, one for Best Animated Feature and the other for Best Original Song, Remember Me. It won a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film. It won just about every Best Animated Film award out there.
Billy Joel released We Didn't Start the Fire, a single from his album Storm Front, September 27, 1989. It is a list of world events that took place from 1949, when Billy was born, to 1989. It reached #1 in the United States in December for two weeks. It was nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year.
Mark Hamill, born September 25, 1951 in Oakland, California, is best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy and the latest trilogy, starting with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
He has won three Saturns (Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films) for Best Actor in The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Last Jedi.
Bernardo Houssay, born April 10, 1887 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the first Latin-American to win the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1947. He was a co-recipient of the award for the discovery of the role played by the pituitary hormones in regulating the amount of blood sugar (glucose) in animals.
He published more than 600 scientific papers and several specialized books.
Soyuz TMA-14M crew (L-R): Aleksandr Samokutyayev, Barry Wilmore, Yelena Serova
Mission patch
Soyuz TMA-14M, launched September 25, 2014, carried members of Expedition 41 to the International Space Station. Its crew consisted Commander Aleksandr Samokutyayev (Roscosmos), Yelena Serova (Roscosmos) and Barry Wilmore (NASA).
The crew also participated in Expedition 42 before returning to Earth in March 2015.
Frank Capra's B&W comedy classic Arsenic and Old Lace was released September 23, 1944. It starred Cary Grant and Peter Lorre. Grant plays a novelist, who discovers that his two sweet, elderly aunts kill old men with poison and bury them in the cellar.
Boris Karloff wanted to reprise his role as Jonathan Brewster from the Broadway play, but was denied permission by the Broadway play producers. He was not happy.
The American Film Institute listed it as one of the Top Funniest American Movies.
William McCool, born September 23, 1961 in San Diego, California, was the pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) in January-February 2003. It was his first mission, but Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry February 1, 2003, killing everyone on board.
Florida Institute of Technology has named an apartment complex after him. The Navy Bachelors Enlisted Quarters at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City is named after him.
Sting won two Primetime Emmys for his A&E in Concert special: Sting in Tuscany...All This Time at the 54th award ceremony September 22, 2002. His performance won Outstanding Individual Performance in A Variety or Music Program and Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special. Okay, maybe that last one didn't go to Sting but it does give his special more awards.
He received four more nominations: Outstanding Lighting Direction, Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program, Outstanding Technical Direction Direction, Camerawork, Video for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special.
Three years ago I reported that Paco Balderrama was the first Hispanic Major in the Oklahoma City Police Department. Last year, he became the first Hispanic promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief of the OKC PD. He is one of four Deputy Chiefs in the police department.
Dr. Robert Satcher, born September 22, 1965 in Hampton, Virginia, went to the International Space Station aboard Atlantis (STS-129) in November 2009. During the mission, he performed two EVAs with fellow astronauts Michael Foreman and Randy Bresnik for a total of 12 hours 19 minutes.
He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT, and an MD from Harvard Medical School, specializing in orthopedics.
Fernando Caldeiro, born June 12, 1958 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was an American scientist and a NASA astronaut. Her earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arizona and a MS in engineering management from the University of Central Florida.
He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in May 1996. Unfortunately, he passed away from a brain tumor in October 2009 before making it into space.
Galileo spacecraft, launched October 18, 1989, ended its mission when NASA sent it plunging into Jupiter's atmosphere, September 21, 2003. It flew by Venus in February 1990 and flew by Earth in December 1990 and approached asteroid 951 Gaspra in October 1991. It made a second flyby of Earth in December 1992 before making close observations of another asteroid Ida. It discovered Ida's moon Dactyl, the first time a moon orbiting an asteroid had ever been seen.
Galileo observed fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crash into Jupiter. Besides examining Jupiter, it made several flybys of moons Europa and Io.
NASA turned off Galileo's cameras in January 2002, since they had been permanently damaged by radiation. They were able to recover scientific data from a damaged tape recorder and received measurements of the moon Amalthea, before taking its final plunge.
Carlos Saavedra Lamas, born November 1, 1878 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the first Hispanic, first Argentine to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
As foreign minister of Argentina, he worked to end the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia. When he took office, he laid the groundwork to negotiate settlement of the conflict. In August-September 1933, he drew up the Treaty of Nonaggression and Conciliation which was signed by six South American countries. In 1935, he organized mediation, which resulted in the cessation of the Chaco War. He presented the South American Antiwar Pact of the League of Nations, which was signed by eleven countries.
He was elected president of the president of the Assembly of the League of Nations in 1936, the same year he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Petite, adorable, talented, beautiful Kristin Chenoweth won her first Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her performance as Olive Snook in the series Pushing Daisies, September 20, 2009. It was her second Emmy nomination, but she had won several Tonys at this point.
The same evening, Jessica Lange won an award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Movie for her role as Big Edie Beale in Grey Gardens.
Pushing Daisies also starred fellow Okie Lee Pace, who appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy. Although the series ran for only two seasons, it won numerous awards. Pace was nominated twice for a Golden Globe for his work on the series.
Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, born in Chihuahua, Mexico in December 1859, is the first Mexican-American to serve in the United States Senate. He moved to Arizona when he was 11.
He studied law and was a teacher and principal. He was instrumental for securing the Spanish language for use in conducting public business.
In 1918, he was elected as a Republican as governor of New Mexico. In 1928, he was elected to fill the senatorial seat of Andrieus Jones, who had died in office. Upon taking the seat on December 7, 1928, he became the first Hispanic-American to serve in the US Senate. Unfortunately, he passed away after serving only three months.
Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves in the title role, first appeared on television September 19, 1952. It ran for six seasons and ended after Reeves' passing in 1959. Phyllis Coates played Lois Lane in the first season and, after she left the show, Noel Neill replaced her for the rest of the series.
Philip Bazaar, a Chilean-born American, was a US Navy seaman in the Civil War and was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration in the US.
He joined the Union Navy in Massachusetts and was assigned to the USS Santiago de Cuba, a wooden, side-wheel steamship commanded by Rear Admiral David Porter.
In late 1864, General Grant ordered an assault on Fort Fisher, a Confederate stronghold, in North Carolina. Rear Admiral Porter was in charge of the naval attack. When that failed, a Grant ordered a second assault in January 1865. Bazaar carried dispatches during the battle, experiencing heavy fire from the Confederates to Major General Terry, in charge of the ground assault.
According to his citation:
"On board the U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba during the assault on Fort Fisher on 15 January 1865. As one of a boat crew detailed to one of the generals on shore, O.S. Bazaar bravely entered the fort in the assault and accompanied his party in carrying dispatches at the height of the battle. He was 1 of 6 men who entered the fort in the assault from the fleet."
Dame Maggie Smith won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie September 18, 2011 at the 63rd Awards Ceremony. It was for her role as Violet Crowley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey. It was her second Primetime Emmy.
Takao Doi, born September 18, 1954 in Tokyo, Japan, is a veteran of two Space Shuttle flights.
His first flight was aboard Columbia (STS-87) as mission specialist in November-December 1997. During the mission he conducted two EVAs with fellow astronaut Winston Scott, becoming the first Japanese astronaut to conduct a spacewalk.
His second flight was aboard Endeavour (STS-123) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in March 2008. The mission delivered the first module of the Japanese Experiment Module.
Goddess of the arts Rita Moreno won her second Primetime Emmy Award September 17, 1978, for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama for her performance on the Rockford Files, which starred James Garner.
She had already won an Oscar in 1961, a Grammy in 1973 and a Tony in 1975. Her first Emmy came in 1977, making her the first performer to win the Grand Slam of awards.
Pamela Melroy, born September 17, 1961 in Palo Alto, California, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights. She is the second woman after Eileen Collins to command a Space Shuttle mission.
Her first flight was aboard Discovery (STS-92) as pilot to the International Space Station in October 2000. It was the 100th Space Shuttle mission.
Her second flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-112) as pilot to the ISS in October 2002. One of her wake-up songs was Prime Time by the Alan Parsons Project!
Her third and last mission was aboard Discovery (STS-120) as commander to the ISS in October-November 2007. She met Peggy Whitson, who was commander of the ISS at the time. It was the first time two female commanders were in space simultaneously.
Morgan Woodward, prolific actor, was born September 16, 1925 in Fort Worth, Texas. He appeared in many westerns and two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series. He played Dr. Simon van Gelder in Dagger of the Mind and Captain Tracey in The Omega Glory.
He also appeared in episodes of Murder, She Wrote, The X-files and Millennium.
Serena Aunon-Chancellor, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the second Hispanic female astronaut, following Ellen Ochoa. Her father arrived in the United States from Cuba in 1960.
Aunon-Chancellor launched aboard Soyuz MS-09 to the International Space Station, where she participated in Expeditions 56 and 57.
She also participated in NEEMO 20 at NASA's Aquarius underwater laboratory in July 2015.
The season opener for the third season of The Twilight Zone, Two, aired September 15, 1961. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery and Charles Bronson in a post-apocalyptic world where they are the only survivors. Unfortunately, they were on opposite sides of the conflict.
Bruce Hyde, born September 14, 1941 in Dallas, Texas, is well-known for his role as Lt. Kevin Riley on Star Trek: The Original Series. He only appeared in two episodes, The Naked Now and The Conscience of the King. He is one of the few actors, besides the regulars, to have a recurring role.
He passed away in October 2015 from throat cancer.
Amazing and beautiful Gillian Anderson won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Dr. Dana Scully in the X-files at the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony September 14, 1997.
Dame Helen Mirren presented the award and Gillian told her how much she admired Helen's work.
The X-files was nominated for Best Drama Series Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
David Duchovny was nominated as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
James Wong was nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.
ZZ Top won two MTV Music Video awards at the first ever ceremony held September 14, 1984. Their video Sharp Dressed Man won for Best Direction in a Video, beating themselves for Gimme All Your Lovin'. Cyndi Lauper was also nominated in this category for Time After Time.
Their video Legs won Best Group Video, again beating themselves for Sharp Dressed Man.
Cyndi Lauper did win Best Female Video for Girls Just Want to Have Fun, beating herself for Time After Time, Pat Benatar for Love is a Battlefield, and Donna Summer for She Works Hard for the Money.
ZZ Top was also nominated for Best Editing in a Video.
Cyndi Lauper was nominated for Video of the Year, Best New Artist in a Video, Best Concept Video, Best Overall Performance in a Video and Viewer's Choice.
Alan Parsons Project was nominated for Most Experimental Video for Don't Answer Me.
Zond 5, launched September 14, 1968 by the former Soviet Union, became the second spaceship to travel to the moon, circle it, and return to Earth. It carried two tortoises and an assortment of bugs and plants. The tortoises were recovered on September 21, starving but otherwise in good shape. They were the first Earthlings to reach the moon.
NASA launched the unmanned spacecraft Mercury-Atlas 4, September 13, 1961. After two failed launches, one partial success and only one other complete success, Mercury-Atlas 4 completed all flight objectives successfully. It orbited the Earth once and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean less than two hours after launch.
Amazing, talented and beautiful Cloris Leachman won an Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Aunt Ethel Mooster in the Promised Land episode Mooster's Revenge, September 13, 1998.
It was her sixth at the time, and to date she has won nine!
Luna 2, launched September 12, 1959 by the Soviet Union, was the first spacecraft to reach the moon. It was also the first man-made object to contact another celestial body. Luna 2 searched for magnetic and radiation fields around the moon, but found none.
It hit the lunar surface at about 7,400 mph and released a sodium vapor cloud so it could be seen from Earth.
Lovely actress Roxann Dawson, born September 11, 1958 in Los Angeles, is best known for her role as Lt. B'Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager, which lasted for seven seasons. She has been nominated twice for an American Latin Media Arts Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Voyager.
Charles Simonyi, born September 10, 1949 in Budapest, Hungary is the fifth space tourist in space. He is the second Hungarian in space and made two trips to the International Space Station.
His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-10 in April 2007. He returned to Earth 12 days later aboard Soyuz TMA-9.
His second trip was aboard Soyuz TMA-14 in March 2009. He returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-13 in April 2009.
Jeffrey Combs, born September 9, 1954 in Oxnard, California, is a prolific actor who has starred in numerous Star Trek series. He played Commander Shran in Star Trek: Enterprise so well that the producers said if the show had been renewed for a fifth season, he would have been made a regular. He appeared in one episode of Star Trek: Voyager. He played Weyoun, a liaison from the Dominion, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
He is one of two actors to play three different characters in a single Star Trek season (Deep Space Nine). He is one of six actors to appear in ten different seasons of Star Trek. He is one of four to play seven different characters on Star Trek. He is one of six actors to appear in finales of two different Star Trek series. He is one of three actors to appear in all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise.
STS-115 crew (L-R): Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Christopher Ferguson, Joseph Tanner, Daniel Burbank, Brent Jett, Steve MacLean
Mission patch
Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-115), launched September 9, 2006, was the first assembly mission to the International Space Station following the Challenger disaster in 2003. Its crew consisted of Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Christopher Ferguson, Steven MacLean (CSA), Daniel Burbank, Joseph Tanner, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper.
Burbank and MacLean conducted 3 EVAs to install trusses and new solar arrays on the ISS.
Blondie, who first appeared in newspapers September 8, 1930, is still featured in more than 2000 newspapers around the world. Chic Young drew the strip until his death in 1973, when his son Dean took over and is still going strong.
Blondie, a flapper, married Dagwood Bumstead, who is subsequently disinherited by his parents because they disapprove of her. They settle down as a middle-class suburban family. They have two children, Alexander and Cookie, and a dog Daisy. Their best friends are their next-door neighbors Herb and Tootsie Woodley.
One of its running themes is the towering sandwiches that Dagwood fixes for himself.
Blondie has appeared on the movie screen and on television.
