Celebrating Black History Month: Hazel Johnson-Brown, first African American female brigadier general in the US Army

Hazel Johnson-Brown, born October 10, 1927 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, is the first African American female general in the US Army.  She moved to New York City to attend the Harlem School of Nursing, and in 1947, she started at the Harmlem Hosptial emergency ward. 

Johnson-Brown enlisted in the US Army in 1955 and rose in the ranks as she impressed her superior with her skill in the operating room.  She took assignments all over the world, including Japan where she trained nurses on their way to Vietnam. 

Johnson-Brown was promoted to brigadier general in 1979(?), becoming the first black woman to attain that rank.  She retired from the army n 1983. 

During Operation Desert Storm in 1990, she volunteered to work at For Belvoir, Virginia's Army Hosptial.

She passed away in Wilmington, Delaware in  August 2011.

Gen. Hazel Johnson-Brown 

Celebrating Gay Pride: Wings one of the first same-sex kiss on screen 1927

Academy Award-winning movie Wings, which premiered May 19, 1927 in San Antonio, Texas, has one of the first on-screen same-sex kiss between two men.  Charles 'Buddy' Rogers played Jack Powell, and Richard Arlen played David Armstrong, two fighter pilots in WWI.  During David's death scene, Jack kisses David on the cheek before David passes away.

Although the two characters are not gay and spend the movie fighting over the same women, the scene is touching with the two men caressing and holding each other in their arms. 

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawai'ian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Patsy Mink, first Asian American woman elected to Congress

Patsy Takemoto Mink, born December 6, 1927 on Maui in Hawai'ian territory, graduated from Maui High School in 1944 and attended the University of Hawai'i at Manoa for two years before transferring to the University of Nebraska. She experienced racism and worked to eliminate segregation policies, but illness forced her to return to Hawai'i to complete her studies.

She applied to twelve medical schools but was rejected by all of them.  She applied to the University of Chicago Law School in 1948.  Unable to find employment after graduation, Mind returned to Hawai'i with her husband and daughter in 1952. She opened her own law practice in 1953 and became a member of the Democratic Party.  

The next year she was elected to the territorial House of Representatives, making her the first Japanese-American woman to serve in the House.  Two years later, she became the first woman to serve in the territorial Senate.

In 1962, she was elected to the new Hawai'i State Senate and became the first Asian-American woman to serve in a state legislature.  In 1964, she ran for federal office and won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mink served until her death in 2002.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patsy_Mink

Harvey Korman, comedian extraordinaire, born 1927

Harvey Korman, born February 15, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, is best known for his performances on the Carol Burnett Show, in which he appeared in from 1967-1977.  He tried his luck on Broadway and comedy but failed. He moved to Hollywood and found success. He provided the voice for recurring characters on The Flintstones, and made three guest appearances on The Munsters. He starred in Blazing Saddles and History of the World Part 1. 

He was nominated for four Golden Globes and won for Best Supporting Actor-Television in 1975. He was nominated seven times for a Primetime Emmys and won four times.

Korman passed away in 2008 after complications from surgery on a non-cancerous brain tumor.

Phyllis Coates, Lois Lane actress, born 1927

Phyllis Coates, born January 15, 1927 in Wichita Falls, Texas, had a movie career that spanned many decades, but she is best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Adventures of Superman. She appeared in 24 episodes from 1952-1953, after which she was replaced by Noel Neill.  

Prior to Superman, Coates appeared along side Neill in the Cold War movie Invasion, U.S.A., in which they play ticket agents for an airline.

Her last appearance was in 1996 in Hollywood: The Movie.  She passed away in October 2023 at 96 in Los Angeles.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Lauro Cavazos, first Hispanic member of US Cabinet

Lauro Cavazos, born January 4, 1927 in Kingsville, Texas, enlisted in the US Army in 1944 and served state-side in an infantry unit in the last days of WWII.  He enrolled at Texas College of Arts and Industries (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville) and majoring in journalism..  He transferred to Texas Technological  College (now Texas Tech University) and earned a BA and MS in zoology.  Later he earned a PhD in physiology from Iowa State University in 1954.

He was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi.

He became the president of Texas Tech University, becoming the first alumnus and first Hispanic to serve as Texas Tech president.  He served from 1980-1988, when President Reagan appointed him as Secretary of Education, making him the first Hispanic member in the US Cabinet.  He remained at the post until 1990, when he resigned.

After his resignation, he served as the Professor of Public Health and Family Medicine.  He passed away in March 2022. 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Ignacio Molinet, first Hispanic player in the NFL

Ignacio "Lou" Molinet, born November 30, 1904 in Chaparra, Cuba, is the first Cuban and first Latin American to play in the National Football League. He attended Peddie School in New Jersey, and then enrolled in Cornell University, where he lettered twice in both basketball and football.  After his parents died after his sophomore year, he remained in Cuba.  

The Frankford Athletic Association contacted him to play for the Frankford Yellow Jackets, who were the defending NFL champion at the time, so he returned.  

In 1927, he rushed for 75 yards and passed for another 35 yards.  He caught several passes, and he scored a touchdown in a win over the Buffalo Bison. However, the Yellow Jackets fell below 0.500 and placed 7th in the standings.  Molinet returned to Cornell after only one season in the NFL, and finished his degree.

He passed away in August 1977.

Steve Ditko, co-creator of Spider-man and Dr. Strange, born 1927

Steve Ditko, born November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a comic book artist and is credited with co-creating Spider-man and Dr. Strange.  Growing up, Ditko's father sparked his interest in newspaper comic strips and when Steve served in the military, he drew comic strips for a military newspaper.

After his discharge, he enrolled in what is now the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1950, graduating in 1953. In 1955, he went to work for Atlas Comics, which is now Marvel Comics, illustrating stories written by Stan Lee. 

In 1962, Spider-man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15, a collaboration between Ditko and Lee.  But it seemed that Lee was getting most of the credit for the superhero instead of Ditko.  This led to a years long feud between the two.  

Lee eventually complied and gave Ditko credit for his contributions.  Ditko also worked for DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Defiant Comics. 

He was reclusive and rarely gave interviews.  He never married or had children.  He passed away in June 2018 from a heart attack.

Celebrating Black History Month: Wesley A. Brown, first African-American to graduate from US Naval Academy

Wesley Anthony Brown, born April 3, 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland, became the first African-American to graduate from the United States Naval Academy in May 1949.  Five other black men had been admitted before him but never finished due to extensive hostility.  Brown also faced hostility but did not leave.  

He served for twenty years in the US Navy and participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars.  Brown retired in June 1969 as lieutenant commander.  

Brown passed away in Silver Spring, Maryland in May 2012.  The Wesley Brown Field House at the US Naval Academy is named in his honor. 

Celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month: Walter "Sneeze" Achiu, first Chinese-American to play in the NFL

 

Walter Tin Kit "Sneeze" Achiu, born August 3, 1902 in Honolulu, Hawaii, was the first Chinese-American to play in the National Football League.  He played running back and defensive back for the Dayton Triangles from 1927-1928.  Later he became a successful pro wrestler.  

He passed away in March 1989.

Yoshio Tsuchiya, Godzilla actor, born 1927

Yoshio Tsuchiya, born May 18, 1927 in Japan, was a prolific actor who appeared in several Godzilla movies.  One of his first appearances was the classic film Seven Samurai in 1954, but then he went on to star in Godzilla Raids Again, Son of Godzilla, and Destroy All Monsters.  His final appearance was in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah in 1991.

He passed away last year September 5.

Gordon Cooper, Mercury/Gemini astronaut born 1927

Gordon Cooper, born March 6, 1927 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, was one of the first original astronauts chosen for Project Mercury, the first manned space program for the U.S.  He flew on the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 (Faith 7) in May 1963.  It was also the longest Mercury flight, and he was the first American to get to sleep during a mission, which lasted 34 hours.  This flight marked the last time an American was to be launched on a solo orbital mission.

In August 1965, Cooper flew as Command Pilot of Gemini V with Pete Conrad.  The mission lasted eight days, setting a new record, demonstrating that astronauts could survive in space for the time necessary to fly to the moon and back.

Cooper retired from NASA in 1970.  He passed away in October 2004 from heart failure at age 77.  He had contracted Parkinson's disease prior to his death.

Akihiko Hirata, Godzilla and Rodan actor, born 1927

Akihiko Hirata, born December 26, 1927 in Kyogo, South Korea, has been in more Godzilla movies than anyone!  He played Dr. Serizawa in the original movie Godzilla in 1954.  He went on to star in Rodan (1956), Mothra (1961), Ghidorah, the Three-headed Monster (1964), Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974) and The Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).

He is the only actor to appear in the debuts of monsters Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla!


Mr. Hirata passed away in July 1984.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Vladimir Shatalov!

Vladimir Shatalov, born December 8, 1927 in the former Soviet Union, is a veteran of three Soyuz missions.  His first flight  was aboard Soyuz 4 where he was the only cosmonaut launched in the spacecraft.  Soyuz 4 rendezvoused with Soyuz 5 in January 1969 and performed the first successful docking between two spacecraft.

His second mission was as commander of Soyuz 8, with fellow cosmonaut Aleksei Yeliseyev.  It was a joint mission with Soyuz 6 and Soyuz 7, the first time three Soyuz spacecraft were in orbit simultaneously with a total of 7 cosmonauts.

Shatalov's third and final mission was on Soyuz 10, with Yeliseyev and Nikolai Rukavishnikov on what would be the first mission to the first space station, Salyut 1 in April 1971.

Vladimir Komarov cosmonaut born 1927, Walt Cunningham astronaut born 1932

Cosmonaut Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov, born March 16, 1927 in the Soviet Union, and astronaut R. Walt Cunningham, born March 16, 1932, are both heroes but whose stories end completely different.

Komarov, close friends with Yuri Gagarin, flew his first mission on Voskhod 1 in October 1964 with crew members Boris Yegorov and Konstantin Feoktistov.  The flight lasted just over twenty four hours and its success awarded Komarov the Order of Lenin and Hero of the Soviet Union.

He was assigned to the Soyuz program to fly on Soyuz 1 April 1967.  Long before the launch, Komarov knew there were major problems with the space capsule and feared that he would be killed if he flew in it.  He wanted to refuse the mission, but his backup was Gagarin and Komarov did not want his friend to die.  

Soyuz 1 launched April 23 and experienced problems shortly after launch.  Upon re-entry, the parachutes did not deploy correctly and got tangled with the spacecraft.  Komarov fell several miles to Earth.  His last words were of him cursing the men who put him in a botched spacecraft.

Ronnie Walter Cunningham flew on Apollo 7, October 11, 1968 with Wally Schirra (who celebrated his birthday just a couple of days ago) and Donn Eisle.  During the mission, Schirra developed a head cold and without the benefit of gravity, could not clear his sinuses.  When the crew prepared for re-entry, they refused to wear their helmets.  Schirra feared if he blew his nose, he might suffer a pierced ear drum.

As a result of this "mutiny" none of the Apollo 7 astronauts were assigned to future missions.

Captain Kangaroo born in 1927

Few people my age don't remember waking Saturday mornings with Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Green Jeans, Moose and Bunny Rabbit.  Bob Keeshan, the man who was Captain Kangaroo, was born June 27, 1927 in Long Island, NY.  As an ex-Marine, he debuted as the captain in 1955 and the show ran for almost 30 years.

Awesome man who provided children with great role models as he was himself!  Children these days don't have it as good.  He passed away in 2004.

Author/Scientist Gerard K. O'Neill born in 1927

For my senior term paper in high school, I chose space colonization as my topic. I found Gerard O'Neill's book "The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space" to be a gold mine of information.  Born February 6, 1927, he got his PhD from Cornell and started studying high-energy particle physics at Princeton in 1954.  He got the ideas for space colonization while teaching at Princeton. 

His views of space colonies included long, cylindrical tubes rotating in space to create artificial gravity.  Think "Babylon 5".  Inside, the axis would be zero-gravity and O'Neill envisioned new sports activities in zero-g or low-g environments. 

Unlike Babylon 5, O'Neill's colonies would be separated into six alternating sections of terra and windows, allowing residents to receive direct sunlight.  Critics said how would someone react to look overhead and see a cow standing upside down.

I read another novel of his, "2081: A Hopeful View of the Human Future" which did offer a non-depressing scenario of what life might be like in 2081, one hundred years after the publication date.  It's interesting now, over thirty years later to see some of his visions already coming true.  For example, people can now order groceries from their home computers and do not have to go to the grocery store.