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.

Luna 19 launched 1971

Luna 19, launched September 28, 1971 by the Soviet Union, was sent to the moon to carry out studies of gravitational fields, the radiation environment, and solar wind. Luna 19 entered a parking orbit around Earth and headed toward the moon October 2. 

Luna 19 studied the moon until contact was lost November 1, 1972.

Remembering Dame Maggie Smith (1934-2024)

Dame Maggie Smith, one of the most accomplished actresses of all time, passed away yesterday from undisclosed causes.  She began her acting career at 17 as Viola in Twelfth Night at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952. She made her television debut in Oxford Accents in 1954. Smith made her Broadway debut playing in the New Faces of '56 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre from June to December 1956.  In 1956, she appeared in her firsts film in an uncredited role in Child in the House.

Dame Smith won her first Academy Award in 1969 for Best Actress for her performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.  Her second Oscar was in 1978 for Best Supporting Actress for her work in California Suite.

She won four Primetime Emmy Awards, three of them for her role in Downton Abbey. She won a Tony Award in 1990 for her work in Lettice and Lovage.  She is one of few performers to win the Triple Crown of Acting: Oscar, Tony, Emmy.

Her final film The Miracle Club was released last year.

This clip from the Carol Burnett Show is one of my favorites to show her comedic talent.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Romualdo Pacheco, first Hispanic governor in US

Jose Romualdo Pacheco, born in Santa Barbara, California October 31, 1831, became the first Hispanic governor in the United States when he was served as governor of California in February 1875.  He is also the only Hispanic to server as Governor of California and the first Latino to represent a state in the US Congress.

After serving as an apprentice on a trading vessel during the Mexican-American War, he entered politics in 1850.  With prominent family connections, he sought the position of judge in San Luis Obispo and won at the age of 22.  He was elected to the state senate in 1857 and was re-elected twice.

When the Civil War broke out, he was appointed the rank of brigadier general by Governor Leland Stanford to disarm military companies in Los Angeles that weren't loyal to the Union.

Pacheco served as state treasurer of California from 1863-1867, then became Lieutenant Governor of California under Newton Booth. When Booth was elected to the US Senate in 1875, Pacheco served as governor from February to December 1875. 

He ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives and defeated the incumbent Peter Wigginton by one vote.  Wigginton contested the election and managed to overturn Pacheco's victory in 1878. Pacheco went into business until winning a House seat in September 1879 and was re-elected in 1880. 

After leaving Congress and living on a cattle ranch in northern Mexico until he was appointed as US Minister to various countries in Central America in 1890.

Pacheco returned to California in 1893 and died in 1899.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Luis Negrón, Lambda Literary Award winner

Luis Negron, born in Guyama, Puerto Rico in 1970, is a writer, living in Santurce, Puerto Rico.  His debut short story collection, Mundo Cruel, was published in 2010.  Its stories focus on gay life in Santurce, and has been printed five times in Spanish, and an English translation was published in 2013.  

Mundo Cruel won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction at the 26th Lambda Literary Awards in 2014.

Luna 16, first lunar sample return mission, lands 1970

Luna 16, the first successful lunar sample return mission, landed on Earth September 24, 1970. The main spacecraft was launched September 12 and landed on the dark side of the moon. Within an hour of landing, Luna 16 deployed an automatic drill.  It reached a depth of 35 cm and withdrew about 101 grams sample of lunar soil. The upper stage lifted off from the moon on September 21 and parachuted down, successfully landing in Kazakhstan September 24, 1970.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Eddie Palmieri, winner of first Grammy for Latin music

Eddie Palmieri at the piano

Eddie Palmieri, born December 15, 1936 in New York City, is a Latin-American musician who won the first Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording ever awarded in February 1976 for his album Sun of Latin Music.  He assembled his first band when he was 14 in 1950 and after playing in several bands, he released his first album La Perfecta in 1962.  Sun of Latin Music is his 19th album. 

In late 2005, Palmieri teamed up with Brian Lynch and recorded the CD The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project: Simpatico that included many jazz artists.  It won the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz recording in 2007.