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Today in History: July 30
1619
The House of Burgesses convenes for the first time at Jamestown, Va.

1787
The French parliament refuses to approve a more equitable land tax.

1799
The French garrison at Mantua, Italy, surrenders to the Austrians.

1864
In an effort to penetrate the Confederate lines around Petersburg, Va. Union troops explode a mine underneath the Confederate trenches but fail to break through. The ensuing action is known as the Battle of the Crater.

1919
Federal troops are called out to put down Chicago race riots.


1938
George Eastman demonstrates his color motion picture process.

1940
A bombing lull ends the first phase of the Battle of Britain.

1960
Over 60,000 Buddhists march in protest against the Diem government in South Vietnam.

1965
President Lyndon Johnson signs the Medicare Bill into law.

1967
General William Westmoreland claims that he is winning the war in Vietnam, but needs more men.


1975
Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa disappears, last seen coming out of a restaurant in Bloomingfield Hills, Michigan.

1988
King Hussein dissolves Jordan's Parliament, surrenders Jordan's claims to the West Bank to the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

1990
Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent forces George Steinbrenner to resign as principal partner of the New York Yankees.

2003
The last of the uniquely shaped "old style" Volkswagen Beetles rolls off the assembly line in Mexico.

2012
Blackout in India as power grid failure leaves 300 million+ without power.

Today in History: Born on July 30
1818
Emily Bronte, author (Wuthering Heights).

1857
Thorstein Veblen, economist and sociologist (The Theory of the Leisure Class).

1863
Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company.

1889
Casey Stengel, New York Yankees manager.

1898
Henry Moore, English sculptor.


1909
C. Northcote Parkinson, historian and author.

1924
William H. Gass, writer (Omensetter's Luck).

1940
Patricia Schroeder, U.S. Congresswoman.

1941
Paul Anka, singer ("Puppy Love," "You Are My Destiny").

1945
David Sanborn, Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist ("Inside," "Close-Up").


1947
Arnold Schwarzenegger, body builder (Mr. Universe, seven-time Mr. Olympia), actor (Terminator, Total Recall), 38th governor of California.

1958
Kate Bush, singer, songwriter; first woman to have a UK number-one single with a self-written song ("Wuthering Heights"); appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2013.

1961
Laurence Fishburne, actor (The Matrix series, The Tuskegee Airmen TV movie, CSI - Crime Scene Investigation TV series).

JOTD
A Woman goes to buy a Parrot. The prices are $100, $200, and $15. She asks why the last one is so cheap?
"Because he used to live in a brothel" says the shopkeeper. She pays $15.

When she gets home the parrot says: "frick me, a new brothel!" The woman laughs.

When her daughters get home the parrot says: "frick me, 2 new prozzies!" The girls laughs too.

When the dad gets home the parrot says: "frick me Pete, haven't seen you for weeks!"