The picture in black and white is a photo of Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham's oldest son. He lived until 1926. Eighty years ago. Abraham's youngest son, Willie died while Lincoln was president
Happy 73rd birthday to a very funny man-- Dom DeLuise. Comedian, author, cook and all around comedian. I have always enjoyed watching this incredibly entertaining man. Here he is pictured with the Broadway and Hollywood legend Rita Moreno. I think one of the funniest movies I have ever seen Dom in was in "The Twelve Chairs" -- the Mel Brooks classic comedy romp. He is a great animal lover to boot as you can see in the other picture on this site. So Happy birthday to a great fellow Italian! One of the most interesting articles about this day in history that i was reading about this morning really demonstrates that people in the world can really be "sheep" For on this day in 1936-- seventy years ago -- 100,000 German people saluted and "heiled" Adolph Hitler as he arrived in triumph at the opening of the Olympics in Berlin. A little girl gave the old beastie a huge bouquet of flowers. Oh well! The devil gets his grand opportunities in so many ways. Perhaps we will someday learn from history what lessons it has tried to teach us. I was also reading today about Robert Todd Lincoln-- the only surviving son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. Today would have been his birthday. He lived to be eighty-two years old and he served inder both President Garfield and Chester Arthur's administrations as Secretary Of War and later as emissary to Great Britain. There is now a musical being developed centered around the true story of the time in 1873, when Robert Todd Lincoln testified against his mother which resulted in her being declared insane and committed for many months in an asylum. Mary Todd was indeed a little strange, but she loved Abraham Lincoln in more ways than can be written about! She was holding Lincoln's hand when he was shot by JohnWilkes Booth on that fateful April evening in 1865. Can you imagine losing first your youngest son (Willie) in 1862 and then your incredible nation-adored husband just three years later and then having your oldest son commit you to an insane asylum. Just for the record, had it not been for the hatred of two women: Mary Todd Lincoln and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant -- Lincoln might not have been assainated at all! Lincoln had invited Ulysses and his wife, Uma to Ford's Theatre that fateful night. Grant had a bodyguard that would have made the "Incredible Hulk" look like Mary Poppins- without the magic! He was nicknamed "the great mountain man". This bulky, muscle-laden almost seven foot bodyguard went absolutely everywhere that Grant went. Mrs. Grant was so adamant about not attending in public withg Mary Lincoln in any way that she flat out decalred to Grant "If you make me sit in the same box with that woman- I will divorce you in public!" Imagine-- not throw a party for, not embrace, not dine with-- just share a box at a theatre. Lincoln had announced that Grant would be there that night! Now because dear old Grant wanted to be President of the United States more than anything else in the world and obviously was not about to battle his wife, he made a last minute excuse to Lincoln and left town-- with that same bodyguard. in tow! Even back in the 1860's, a divorce in public would have sunk Grant's presidential ambition like a rock! Everyone knows that Lincoln's guard fell asleep that night-- a treasonable offense today! Grant's bodyguard would have been there-- at the entrance to the Presidential box! But General George Maclelan and his wife was invited instead. But the public announcement about Grant's appearance at Ford's Theatre was never rescinded. No who knows but maybe--just maybe -- Booth was enticed by the possibility of killing both Lincoln and Grant! At any rate, had Grant's bodyguard been there that night, there is absolutely no way that Wilkes Booth would have gotten past this "mountain man" . Isn't it amazing what history presents in missed opportunties and teaches in tragic aftermaths! It will be interesting to see if this musical about this unfortunate incident will fly. There is grand potential for its development. Well until next time!