Today in History: Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Television:
Stephen J. Cannell‘s car adventure drama “Stingray” starring Nick Mancuso debuted on NBC in 1985 as a 2-hour TV movie. It aired for two short seasons…Shock-jock (and former “America’s Got Talent” judge) Howard Stern debuted in the New York market on WWOR in 1990 as host of a talk show featuring outrageous segments. The program entered national syndication in January 1991 and ultimately ended on August 8, 1992 because of the growing production costs…”Hey Dude“, the western comedy geared to kids, debuted on Nickelodeon in 1989. It aired for 65 episodes across two years…Heath Ledger and Keri Russell starred in the 5th-century-set European adventure drama “Roar” that debuted on Fox in 1997. It aired for only eight episodes that summer; the remaining five episodes aired in the spring of 2000, also on Fox.

Movies:
“Easy Rider,“ directed by Dennis Hopper, and starring Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, was released in 1969…Phil Everly stormed off the stage declaring an end to the Everly Brothers in 1973… “Foul Play“, the murder mystery comedy starring Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn premiered in 1978… “Licence to Kill“, the sixteenth James Bond film in the 007 franchise, starring Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Benicio del Toro and Priscilla Barnes opened in 1989. The title theme song was sung by Gladys Knight… the Sundance Festival favorite-turned blockbuster horror flick “The Blair Witch Project” opened in theaters in 1999… the original “X-Men” movie starring Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman premiered in wide release in 2000. It launched its film franchise that spanned 12 films in total, to date…“The Dark Knight,“ starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, premiered in New York in 2008.

Music:
Paul McCartney released “Press” in 1986… “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979.

News:
In 1994, Jerry Springer officially filed papers to run for the U.S. Senate from Ohio…

Books:
Dr. Benjamin Spock’s “Common Sense Book of Baby & Child Care” book was published in 1946…Harper Lee’s second novel, “Go Set a Watchman,” an early 1957 version of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, went on sale in 70 countries in 2015.

Celebrity Birthdays
Actress Nancy Olson (“Sunset Boulevard”) is 93; football player-turned-actor Rosey Grier is 89; actor Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) is 75; actor Jerry Houser (“Summer of ’42″; “The Brady Brides”, “The Bradys”) is 69; actor Eric Laneuville (“St. Elsewhere”) is 69; actor Stan Shaw (“Harlem Nights”) is 69; “Glee” star Jane Lynch is 61; singer-comedian Kyle Gass of Tenacious D is 61; actor Jackie Earle Haley (“Bad News Bears”) is 60; “Lost” and “Party of Five” star Matthew Fox is 55; actress Missy Gold (“Benson”) is 51; singer Tameka Cottle of Xscape is 46; actress-screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”) is 36; UFC fighter Conor McGregor is 33.

Did You Know?
The first regularly scheduled series featuring Matthew Fox was a short-lived college set drama on CBS called “Freshman Dorm.” It aired in the summer of 1992.