“Hoovervilles” are built for Poverty-Stricken Americans -This Day in History – Aug 15th

President Hoover plans relief for Droughts and Great Depression

Back in 1930, president Herbert Hoover offered plans for the relief of drought victims and those suffering from the economic problems of the great depression.  The President strived to find emergency measures for the agricultural industry.  Destitute Americans were forced to create “Hoovervilles,” poverty shanty-towns that were located in city parks.

Panama Canal Opens

The American-built, Panama Canal, a waterway that connected the  Atlantic and Pacific oceans opened on this day back in 1914.  This waterway allowed vessels such as the USS Ancon to pass within this canal.

Woodstock Music Festival begins

A patch of farmland in Bethel, NY welcomed the Woodstock Music Festival back in 1969.  This historical music event showcased talent such as: Richie Havens, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker and believe it or not -ShaNaNa.  This event lasted 4 days.  

Here is a link of all of the artists that performed at Woodstock.  Richie Havens opened this musical event and Jimmy Hendrix was the last musician to close this event.

http://woodstock.com/themusic.php

Hurricane Alicia storms into Texas Gulf Coast

Back on this day, back in 1983, a powerful Category 3 hurricane, named Alicia pounded the Texas Gulf Coast leaving death and destruction in its path.  With winds sustaining 127 mph, this hurricane also set off numerous tornadoes, which caused 21 deaths, injuries, and of course billions of dollars in property damage.

The Namesake behind Comiskey Park is born 

Mr. Charles Albert Comiskey, was born on this day in Chicago Illinois back in 1859.  Mr. Comiskey was a first baseman, baseball player for the St. Louis Brown Stockings in 1882 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1890.

After his retirement from baseball, he and a group of backers would help to build the baseball park in 1910 that would house the Chicago White Sox. Mr. Comiskey lived to the age of 72.  Before his death he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. 

The “Iron Curtain” is built

Back in 1961, the East Germans permanently closed off access into West Germany with the Berlin Wall. This wall stood for 28 years as both a literal barrier between East and West Germany and as a symbol of the Cold War.

Vietnam War Epic - Apocalypse Now Premieres 

Back in 1979, Hollywood released a movie based on the Vietnam War that would become a cult classic - Apocalypse Now.  Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this movie’s premise was based on a plot to kill a U.S. Special Forces colonel (Marlon Brando) whom had gone AWOL and thought to be insane as well.  This movie also stared Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall and a very young Laurence Fishburne.

“Showboat” Author is born 

On this day back in 1887, Edna Ferber, the author of the Broadway musical and movie, Showboat was born.  Ms. Ferber started her writing career as a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal publishing stories of a no-nonsense travelling petticoat saleswoman named, Emma McChesney.  She would later turn to writing a famous play, Showboat that displayed travelling performer around a riverboat.  This play has become a popular Broadway that has won a Tony.  This movie has 3 versions filmed in 1932, 1936 and then in 1951.  Actors that performed in this move were Paul Robeson, Irene Dunne, Howard Keel, Eva Gardner. 

Two well-known tunes from this musical is “Old Man River” and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man.

All History facts provided from the link below:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charles-comiskey-born?catId=10