The “Good News Bulletin” is Written by Gary Boldizar, Service Director at Fiesta Ford and the Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center.
In a world that seems to focus on the bad news, I want to share some good news from the month of June with you so badly that I don’t care how far back in history I must go!
Change the channel, or better yet, turn the TV off! Shut the computer down. Pour yourself your favorite beverage, relax, and read about good things that happened in June!
We start with a bang, or a squeeze, or a burp… On June 1, 1974, the Heimlich Maneuver was introduced to the world by American thoracic surgeon Henry Heimlich. This life saving technique was published 50 years ago. Like the author typing this story, Heimlich was born to Hungarian immigrants.
Two iconic movie stars share a June 1st birthday. Norma Jeane Mortenson, better known as Marilyn Monroe, was born in 1926. It’s hard to believe she was born before our next June 1st celebrity, Morgan Freeman, who came into the world in 1937. Unlike some other celebrities, Morgan uses his real name, as you’ll see with others soon.
One of my favorite performers, Bruce Springsteen, released his hugely popular album, “Born in the USA”, on June 4, 1984 Oops…. He uses his real name too.
On June 5, 1956, Elvis Presley performed his hit “Hound Dog” on television for the first time on the Milton Berle Show. Darn, Elvis used his real name too.
So many members of America’s Greatest Generation reside in our desert that I felt I had to mention the D-Day Normandy invasion, which began on June 6, 1944. This was good news for many Americans and Europeans, and all Americans should know of and be proud of the accomplishments and sacrifices made that day.
Still in the British Isles, Welsh-born performer Thomas John Woodward, better known as Tom Jones, was born on June 7, 1940, in the village of Treforest. Tom is still performing as he approaches his 84th birthday and is one of the world’s most beloved performers. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in 1998 for his contributions to music and culture. When addressing him, one should call him Sir Tom Jones. He ties with Engelbert Humperdinck as my family’s favorite male performer of the 1970s. By the way, Engelbert’s real name is Arnold George Dorsey. He turned 88 this May!
Donald Duck! When the first two words are “Donald Duck,” you can’t help but smile. This cherished Disney character made his film debut on June 9, 1934, in the classic The Wise Little Hen. Donald was already well-known to Americans, having first appeared in the book The Adventures of Mickey Mouse in 1931.
Who knows who Francis Ethel Gumm was? I learned this bit of trivia while researching for this article. Drumroll, please…. Judy Garland! She entered our world on June 10, 1922. Can’t say I blame her for changing her name. One more tidbit: Judy and her family moved to Lancaster, California, in 1926. I think we can all agree that Judy Garland was the only person who could have played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. No Judy = No Dorothy, No Dorothy = No Movie. So we can be happy about June 10, 1922.
How about this one? Jerome Silberman? Born on June 11, 1933, he helped shape the world of show business more than most when he grew up. We knew him as Gene Wilder. Truly an iconic actor, comedian, and writer, Gene Wilder made the world a happier place.
Two other June 11th birthdays we can celebrate: Jacques Cousteau, born in 1910, and arguably one of the greatest, Joe Montana, born in 1956.
The good June news just keeps coming. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to pilot a plane across the Atlantic in 1928, less than 13 months after Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight. In addition to our two pioneering fliers, Americans should be proud of Pioneer 10, the NASA spacecraft that became the first man-made object to cross the orbit of Neptune in 1983, after 11 years in space.
Well, folks, I ran out of room before I ran out of good June news. Dog-ear or bookmark this happy page, or just leave the magazine open to this page on the coffee table. I hope you enjoyed these few minutes and that you’ll always remember good things and good news happen every day. Thank you to all of you who bring good cheer to others every day. P.S. See our ad on page 3.
Happy to serve you and the community!
