On this day, July 19
1855 The Dollar Savings Bank, founded as the Pittsburgh Dollar Savings Institution, opened for business.
1877 Pittsburgh railroad workers struck in protest against a nationwide reduction of railroaders’ wages and a Pennsylvania Railroad order cutting employment of brakemen.
1944 The Democratic National Convention convened in Chicago with the nomination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt considered a certainty.
1969 Apollo 11 and its three astronauts — Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins — went into orbit around the moon.
1985 A survey noted that prime parking spaces in Downtown cost $2 per hour, twice as much as in the nation’s 25 largest cities.
2014 A New York City police officer (Daniel Pantaleo) involved in the arrest of Eric Garner, who died in custody two days earlier after being placed in an apparent chokehold, was stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty. (Pantaleo was fired in August 2019.)
Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology). — Compiled by Rick Nowlin
Today’s birthdays: Actress Helen Gallagher, 94. Country singer Sue Thompson, 94. Singer Vikki Carr, 80. Blues singer-musician Little Freddie King, 80. Country singer-musician Commander Cody, 76. Actor George Dzundza, 75. Rock singer-musician Alan Gorrie (Average White Band), 74. International Tennis Hall of Famer Ilie Nastase, 74. Rock musician Brian May, 73. Rock musician Bernie Leadon, 73. Actress Beverly Archer, 72. Movie director Abel Ferrara, 69. Actor Peter Barton, 64. Rock musician Kevin Haskins (Love and Rockets; Bauhaus), 60. Movie director Atom Egoyan, 60. Actor Campbell Scott, 59. Actor Anthony Edwards,
58. Country singer Kelly Shiver, 57. Actress Clea Lewis, 55. Per-cusssionist Evelyn Glennie, 55. Country musician Jeremy Patterson, 50. Classical singer Urs Buhler (Il Divo), 49. Actor Andrew Kavovit, 49. Rock musician Jason McGerr (Death Cab for Cutie),
46. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, 44. Actress Erin Cummings,
43. TV chef Marcela Valladolid, 42. Actor Chris Sullivan, 40. Actor Jared Padalecki, 38. Actor Trai Byers, 37. Actress Kaitlin Doubleday, 36. Actor Steven Anthony Lawrence, 30.
Thought for today: “Where there is unity, there is always victory.”