This week!

● The beloved fantasy film The Wizard of Oz lit up the silver screen for the very first time in 1939. An instant success, it remains so popular that the carpet in front of the exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute that houses Dorothy’s iconic ruby slippers has had to be replaced numerous times due to wear and tear!

● The first televised Major League

Baseball game aired in 1939. Although the quality of the broadcast was poor (the ball couldn’t even be seen on the screen!) the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers drew an audience of 3,000 people, despite the fact that few had television sets. Today, the average game has millions of viewers worldwide!

● Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly nonstop across the United States from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 1932. Before pursuing aviation, Earhart studied to be a doctor. She enrolled in pre-med classes at Columbia University, took summer classes at Harvard and only decided to change her career path after failing to get a scholarship to the prestigious MIT!

● German engineer Gottlieb Daimler patented the first motorcycle in 1885. Essentially a wooden bicycle powered by a one- cylinder engine, it was also the world’s first petroleumpowered vehicle!

● Famous for his portrayal of secret agent James Bond, actor Sean Connery was born in Scotland in 1930. Before becoming Hollywood royalty, Connery worked many odd jobs, including as a milkman, truck driver, coffin polisher and even bodybuilder, which earned him third place in the 1950 Mr. Universe competition!