Day Tripping: October 13

Pushing the Envelope

Leonard Alfred Schneider was born in Mineola, New York in 1925. At the age of sixteen, he joined the US Navy and served on the USS Brooklyn during WWII. When he performed a comedy routine in drag aboard ship, his commander was so incensed he had Leonard discharged on grounds that he was unsuitable for service.

In 1959, he performed on the first episode of Playboy’s Penthouse as Lenny Bruce. He recorded four albums and pushed the boundaries of live comedy with language that shocked the unsophisticated audiences of the early sixties.

“The American Constitution was not written to protect criminals; it was written to protect the government from becoming criminals.”

Bruce expanded a stage theme of political irreverence and foul language. He was heckled often by the audience members, which only spurred him on to raunchier material.

In October 1961, Lenny Bruce was arrested on obscenity charges at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. Two years later, he was arrested on drug possession charges. Between several stints in jail for various offenses, Lenny Bruce laid the path for future comedians like Richard Pryor and George Carlin.

Today is:

Yorkshire Pudding Day — I’m not sure I get it, but they’re good with lots of gravy.

Musical Ride

The Bridge School benefit concert first appeared in 1986 to raise funding for the education of children with speech and physical challenges. Neil Young headlined the first concert with appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Interesting Notes

The church building that currently stands as Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated in 1269.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Ed Sullivan was responsible for bringing rock and roll and the British Invasion to American television. The former journalist turn television host passed away from esophageal cancer in 1974. He was 73.

Notable Births

1941 — Paul Simon said, “I was eating in a Chinese restaurant downtown. There was a dish called Mother and Child Reunion. It’s chicken and eggs. And I said I gotta use that one.”

1959 — Marie Osmond said, “If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now.”

K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Terry Trueman Dr. Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan

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The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present

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