Here it is, ready or not.... AUGUST TIMELINE Lucy's birthday month! Lucy was a Leo. She believed in astrology, saying "Leos are vain, forthright, and accident prone." The birthstone for August is the Peridot, "gem of the sun". Flower for August is gladiolus ("love at first sight") Lucy's favorite flower was the red/white carnation ("Sorry I can't be with you"...) 1923: Sanka coffee is first sold in the United States Sanka went on to do ads on I Love Lucy! August 1978: work began to rebuild the HOLLYWOOD sign. August 1, 1789 - US customs officers began collecting (Charles Lane made the best one in LDCH Mexico ep) 1, 1903 - First cross-country trip by automobile under its own power (52 days - how long did the Mertzes and Ricardos take?) 1, 1980 - Strother Martin dies (was the man behind the counter in "Off to Florida") 2, 1769 - Los Angeles was named this day 3, 1995 - Ida Lupino dies :( and this event was almost completely ignored by the media 3-5, 2007 - Lucy's birthday celebration in Jamestown 4, 1693 - Don Perignon invents champagne. Lucy & Ricky are remembered for celebrating their 13th anniversary in the hall closet with champagne. Dom Perignon 1953 was Marilyn Monroe's favorite 4, 1916 - Jean Hazelwood born (marries Richard Widmark in 1945) 5, 1911 - Robert Taylor born (was in `Bataan' with Desi; `Her Cardboard Lover' with E. Patterson; signed an orange for Lucy Ricardo). Born the day before Lucy, same year. 5, 1914 - Parley Baer born (2 eps ILL) 5, 1955 - Carmen Miranda dies hours after collapsing on tv. Eat a banana in her honor today 5, 1961 - Wm. Frawley on cover of TV Guide with Fred MacMurray, Stanley Livingston from My 3 Sons 5, 1962 - Marilyn Monroe dead :( 5, 1984 - Richard Burton dies 5, 1964 - Drawing of Lucy on cover of TV Guide 4-6, 2006 - Lucy's birthday celebration in Jamestown 6, 1911 - Lucille Ball born! (she would have been 99 in 2010) What special happenings will there be in 2011 for her hundredth? Make your travel plans now. 6, 1942 - Lucy signs with MGM (her 31st birthday) 6, 1948 - According to Ricky, the Ricardos move into their first apartment (with the Mertzes as landlords) 6, 2001 - THE U.S. Postal svc Lucy Stamp became available 6-8, 2004 Lucy's birthday celebration in Jamestown 7, 1928 - The dollar bill shrank on this day by 1/3 in size! A billion new bills were printed (includes all denominations). [Wonder what Fred Mertz thought about this? He was around if he won the Golden Gloves of 1909.] 7-9, 2009 - Lucy's Birthday Celebration in Jamestown 1, 2010 - Friendship day (friendship... friendship...) (celebrated first Sunday each August) 8, 1963 - The Great Train Robbery (over $7million) [Did they get this from the ILL ep which aired in Oct. 1955 called "The Great Train Robbery?!") 8-10, 2003 - Lucy Birthday celebration festival 9, 1996 - Lucie Arnaz on the Rosie O'Donnell show 10, 1833 - Chicago incorporated 10, 1846 - Smithsonian Institute established (wonder if any Lucy stuff resides here---better be something!!) 10, 1869 - Motion picture projector patented 10, 1912 - Richard Reeves born (was an extra on ILL, playing an Indian, getting knocked on the head by Lucy & Ethel); an assassin (Maharincess); and most importantly, Grace Foster's husband Bill. A persistent rumor that he was George "Superman" Reeves' brother. 11, 1892 - Carrie Jacobs Bond, composer of `I Love You Truly' born (remember `The Marriage License' & Elizabeth Patterson who wanted to sing all the verses...)(Did you know it was the first song written by a woman to sell one million copies of sheet music?) 12, 1918 - Bob Carroll Jr. born 12, 1933 - Batista revolution in Cuba (Desi was 16 years old at the time) 12, 1941 - Vivian Vance marries actor Phil Ober 12, 1982 - Henry Fonda dies (`Yours, Mine and Ours' with Lucy) 12, 1999 - Ross Elliott dies of cancer 13, 1889 - Pay phone patented this day. I'm sure Lucy Ricardo used one of these on more than one occasion and Fred was checking the change return) Can you imagine Lucy with a cell phone? Wouldn't take her long to run out of minutes! 13, 1942 - "The Big Street" released (Lucie's favorite of her Mom's) 14, 1873 - First issue of "Field and Stream" magazine is published. Lucy should have read a copy before she went hunting/fishing with Ricky! 15, 1887 - Author of "Stage Door" is born (Edna Ferber) 16, 1910 - Gloria "Grace Foster" Blondell is born in NY (Joan's sister) So Bill & Grace Foster could celebrate their birthdays together... :) 16, 1977 - That swivel-hipped kid "Elvis somebody" [quote from Ethel Mertz] leaves the building for the last time. 16-19, 2001 - Lucy convention in Burbank 17, 1920 - Maureen O'Hara born this day. She did a movie with Lucy "Dance, Girl, Dance" and they became friends. And she's a red head too. Read her book! 17, 1959 - Reportedly Desi Arnaz ran off the road in his sports car and hit three poles on this day... 17, 1979 - Vivian Vance dies (cancer) :( Gone 31 years... I remember walking out to the mailbox to get that morning's paper, and there she was on the front page... :( 17, 2004 - Here's Lucy---best loved episodes DVD available 18, 1904 - Max Factor Jr. born (take time to check your make-up today) 19, 1977 - Groucho Marx dies (was in movie `Room Service' w/Lucy) 20, 1741 - Alaska discovered (Lucy and Red Skelton would discover it later) 20, 1948 - Richard Crenna's first appearance on My Favorite Husband 20, 1948 - Bob and Madelyn's first script for Lucy on My Favorite Husband 20-22, 1999 - Lucy convention! 21, 1959 - President Eisenhower signed an order declaring Hawaii the 50th state. When Lucy Ricardo tried to win a trip there in 1954, it was not yet a state! 21, 2009 - The Lucy Show first season released on DVD 22, 1864 - International Red Cross founded. Remember Lucy as "Me Japanese Red Cross Girl" with Bob Cummings?? Everytime I hear "Red Cross" I think of Lucy... 22, 1904 - Jay Novello (Mr. Meriweather) born in Chicago. What a character. Just saw him in a Ma&Pa Kettle movie. 23, 1934 - Barbara Eden born (was Diana Jordan in ILL ep) (She knew JR before he was a villain on Dallas!) 24, 1869 - Waffle iron invented. Wonder if Ricky ever got those waffles made for Lucy? :) 24, 1999 - Mary Jane Croft dies at 83 (Betty Ramsey)(Mary Jane Lewis) (Audrey Simmons) (Cynthia Harcourt)(Evelyn Bigsby) We loved her. Died on her tv "son's" 50th birthday (see next item) 24, 1949 - Ray Ferrell born (was Bruce Ramsey on ILL) 25, 1916 - (Charles) Van Dell Johnson born (The Dancing Star) in Newport, RI 25, 2006 - Ray Ferrell dies (was Bruce Ramsey on ILL) 7 years and a day after his tv "mother" Betty Ramsey (Mary Jane Croft) 26, 1978 - Charles Boyer died (suicide, would have been 79 two days later) Lucy got ink on his shirt (it was really disappearing ink) 27, 1882 - Samuel Goldwyn born (Lucy was a Goldwyn Girl!) 27, 1898 - Byron Foulger born (in Lucy's Last Birthday) 28, 1899 - Charles Boyer born (Lucy Meets Charles Boyer) 28, 1921 - Nancy Kulp born (played a maid in "Lucy Meets the Queen" and in the Lucy/Desi movie "Forever Darling") taught Lucy & Ethel to curtsy for the Queen 28, 1965 - Lucy at Marineland on cover of TV Guide 29, 1906 - Lurene Tuttle born in INDIANA (she was a Hoosier) (in "Club Election") 29, 1964 - "Mary Poppins" movie released (with "hatchet lady" Elsa Lanchester) 30, 1889 - Eduardo Ciannelli born (in "Vistor from Italy") 30, 1908 - Fred MacMurray born (Lucy Hunts Uranium) 30, 1951 - Desilu moves to General Service Studios lot 31, 1958 - Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme meet for the first time (on the Steve Allen Show) 31, 1964 - "Lucy Day" at the World's Fair in NYC. Lucy and Gary Morton attended & were accompanied by Hedda Hopper 31, 1987 - Milton Berle's 30 year contract with NBC expired on this day. Milton expired on March 27, 2002 :( Just for fun. Enjoy! -Nancy S. Updated 7/30/10