This past century June 5 is prominent as a day of tragedy -
June 5, 1941 - 4000 people in Chongqing, China perished - they died while seeking safety in a bomb shelter as their world around them was being destroyed. Hiding in a tunnel they were asphyxiated. On that day the bombing went on for three hours. In what is known as the Bombing of Chongqing - From 1938 until 1943 a "terror bombing" occurred on the city ...reports say the Japanese Army and Naval service is said to have dropped an estimated 11,500 bombs.
June 5, 1942 - (WWII) The United States declares war on Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania
June 5, 1946 - 61 people perish in a fire at the LaSalle Hotel in Chicago. It was in the early morning hours when the fire started in an elevator shaft which soon overtook the lower floors of the 23 story building. Naturally people panicked - that panic caused hysteria as they attempted to exit the building. Some of those trapped in the upper levels of the hotel were unable to exit through the lobby below them as it was engulfed in flames - for some the only option was to leap to their deaths. Tragically many children died on this day in the fire trap.
An unlikely heroine in this tragedy was a switchboard operator, Julia Barry. She stayed next to her switchboard to answer any calls of help that may still come in - she died there, consumed in the toxic air and flames.
Some of those who did perish went unidentified in the news reports: Unidentified 10 year old Boy. Unidentified 13 year old Girl.
Unidentified Mother and Child in Arms.
Around 900 people were able to leave the hotel on their own - however 150 needed to be rescued. Those that did perish did so by suffocating on the thick black smoke.
One positive came as a result of the fire. The City of Chicago, after the fire and because of it, enacted new fire fighting regulations along with new building codes - One of which was that automatic alarm systems be installed in motel/hotel rooms.
June 5, 1968 - Presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan. The tragedy took place at the Ambassador in Los Angeles, CA. Kennedy was shot three times with a .22 caliber revolver. A fourth bullet passed through his jacket - he died 26 hours later.
Five others who were standing by Kennedy at the time of the assassination were also shot, but lived to tell their story; Paul Schrade, an official with the United Automobile Workers union; William Weisel, an ABC TV unit manager; Ira Goldstein, a reporter ; Elizabeth Evans; and a teenaged campaign volunteer, Irwin Stroll.For his crime Sirhan is currently incarerated at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, California.
June 5, 1981- In a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention they announced that five people in Los Angeles were diagnosed with a rate form of pneumonia - it was considered unusual as it was only seen in people with a weakened immune system - this report was the first clue that our world would soon change and AIDS would in the next years would be discovered - today, on the 30th anniversary of that clue it is estimated that well over 60 million people have been infected with HIV and there has been over 25 million deaths from AIDS.
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Now, let's not all be doom and gloom on this day. There is one thing that happened on a June 5th which may have sent many conservative parents running in the other direction as they yanked their children away from the television - but, today we can all smile at it when we look back -
In 1956 Elvis Presley premiered his song, Hound Dog, on the Milton Berle Show -while the song was a good one, the scandal came from the erratic twist and suggestive movements of Elvis and in his hips.. ahhh... the good old innocent days.....
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