VJ Day & 42nd Anniversary of Woodstock

On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capitulation in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities to a final and highly anticipated close.

It is one of the famous moments in the history of photography: a sailor kissing a nurse called V-J Day in Times Square. The late Alfred Eisenstaedt, one of the 20th century’s great photojournalists, simply turned around as he was dashing down the street, looking for the right shot to capture the exuberant moment. He saw the embrace – and the picture itself is now history.

Now, meet the monstrous 25-foot, 6,000-pound sculpture by J. Seward Johnson that evokes this same kiss and carries the tacky title Unconditional Surrender. The bronze statue is near where the U.S.S. Midway Aircraft Carrier is docked.

Notice the group of people on Segways.

An aluminum copy of the sculpture is in Sarasota, Florida.

This day in History (August 15)
2010    Philip Markoff, accused Craigslist killer, commits suicide and is found dead in
           Nashua Street jail prison
1998    Bill Clinton confesses to Hilary about the Monica Lewinsky affair
1994     Terrorist, Carlos the Jackal, captured in Khartoum, Sudan
1991    750,000 attend Paul Simon’s free concert in Central Park
1989    U.S. Venus probe Magellan launched from Space shuttle
1973    Black September kills 3 wounds 55 Athens
1969    Woodstock Music and Art Fair opens in New York State (Max Yasgur’s Dairy Farm)
1965    Beatles play to 55,000 at Shea Stadium
1958    Buddy Holly weds Maria Santiago
1947    India declares independence from UK, Islamic part becomes Pakistan
1945     South Korea liberated from Japanese rule
1939    "Wizard of Oz" premieres at Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Hollywood
1918    1st full length cartoon (Sinking of Lusitania)
1914    Panama Canal opens (under cost)
1911    Procter and Gamble unveils its Crisco shortening
1876    U.S. law removes Indians from Black Hills after gold find
1870    Transcontinental Railway actually completed in Colorado
1848    M Waldo Hanchett patents dental chair

Today’s Birthdays
1972    Ben Affleck, born in Berkeley, California, actor, director, screenwriter, Academy-award winner for Good Will Hunting, 1987,
           founded production company LivePlanet with actor Matt Damon
1968    Debra Messing, born in Brooklyn, New York, actress, appeared on ‘Will & Grace’, ‘The Starter Wife’, television shows
1964    Debi Mazar, born in Queens, New York, actress, Civil Wars, Little Man Tate, LA Law
1955    Larry Mathews, born in Burbank, California, actor, Ritchie-Dick Van Dyke Show
1946    Jimmy Webb, born in Elk City, Oklahoma, songwriter, MacArthur Park, Up Up and Away
1942    Peter York, rock drummer, Spencer Davis Group
1941    Don Rich, Olympia Wash, guitarist/country singer, Hee Haw
1935    Abby Dalton, born in Las Vegas Nevada, actress, Joey Bishop Show
1925    Mike Connors, Krekor Ohanian, Fresno, California, actor, Mannix
1925    Rose Marie, actress/comedienne, Sally Rogers-Dick Van Dyke Show
1925    Oscar Peterson, born in Montreal, Canada, jazz pianist, composer, Grammy Award winner
1919    Huntz Hall, New York City, actor, Cyclone, Gas Pump Girls, The Rating Game
1912    Julia Child, born in Pasadena, California, chef, French Chef
1879    Ethel Barrymore, Philadelphia, actress, Constant Wife, Corn is Green
1769    Napoleon Bonaparte, resident of Elba, emperor 1804 – 1813, 1814 – 1815
    

 
Today in History and Today’s Birthdays are digested from brainyhistory.com Visit their site to see full histories.