On this day in 1991 Ervin "Magic" Johnson announced that he had the HIV virus and was quitting the National Basketball Association. Regarded as one of the best players in the 1980's, Johnson was a philanderer while on road trips, sleeping with anything with a pulse. Funny how a life threatening STD will make someone monogamous. Turns out having millions of dollars will help stop the spread of HIV into full blown AIDS. Weird.
On this day in 1980 Steve McQueen died while in Mexico trying to treat his lung cancer at the age of 50. McQueen was the star of The Great Escape, Gone in 60 seconds, and The Towering Inferno.
On this day in 1940 the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapses only four months after its completion. It was the third longest suspension bridge in the world, but the designers didn't take the high winds coming off Puget Sound into consideration. It soon became clear that during any wind storm the bridge would start pitching back and forth. Drivers would drive across on such days to experience "Galloping Gerdie". It soon became too much for the bridge and it collapsed.
On this day in 1944 Franklin Roosevelt is re-elected for the third time. The voters were satisfied with the way he handled WWII and had once again given him the keys to the car. Now don't get me wrong, but the guy presided over the vast majority of the depression and was only able to get the country out by orchestrating America's involvement in WWII. He then rewarded himself by being the first man to run for re-election a second time. I'm not arguing with his fourth term, what was he supposed to do, leave before the end of the world? Well it seems that wasn't in the cards anyway.
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