July 5, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

While the jokes might come easy about how I set the kitchen on fire cooking up a storm on this past Fourth of July, there’s nothing too funny about seeing menacing dark fumes slithering out of your oven door that suddenly turn into hungry flames threatening to leap up and take over the kitchen.

And yet, this is exactly what happened yesterday. On a day set aside to recognize and celebrate our love of freedom, and especially our love of freedom in a country we call home, this small but scary incident served as a reckoning for why I believe I am privileged to call these great United States of America home.

Within three flat minutes of calling 9-1-1, our national emergency number, our local neighborhood fire engine came screeching to our front yard and two strapping young men made us all step outside the house, and went about the business of putting out the fast leaping flames from the oven. Within minutes, they had killed the fire and had taken the stove outside the house to put it out on the driveway!

Where else but in America do I have the freedom and confidence to summon the resources of the fireengine to take care of business in no time at all, and then heave a huge sigh of relief before I go out shopping for a new cooking range/oven in a marketplace driven by the capitalistic fervor of slashed prices for the big holiday, buy a shiny new one that will be delivered and installed the very next day, and also get an 18-month financing offer! Where else, but in the good old USA?!

Just another reason why I love this country and call it home!

Updated July 4, 2012, 2:28 pm

On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.
Go to article »

On July 5, 1810, P. T. Barnum, the great American showman, was born. Following his death on April 7, 1891, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1810 Sowman and promoter Phineas T. Barnum was born in Bethel, Conn.

1811 Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.

1830 The French occupied the North African city of Algiers.

1865 William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.

1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which allowed labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.

1946 The bikini made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.

1948 Britain’s National Health Service Act went into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care.

1975 The Cape Verde Islands became independent after 500 years of Portuguese rule.

1975 Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.

1991 Regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, charging it with fraud, drug money laundering and illegal infiltration into the U.S. banking system.

1997 Martina Hingis, 16, became the youngest Wimbledom singles champion in 110 years.

2002 Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams died at age 83.

2006 North Korea test-fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including at least one believed capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

2006 Enron founder Kenneth Lay, facing decades in prison, died of heart disease at age 64.

2009 The worst ethnic violence in decades in China erupted in the far western Xinjiang region. Some 200 people were killed.

2005 Roger Federer of Switzerland won Wimbledon for his record 15th Grand Slam tennis title.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Edie Falco (“The Sopranos,” “Nurse Jackie”) turns 49 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Rock singer Huey Lewis turns 62 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

1929 Katherine Helmond, Actress (“Soap,” “Who’s the Boss”), turns 83

1936 Shirley Knight, Actress, turns 76

1943 Robbie Robertson, Rock singer, musician (The Band), turns 69

1948 Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Daughter of President Richard Nixon, turns 64

1951 Rich “Goose” Gossage, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 61

1951 Roger Wicker, U.S. senator, R-Miss., turns 61

1956 James Lofton, Football Hall of Famer, turns 56

1959 Marc Cohn, Rock singer, songwriter, turns 53

1965 Kathryn Erbe, Actress (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”), turns 47

1968 Michael Stuhlbarg, Actor (“A Serious Man”), turns 44

1982 Dave Haywood, Country musician (Lady Antebellum), turns 30

Historic Birthdays

P. T. Barnum 7/5/1810 – 4/7/1891 American showman.Go to obituary »

69 David Farragut 7/5/1801 – 8/14/1870
American Civil War admiral

59 Robert Fitzroy 7/5/1805 – 4/30/1865
English naval officer; commanded the H.M.S. Beagle

48 Cecil Rhodes 7/5/1853 – 3/26/1902
English financier and empire builder of South Africa

84 Edouard Herriot 7/5/1872 – 3/26/1957
French premier (1924-5, 1926, 1932)

71 Judah Leon Magnes 7/5/1877 – 10/27/1948
American founder of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

66 Dwight Davis 7/5/1879 – 11/28/1945
American tennis player

80 Wanda Landowska 7/5/1879 – 8/16/1959
Polish-born harpsichordist

101 Willem Drees 7/5/1886 – 5/14/1988
Dutch prime minister (1948-58)

95 John Howard Northrop 7/5/1891 – 5/27/1987
American Nobel Prize-winning biochemist (1946)

82 Henry Cabot Lodge 7/5/1902 – 2/27/1985
American diplomat and U.S. senator from Massachusetts (1937-44, 1947-52)

62 Georges Pompidou 7/5/1911 – 4/2/1974
French premier (1962-8) and president (1969-74)

30 Manolete 7/5/1917 – 8/29/1947
Spanish bullfighter

1810	Sowman and promoter Phineas T. Barnum was born in Bethel, Conn.
1811	Venezuela became the first South American country to declare independence from Spain.
1830	The French occupied the North African city of Algiers.
1865	William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.
1935	President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act, which allowed labor to organize for the purpose of collective bargaining.
1946	The bikini made its debut during an outdoor fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris.
1948	Britain’s National Health Service Act went into effect, providing government-financed medical and dental care.
1975	The Cape Verde Islands became independent after 500 years of Portuguese rule.
1975	Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win a Wimbledon singles title as he defeated Jimmy Connors.
1991	Regulators in eight countries shut down the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, charging it with fraud, drug money laundering and illegal infiltration into the U.S. banking system.
1997	Martina Hingis, 16, became the youngest Wimbledom singles champion in 110 years.
2002	Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams died at age 83.
2006	North Korea test-fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan, including at least one believed capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
2006	Enron founder Kenneth Lay, facing decades in prison, died of heart disease at age 64.
2009	The worst ethnic violence in decades in China erupted in the far western Xinjiang region. Some 200 people were killed.
2005	Roger Federer of Switzerland won Wimbledon for his record 15th Grand Slam tennis title.

1929	Katherine Helmond, Actress (“Soap,” “Who’s the Boss”), turns 83
1936	Shirley Knight, Actress, turns 76
1943	Robbie Robertson, Rock singer, musician (The Band), turns 69
1948	Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Daughter of President Richard Nixon, turns 64
1951	Rich “Goose” Gossage, Baseball Hall of Famer, turns 61
1951	Roger Wicker, U.S. senator, R-Miss., turns 61
1956	James Lofton, Football Hall of Famer, turns 56
1959	Marc Cohn, Rock singer, songwriter, turns 53
1965	Kathryn Erbe, Actress (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”), turns 47
1968	Michael Stuhlbarg, Actor (“A Serious Man”), turns 44
1982	Dave Haywood, Country musician (Lady Antebellum), turns 30

69	David Farragut 7/5/1801 – 8/14/1870 American Civil War admiral
59	Robert Fitzroy 7/5/1805 – 4/30/1865 English naval officer; commanded the H.M.S. Beagle
48	Cecil Rhodes 7/5/1853 – 3/26/1902 English financier and empire builder of South Africa
84	Edouard Herriot 7/5/1872 – 3/26/1957 French premier (1924-5, 1926, 1932)
71	Judah Leon Magnes 7/5/1877 – 10/27/1948 American founder of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
66	Dwight Davis 7/5/1879 – 11/28/1945 American tennis player
80	Wanda Landowska 7/5/1879 – 8/16/1959 Polish-born harpsichordist
101	Willem Drees 7/5/1886 – 5/14/1988 Dutch prime minister (1948-58)
95	John Howard Northrop 7/5/1891 – 5/27/1987 American Nobel Prize-winning biochemist (1946)
82	Henry Cabot Lodge 7/5/1902 – 2/27/1985 American diplomat and U.S. senator from Massachusetts (1937-44, 1947-52)
62	Georges Pompidou 7/5/1911 – 4/2/1974 French premier (1962-8) and president (1969-74)
30	Manolete 7/5/1917 – 8/29/1947 Spanish bullfighter