August 29, 1964 “Mary Poppins”

On August 29, 1964 Walt Disney released “Mary Poppins”.   The film, based on the book by P.L. Travers , tells of the adventures of a magical nanny and her charges.  It claimed several artisic and techical achievements.  It was nominated for 13 Ocars and won 5, making it Disney’s most winning Oscar night.  The live action combined with animation was challenging for the studio.  It was done well and the techiques used won the studio several scintific and techical awards. 

A bit of trivia:

“Feed the Birds” was Walt Disney’s favorite song. 

August 28, 1963 “I have a Dream”

On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr.  gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington DC at the Lincoln Memorial.   The speech was given at a rally organized by civil rights leaders with support from a broad coaliton, including religious and union organizations.  He was among many speakers and performers from different races and walks of life.  The rally was attended by 250,000 people both black and white.  This was the largest civil rights rally to date.  The impassioned oratory sketched the plight of the African American, encouraged peaceful resistance and persistence in the cause, and gave a vision for a future.   

To learn more visit these links:

The text to the “I have a Dream” Speech

Another text with a brief history

Watch a video of the speech

Lyndon B. Johnson was born

Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, was born August 27, 1908 near Stonewall, Texas.  President Johnson was best known for his handling (or mishandling, depending who you talk to) of the Vietnam War, and for the “The Great Society”, his program against poverty.  He became president when John F. Kennedy was assinsated, then secured a term on his own merit, winning the election with the widest margin in the popular vote in American History. 

He was married to Claudia Taylor (Ladybird) Johnson, and had 2 daughters. 

President Johnson died suddenly of a heart attack on January 22, 1973 at his home in Texas. 

To find out more about Lyndon B. Johnson visit these links:

White House Biography

Lyndon Bains Johnson Library and Museum