Paul Layendecker’s “WAY BACK WHEN” for Weds., August 27, 2025
1859 The first oil well was drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania by Edwin Drake. Drake pioneered the use pipes to drill oil. He devised the idea of driving a pipe into the ground to prevent the drill hole from collapsing. Until then, oil production was limited to collecting surface oil. The ability to drill for oil launched the oil industry.
1942 The battleship USS Iowa was launched. The only U.S. Navy ship with a bathtub, which was installed to accommodate U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt who had difficultly using a shower due to the crippling effects of his polio.
1955 The very first copy of the Guinness Book of Records was bound and released. The idea for the book came from Sir Hugh Beaver, who at the time was the managing director of Guinness Breweries. He had gotten into a debate while on a hunting trip in 1951 about what the fastest game bird in Europe was. Realizing there wasn’t a reference book to settle such arguments, he thought a collection of facts and records would be useful—and fun.
Music History:
1990 Stevie Ray Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton’s Road crew were killed in a helicopter crash. They had just performed at a concert with Clapton at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin. The helicopter took off headed for Chicago when it crashed into a ski resort. Everyone on board was killed.
Notable Birthdays today:
Breaking Bad Actor Aaron Paul 46
Dog Trainer Cesar Milan – 56
Singer, Dancer, DJ: Downtown Julie Brown – 62
Credit to:
Thisdayinmusic.com and Thisdaytrivia.com
