JULY 23 — 1967 12th St. Riots in Detroit; 1918 Della Sorenson begins murder spree; 1998 Eartha, worls largest spinning globe, is completed; 2000 Tiger Woods shoots 269 at British Open; 1968 Happy Birthday Slash (Guns N’ Roses)
JULY 23
1967 – 12th street riots in Detroit.
…One of America’s most violent urban conflicts began July 23 1967 and lasted four days, leaving 43 people dead, 342 injured, and exceeded the destruction of Detroit’s 1943 race riot. Tensions were high between an almost all-white Detroit police department and a predominantly all-black community of Virginia Park. Deep in the very poor inner-city of Detroit on 12th st. and Claremont, a celebration was going on after hours at a blind pig; a speakeasy bar that was unlicensed.
A large group of people were celebrating the return from a couple black Vietnam vets when police raided the bar and began arresting all 82 people inside. As the arrest was going on, hundreds of onlookers gathered, frustrated over rumors of alleged police brutality. Around 5:20 in the morning, a bottle flew into the back of a police car, a trash can was thrown through a storefront window, and it was on. Thousands flooded into the streets. The first fire started around 6:30 that morning. When the firemen showed up, they were attacked by the mob. Detroit mayor Jerome Cavenaugh called in another 360 police, but the riot only spread throughout more of the city.
Finally Cavenaugh had to get the National Guard involved. The fires spread throughout the Virginia Park area, police were getting pelted by rocks, bottles and sniper fire. Michigan Governor George Romney called in almost 8000 National Guardsman and 800 additional police officers. Finally after almost five days of rioting, the violence began to simmer down on July 27. When it was over, the final tally read 33 black and 10 white people were dead, almost 2000 injured, over 7200 arrested, 2500 stores ransacked, and $32 million of property damage.
1918—Della Sorenson begins her murder spree.
…In all, this 28-year old would kill seven people, two of them her own children.
She poisoned her children because the crying was bugging her. She killed her two husbands because they argued with her. She killed her mother-in-law because she was a burden to her, her sister-in-law because she was saying bad things about her, her sister in law’s baby because she felt sorry for the child having such a terrible mother. And on and on this went, until 3925 when police started figuring out why everyone around Mrs. Sorenson were dropping like flies and she confessed by saying “I like to attend funerals. I’m happy when someone is dying.” As a diagnosed schizophrenic, Della Sorenson was committed to a state mental asylum.
2011 – Happy anniversary Pittsburg Steeler
…Ben Roethlesberger and Ashely Harlan. They got married at Christ Church of Grove Farm in Ohio Township. Send Big Ben and his lovely lady a card, would ya.
2000 – Tiger Woods shoots a 269 at the 129th British Royal Open
1968 – Happy birthday Slash.
…Technically he’s half black half British, but he and his band drugs n noses/thumbs n toeses Guns N roses changed American hard rock with his 20th birthday present, the number one song on the pop charts with Sweet Child Of Mine.