In post-World War II England, Philomena Lynott found work as a nurse in Manchester. She met and began dating Cecil Parris, a young man from British Guiana. Although their relationship didn’t last long, Philomena discovered she was pregnant after Parris was transferred to London. She moved into a group home for unmarried mothers with her …
Actress Winona Ryder has starred in a number of high-profile, iconic films over the course of her five-decade spanning career. She was won industry accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Academy Award nominations. With her breakout role in Lucas, her gothy take in Beetlejuice and her dark comedic turn in Heathers under her …
On January 27, 1967, Gus Grissom was killed in a fire in a pre-launch test aboard Apollo 1 (then known as AS-204). Grissom, along with fellow astronauts Roger Chaffee and Ed White, were working in the Command Module of the spacecraft. Grissom said: “”How are we going to get to the Moon if we can’t …
Singer/songwriter/musician Bobby Womack started off his career singing with his brothers as The Womack Brothers. They toured the country, accompanied by their mother and father on piano and guitar respectively. The group caught the attention of singer Sam Cooke. Cooke became the band’s mentor and booked them on a national tour with The Staple Singers. …
In 1975, The Philadelphia Eagles signed 6 foot 5 inch, 254 pound defensive end Blenda Gay. He became a fixture on the team’s defensive line and played every regular season game for the next two seasons. In December 1976, Roxanne Gay, Blenda’s wife, slit Blenda’s throat while he slept. Mrs. Gay explained to arresting Camden, …
With dreams of becoming a fashion designer, Mattiwilda Dobbs attended Spellman College in the early 1940s. Her instructors encouraged young Mattiwilda to pursue singing and she graduated in 1946 with a degree in music. She began performing in Europe, making her operatic debut in Holland in Stravinsky’s The Nightingale. In 1953, at the request of …
The child of free blacks who moved North just prior to the Civil War, Mary Eliza Mahoney began working as an untrained practical nurse at twenty-years old. To supplement her income, Mary took on janitorial duties at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. In 1878, she was accepted into the New England Hospital’s …
