Forty-two years ago today, Dr. Henry Heimlich published his first article about what came to be known as the “Heimlich Maneuver.” Many lives (including mine) have been saved by this method since he published his insights.

Dr. Heimlich, now 96 years of age, lives in an assisted-living facility in Cincinnati. Last week, he saved the life of one of his fellow residents, an 87-year-old woman who was seated beside him at dinner, by employing the Heimlich method. He claims that it is the first time he has had the chance to use the procedure in real life in his entire life, but he has said similar things in the past about other incidents. With a physician’s specificity over words, the incident may have been the first time that the doctor employed the method himself in a restaurant on a fellow diner with whom he was seated. Regardless, she was saved from choking by the doctor most associated with saving people from choking.

An employee of the facility told The Cincinnati Enquirer, “Sometimes residents try to help in medical situations but we tend to discourage it. But I noticed it was Dr. Heimlich and he was doing the maneuver. … I stepped back and let Dr. Heimlich continue on. She coughed up some of the food she was having trouble with.” The employee continued, “When I saw Dr. Heimlich doing his own maneuver, I knew it was historic. At his age, that’s a very physical type of activity. To see him do it is a fascinating thing. The whole dining room, you could hear a needle drop.”

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Lou Gehrig pinch-hit for Paul “Pee Wee” Wanninger on June 1, 1925. The next day, he was a starter. Gehrig did not miss a game for the rest of his major league career, 2130 games and 14 seasons later.

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The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 49 years ago today. An official video for “A Day in the Life” was released last October:

 
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In America, the Cable News Network, CNN, debuted at 5:00 p.m. EST on this date in 1980. Here is the first hour the network ever broadcast, as is (the first two minutes are just the logo and silence):

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Reinhold Niebuhr, credited with authoring the “Serenity Prayer” and many other works, died 45 years ago today.

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Brigham Young was born on this date in 1801. Frank Morgan (The Wizard in “The Wizard of Oz”) was born on this date in 1890. Molly Picon was born in 1898 on this date. Nelson Riddle was born on this date in 1921. Andy Griffith was born in 1926 on this date. Marilyn Monroe was born 90 years ago today. “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” from “Some Like It Hot”:

 
Colleen McCullough was born on this date in 1937. Cleavon Little was born 77 years ago today.

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Pat Boone is 82 today. Gerald Scarfe is 80 today. Morgan Freeman is 79. René Auberjonois is 76. Richard Goode is 73. Brian Cox, the first “Hannibal Lecter” in film, is 70. Jonathan Pryce is 69. Ronnie Wood is 69. Heidi Klum is 43. Alanis Morissette is 42. Amy Schumer is 35 today.

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