Dr. Bob Smith, a surgeon in Akron, Ohio, had his last drink on this date in 1935. His alcoholism had bedeviled him for decades. The organization that he and a stockbroker named Bill Wilson founded, Alcoholics Anonymous, considers this to be its founding moment.

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The final episode of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s television series Twin Peaks aired on ABC 25 years ago today. It was the 22nd episode of the show’s second season and its 29th episode overall. The wrong Agent Cooper appeared to have exited the Black Lodge. (Next year, Showtime will run a new series of 18 episodes, all written by Lynch and Frost and directed by David Lynch.) The show’s credits (below the jump):

 
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The Beatles released the single “Paperback Writer” in the United Kingdom 50 years ago today. The song, with the band’s introduction for Ed Sullivan Show viewers to Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s film, below:

 
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Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde had its debut at the National Theater in Munich on this date in 1865.

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The final episode of The Sopranos aired on this date in 2007. Don’t stop believing.

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Spencer Tracy died on this date in 1967. Ray Charles died on this date in 2004.

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Frederic Loewe was born on this date in 1901. Howlin’ Wolf was born on this date in 1910. Saul Bellow was born on this date in 1915. Judy Garland was born 94 years ago today. Don Costa was born 91 years ago today. The late James Salter was born on this date in 1925. Maurice Sendak was born in 1928 on this date.

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Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is 95 today. Nat Hentoff is 91. F. Lee Bailey is 83. Jeff Greenfield is 73. Ron Glass is 71. Ken Singleton is 69. Dan Fouts is 65. Senator John Edwards is 63. Eliot Spitzer is 57. Gina Gershon is 54. Elizabeth Hurley is 51. Bill Burr is 48. Tara Lipinski is 34. Leelee Sobieski is 33.

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