“The Man Trap,” the first episode of a new television series on NBC, debuted 50 years ago tonight. Star Trek is a half-century old today.

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Michelangelo unveiled his masterpiece, the 17-foot-tall statue of David, on this date in 1504. (Close-up photo above.)

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The first regularly scheduled transcontinental air mail service took off on this date in 1920. The flight, from New York (Hazelhurst Field on Long Island), arrived in East Oakland, California, more than 70 hours later after making multiple stops for refueling. The service flew only by day. In 1924, night flights were added, which halved time until delivery.

The first flight carried about 100 letters.

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Dorothy Dandridge died on this date in 1965. Zero Mostel died on this date in 1977. Zero in 1971:

 
Brad Davis died 25 years ago today.

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Jimmie Rodgers was born on this date in 1897. Representative Claude Pepper was born on this date in 1900. Sid Caesar was born on this date in 1922. Patsy Cline was born on this date in 1932. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan was born on this date in 1945. David Carr was born 60 years ago today.

Two “Goons” share a September 8 birthday. Sir Harry Secombe was born on this date in 1921. Peter Sellers was born in 1924 on this date.

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Lyndon LaRouche is 94. Christoph von Dohnányi is 87 today. Michael Frayn is 83. Senator Bernie Sanders is 75. Ann Beattie is 69. Will Lee is 64. Heather Thomas is 59. Aimee Mann is 56. “Charmer” from 2012 (with John Hodgman and Laura Linney):

 
Neko Case is 46. David Arquette is 45. Martin Freeman is 45. P!nk is 37.

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