Rocky, a film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John Avildsen, opened in theaters 40 years ago today. Made for $1 million, it has officially grossed more than $225 million.

At the following year’s Academy Awards, Stallone was nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Actor, and the film won Best Picture and Avildsen won Best Director. Six sequels have followed, including four that were directed by Stallone.
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The double CD Beatles Anthology 1 was released 21 years ago today. It included the first new single, “Free as a Bird,” created by The Beatles since “The Long and Winding Road” in 1970. “Free as a Bird” is credited to the four Beatles and producer Jeff Lynne.

On November 19 that year, the first of three parts of a documentary about the group aired on ABC and concluded with a new music video for the new single:
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The Soldier’s National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was dedicated on this date in 1863, a few months after the Civil War battle was waged there. Senator Edward Everett was the keynote speaker, as it were, and he delivered a two-hour-long oration.

President Abraham Lincoln immediately followed Senator Everett’s with his own speech, one that took only two minutes to deliver. His ten sentences, the Gettysburg Address, is the one remembered to this date.

The photo at top was taken on that day by Matthew Brady. President Lincoln is seen at center, surrounded by onlookers. The website this is from highlighted him in light brown.

The address:
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