Good News in History, September 1

59 years ago today, relief pitcher Masanori “Mashi” Murakami trotted onto the mound for the SF Giants to pitch the final inning of a 4-1 loss against the New York Mets—facing 4 batters, striking out two, and preventing any runs while becoming the first Japanese-born player ever in Major League Baseball. Sent over to the United States by the Nankai Hawks, Murakami saw real success as a reliever after his debut aged just 20. In 1965, he struck out over one batter per inning pitched, posted an ERA under 4, and earned eight saves. Following this season, however, Murakami headed back to his original Japanese club due to contractual obligations, where his success continued for another 17 years. READ more about Murakami and the Great Wave he began… (1964)

Murakami retired in 1982 but returned to the Giants’ spring camp in 1983. He was not signed as a player but became a batting practice pitcher for Giants’ home games, where he also worked as a scout.

Although Mashi was good for a short time, thirty more years would pass until the first Japanese superstar, pitcher Hideo Nomo, made his 1995 debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Nomo would become an all-star, win National League Rookie of the Year, lead the league in strikeouts in his debut season, and have a successful thirteen-season career in the MLB with various teams.

His success would help bring future Japanese stars to MLB, including Suzuki Ichirō, who debuted in 2001 for the Seattle Mariners, and Hideki Matsui who started a seven-season-stint with the New York Yankees two years later. Nicknamed “Godzilla” Matsui became a two-time All-Star and 2009 World Series champion, for which he was named the World Series MVP.

MORE Good News on this Day:

• The Tremont Street Subway in Boston opened, becoming the first underground rapid transit system in North America (1897)
• U2 released their very first record, an EP titled ‘U2-3’ with an initial run of 1,000 individually numbered copies only available in Ireland (1979)
• Canada adopted the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as part of its Constitution enshrining fundamental freedoms such as freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly, and freedom of association—and additionally, the right to participate to a democratic form of government and the right to vote (which is not explicitly protected in the US Constitution (1982)
• Uzbekistan declared independence from the Soviet Union (1991)

878 years ago today, the altar at Lund Cathedral, at the time seat of the archiepiscopal see of all the Nordic countries, was consecrated. Dedicated to Saint Lawrence, it is one of the oldest stone buildings still in use in Sweden, and has been called “the most powerful representative of Romanesque architecture in the Nordic countries.” Today is the seat of the Lutheran faith, but it was originally for Catholics.

The cathedral is believed to have been built and furnished over a period of 60 years—from around 1080 to 1145. In those days the Christianization of Denmark allowed that country to enjoy lordship over the territory of Sweden, but the bishop of Dalby in Denmark abandoned that town as seat of the bishopric in favor of Lund.

The main altar of the cathedral was dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Lawrence on 1 September 1145, by the second archbishop of Lund, Eskil, in a ceremony attended by bishops from present-day Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. By then, the construction of the cathedral to more or less its present dimensions was complete. (1145)

103 years ago today, water began flowing in The Fountain of Time, a massive 126-foot-long sculpture in Chicago—a tribute to the 100 years of peace between the United States and Great Britain following the Treaty of Ghent. Conceived and created by Lorado Taft, it sits in Washington Park on the city’s South Side.

Inspired by Henry Dobson’s poem Paradox of Time, it depicts 100 figures—from soldiers and kissing couples, to frolicking children—passing before a hooded Father Time who is carrying a scythe and stands before them amid a reflecting pool. Using a new material reinforced with steel, it was said to be the first of any kind of finished work of art made of concrete. READ more… (1920)

And, 271 years ago today, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia from London where it was cast.

Its most famous ringing was heard on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens for the reading of the Declaration of Independence, and in 1775 announcing the Battle of Lexington and Concord. No one living today has heard the bell because of its famous crack that developed after nearly 90 years of hard use. (1752)

And, 42 years ago today, Amputee Terry Fox ended his Marathon of Hope in Thunder Bay, Ontario after 3,339 miles of running across Canada.

Three years after his leg was amputated, the Canadian athlete embarked on a cross-country run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Though the spread of his cancer forced the 22-year-old to end his quest after 143 days (5,373 km), and ultimately cost him his life, his zeal left a lasting legacy that includes an annual Terry Fox Run.

First held in 1981, the annual Terry Fox Foundation race has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and may be the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research. Over 600 million Canadian dollars have been raised in his name. (1980)

And, Happy 66th Birthday to 3-time Grammy Award-winner Gloria Estefan, whose family fled from Havana during the Castro revolution.

The Cuban-American pop singer has sold more than one hundred million records worldwide with the Latin-inspired Miami Sound Machine and throughout a successful solo career. When she was 32, her spine was fractured in a tour bus accident and she was told she might never walk again, but staged a Gloria-ous comeback… (1957)

And, Happy Birthday to the comedian and actress Lily Tomlin, who turns 84 years young today.

She began as a standup comedian in her hometown of Detroit before her breakout role on the TV variety show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In in 1969. She currently stars with Jane Fonda on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. Contracted for a 6th season with new episodes out now, it earned her multiple Emmy nominations, 3 SAG Awards and a Golden Globe. Her first film, Nashville, won her several awards, too, and other notable movies included 9 to 5, All of Me (with Steve Martin) and I Heart Huckabees (with Dustin Hoffman).

Reportedly, a sequel to 9 to 5 is “being written at the moment,” which will bring the secretaries Jane, Lily, and Dolly Parton together again.

Tomlin’s signature Broadway one-woman show The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe won her the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play. She is also known as the voice of Ms. Frizzle on the children’s science series The Magic School Bus. WATCH her on the Ellen Show talking about her 80th birthday… (1939)

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