2015 Event Los Angeles County, U.S., votes to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour from $9/hour; the new pay rate will be valid for county workers and employees working in unincorporated areas of the county 2015 Event Walmart announces that in April it will raise wages of 500,000 Sam's Club and Walmart workers to $9/hour, exceeding the current minimum wage by $1.75, with a further raise to $10/hour by next February 2015 Event A powerful blizzard covers Boston and nearby New England areas with over two feet of snow under winds that reach over 70 miles per hour; New York City had expected the same weather effects but was spared 2014 Event Pahoa, a town of about 1,000 people on Hawaii's Big Island, must evacuate due to a stream of lava flowing at 20 yards per hour from the Kilauea volcano; Red Cross Hawaii is assisting residents with temporary shelter 2014 Event Google reveals its self-driving car today; the prototype can drive 25 miles per hour and safely respond to a variety of situations; it should be road-ready sometime after 2016; Ford, Tesla and other firms are also working on self-driving technology 2014 Event Voters in Switzerland reject a proposal to raise the minimum wage to about $25 per hour; if passed, the rate would have been the highest minimum wage in Europe 2014 Event Union backers and California legislators are seeking to raise the state's minimum wage to $13 per hour; Governor Jerry Brown ratified a law only 8 months ago to raise the wage to $10 an hour by 2016 2011 Event One month after the Tohoku earthquake shook Japan, a 6.6 magnitude aftershock hit Japan, lasting nearly an hour 2011 Event One hour before the deadline, the U.S. Congress reaches a deal on the 2011 U.S. federal budget, avoiding a government shutdown 2010 Event Eastern Japan braces itself as Typhoon Chaba heads its way, carrying winds of up to 162 kilometers per hour near its center 2010 Event Two days after Rwanda's presidential election, Kigali, Rwanda reports that a grenade attack occurred during rush hour 1998 Event Mongolia switches from a 46 hour to 40 hour work week 1993 Event 16 year old Keron Thomas disguises himself as a motorman and takes New York City subway train and 2,000 passengers on a 3 hour ride 1992 Death Michael Robbins, actor (Lunch Hour, On the Buses), dies at 62 1991 Event Mazda becomes 1st Japanese car to capture Le Mans 24 hour race 1991 Event U.S. minimum wage goes from $3.80 to $4.25 per hour 1990 Event PBS begins an 11 hour miniseries on Civil War 1987 Event New York City radio station WFAN-AM becomes 1st 24 hour all sports radio 1986 Event Hilbert van der Duim skates 1 hour world record 39.4928 km 1985 Event Alayson Gibbons sets 24 hour women swim record of 42.05 miles in 25 meter pool 1985 Death Jack Miller, orchestra leader (Kate Smith Evening Hour), dies at 89 1984 Death Gordon Jenkins, orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour), dies at 73 1983 Event Joseph Kreckman sets record of 2,215 clay pigeons shot in an hour 1983 Event Charlos Vieira completes 191 hour "nonstop" cycling in Leiria Portugal 1983 Event Charlos Vieira begins 191 hour "nonstop" cycling in Leiria, Portugal 1983 Event "Nightline" expands from 1/2 hour to a full hour 1981 Event FCC frees stations to air as many commercials an hour as they wish 1981 Event Barbara Sonntag, Colorado, crochets record 147 stitches/minute for 1/2 hour 1980 Event "1940's Radio Hour" closes at St. James Theater New York City after 105 performances 1979 Event "1940's Radio Hour" opens at St. James Theater New York City for 105 performances 1977 Event New York City experiences 25 hour black-out 1977 Event NBC News and Information Service (24 hour news) ends on radio 1977 Event "Brady Bunch Hour," last airs on ABC-TV 1976 Death Ted Mack, TV host (Original Amateur Hour), dies at 72 1975 Event NBC News and Information Service, a 24 hour news service, premieres on radio 1974 Death Pedro Regas, actor (Pat Paulsen's Comedy Hour), dies at 92 1974 Event NBC radio begins on the hour news 24 hours a day (following CBS lead) 1973 Event "Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour," TV Variety; debut on ABC 1973 Event CBS radio begins on hour news 24 hours a day 1972 Death Adrian J Zoetmulder, author (God's Hour), dies at 91 1972 Event Eddy Merckx (Belgium) covers 30 miles, 1,258 yards in 1 hour 1972 Birthday Denny Vaughn, orchestra leader, Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour 1972 Event Entire population of Istanbul under 24 hour house arrest 1972 Death Al Goodman, Russian/US orchestra leader (NBC Comedy Hour), dies at 81 1971 Event Apollo 15 astronauts take 6 hour electric car ride on Moon 1969 Birthday Rick Mercer, born in St. John's, Canada, comedian, satirist, television personality, created television show, 'This Hour Has 22 Minutes', trademark routine titled, 'Talking to Americans' 1969 Event "Smothers Brothers comedy Hour," last airs on CBS-TV 1968 Death Wendell Corey, actor (11th Hour, Peck's Bad Girl), dies at 54 1968 Event Alberto Giolani of Italy roller skates record 23.133 miles in 1 hour 1968 Event Marisa Danisi of West Germany roller skates record 21.995 miles in 1 hour 1968 Birthday Chris Boardman, English cyclist, world 1 hour record 1968 Event "Danny Thomas Hour," last airs on NBC-TV 1967 Event Silver Bay bridge (Oh-WV) collapes during afternoon rush hour, 34 die 1967 Birthday Tim Vine, born in London, Enlgand, actor, comedian, performs stand up comedy, television, appears at festivals, tours through the United Kingdom include 'Current Puns' and 'Punslinger', achieved Guinness World Record for most jokes told in an hour 1967 Event "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" premieres on CBS (later ABC, NBC) 1966 Event Leonids meteor shower peaks (150,000+ per hour) 1966 Event Belgium's Gaston Roelants runs 12-4/5 miles in 1 hour 1964 Death Ted Collins, pianist (Kate Smith Evening Hour), dies at 63 1963 Birthday Norman Cook, rocker, Housemartins-Happy Hour, Over There 1962 Birthday Paul Heaton, rocker, Housemartins-Happy Hour, Over There 1962 Birthday Stan Cullimore, bassist, Housemartins-Happy Hour, Over There 1959 Birthday Rosanna Arquette, born in New York City, actress, Desperately Seeking Susan, After Hour 1959 Death Helen Parrish, actress (Hour Glass), dies of cancer at 36 1958 Birthday Jane Wiedlin, Wisconsin, singer/guitarist, GoGos, Fur, Rush Hour 1957 Event Strom Thurmond, Senator-D-South Carolina, ends 24 hour filibuster against civil rights 1957 Death Al White, choreographer (NBC Comedy Hour), dies 1955 Event President Eisenhower raises minimum wage from 75 cents to $1 an hour 1955 Event Maurice "Rocket" Richard suspended, sparks 7 hour riot in Montreal 1954 Birthday Tom Blomberg, Dutch radio host/producer, Evening Rush Hour 1954 Event IBM announces vacuum tube "electronic" brain that could perform 10 million operations an hour 1950 Birthday Wally Lamb, born in America, author, novelist, featured in Oprah's Book Club, books include 'The Hour I First Believed' 'I'll Fly Away: Further Testimonies from the Women of York Prison', 'She's Come Undone', 'I Know This Much is True' 1949 Death Richard Dix, actor (Tombstone, Ghost Ship, 13th Hour), dies at 56 1948 Event Ted Mack's "Original Amateur Hour" begins, DuMont (later NBC/ABC/CBS) 1948 Birthday Larry McNeeley, Lafayette, Indiana, banjo player, Glen Campbell Hour 1946 Death Edward Bowes, radio host (Major Bowes Amateur Hour), dies at 71 1946 Event 1st hour long entertainment TV show, "NBC's Hour Glass" premieres 1946 Event 1st variety show on TV "NBC's Hour Glass," premieres 1944 Birthday Marilyn Michaels, comedienne, ABC Comedy Hour 1943 Event Dutch work week extended to 54 hour 1943 Event Franklin D. Roosevelt orders minimal 48 hour work week in war industry 1942 Event Japan forces Java to use "Tokyo time" 1 hour forward 1941 Event 1st helicopter flight of 1 hour duration, Stratford, Connecticut 1941 Event Supreme Court upheld Federal Wage and Hour law, sets minimum wages and max hours 1941 Birthday Van Dyke Parks, Alabama, actor/musician, Bonino, Billy Crystal Hour 1940 Event 40 hour work week goes into effect (Fair Labor Standards of 1938) 1940 Event Winston Churchill urges perseverance so that future generations would remember that "this was their finest hour" 1939 Event Final broadcast of The Fleischmann Hour was heard on radio 1939 Birthday David Winters, born in London, England, choreographer, Steve Allen Comedy Hour 1938 Birthday Mason Williams, Abilene, Texas, writer, Smother Brothers Hour 1938 Event Federal minimum wage law guarantees workers 40 cents per hour 1937 Birthday Karen Morrow, Chic, actress, Aunt Minerva-Tabitha, Jim Nabors Hour 1937 Event Henry Ford initiates 32 hour work week 1936 Birthday Bruce Belland, Chicago, singer, Tim Conway Hour 1936 Event 40 hour work week law approved 1935 Event Jesse Owens equals or breaks 6 world records in one hour 1935 Event Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour goes national on NBC Radio Network 1934 Event Lillian Hellman's "Children's Hour," premieres in New York City 1934 Birthday Per Olov Enquist, Swedish writer, Hour of the Lynx 1934 Event William Franks twirls an indian club overhead 17,280 times in 1 hour 1933 Event Congress passes 1st minimum wage law (33 cents per hour) 1931 Birthday Jack Ging, Alva, Oklahoma, actor, 11th Hour, Ripcord, Tales of Wells Fargo 1930 Birthday Genevieve Page, actress, Day and the Hour 1929 Event Rudy Vallee's Fleishmann Hour begins broadcasting on NBC radio 1928 Event Leon Vanderstuyft of Belgium bicycled 76 miles 504 yards in 1 hour 1928 Event Leon Vanderstuyft of Belgium cycles record 76 miles 604 yards in 1 hour 1927 Birthday Anita Kerr, born in Memphis, Tennessee, singer, Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 1926 Event Henry Ford announces 8 hour, 5-day work week 1926 Birthday Robert Schuller, televangelist, Glass Cathedral, Hour of Power 1926 Event James Cox of Ford Motors announces 8 hour day and $5 daily minimum wage 1924 Event General Christian Worker's union demands 8 hour work day in Belgium 1924 Birthday Terry Gibbs, born in Brooklyn, New York, orchestra leader, Steve Allen Comedy Hour 1924 Birthday George Kirby, born in Chicago, comedian, ABC Comedy Hour, Pearl Bailey Show 1923 Event WEAF radio begins broadcasting Eveready Hour (variety show) 1922 Event Dutch 2nd Chamber agrees to 48 hour work week (was 45 hours) 1922 Birthday Dave Appell, singer/musician/songwriter, In the Midnight Hour 1922 Birthday Helen Parrish, born in Columbus Georgia, actress, Hour Glass, Show Business 1920 Event Dutch law provides for an 8 hour working day 1919 Event Serbian, Croatian and Slavic parliment accord for 8 hour work day 1919 Event French assembly decides on 8 hour work day 1919 Event Dutch steel workers strike for 8 hour day and minimum wages 1915 Birthday Earl Wild, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, composer/pianist, Caesar's Hour, NBC Symph 1942 1914 Birthday Wendell Corey, born in Dracut, Massachusetts, actor, 11th Hour, Peck's Bad Girl 1913 Birthday Frances Langford, born in Lakeland, Florida, singer, Armed Forces Hour, Star Time 1912 Birthday Paul Weston, born in Springfield, Massachusetts, orchestra leader, Jim Nabors Hour 1911 Birthday Eddie Mayehoff, born in Baltimore, Maryland, actor, Hour Glass, How to Murder Your Wife 1910 Birthday Robert Paige, born in Indianapolis, Indiana, actor, Colgate Comedy Hour 1910 Birthday Gordon Jenkins, Webster Grove, Missouri, orchestra leader, NBC Comedy Hour 1910 Event British miners strike for 8 hour working day 1907 Event Augustus Thomas' "Witching Hour," premieres in New York City 1905 Event 9 hour work day for diamond miners 1904 Birthday Ted Mack, born in Denver, Colorado, TV host, Original Amateur Hour 1903 Birthday Donald Voorhees, born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, conductor, Bell Telephone Hour 1898 Event 1st practical submarine 1st submerges, New York City (for 1 hour 40 minutes) 1892 Birthday Joe E Brown, born in Holgate, Ohio, comedian, Buck Circus Hour 1891 Event Nebraska introduces 8 hour work day 1890 Birthday Al Goodman, Nikopol Russia, orchestra leader, NBC Comedy Hour 1888 Event Pennsylvania's Monongehela River rises 32' after 24 hour rainfall 1886 Event U.S. general strike for 8 hour day, begins 1885 Event 13,000 meteors seen in 1 hour near Andromeda 1883 Birthday E E Clive, Monmouthshire Wales, actor, Night Must Fall, Dark Hour 1882 Event With 120 miles James Saunders wins New York City's 24 hour race and $100 prize 1882 Event New York City's 24 hour race begins, winner with most mileage in 24 hours 1882 Birthday Charles Trowbridge, Vera Cruz Mexico, actor, Fatal Hour 1874 Birthday Edward Bowes, radio host, Major Bowes Amateur Hour 1870 Event Jem Mace and defends his heavyweight crown against Irish champ Joe Coburn, it lasts 1 hour and 17 minutes, and neither is struck by a punch 1868 Event President Andrew Johnson passes a law that government workers would work 8 hour day 1809 Event Allardyce Barclay begins a bet of walking 1 mile every hour for 1,000 hours. Each hour he walked a mile round trip from his home
