One of Those Days

There are certain dates that trigger my mind to recall particular events. Today, August 16th, is one of those dates.
I am not sure why I remember that these four events all occurred on the same day but, for some reason, they seem related in my mind and I never seem to forget them.

No need to elaborate extensively; I'll just list them chronologically with a short comment:

August 16, 1920 - Ray Chapman became first and only batter to be killed by a pitched ball in Major League Baseball. This changed the game in many ways including the rule that newer, whiter balls be used. That particular change meant that old, dirty, dead balls could not be used and the newer, more tightly wound replacements ushered in the era of the power hitter. Which leads to...

August 16, 1948 - Babe Ruth died. He was probably the greatest beneficiary of the changes to the game that favored power hitters. His on-field abilities drew attention to his colorful social life and he drove "celebrity status" to a new level for professional athletes and entertainers. Celebrity status brings us to...

August 16, 1958 - Louise Ciccone was born near Detroit and later changed her name to Madonna. Her fame grew to the point where, at the height of her notoriety, she was on a very short list of the most well-known figures on the planet. To that point in history, the only other musical entertainer who had achieved such widespread fame was Elvis, who died on...

August 16, 1977 - That's right. Same day. Heard the news from Joe Nemi. Even though many of us think of "young Elvis" and "old Elvis", the latter term referring to his bloated final years, he was never really old. He died at 42.

August 16th is just one of those days...