1934: The First Prisoners Come To Alcatraz
It was on this day in 1934 that the very first civilian prisoners were sent to the federal prison on Alcatraz Island. Now considered a tourist attraction near San Francisco, Alcatraz was designed to hold the worst of the worst bank robbers, murderers and other offenders including Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Birdman) and George “Machine Gun” Kelly to name a few. The first group of 137 prisoners arrived on the island at 9:40 a.m. The staff were highly trained in security but lack rehabilitation skills. During its 29 years of operation, 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, but no prisoner successfully made it off the island (however there are five listed as “missing and presumed drowned” but no one know for sure). (Image: Wikimedia)
2021: ‘Family Game Fight’ Debuts
Following in the steps of Ellen’s Game of Games, Family Game Fight! starred real-life married couple, Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard who not only hosted the show, but participated in it as well. Here, two families of four would compete against each other with the help of the hosts in a battle to win $100,000. A preview of the show appeared on August 8, 2021 while the actual series began airing on this day in 2021. August 11. The show not only seems similar to Ellen’s show, it was also executively produced by Ellen DeGeneres. The games included in the series included “Air Heads” where contestants were blasted in the face with air due to a wrong answer; “Between the Sheets” where the hosts lying in a bed wearing blindfolds had to find hidden objects under their sheets and describe them to each other; and “Brain Freeze” where wrong answer led to all team members getting ice water pour down their backs.
Birthdays
- 1933: Jerry Falwell (minister)
- 1946: Marilyn vos Savant (journalist)
- 1950: Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple)
- 1953: Hulk Hogan (wrestler)
- 1954: Joe Jackson (singer)
- 1965: Viola Davis (actress)
- 1967: Joe Rogan (actor)
- 1983: Chris Hemsworth (actor)
Writer of Pop Culture 
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