Corvair, with a V.

All the American car companies came out with a subcompact to compete with the little rice burners Toyota, Mazda and Honda were bringing in. Ford's was the Pinto, Chevrolet did the Vega. My older brother's first car was a Vega, and I learned to drive on it.

My brother's best friend had an AMC Pacer. When they were seniors, I was a freshman. After football practice, 5 of us would pile into that thing for the drive home, and as the youngest, I'd get folded into the back through the hatchback. Didn't think anything of it at the time, but looking back, I'd have been dead in a rear end collision.

On August 11, 1934, a group of the "most dangerous" federal prisoners in the nation arrive at Alcatraz Island, a 22 acre outcropping a mile and a half offshore in San Francisco Bay, becoming the first civilians incarcerating in what was previously a military stockade. For the next 29 years, Alcatraz will be America's most secure prison, with only one unconfirmed escape of three prisoners in its history.


On August 11, 1984, President Ronald Reagan is warming up for a speech that will be broadcast over radio. The press corps is assembled and several aides are there as well when Reagan, not realizing the microphones are already hot, ad libs, “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” All in attendance laughed at the obvious joke, but Democrats quickly went to work painting it as a serious political gaffe, and indeed, Reagan's poll numbers saw a brief decline as a result. However, it didn't prevent Reagan's re-election in a landslide 3 months later.


On August 11, 2014, groundbreaking comedian and Oscar-winning actor Robin Williams commits suicide, at age 63. Williams was nominated for a best actor Oscar 3 times, but it was for a supporting role in "Good Will Hunting" that he won his only Academy Award. But it was in stand up comedy, particularly in moments of improvisation, where Williams showed his true genius. He was a regular on USO tours and co-founded the Comic Relief effort to help the homeless, along with friends and fellow comedians Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. Williams also battled substance abuse throughout his career, as well as depression, which likely contributed to his suicide.

On August 12, 1898, the armistice is signed bringing an end to the Spanish-American War. Only 3 and a half months in duration, the war and the resulting Treat of Paris (signed the following December) spell the end of Spain as a global empire.

On or about August 12, 30 B.C. Cleopatra, queen of Egpyt, takes her life following the defeat of her forces and those of her lover, the Roman general Mark Antony, by Octavian, heir to the Roman Empire. Lore has it after failing to seduce Octavian following her defeat, Cleopatra allowed herself to be bitten by an asp, a poison snake indigenous to Egypt and a symbol of divine royalty.

On August 12, 1990, fossil hunter Susan Hendrickson discovers three huge bones jutting out of a cliff near Faith, South Dakota. They turn out to be part of the largest-ever Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever discovered. A long legal battle ensues for the rights to the skeleton, which will be dubbed Sue for her discoverer, ending with its purchase by the Field Museum in Chicago. When assembled for display (unveiled in May, 2000), Sue is 42 feet long, and the skull alone weighs 2,000 pounds. Study of Sue lends credence to many paleontologists' belief that dinosaurs were the ancestors of modern birds.

You trying to pull Mastermind out of retirement?