Category Archives: 1947

Reminder: My Next Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia Case Is August 4

Posted on July 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: Boxie and I will be doing a live Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case next Tuesday, August 4, at 10 a.m. Pacific time at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch. Have questions? Leave them in the comments. Continue reading →

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July 28, 1947: Free Horoscope for Your DOG!

Posted on July 28, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 28, 1947: Free horoscope for your DOG! Continue reading →

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July 27, 1947: Chinese Author Visits Dr. George Hodel

Posted on July 27, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 27, 1947: Chinese author Helena Kuo visits Dr. George Hodel. Continue reading →

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July 26, 1947: Son Cleared of Killing Father During Attack on Mother

Posted on July 26, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 26, 1947: Son cleared of killing father during attack on mother. Continue reading →

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July 24, 1947: Honor Student Vesta Belle Sapenter, 17, Strangled

Posted on July 24, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 24, 1947: Vesta Belle Sapenter, an honor student at Jefferson High, is found partially undressed and strangled. Continue reading →

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July 22, 1947: TV, Jet Engine, Tucker Car on Display at World Inventors Expo

Posted on July 22, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 22, 1947: The Tucker is on display at the Pan-Pacific Auditorium as part of an inventors’ exposition. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia Book Club for July 2026

Posted on July 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

The Black Dahlia Book Club for July 2026: an examination of the Los Angeles County district attorney’s files on the murder of Elizabeth Short. Continue reading →

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July 21, 1947: Julie London Marries Jack Webb

Posted on July 21, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 21, 1947: Julie London marries Jack Webb. They divorce seven years later in one of the biggest settlements in local history. Someone asked her: “If you had your choice between half a million dollars and a happy home, which would you take?” She said: “A happy home.” Continue reading →

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July 20, 1947: Wealthy Woman Gives Estate – Including Homeless Camp -– to Santa Barbara

Posted on July 20, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 20, 1947: Lillian Child sets up a homeless camp on her 17-acre estate. Upon her death in 1951, the estate is deeded to Santa Barbara, including the homeless camp. The mansion was burned down in 1959 by the Fire Department, the camp was later destroyed and a zoo was built. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, 1959 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

July 19, 1907: Covina Celebrates Launch of Streetcar Service

Posted on July 19, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 19, 1907: Covina celebrates the opening of a Pacific Electric streetcar line to Los Angeles with a free community picnic, including a gigantic coffeepot and a 300-gallon bean pot. Militant Angeleno would have been there! Continue reading →

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July 18, 1947: The Timeless, Subtle Wit of Ernie Bushmiller’s ‘Nancy’

Posted on July 18, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 18, 1947: The timeless humor of Ernie Bushmiller in Nancy. Continue reading →

Posted in 1947, Art & Artists, Film | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

July 17, 1947: Arnold Schoenberg Gets Commission for ‘Survivor From Warsaw’

Posted on July 17, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 17, 1947: Arnold Schoenberg is hard at work on a composition that will culminate in ‘Survivor From Warsaw.’ Continue reading →

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July 16, 1947: L.A. County Tired of Paying Welfare, Pays Brink Family to Go Back to Oklahoma

Posted on July 16, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 16, 1947: Los Angeles County fixes the Brink family’s car and pays their expenses to go back to Oklahoma, which officials prefer to paying them $278 a month in relief. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia Book Club – Coming July 21, 2026

Posted on July 14, 2026 by lmharnisch

Reminder: The next installment of the Black Dahlia Book Club is next Tuesday, July 21, at 10 a.m. Pacific time at YouTube.com/LMHarnisch Continue reading →

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July 9, 1947: Rosenda Mondragon Strangled With Stocking

Posted on July 9, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 9, 1947: Rosenda Mondragon is found murdered. The Times and the Examiner have different accounts of the killing and the actions of her husband, Antonio. Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: Ask Me Anything, July 2026

Posted on July 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

My Ask Me Anything on the Black Dahlia case for July 2026. Did filmmakers really find the hidden room where Elizabeth Short was killed? (No, they did not). Continue reading →

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July 7, 1947: 4,000 Bikers in ‘Gypsy Tour’ Wreak Havoc in Hollister

Posted on July 7, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 7, 1947: Hollister, California, cleans up after the Highway Patrol chases thousands of motorcyclists out of town. The occasion was a “gypsy tour” of the American Motorcycle Association. The incident inspired the Marlon Brando movie “The Wild One.” Continue reading →

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L.A. Celebrates the Fourth of July 1889 – 1960

Posted on July 4, 2026 by lmharnisch

The Fourth of July in Los Angeles:
1863: Pic-Nics and fireworks!
1889: Coursing (dogs chasing a live rabbit)!
1907: Cricket matches and a bagpipe contest!
1910: Speeches in Spanish and Italian, race riots over the ‘fight of the century’ between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries. Continue reading →

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July 3, 1947: Flying Saucers Over Beverly Hills!

Posted on July 3, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 3, 1947: Flying Saucers Over Beverly Hills! Continue reading →

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July 2, 1947: Man Held in Strangling of Mary Tate

Posted on July 2, 2026 by lmharnisch

July 2, 1947: Oscar Hallgren is held in the killing of Mary Tate at 107 Weller Street, now Onizuka Street in Little Tokyo. Continue reading →

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