50 years ago in Expo history: Mimes trained by the renowned Marcel Marceau portrayed the creation and destruction of earth

The McLeod Mime Troupe “delighted the audience” at Expo ’74’s International Amphitheater with a “tour de force” depiction of the creation and destruction of the Earth.

“Don McLeod took the part of the satanic spirit, bringing life to the infant earth, starting its rotation and then symbolically casting it off into space.”

McLeod was a student of the famed French mime, Marcel Marceau, who had already performed to an appreciative crowd at the Opera House.

From 100 years ago: Mystery shrouded the death of Tommy McKevitt, “railroad man and former well-known boxer.”

McKevitt died near the local Great Northern rail yards. By some accounts, he leapt from a moving train. Yet some of the circumstances suggested otherwise, and foul play had not been ruled out.

Only one train, a switch engine, was operating in the rail yards at the time, and the engineer said he didn’t see anyone on his train, nor did he hit anyone. Nobody on the train saw anybody leap from it.

Some witnesses said they saw McKevitt “hail a train” in the Great Northern yards but did not see him get on. His body was found on a different set of tracks than those used by the switch engine.

The investigation continued.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

781 BC: The oldest Chinese recording of a solar eclipse is documented.

1792: Captain George Vancouver claims Puget Sound for Britain.

1990: Dr. Jack Kevorkian assists an Oregon woman to commit suicide, beginning a national debate over the right to die.