August 29, 1952: John Cage's "Composition," "4'33"," Premieres

August 29, 1952: David Tudor premieres John Cage's composition 4'33" at the Maverick Concert Hall in Woodstock, Ulster County, New York.

According to Cage, the piece is not "silent": The directions call for it to be for any instrument or combination of instruments, and the score instructs performers to not play their instruments during the entire duration of the piece, throughout the three movements: 4 minutes and 33 seconds. Cage said it "consists of the sounds of the environment that the listeners hear while it is performed."

Since the Town of Woodstock refused to give a permit for the 1969 concert festival that nonetheless bore its name, this remains the biggest musical event ever to take place in the Town.

Cage died in 1992, shortly before his 80th birthday. Peter MacNichol played a lawyer named John Cage on the TV series Ally McBeal, but there appeared to have been no connection: It just sounded like a good name for a lawyer.

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August 29, 1952 was a Friday. Actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh, who played Mercy in The Warriors Jackie Rush on Too Close for Comfort, was born.

And these 5 baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Washington Senators, 3-2 at Yankee Stadium. Walt Masterson outpitched Vic Raschi. Gil Coan and Jim Busby hit home runs. Johnny Mize hit one for the Yankees. Mickey Mantle went 0-for-3 with a walk, and Yogi Berra went 1-for-4.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Chicago Cubs, 4-1 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Warren Hacker outpitched Preacher Roe. The Dodger run came on a home run by Roy Campanella. Jackie Robinson went 1-for-4.

* The Philadelphia Athletics swept a doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox, 6-1 and 7-5 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Ted Williams was serving in the Korean War, and unavailable for the Red Sox.

* And the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-2 at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium) in Detroit. Bob Lemon outpitched Virgil Trucks, who fell to 5-16 on the season. He would finish 5-19. But 2 of his 5 wins that season were no-hitters. In his previous start, he had pitched the 2nd of them, against the Yankees.