April 17, 1902: Tally's Electric Theatre, opens at 262 South Main Street in Los Angeles. It is believed to be the 1st theater anywhere in the world specifically designed for the showing of motion pictures.
Thomas L. Tally, a native of Texas, opened the place, and would eventually be described as "the pioneer exhibitor of Los Angeles and one of the pioneers of the country." He is believed to be the coiner of the phrase "moving picture" to describe a film; the word "movie" is a shortened version.
In June 1903, the theater was renamed Lyric Theatre, and started hosting vaudeville in addition to movies. The Great Train Robbery also screened at the theater that year, and the film was so successful, it inspired Tally to sell the theater, in order to travel with and exhibit the film. He later went to New York, and opened a theater on Broadway in 1910. He lived until 1945.
According to the memory of a local businessman, the building stopped being a theater before the advent of talking pictures, and the building itself was demolished in 1998. An art gallery now occupies the site.
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April 17, 1902 was a Thursday. Football was out of season. Basketball barely existed. And the Stanley Cup was awarded the previous month, to the Winnipeg Victorias.
There were 4 baseball teams:
* The New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-0 at the Polo Grounds. Christy Mathewson pitched a 4-hit shutout.
* The Brooklyn Superbas, forerunners of the Dodgers, beat the Boston Beaneaters, forerunners of the Braves, 2-1 at Washington Park in Brooklyn. Bill Donovan outpitched Vic Willis.
* The Chicago Colts, forerunners of the Cubs, beat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1 at The Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati.
* And the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 1-0 at League Park (later renamed Robison Field) in St. Louis. Charles "Deacon: Phillippe pitched a 7-hit shutout.
