At the Movies – Although it was out-shined for the Oscar gold by “Silence of the Lambs” and failed to break the box office sales top 10 of the year, “Thelma and Louise” ranked as a heavy favorite among critics back in 1991 for its tale of friendship, freedom and feminism.

In Music – During this week in 1999, it was reported that in addition to its founder Sarah McLachlan, the Lilith Fair, a celebration of women in music, would feature Grammy winners Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette and the Dixie Chicks on its summer tour.

On the Tube – In 1987,”Kate and Allie,” a show based on two single moms in New York, remained the big draw for viewers in its Monday night slot on CBS. The show, which ended two years later, starred Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin.

In Sports – Local champ and Northern California native Kristi Yamaguchi won the world over during this day back in1991 when she clinched the World Ladies Figure Skating Championship for the U.S. in the Munich, Germany.

In the News – In one of the earliest known attempts in the fight against breast cancer, the American Cancer Society announced in 1987 that it would provide low-cost breast X-rays for thousands of women during their Breast Cancer Detection Awareness Program. Some of the tests will cost as little as $40.

At a rally at the University of San Francisco in 1971, actress and activist Jane Fonda urged support for a massive spring peace mobilization to end, among other things, sexism. “I?m a revolutionary?a revolutionary woman,” proclaimed Fonda.

Happy Birthday – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, originally from Brooklyn, New York, turns 68 tomorrow. Ginsburg took office as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1993 after being nominated by former President Clinton.

No Kidding – During this week in 1970, the Rome Opera House performed “Carmen” in miniskirts for the first time, creating a wave of protest by critics. In each act, the mini seemed to get shorter especially in the final act where critics said “her dress was so short” and likened it to a ballerina?s tutu – a burst of ruffles around the hips.

History

Lucy Hobbs Taylor became the first woman dentist in the United States during this week in 1866.

In 1873, Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman to be admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earns her B.S. degree. Richards became the first female professional chemist in the U.S.

Lettie Pate Whitehead became the first American woman to serve as a directorof a major corporation, the Coca-Cola Company, in 1934.

In 1960, Jerrie Cobb became the first woman in the U.S. to undergo astronaut testing. NASA, however, canceled the women’s program in 1963. It was not until 1983, with Dr. Sally K. Ride, that an American woman was sent into space.

At the Republican National Convention, held in San Francisco in 1964, Margaret Chase Smith of Maine became the first woman nominated for president of the U.S. by a major political party.