Roger Allen LaPorte

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roger Allen LaPorte (1943 – November 9, 1965) is best known as a protester of the Vietnam War who set himself on fire in front of the United Nations building in New York City on November 9, 1965 to protest the United States involvement in the war. At the time, he was a 22-year old Catholic Worker Movement member.

His act was one week after a similar act by Norman Morrison in front of The Pentagon building on November 2.

[edit] Laporte story cut short by blackout

A historical footnote - on the day of Laporte's suicide, the Northeast and parts of Eastern Canada were struck later by what has since become known as The Great Blackout of 1965, triggered by problems at a Canadian power station. During the Dan Ingram Show on 77 WABC Musicradio, at 5:25 PM, newscaster Fred Rice reports on Laporte's act about a minute before the studio loses power during one of the station's more famous moments.

Several minutes before the fadeout, the station's equipment began acting strangely with its tape machines slowing down, as Ingram humorously points out. A telescoped recording of the moment can be heard at this link:

http://www.musicradio77.com/stories.html