Hawaii: Today in History 8/8

8-8-1860 Queen of Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) arrives in NYC

1,500 years ago: Polynesians arrive in Hawaii after navigating the ocean using … Cook names the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” after the Earl of Sandwich

8-8-1938 Connie Stevens [Concetta Ingoglia], singer/actress (Hawaiian Eye, Back to Beach), born in Brooklyn, New York

Connie Stevens (born Concetta Rosalie Ann Ingoglia; August 8, 1938) is an American actress, director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor and singer. She played the role of “Cricket” Blake in the television series Hawaiian Eye. In May 1959 she signed a seven year contract with Warners starting at $300 a week.[7] Like many Warners contract players, Stevens was kept busy guest-starring on their regular TV shows like The Ann Sothern Show, Maverick, Tenderfoot, 77 Sunset Strip and Cheyenne.

Stardom came when she was cast as Cricket Blake in the popular television detective series Hawaiian Eye from 1959 to 1963,[8] a role that made her famous; her principal costar was Robert Conrad.

First televised on December 23, 1960, she appeared (uncredited) in “The Dresden Doll”, Episode 15 of Season 3 of “77 Sunset Strip” as her character from “Hawaiian Eye,” Cricket Blake.[9]

In a televised interview on August 26, 2003, on CNN’s Larry King Live, Stevens recounted that while on the set of Hawaiian Eye she was told she had a telephone call from Elvis Presley. “She didn’t believe it, but in fact it was Elvis, who invited her to a party and said that he would come to her house and pick her up personally”; they subsequently dated.[