August 1981 - August 18, 1981 (Tuesday)

August 18, 1981 (Tuesday)

• The "FAVOR smoke-free cigarette", invented in 1977 by John P. Ray, received U.S. Patent No. 4,284,089. In 1986, it would be marketed, unsuccessfully, by Advanced Tobacco Products, as medical device for people who wanted to quit smoking.
• Died: Anita Loos, 93, American novelist, screenwriter and playwright, best known for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; and Russell Bennett, 87, Broadway orchestrator