Born the year Charles Herrold began his pioneering radio broadcasts in San Jose, Janet Baird would make an indelible mark on the young industry. In a life story that reads like fodder for a Hollywood screenplay, the event that captured the attention of the nation took place in San Francisco in 1937.
Her story has largely vanished into the haze of history. Janet Baird lived to be 96 years old. Any of her many lifetime exploits would make for a fascinating memoir, but what happened in August 1937 was a story she told and re-told any times in subsequent years.