January 11

Scott Winters, Realtor

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

 

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1770 – The first shipment of rhubarb was sent to the United States from London.

1787 – William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, the two moons of Uranus.

1805 – The Michigan Territory was created. It was made from the Indiana Territory and included Wisconsin and part of Minnesota. Michigan began operating as a State in 1835. Detroit was the first State Capital for land that extended all the way to the Mississippi River (the State’s present boundaries were set in 1837).

1813 – The pineapple was first brought to Hawaii. It wasn’t until 1899 that James D. Dole made an industry with it.

1861 – Alabama seceded from the United States.

1878 – In New York, NY, milk was delivered in glass bottles for the first time.

1902 – “Popular Mechanics” magazine was published for the first time.

1908 – Grand Canyon National Monument was created.

1913 – The first sedan-type car, manufactured by the Hudson Motor Company, was unveiled at the National Automobile Show in New York, NY.

1916 – A blizzard hit northern Michigan. Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad trains were buried in 6-8 feet of snow at Bingham, MI (north of Traverse City).

1922 – In Toronto, Canada, Leonard Thompson became the first person to be successfully treated with insulin.

1927 – Louis B. Mayer, head of film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) announced the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at a banquet in Los Angeles, CA.

1935 – Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California.

1940 – General Motors built it’s 25 millionth car (a Chevy) at the Chevy Assembly plant in Flint, MI.

1958 – The television show “Seahunt” debuted on CBS. It ran for four years.

1963 – The Whiskey-a-Go-Go nightclub opened in Los Angeles, CA. It was recognized as the first disco in the U.S.

1964 – U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry, MD, published the landmark report “Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States” saying that smoking may be hazardous to health. It sparked national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.

1973 – Owners of American League baseball teams voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule on a trial basis.

1983 – Bob Ross debuted on the PBS television show “The Joy of Painting”.

1994 – Sonny Bono declared his candidacy for a seat in Congress from Palm Springs, CA. He was elected that fall and served until his death in a 1998 skiing accident.

1995 – Michael Jackson released a statement saying, “I will no longer stand by and watch reckless members of the media try to destroy my reputation.” The statement was a response to rumors of a video depicting Jackson fooling around with a young boy.

1995 – The WB TV network debuted.

1996 – The Space Shuttle Endeavor (STS-72) launched from Kennedy Space Center marking the start of the 74th Space Shuttle mission and the 10th flight of Endeavor.

1999 – WXMI Fox 17 in Grand Rapids, MI began the first 10:00 pm newscast in West Michigan.

2000 – The merger between AOL and Time Warner was approved by the U.S. government with restrictions to prevent a monopoly

2000 – The U.S. Postal Service unveiled the second Vietnam Veterans Memorial commemorative stamp in a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.

2002 – Ford Motor Company announced plans to close five plants, the most drastic cutbacks in two decades with 35,000 layoffs and the elimination of four models.

2005 – The iPod Shuffle was introduced. It could hold 250 songs!

2020 – Municipal health officials in Wuhan announced the first recorded death from COVID-19.

2021 – The Michigan State Capitol Commission voted to ban the open carry of firearms inside the Capitol building in Lansing.

 

BIRTHDAYS:

Ben Crenshaw – 72 years old (1952) – Golfer

John Sessions – 71 years old (1953) – Comedian (TV’s “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”)

Phyllis Logan – 68 years old (1956) – Actress (TV’s “Downton Abbey”)

Vicki Peterson – 66 years old (1958) – Musician (The Bangles)

Kim Coles – 62 years old (1962) – Actress (TV’s “Living Single”, “In Living Color”)

Jason Connery – 61 years old (1963) – Actor (“Robin of Sherwood”)

Kyle Richards – 55 years old (1969) – Actress (TV’s “ER”, “Little House on the Prairie”, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”)

Mary J. Blige – 53 years old (1971) – Singer

Marc Blucas – 52 years old (1972) – Actor (“First Daughter”, TV’s “Killer Women”, “Necessary Roughness”, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”)

Amanda Peet – 52 years old (1972) – Actress (“Whole Nine Yards”, “2012”, “Syriana”, “A Lot Like Love”, “Melinda and Melinda”, “Body Shots”, TV’s “Togetherness”, “Jack and Jill”, “The Good Wife”)

Rockmond Dunbar – 51 years old (1973) – Actor (TV’s “Prison Break”, “Soul Food”)

 

TODAY IS:

Heritage Treasures Day

International Parity at Work Day

National Arkansas Day

National Girl Hug Boy Day

National Hot Toddy Day

National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

National Learn Your Name In Morse Code Day

National Milk Day

National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day

National Take the Stairs Day

Secret Pal Day

World  Sketchnote Day

 

For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.

My goal is to keep you informed and/or entertained on a regular basis. Maybe you'll learn something new, or just get that much needed laugh. My topics will include a wide range of subjects....from what's going on in the world, to places I've been, things I've seen, or even just a fun video that I've found online. Check back often to see what I've posted.

2 Comments

  1. Maris
    January 11, 2019 - 9:49 pm

    Cool

    Reply
  2. Marilyn Conroy
    January 11, 2023 - 12:02 pm

    I enjoyed reading this!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *