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:
1852 – State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) was dedicated for teacher education.
1904 – The Ryerson Library in Grand Rapids, MI was dedicated after the Grand Rapids Public Library received a gift from Martin Antione Ryerson (grandson of Louis Campau).
1905 – Wilbur Wright piloted the Wright Flyer III in a flight of 24 miles in 39 minutes, a world record that stood until 1908.
1921 – The World Series was broadcast on the radio for the first time. The teams playing were the New York Giants and the New York Yankees.
1930 – Laura Ingalls became the first woman to make a transcontinental airplane flight.
1931 – Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon landed in Washington after flying non-stop across the Pacific Ocean. The flight originated in Japan and took about 41 hours.
1947 – President Harry S. Truman made the first televised address from the White House, speaking about an international food crisis.
1955 – Disneyland Hotel opened to the public in Anaheim, CA.
1962 – The movie “Dr. No”, the first in the James Bond film series, was released, starry Sean Connery as James Bond.
1966 – There was a partial core meltdown at the Enrico Fermi demonstration nuclear breeder reactor near Detroit, MI.
1969 – “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” debuted on BBC television.
1970 – The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was founded.
1974 – After four years and 21 pairs of shoes, American David Kunst completed the first journey around the world on foot. He crossed four continents and walked 14,450 miles.
1982 – Johnson & Johnson initiated a nationwide recall in the U.S. for all products in its Tylenol brand after several bottles in Chicago, IL, were found to have been laced with cyanide. Seven people died.
1989 – Televangelist Jim Bakker was convicted of fraud.
1990 – A jury in Cincinnati, OH acquitted an art gallery and its director of obscenity charges stemming from an exhibit of sexually graphic photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe.
1998 – Margaret Ray, the woman who famously stalked David Letterman, committed suicide by kneeling in front of an oncoming train in Colorado.
1999 – Kevin Spacey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2001 – A photo editor at Florida’s American Media becomes the first person to die from anthrax in a still-unsolved terror campaign.
2001 – Barry Bonds surpassed Mark McGwire’s single season home run total by hitting his milestone 71st and 72nd home runs.
2001 – The television sitcom “Reba”, starring Reba McEntire debuted on The WB. It ran until May 5, 2006 and then moved to the The CW from November 19, 2006, to February 18, 2007.
2004 – John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman, was denied parole for a third time.
2006 – Walmart rolled out its $4 generic drug program to the entire state of Florida after a successful test in the Tampa area.
2011 – The cable network FX television series “American Horror Story” premiered.
2017 – The Detroit Red Wings played their first game at their new home — Little Caesars Arena.
BIRTHDAYS:
Adrian Smith – 89 years old (1936) – Basketball player
Barry Switzer – 88 years old (1937) – Football player and coach
Teresa Heinz – 87 years old (1938) – Mozambican-American businesswoman and philanthropist
Terry Trotter – 85 years old (1940) – Jazz pianist
Ben Cardin – 82 years old (1943) – Lawyer and politician
Steve Miller – 82 years old (1943) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Russell Mael – 77 years old (1948) – Vocalist
Bill James – 76 years old (1949) – Historian and author
Edward P. Jones – 75 years old (1950) – Novelist and short story writer
Karen Allen – 74 years old (1951) – Actress
Mark Geragos – 68 years old (1957) – Lawyer
Neil deGrasse Tyson – 67 years old (1958) – Astrophysicist, cosmologist, and author
Maya Lin – 66 years old (1959) – Architect and sculptor, designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Civil Rights Memorial
Daniel Baldwin – 65 years old (1960) – Actor, director, and producer
Michael Andretti – 63 years old (1962) – Race car driver
Trace Armstrong – 60 years old (1965) – Football player and agent
Sean M. Carroll – 59 years old (1966) – Physicist, cosmologist, and academic
Terri Runnels – 59 years old (1966) – Wrestler and manager
Rex Chapman – 58 years old (1967) – Basketball player and sportscaster
Josie Bissett – 55 years old (1970) – Actress
Grant Hill – 53 years old (1972) – Basketball player and actor
Thomas Roberts – 53 years old (1972) – Journalist and actor
Rich Franklin – 51 years old (1974) – Mixed martial artist and actor
Heather Headley – 51 years old (1974) – Trinidadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress
Carson Ellis – 50 years old (1975) – Painter and illustrator
Monica Rial – 50 years old (1975) – Voice actress, director, and screenwriter
Scott Weinger – 50 years old (1975) – Actor
J. J. Yeley – 49 years old (1976) – Race car driver
Vinnie Paz – 48 years old (1977) – Italian-American rapper and producer
James Valentine – 47 years old (1978) – Musician and songwriter
Morgan Webb – 47 years old (1978) – Canadian-American television host and producer
Paul Thomas – 45 years old (1980) – Bass player
Jeanette Antolin – 44 years old (1981) – Gymnast
Michael Roos – 43 years old (1982) – Estonian-American football player
Jesse Eisenberg – 42 years old (1983) – Actor and writer
Nicky Hilton – 42 years old (1983) – Socialite, fashion designer, and model
Naima Adedapo – 41 years old (1984) – Singer and dancer
Nate Thompson – 41 years old (1984) – Ice hockey player
Angel Perkins – 41 years old (1984) – Sprinter
Brooke Valentine – 40 years old (1985) – Singer and songwriter
Tanner Roark – 39 years old (1986) – Baseball player
Dillon Francis – 38 years old (1987) – DJ and record producer
Tim Ream – 38 years old (1987) – Soccer player
Brandan Wright – 38 years old (1987) – Basketball player
Ify Ibekwe – 36 years old (1989) – Basketball player
Travis Kelce – 36 years old (1989) – Football player
Cody Zeller – 33 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Jewell Loyd – 32 years old (1993) – Basketball player
Michael Hoecht – 28 years old (1997) – Canadian American football player
TODAY IS:
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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.
