August 19

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:

1848 – The New York Herald reported of the discovery of gold in California.

1856 – A patent for the process of condensing milk by vacuum was awarded to Gail Borden.

1909 – The first automobile race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana.

1934 – The first All-American Soap Box Derby was held in Dayton, OH. The winner was Robert Turner, who made his car from wood recycled from a saloon bar.

1940 – The first flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.

1940 – The newly formed Civil Aeronautics Administration awarded honorary license #1 to Orville Wright.

1959 – The city of Kalamazoo, MI opens the nation’s first downtown pedestrian mall.

1960 – The Soviet Union launched Sputnik with the dogs Belka and Strekla on board, along with 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants.

1964 – The Beatles arrived in the United States to kick off their North American tour that kicked off at Cow Palace in San Francisco.

1964 – The first geostationary communication satellite, Syncom 3, was launched.

1972 – NBC-TV presented “The Midnight Special” for the first time. John Denver was the first host.

1978 – The city of Lowell, MI was hit by a violent storm. The Lowell Showboat was overturned and the steeple was torn off the United Methodist Church.

1999 – Lorne Michaels received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2003 – The TV reality show “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica”, starring then husband and wife Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, premiered on MTV.

2004 – Regis Philbin goes into The Guinness Book of World Records for logging the most hours on television — a total of 15,188 hours. The previous record was held by Hugh Downs.

2004 – Google Inc. stock began selling on NASDAQ. The initial price was set at $85. It ended the day at $100.34 with more than 22 million shares traded.

2005 – The movie, “The 40 Year Old Virgin”, starring Steve Carell, debuted in theaters.

2010 – Operation Iraqi Freedom ended, with the last of the U.S. Brigade combat teams crossing the border to Kuwait.

2020 – Apple became the First US company to be valued at $2 trillion, just two years after it reached $1 trillion valuation.

 

BIRTHDAYS:

Debra Paget – 92 a old (1933) – Actress (“The Ten Commandments”, “Love Me Tender”)

Diana Muldaur – 87 a old (1938) – Actress (Played Rosalind Shays on TV’s “L.A. Law”, “Star Trek: The Next Generation”)

Jill St. John – 85 a old (1940) – Actress (“Diamonds Are Forever”, “The Lost World”, TV’s “Hart to Hart”)

Ian Gillan – 80 a old (1945) – Singer (Deep Purple)

Charles Bolden – 79 a old (1946) – Astronaut (former Administrator of NASA)

Bill (William Jefferson) Clinton – 79 a old (1946) – 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001)

Gerald McRaney – 78 a old (1947) – TV actor (TV’s “Simon and Simon”, “Major Dad”, “Promised Land”, “Deadwood”)

Jim Carter – 77 a old (1948) – Actor (TV’s “Downton Abbey”)

Tipper Gore – 77 a old (1948) – Wife of Al Gore (Attempted to clean up lyrics with “Parental Advisory” stickers on records)

John Deacon – 74 a old (1951) – Bass Guitarist (Queen)

Jonathan Frakes – 73 a old (1952) – Actor-director (TV’s “Star Trek: The Next Generation”)

Peter Gallagher – 70 a old (1955) – Actor (“Sex, Lies and Videotape”, “The Player”, TV’s “The OC”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”)

Adam Arkin – 69 a old (1956) – Actor (“Hitch”, “Halloween H20: 20 Years Later”, TV’s “Chicago Hope”, “Knot’s Landing”)

Eric Lutes – 63 a old (1962) – Actor (Played Del Cassidy on TV’s “Caroline in the City”)

John Stamos – 62 a old (1963) – Actor (TV’s “Full House”)

Kevin Dillon – 60 a old (1965) – Actor (TV’s “Entourage”, Portrayed drummer John Densmore in “The Doors”)

Kyra Sedgwick – 60 a old (1965) – Actress (“Singles”, “Something to Talk About”, “The Woodsman”, TV’s “The Closer”)

Lee Ann Womack – 59 a old (1966) – Country singer

Tabitha Soren – 58 a old (1967) – Former MTV newscaster

Matthew Perry – 56 a old (1969) – Actor (TV’s “Friends”, movies “Mr. Sunshine”, “Go On”, “The Odd Couple” “Fools Rush In”)

Tracie Thoms – 50 a old (1975) – Actress (“The Devil Wears Prada”, “Rent”, TV’s “Cold Case”)

Erika Christensen – 43 a old (1982) – Actress (Played Julia Braverman-Graham on TV’s “Parenthood”)

 

TODAY IS:

• National Aviation Day: Celebrate flight pioneer Orville Wright’s birthday on National Aviation Day by learning about the history of flight, making paper airplanes, or learning to fly yourself.
• World Photography Day: A beautiful way to tell a story, express emotions, and preserve the beauty of the world around us. Start capturing your own story today!
• National Potato Day: Hashbrowns, French fries, potato chips, baked or mashed potatoes…honor one of the most versatile and tasty tubers, the potato, by incorporating it into every dish.
• International Orangutan Day: Learn and raise awareness about the smart, beautiful, but endangered primates known as orangutans. Visit your local zoo to see these creatures in person.
• Talk Like Jar Jar Binks Day: Engage in playful speech, bringing joy and amusement, by echoing the unique linguistic flair of an iconic Star Wars character.
• National Soft Ice Cream Day:
• International Bow Day: Put a bow in your hair, wear a bowtie, and tie bows around anything and everything to spruce up and make your self and surroundings more festive.
• National Moving Day (UK): Transitioning to a new dwelling, packing memories, and embarking on an adventure to embrace fresh beginnings and experiences.
• National Finance Brokers Day: Guiding individuals on the path to financial prosperity, these professionals offer expert advice, empowering clients to achieve their goals.
• World Humanitarian Day: Donate, raise awareness, and volunteer your time to help humanitarian efforts around the world and aid the poor and needy in every country, even your own.
• Crayfish Party:
• National Fishing Month: Relaxing, meditative, and practical, fishing is an ideal hobby for many. Get out on the water with some bait and a fishing line, and catch yourself dinner.
• National Science Week:
• Navasard:
• National Aviation Week:

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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.