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:
1860 – 11 year old Grace Bedell wrote a letter to Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln. In the letter she said that Lincoln would look better if he would grow a beard.
1878 – The Edison Electric Light Company began operation.
1892 – The U.S. government announced that the land in the western Montana was open to settlers. The 1.8 million acres were bought from the Crow Indians for 50 cents per acre.
1928 – The German dirigible Graf Zeppelin landed in Lakehurst, NJ, on its first commercial flight across the Atlantic.
1939 – New York Municipal Airport was dedicated. The name was later changed to La Guardia Airport.
1948 – Gerald R. Ford married Elizabeth (Betty) Bloomer at Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, MI. The reception was held at Kent Country Club.
1951 – The television show “I Love Lucy”, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, debuted on CBS.
1952 – The children’s book “Charlotte’s Web” was published.
1955 – The TV show “Grand Ole Opry” premiered on ABC.
1966 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill creating the Department of Transportation.
1966 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a bill creating the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along the Lake Superior shoreline.
1966 – In Illinois, Cahokia Mounds was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
1966 – The First Bank of the United States was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1973 – The late night talk show “Tomorrow” debuted on NBC.
1973 – The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a 1971 Federal Communications directive that broadcasters censor from the airwaves songs with drug-oriented lyrics.
1984 – The Freedom of Information Act was passed.
1989 – Wayne Gretzky, while playing for the Los Angeles Kings, surpassed Gordie Howe’s NHL scoring record of 1,850 career points.
1991 – Despite allegations by Anita Hill of crude sexual harassment, the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court justice by a vote of 52-48.
1996 – CSX Corp. announced plans to buy Conrail Inc. for $8.4 billion to create the nation’s third largest railroad company.
1996 – Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) was charged with attacking a cameraman that was trying to take pictures of him and his wife Pamela Anderson Lee.
1997 – British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green broke the land-speed record by driving a jet-powered car faster than the speed of sound.
1997 – The Cassini-Huygens mission was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL. On January 14, 2005, a probe sent back pictures of Saturn’s moon Titan during and after landing.
2000 – Larry David’s TV show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” debuted.
2001 – A letter sent to the Washington office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle tests positive for anthrax.
2001 – Bethlehem Steel Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
2001 – NASA’s Galileo spacecraft passed within 112 miles of Jupiter’s moon Io.
2008 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 733.08 points, or 7.87% — the second worst percentage drop in the Dow’s history.
2009 – A Colorado family named Heene riveted national attention when a homemade balloon tethered in their backyard floated away, reportedly with their six-year-old son on board. After a media frenzy, it turned out to be a hoax by the father, who had dreams of turning his family into reality TV stars. He later pleaded guilty to a felony charge, his wife to a misdemeanor.
2011 – Legoland Florida opened in Winter Haven, FL.
BIRTHDAYS:
Barry McGuire – 90 years old (1935) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Hilo Chen – 83 years old (1942) – Taiwanese-American painter
Harold W. Gehman – 83 years old (1942) – Jr. , American admiral
Don Stevenson – 83 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter and drummer
Haim Saban – 81 years old (1944) – Israeli-American businessman, co-founded Saban Entertainment
Jim Palmer – 80 years old (1945) – Baseball player and sportscaster
Richard Carpenter – 79 years old (1946) – Singer-songwriter and pianist
Laurie McBain – 76 years old (1949) – Author
Roscoe Tanner – 74 years old (1951) – Tennis player
Larry Miller – 72 years old (1953) – Actor and comedian
Jere Burns – 71 years old (1954) – Actor
Mira Nair – 68 years old (1957) – Indian-American actress, director, and producer
Stacy Peralta – 68 years old (1957) – Skateboarder, director, producer, and businessman, co-founded Powell Peralta
Emeril Lagasse – 66 years old (1959) – Chef and author
Todd Solondz – 66 years old (1959) – Actor, director, and screenwriter
Eric Benét – 59 years old (1966) – Singer-songwriter
Bill Charlap – 59 years old (1966) – Pianist and composer
Dan Forest – 58 years old (1967) – Politician, 34th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Vanessa Marcil – 57 years old (1968) – Actress
Ginuwine – 55 years old (1970) – Singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
Joey Abs – 54 years old (1971) – Wrestler
Fred Hoiberg – 53 years old (1972) – Basketball player and coach
Matt Keeslar – 53 years old (1972) – Actor
Devon Gummersall – 47 years old (1978) – Actor, director, and screenwriter
Wes Moore – 47 years old (1978) – Politician, author, nonprofit executive, and television producer, 63rd Governor of Maryland
Blue Adams – 46 years old (1979) – Football player and coach
Bohemia – 46 years old (1979) – Pakistani-American rapper and producer
Jaci Velasquez – 46 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter and actress
Keyshia Cole – 44 years old (1981) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Arron Afflalo – 40 years old (1985) – Basketball player
Dominique Jones – 37 years old (1988) – Basketball player
Blaine Gabbert – 36 years old (1989) – Football player
Brock Nelson – 34 years old (1991) – Ice hockey player
Vincent Martella – 33 years old (1992) – Actor
Richaun Holmes – 32 years old (1993) – Basketball player
Jack Flaherty – 30 years old (1995) – Baseball player
Grace Van Dien – 29 years old (1996) – Actress
Bailee Madison – 26 years old (1999) – American-Canadian actress and singer
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.
