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:
1789 – Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to a friend in which he said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
1805 – A Viennese butcher, Johann George Lehner, invented the “frankfurter”.
1927 – The Holland Tunnel opened to the public. It provided access between New York City, NY, and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River.
1933 – The first sit-down labor strike in America took place in Austin, MN.
1940 – The Walt Disney movie “Fantasia” had its world premiere at New York’s Broadway Theater.
1942 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure lowering the minimum draft age from 21 to 18.
1956 – The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws calling for racial segregation on public buses.
1970 – The Attorney General in Michigan ruled that funeral homes may not serve food or beverages.
1971 – The U.S. spacecraft Mariner 9 orbited around Mars to became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet.
1972 – The first lottery ticket was sold in Michigan to then Governor William Milliken.
1974 – Ronald DeFeo, Jr., murdered his entire family in Amityville, Long Island in the house that would become known as “The Amityville Horror”.
1977 – Al Capp’s comic strip “Li’l Abner” appeared in newspapers for the last time.
1982 – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC, after a march to its site by thousands of Vietnam War veterans.
1986 – President Ronald Reagan publicly acknowledged that the U.S. had sent “defensive weapons and spare parts” to Iran. He denied that the shipments were sent to free hostages, but that they had been sent to improve relations.
1990 – Patricia Boughton filed a lawsuit against singer Rod Stewart. She claimed that a football he kicked into the crowd during a concert at Pine Knob Music Theater ruptured a tendon in her middle finger. She said the injury made sex between her and her husband difficult.
1995 – The 17th James Bond film, “Goldeneye”, premiered in Los Angeles, CA. It was the first film starring Pierce Brosnan at James Bond.
1997 – “The Lion King on Broadway” opened in New York, NY.
1998 – Monica Lewinsky signed a book deal with St. Martin’s Press for the rights to her story about her affair with President Bill Clinton.
1998 – President Bill Clinton agreed to pay Paula Jones $850,000, without an apology or admission of guilt, to end her sexual harassment suit against him.
1999 – The animated movie “Toy Story 2”, produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, premiered in theaters.
2000 – The Beatles compilation album “1” was released. It would become the best selling album of the decade.
2006 – A deal was finalized for Google Inc. to acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion in Google stock.
2009 – NASA announced that water had been discovered on the moon. The discovery came from the planned impact on the moon of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS).
2012 – The video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” went on sale, selling $500 million worth of games in the first 24 hours.
2013 – 4 World Trade Center officially opened.
BIRTHDAYS:
Peter Arnett – 91 years old (1934) – New Zealand-American journalist and academic
Jack Rule – 87 years old (1938) – Jr. , American golfer
Baby Washington – 85 years old (1940) – Soul singer
David Green – 84 years old (1941) – Businessman and philanthropist, founded Hobby Lobby
William Taubman – 84 years old (1941) – Political scientist and author
John P. Hammond – 83 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Jay Sigel – 82 years old (1943) – Golfer
Bobby Manuel – 80 years old (1945) – Guitarist and producer
Ray Wylie Hubbard – 79 years old (1946) – Country singer-songwriter and guitarist
Amory Lovins – 78 years old (1947) – Physicist and environmentalist
Joe Mantegna – 78 years old (1947) – Actor and voice artist
Harry Hurt III – 74 years old (1951) – Author and journalist
Merrick Garland – 73 years old (1952) – Jurist, 86th United States Attorney General
Mark Lye – 73 years old (1952) – Golfer
Tracy Scoggins – 72 years old (1953) – Actress
Scott McNealy – 71 years old (1954) – Businessman, co-founded Sun Microsystems
Chris Noth – 71 years old (1954) – Actor and producer
Bill Britton – 70 years old (1955) – Golfer
Whoopi Goldberg – 70 years old (1955) – Actress, comedian, and talk show host
Rex Linn – 69 years old (1956) – Actor
Greg Abbott – 68 years old (1957) – Politician, 48th Governor of Texas
Neil Flynn – 65 years old (1960) – Actor
Kim Polese – 64 years old (1961) – Entrepreneur and technology executive
Vinny Testaverde – 62 years old (1963) – Football player
Dan Sullivan – 61 years old (1964) – Politician
Jimmy Kimmel – 58 years old (1967) – Comedian, actor, and talk show host
Steve Zahn – 58 years old (1967) – Actor and singer
Pat Hentgen – 57 years old (1968) – Baseball player and coach
Ayaan Hirsi Ali – 56 years old (1969) – Somalian-American activist and author
Lori Berenson – 56 years old (1969) – Activist
Jordan Bridges – 52 years old (1973) – Actor
Ari Hoenig – 52 years old (1973) – Drummer and composer
Aisha Hinds – 50 years old (1975) – Actress
Nikolai Fraiture – 47 years old (1978) – Bass player
Metta Sandiford-Artest – 46 years old (1979) – Basketball player
Monique Coleman – 45 years old (1980) – Actress, singer, and dancer
Sara Del Rey – 45 years old (1980) – Wrestler and trainer
Ryan Bertin – 44 years old (1981) – Wrestler and coach
Rivkah – 44 years old (1981) – Author and illustrator
Michael Copon – 43 years old (1982) – Actor, singer, and producer
Samkon Gado – 43 years old (1982) – Nigerian-American football player
Wade Miley – 39 years old (1986) – Baseball player
Dana Vollmer – 38 years old (1987) – Swimmer
Matt Bennett – 34 years old (1991) – Actor
Shabazz Muhammad – 33 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Julia Michaels – 32 years old (1993) – Singer and songwriter
Brett Baty – 26 years old (1999) – Baseball player
Sydney Agudong – 25 years old (2000) – Actress and singer
Giovanni Reyna – 23 years old (2002) – Soccer player
TODAY IS:
- World Kindness Day: Share random acts of compassion on World Kindness Day by helping strangers, giving back to the community or teaching your children the value of niceness.
- National Hug a Musician Day: Feeling the rhythm of their soul through an embrace, sharing a silent connection that speaks volumes in the language of music.
- Symphonic Metal Day: The fusion of harmonious melodies and thunderous might — a musical realm where orchestras and electric guitars unite in majestic harmony.
- National DTC (Direct-To-Consumer) Friday:
- Sadie Hawkins Day:
- World Usability Day:
- National Indian Pudding Day:
- Rad Tech Week:
- National Book Award Week:
- National Split Pea Soup Week: Savoring a comforting blend of legumes, slow-cooked to perfection, offering warmth and nourishment during the cold season.
- Benjamin Banneker Week: Unleashing his brilliance, this remarkable individual made history with his achievements in science, engineering, and his unwavering dedication to knowledge.
- Chhath Puja:
- National Recycling Week:
- Anti-Bullying Week:
- Nurse Practitioner Week:
- Perioperative Nurse Week:
- Dear Santa Letter Week:
- Transgender Awareness Week: Promoting understanding and compassion for diverse identities, bringing forth enlightenment and unity, echoing the spirit of humanity.
- Sugar Awareness Week:
- Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week: From our furry companions to majestic wildlife, our connection with the animal kingdom is a bond that goes beyond words.
- National Young Readers Week: Fostering young minds' love for stories and expanding horizons through the magic of books; opening doors to imagination.
- Children’s Book Week : Spark the joy of exploration in young minds through tales that open doors to realms of endless fascination and growth.
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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.
