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:
1773 – Nearly 350 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor off of British ships by Colonial patriots. The patriots were disguised as Indians. The act was to protest taxation without representation and the monopoly the government granted to the East India Company.
1835 – In New York, NY, 530 buildings were destroyed by fire.
1901 – “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time.
1903 – Women ushers were employed for the first time at the Majestic Theatre in New York, NY.
1905 – Sime Silverman published the first issue of “Variety”.
1912 – The first postage stamp to depict an airplane was issued. It was a 20 cent parcel-post stamp.
1937 – Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe attempted to escape from the Federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay in California. Neither was seen again.
1946 – The first U.S. coin honoring a black person was issued. The 50 cent piece honored educator Booker T. Washington.
1951 – NBC debuted the television show “Dragnet” in a special preview on “Chesterfield Sound Off Time”. The show began officially on January 3, 1952.
1953 – President Dwight Eisenhower held the first White House press conference.
1972 – The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to go unbeaten and untied in a 14-game regular season. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.
1977 – The movie “Saturday Night Fever”, starring John Travolta, opened in the U.S.
1981 – The U.S. Congress restored the $122 minimum monthly Social Security benefit for current recipients.
1988 – The movie “Rainman”, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, premiered in theaters.
1994 – The movie “Dumb and Dumber”, starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, premiered in movie theaters.
1995 – Many government functions were again closed as a temporary finance provision expired and the budget dispute between President Bill Clinton and Republicans in Congress continued.
1998 – Eric Michelman filed the earliest patent for a scroll wheel for a computer mouse.
1999 – Sigourney Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000 – Researchers announced that information from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft indicated that Ganymede appeared to have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath a surface of solid ice. Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is the solar system’s largest moon. The discovery is considered important since water is a key ingredient for life.
2000 – President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to be the first African American Secretary of State. Powell was sworn in January 20th, 2001.
2004 – The iTunes Music Store reached 200 million songs sold.
2009 – Astronomers discovered GJ1214b. It was the first-known exoplanet on which water could exist.
BIRTHDAYS:
Morris Dees – 89 years old (1936) – Lawyer and activist, co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center
Joyce Bulifant – 88 years old (1937) – Actress
Edward Ruscha – 88 years old (1937) – Painter and photographer
Lesley Stahl – 84 years old (1941) – Journalist and actress
Donald Carcieri – 83 years old (1942) – Educator and politician, 73rd Governor of Rhode Island
Jeff Kanew – 81 years old (1944) – Director and screenwriter
Tom Stern – 79 years old (1946) – Cinematographer
Vincent Matthews – 78 years old (1947) – Sprinter
Billy Gibbons – 76 years old (1949) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Robben Ford – 74 years old (1951) – Guitarist and songwriter
Rebecca Forstadt – 72 years old (1953) – Voice actress and screenwriter
Xander Berkeley – 70 years old (1955) – Actor and producer
Carol Browner – 70 years old (1955) – Lawyer and environmentalist, 8th Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Bart Oates – 67 years old (1958) – Football player and lawyer
Jeff Ruland – 67 years old (1958) – Basketball player
Alison La Placa – 66 years old (1959) – Actress
Steve Mattsson – 66 years old (1959) – Author and illustrator
Shane Black – 64 years old (1961) – Actor, director, and screenwriter
LaChanze – 64 years old (1961) – Actress, singer, and dancer
Sam Robards – 64 years old (1961) – Actor
Jon Tenney – 64 years old (1961) – Actor and director
William Perry – 63 years old (1962) – Football player and wrestler
Benjamin Bratt – 62 years old (1963) – Actor and producer
Cathy Johnston-Forbes – 62 years old (1963) – Golfer
James Mangold – 62 years old (1963) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
Todd Glass – 61 years old (1964) – Comedian
Billy Ripken – 61 years old (1964) – Baseball player and sportscaster
Melanie Sloan – 60 years old (1965) – Lawyer and activist
J. B. Smoove – 60 years old (1965) – Comedian, writer, and actor
Lalah Hathaway – 57 years old (1968) – Singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
Adam Riess – 56 years old (1969) – Astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic Nobel Prize laureate
Dmitri Tymoczko – 56 years old (1969) – Composer and theorist
Daniel Cosgrove – 55 years old (1970) – Actor
Michael McCary – 54 years old (1971) – R&B singer
Charles Gipson – 53 years old (1972) – Baseball player
Travis Morrison – 53 years old (1972) – Singer-songwriter
Scott Storch – 52 years old (1973) – Songwriter and producer, founded Storch Music Company
Jen Golbeck – 49 years old (1976) – Computer scientist and academic
Jessie Ward – 46 years old (1979) – Wrestler and producer
Krysten Ritter – 44 years old (1981) – Actress, musician, and model
Antrel Rolle – 43 years old (1982) – Football player
Kelenna Azubuike – 42 years old (1983) – Nigerian-American basketball player
Frankie Ballard – 42 years old (1983) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Joey Dorsey – 42 years old (1983) – Basketball player
Amanda Setton – 40 years old (1985) – Actress
Hallee Hirsh – 38 years old (1987) – Actress
David Johnson – 34 years old (1991) – Football player
Nigel Hayes – 31 years old (1994) – Basketball player
Kai Cenat – 24 years old (2001) – Streamer
TODAY IS:
- National Chocolate Covered Anything Day: Indulge in a chocolate fountain or fondue to dunk any treats you fancy or drizzle your favorite desserts in delicious sauce and syrup.
- Stupid Toy Day: From whoopee cushions to rubber chickens, these silly toys can lighten up any mood and make even the grumpiest person smile.
- National Barbie and Barney Backlash Day: Offering youngsters engaging and thought-provoking amusement, something a tad more mentally stimulating than the usual childhood favorites.
- Day Of Reconciliation: Marking the beginning of a new era in South Africa's history, this historical event led to a more equitable society.
- Zagreb Advent: Zagreb Advent is a magical celebration that transforms Croatia's capital into a winter wonderland. The streets light up with festive decorations, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Wooden stalls filled with handmade crafts and delicious treats line the squares, and the air is filled with the scent of mulled wine and...
- Christmas Bird Count Week: Christmas Bird Count Week is exciting for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers. During this week, thousands of volunteers across multiple countries joined forces to count and document bird species. This event is fun and crucial for gathering important data about bird populations. The observations help scientists track bird numbers and...
- Advent: Advent marks a period of eager anticipation and preparation for Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Each year, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which can fall anywhere between November 27 and December 3, ending on Christmas Eve, December 24. This timing reminds us that the holiday...
- Blue Christmas: While most people are at home opening presents, emergency workers are on duty, ensuring the safety of their communities over the holidays.
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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.
