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:
1788 – Connecticut became the 5th state to be admitted to the United States.
1793 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard became the first person to fly a balloon in the United States.
1861 – The state of Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union before the outbreak of the Civil War.
1894 – The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company put the first battery-operated switchboard into operation in Lexington, MA.
1902 – New York State introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public.
1936 – The United States Army adopted the semi-automatic rifle.
1937 – The first issue of “Look” magazine went on sale. Within a month, “Look” became a biweekly magazine.
1940 – Television was used for the first time to present a sales meeting to convention delegates in New York, NY.
1951 – The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York, NY.
1956 – The “Dear Abby” advice column first appeared in newspapers.
1959 – The television show “Rawhide”, with a young Clint Eastwood in its cast, debuted on CBS.
1964 – William Clay Ford purchased the Detroit Lions football team for $6 million.
1969 – The supersonic airplane, the Concorde, made its first trial flight.
1972 – The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth was destroyed by fire in Hong Kong harbor.
1984 – Clara Peller was first seen by television viewers in the “Where’s the Beef?” commercial campaign for Wendy’s.
1986 – Kodak abandons the instant camera business after 10 years due to a loss in a court battle that claimed that Kodak copied patents owned by Polaroid.
1989 – Pat Sajak’s short lived late night television talk show debuted on CBS.
1995 – Russian cosmonaut Valeri Poliakov completed his 366th day in outer space aboard the Mir space station. That amount of time broke the record for the longest continuous time spent in outer space.
1996 – The television show “3rd Rock from the Sun” debuted on NBC.
1997 – The PBS TV show “Antiques Roadshow” debuted.
1999 – The first official set of 102 Pokemon Trading Cards was released.
2000 – The TV Show “Malcolm in the Middle” debuted on FOX.
2001 – ABC debuted a new television show called “The Mole”.
2002 – The U.S. Justice Department announced that it was pursuing a criminal investigation of Enron Corp. The company had filed for bankruptcy on December 2, 2001.
2003 – Archaeologists announced that they had found five more chambers in the tomb of Qin Shihuang, China’s first emperor. The rooms were believed to cover about 750,000 square feet.
2003 – The first season of the TV reality series “The Surreal Life” began on The WB Network and starred Gabrielle Carteris, MC Hammer, Corey Feldman, Emmanuel Lewis, Jerri Manthey, Vince Neil, and Brande Roderick.
2006 – Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane both received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a dual ceremony.
2007 – Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone.
2011 – We were introduced to the Belchers when the animated TV show “Bob’s Burgers” premiered on TV.
2013 – A SeaStreak ferry traveling to lower Manhattan, NY, crashed into the dock and injured 85 people.
BIRTHDAYS:
K Callan – 90 years old (1936) – Actress and author
Joan Baez – 85 years old (1941) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist and activist
John Doman – 81 years old (1945) – Actor
M. L. Carr – 75 years old (1951) – Basketball player, coach, and executive
Crystal Gayle – 75 years old (1951) – Singer-songwriter and producer
J. K. Simmons – 71 years old (1955) – Actor
Rob McClanahan – 68 years old (1958) – Ice hockey player
Eric Erlandson – 63 years old (1963) – Musician and songwriter
Muggsy Bogues – 61 years old (1965) – Basketball player
Matt Bevin – 59 years old (1967) – Politician, 62nd Governor of Kentucky
David Costabile – 59 years old (1967) – Actor
Dave Matthews – 59 years old (1967) – South African-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
Joey Lauren Adams – 58 years old (1968) – Actress
Angie Martinez – 55 years old (1971) – Rapper, actress, and radio host
Angela Bettis – 53 years old (1973) – Actress, director, and producer
Omari Hardwick – 52 years old (1974) – Actor
Chad Johnson – 48 years old (1978) – Football player
AJ McLean – 48 years old (1978) – Singer, dancer, and actor
Shaun Hill – 46 years old (1980) – Football player
Sharrod Ford – 44 years old (1982) – Basketball player
Michael Beasley – 37 years old (1989) – Basketball player
Samardo Samuels – 37 years old (1989) – Jamaican-American basketball player
Ruby Soho – 35 years old (1991) – Wrestler
Jack Campbell – 34 years old (1992) – Ice hockey player
Terrence Jones – 34 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Marcus Peters – 33 years old (1993) – Football player
Nicola Peltz – 31 years old (1995) – Actress
Kerris Dorsey – 28 years old (1998) – Actress
Brent Rivera – 28 years old (1998) – Social media personality and actor
Zeke Nnaji – 25 years old (2001) – Basketball player
TODAY IS:
- National Word Nerd Day: Lexophiles rejoice! People who love words find joy in expanding their vocabulary, playing word games, and creating witty puns.
- National Cassoulet Day: A French slow-cooked casserole loaded with savory meat, tender beans, and fragrant herbs - perfect for chilly nights.
- International Choreographers Day: International Choreographers Day is here to pay attention to and show appreciation for those people who help the rest of the world enjoy, share in and be entertained by dance.
- National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day: Dedicated to safeguarding communities, these individuals uphold justice with unwavering commitment, embodying the essence of duty and honor.
- National Apricot Day: Snack on this flavorsome fruit, whether fresh or dried, shake up a Barack brandy and syrup cocktail or plant an apricot tree nearby for a handy crop.
- National Balloon Ascension Day: Soaring high above the landscape in a wicker basket under a colorful canopy of air-filled wonder — an adventure like no other!
- National Australian Shepherd Day: Few dogs match the spark and spirit of the Australian Shepherd. With their sharp minds and tireless drive, they turn everyday moments into something special. These pups were born to move, think, and stay close to their people. Whether herding sheep or chasing tennis balls, they throw themselves into the task...
- Quitters Day: How many times have people started strong, only to slow down a few weeks later? Quitter's Day taps into that moment. It’s when the excitement of fresh goals starts to slip. Energy drops. Frustration grows. That big fitness plan or savings challenge begins to feel harder than expected. For many...
- National Hockey Mom Day: National Hockey Mom Day honors the strong women behind the scenes of every hockey player’s dream. These moms wake up early, pack gear, and drive through snow just to get their kids to practice. They cheer from cold arenas, patch bruises, and wash endless piles of jerseys. Their dedication runs...
- National WONK Day: National WONK Day is all about the thinkers. Not the ones on stage or in the spotlight—but the ones tucked behind desks, buried in reports, connecting dots the rest of us miss. These are the folks who live for footnotes and fine print. They chase patterns, ask questions, and dig deep...
- Play God Day: Spreading joy is contagious. Brightening someone's day with a small gesture can create ripples of happiness in the world.
- National Static Electricity Day: Ever touch a doorknob and get a surprise zap? That's the invisible jolt that likes to play tricks and keeps life electric.
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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.
