April 17

Scott Winters, Realtor

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:

1629 – Horses were first imported into the colonies by the American Massachusetts Bay Colony.

1704 – John Campbell published what would eventually become the first successful American newspaper. It was known as the Boston “News-Letter.”

1810 – Pineapple cheese was patented by Lewis M. Norton.

1861 – Virginia became the eighth state to secede from the Union.

1865 – Mary Surratt was arrested as a conspirator in the President Abraham Lincoln assassination.

1907 – The Ellis Island immigration center processed 11,747 people…more than on any other day.

1917 – A bill in Congress to establish Daylight Saving Time was defeated. It was passed a couple of months later.

1937 – “Daffy Duck” made his debut in a “Porky Pig” cartoon titled “Duck Hunt”.

1941 – Igor Sikorsky accomplished the first successful helicopter lift-off from water near Stratford, CT.

1941 – The office of Price Administration was established in the U.S. to handle rationing.

1947 – Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers) performed a bunt for his first major league hit.

1961 – About 1,400 U.S.-supported Cuban exiles invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. It was an unsuccessful attack.

1964 – Jerrie Mock became first woman to fly an airplane solo around the world.

1964 – The FBI lab reported that it could not determine the lyrics to “Louie Louie.”

1964 – The Ford Motor Company unveiled its new Mustang model. Base price was $2,368.

1967 – “The Joey Bishop Show” debuted on ABC-TV.

1967 – The U.S. Supreme Court barred Muhammad Ali’s request to be blocked from induction into the U.S. Army.

1969 – In Los Angeles, CA, Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

1970 – Apollo 13 returned to Earth safely after an on-board accident with an oxygen tank.

1973 – George Lucas began writing the treatment for “The Star Wars”.

1973 – Federal Express (later shortened to just FedEx) began operations when 14 planes carrying 186 packages took off from Memphis (TN) International Airport, headed to 25 U.S. cities.

1980 – Lansing, MI police arrested three adult sisters. They had been running around naked after smearing mustard on their bodies. They said they were looking for the Garden of Eden.

1985 – The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its new 22-cent, “LOVE” stamp.

1993 – A federal jury in Los Angeles, CA, convicted two former police officers of violating the civil rights of beaten motorist Rodney King. Two other officers were acquitted.

1996 – Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing their parents.

2002 – The television show “Ally McBeal” went off the air after five seasons.

2011 – The TV show “Game of Thrones” debuted on HBO.

2014 – NASA’s Kepler space telescope confirmed the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.

2021 – The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, took place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

 

BIRTHDAYS:

Dennis Hextall – 80 years old (1943) – Hockey player (Detroit Red Wings 1975-1979)

Jan Hammer – 75 years old (1948) – Composer, musician (TV’s “Miami Vice” Theme)

Pedro Garcia – 73 years old (1950) – Baseball player (Detroit Tigers 1976)

Olivia Hussey – 72 years old (1951) – Actress (“Ice Cream Man”, “Psycho 4: The Beginning”, “Romeo and Juliet”)

Michael Sembello – 69 years old (1954) – Composer, musician (“Maniac” from “Flashdance”)

Teri Austin – 66 years old (1957) – Actress (TV’s “Knots Landing”)

Nick Hornby – 66 years old (1957) – Novelist (“High Fidelity”, “About a Boy”, “Fever Pitch”, screenplay “An Education”)

Sean Bean – 64 years old (1959) – Actor (“Goldeneye”, “The Lord of the Rings” series)

Boomer Esiason – 62 years old (1961) – Football player, TV commentator

Lela Rochon – 59 years old (1964) – Actress (“Why Do Fools Fall in Love”, “Waiting to Exhale”)

William Mapother – 58 years old (1965) – Actor (TV’s “Lost)

Henry Ian Cusick – 56 years old (1967) – Actor (TV’s “Lost”, “Scandal”, “The 100”)

Kimberly Elise – 56 years old (1967) – Actress (“The Great Debaters”, “Pride”, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”, “John Q”, “Beloved”, “Set It Off”, TV’s “Close to Home”)

Marquis Grissom – 56 years old (1967) – Baseball player

Liz Phair – 56 years old (1967) – Singer, songwriter

Redman – 53 years old (1970) – Rapper, actor (“How High”, “Seed of Chucky”)

Jennifer Anne Garner – 51 years old (1972) – Actress (“Daredevil”, “Electra”, “Alias”, “Draft Day”, “Dallas Buyers Club”, “The Odd Life of Timothy Green”, “Juno”, “13 Going on 30”, “The Kingdom”, “Catch and Release”)

Victoria Beckham – 49 years old (1974) – Singer (Posh Spice of the Spice Girls)

Rooney Mara – 38 years old (1985) – Actress (“Pan”, “Her”, “Side Effects”, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Social Network”)

 

TODAY IS:

Blah Blah Blah Day

International Bat Appreciation Day

International Haiku Poetry Day

National Cheeseball Day

National Crawfish Day

National Ellis Island Family History Day

National Ford Mustang Day

National Kickball Day

Nothing Like a Dame Day

World Hemophilia Day

 

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.

My goal is to keep you informed and/or entertained on a regular basis. Maybe you'll learn something new, or just get that much needed laugh. My topics will include a wide range of subjects....from what's going on in the world, to places I've been, things I've seen, or even just a fun video that I've found online. Check back often to see what I've posted.

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