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:
1775 – American revolutionaries Paul Revere, William Dawes and Samuel Prescott rode though the towns of Massachusetts giving the warning that the Regulars were coming out. The phrase “the British are coming” was attributed to Revere even though he probably never used that wording.
1838 – The Wilkes’ expedition to the South Pole set sail.
1846 – The telegraph ticker was patented by R.E. House
1877 – Charles Cros wrote a paper that described the process of recording and reproducing sound. In France, Cros is regarded as the inventor of the phonograph. In the U.S., Thomas Edison gets the credit.
1895 – New York State passed an act that established free public baths.
1906 – The Great San Francisco, CA, earthquake hit. The original death toll was cited at about 700. Later information indicated that the death toll may have been 3 to 4 times the original estimate.
1910 – Walter R. Brookins made the first airplane flight at night.
1923 – Yankee Stadium opened in the Bronx, NY. The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4-1. John Phillip Sousa’s band played the National Anthem.
1924 – Simon and Schuster, Inc. published the first “Crossword Puzzle Book.”
1934 – The first Laundromat opened in Fort Worth, TX.
1938 – Superman made his debut when he appeared in the first issue of Action Comics. (Cover date June 1938)
1938 – President Franklin Roosevelt threw out the first ball preceding the season opener between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.
1950 – The first transatlantic jet passenger trip was completed.
1960 – The Mutual Broadcasting System was sold to the 3M Company of Minnesota for $1.25 million.
1977 – Author Alex Haley won the Pulitzer Prize for “Roots”.
1978 – The U.S. Senate approved the transfer of the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999.
1979 – The television show “Real People” premiered on NBC.
1983 – TV’s The Disney Channel debuted.
1983 – The U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, was blown up by a suicide car-bomber. 63 people were killed including 17 Americans.
1984 – Daredevils Mike MacCarthy and Amanda Tucker made a sky dive from the Eiffel Tower. The jump ended safely.
1984 – Michael Jackson underwent surgery in Los Angeles, CA. Doctors performed scalp surgery to repair damage done after Jackson’s hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial on January 27.
1985 – Ted Turner filed for a hostile takeover of CBS.
1991 – Charlie Kovacs of Seymour, Victoria, Australia, set the world camper speed record by towing his Roadster camper at a speed of 126.76 miles per hour.
1995 – Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers retired from football after 17 NFL seasons.
1999 – Wayne Gretzky, of the New York Rangers, played his final game in the NHL. He retired as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer and holder of 61 individual records.
2000 – The Nasdaq had the biggest one-day point gain in its history.
2002 – Actor Robert Blake and his bodyguard were arrested in connection with the shooting death of Blake’s wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, who was shot in the couple’s car outside a Studio City, CA restaurant the previous May.
2003 – Etta James received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2008 – The movie “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand, premiered.
2013 – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2013. They inductees were Rush, Heart, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Donna Summer, Albert King, Lou Adler and Quincy Jones.
2014 – Sixteen people were killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest.
2019 – A redacted version of the Mueller Report was released to the United States Congress and the public. The report found no collusion between Russian and President Donald Trump’s campaign, but numerous instances of possible obstruction of justice.
BIRTHDAYS:
Robert Hooks – 88 a old (1937) – Actor (“Star Trek III: The Search for Spock”, “Passenger 57”, “Trouble Man”, TV’s “N.Y.P.D.”)
Mike Vickers – 85 a old (1940) – Guitarist, saxophonist (Manfred Mann)
Hayley Mills – 79 a old (1946) – Actress (“The Parent Trap”, “That Darn Cat”, “The Trouble With Angels”)
Dorothy Lyman – 78 a old (1947) – Actress (TV’s “All My Children”, “Another World”)
Cindy Pickett – 78 a old (1947) – Actress (TV’s “Guiding Light”, “St. Elsewhere”)
James Woods – 78 a old (1947) – Actor (“The Onion Field”, “Casino”, “Salvador”, “Ghosts of Mississippi”, “Endgame”, “The Virgin Suicides”, “Once Upon a Time in America”, “Vampires”, “Nixon”, “The Getaway”, “Against All Odds”, TV’s “Shark”, “Ray Donovan”)
Geoff Bodine – 76 a old (1949) – Auto racer
Rick Moranis – 72 a old (1953) – Actor (“Parenthood”, “Ghostbuster” series, “Spaceballs”, “Honey I Shrunk” and “Blew Up the Kids”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Streets of Fire”, TV’s “Second City TV”)
John James – 69 a old (1956) – Actor (TV’s “Search for Tomorrow”, “As the World Turns”, “Dynasty”, “The Colbys”)
Eric Roberts – 69 a old (1956) – Actor (“Doctor Who”, “The Coca-Cola Kid”, “Runaway Train”, “The Pope of Greenwich Village”, “The Cable Guy”)
Melody Thomas Scott – 69 a old (1956) – Actess (TV’s “Young and the Restless”)
Kelly Hansen – 64 a old (1961) – Singer (Foreigner)
Jane Leeves – 64 a old (1961) – Actress (TV’s “Frasier”, “Hot in Cleveland”)
Eric McCormack – 62 a old (1963) – Actor, musician (TV’s “Will & Grace”, “Perception”)
Conan O’Brien – 62 a old (1963) – Television personality (“Late Night with Conan O’Brien”, “The Tonight Show”, ‘Late Night”)
Maria Bello – 58 a old (1967) – Actress (“The Grown Ups” movies, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”, “World Trade Center”, “Thank You for Smoking”, “A History of Violence”, “The Cooler”, “Coyote Ugly”, TV’s “Prime Suspect”, “ER”, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”)
Greg Eklund – 55 a old (1970) – Drummer (Everclear)
David Tennant – 54 a old (1971) – Actor (TV’s “Doctor Who”, “Gracepoint”)
Mark Tremonti – 51 a old (1974) – Guitarist (Creed). Born in Detroit, MI.
Melissa Joan Hart – 49 a old (1976) – Actress (TV’s “Sabrina the Teenage Witch”, “Clarissa Explains It All”, “Melissa & Joey”)
Sean Maguire – 49 a old (1976) – Actor (TV’s “Eve”, “The Class”, “Once Upon a Time”)
Reeve Carney – 42 a old (1983) – Actor (TV’s “Penny Dreadful”)
America Ferrera – 41 a old (1984) – Actress (“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, “Real Women Have Curves”, “Gotta Kick It Up!”)
Alia Shawkat – 36 a old (1989) – Actress (TV’s “Arrested Development”)
Britt Robertson – 35 a old (1990) – Actress (“Sheena”, “Power Rangers Time Force”)
TODAY IS:
- Husband Appreciation Day: Married couples know it’s all too easy to take your partner for granted, so take some extra time on Husband Appreciation Day to show some affection to your husband.
- National Animal Crackers Day: A classic favorite snack for children of generations, simply take some time to enjoy some sweet, fun animal crackers on National Animal Crackers Day.
- International Amateur Radio Day: The “International” in “International Amateur Radio Day” honors how amateur radio-ers pioneered fast, immediate global connection in the 20th century.
- National Record Store Day: Support your local record store, support your favorite bands, and find new ones all at the same time by adding to, or even starting, your record collection.
- World Heritage Day: Visit and support your local cultural icons and monuments, or travel to see some of the remarkable cultural heritage sites from all over the wide world.
- Healthy Kids Day:
- National Lineman Appreciation Day: Many of us take electricity for granted, but we wouldn’t have it at all if it weren’t for the men and women who risk their lives to maintain it every day.
- National Columnists’ Day: Peruse your paper for the often entertaining, often sage advice of a columnist like Dear Abby, or write in to see if they have some insight into your own problems.
- National Velociraptor Awareness Day:
- National Exercise Day: Engaging in physical activity invigorates the body, fostering vitality and well-being with each rhythmic movement and breath.
- Sleep Apnea Awareness Day:
- National Piñata Day: Get a bat, get a piñata, and whack away! It doesn’t have to be a birthday or other occasion to treat yourself to a cathartic piñata—or try making your own.
- World Circus Day:
- International Jugglers Day:
- Pet Owners Independence Day: For one day, flip the script on that furry freeloader and make them take care of you. Lie on the carpet, kick your ear, don’t go to work and taste the freedom.
- Adult Autism Awareness Day:
- Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival:
- Edinburgh Science Festival:
- National Dog Bite Prevention Week:
- Money Smart Week:
- Discover National Parks Fortnight:
- FOP Awareness Month: Raising awareness for a rare condition, efforts unite to support those facing the challenges of Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
- Cleaning for a Reason Week:
- National Park Week:
- National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week:
- Global Days of Action on Military Spending:
- National Green Week:
- Hate Week:
- Cartagena Film Festival:
- International Dark Sky Week:
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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.
