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:
1864 – Congress passed legislation the Coinage Act of 1864 that mandated that the inscription “In God We Trust” be placed on all coins minted as United States currency.
1876 – The first official National League baseball game took place in Philadelphia, PA. Boston beat Philadelphia 6-5.
1889 – At noon, the Oklahoma land rush officially started as thousands of Americans raced for new, unclaimed land. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were formed with populations of at least 10,000.
1914 – Babe Ruth made his pitching debut with the Baltimore Orioles.
1915 – The New York Yankees wore pinstripes and the hat-in-the-ring logo for the first time.
1931 – James G. Ray landed an autogyro on the lawn of the White House in Washington, DC.
1933 – Residents 18 years old or older were granted the right to drink beer and wine in Michigan following the repeal of Prohibition.
1938 – Briggs Field in Detroit, MI, was dedicated. The Detroit Tigers Field was formally called Navin Field. This name was to honor Tiger owner Walter Briggs. It was later named Tiger Stadium until it closed in 1999.
1952 – An atomic test conducted in Nevada was the first nuclear explosion shown on live network television.
1956 – Elvis Presley made his Las Vegas, NV debut at the Frontier Hotel.
1964 – The 1964-65 New York World’s Fair opened for its first season.
1967 – Randy Matson set a new world record with a shot put toss of 71 feet, and 5 1/2 inches in College Station, TX.
1970 – The first “Earth Day” was observed by millions of Americans.
1976 – ABC announces that Barbara Walters had been hired to be the first female nightly network news anchor. She co-anchored with Harry Reasoner.
1977 – Optical fiber was first used to carry live telephone traffic.
1978 – The Blues Brothers made their debut on TV’s “Saturday Night Live”. John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd introduced the show by performing “Hey Bartender”.
1987 – The American Physical Society said that the “Star Wars” missile system was “highly questionable” and would take ten years to research.
1993 – The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, DC.
1993 – Version 1.0 of the Mosaic web browser was released.
1994 – President Richard M. Nixon died at 81.
1998 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened at Walt Disney World near Orlando, FL.
1999 – The Watson Family received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1999 – Investigators in the Columbine High School shootings report finding large homemade bombs in the school kitchen and speculate that the killers planned on destroying the school.
2000 – Elian Gonzalez was reunited with his father in Cuba. He was taken away from his Miami, FL relatives by federal agents in a predawn raid.
2005 – Zacarias Moussaoui entered a guilty plea and denied involvement in the September 11th terrorist attack. He did admit to being involved in a plan to fly a plane into the White House in Washington, DC.
2008 – The U.S. Air Force retired the remaining F-117 Nighthawk aircraft that were still in service.
2010 – The Boeing X-37 began its first orbital mission. It successfully returned to Earth on December 3, 2010.
2010 – Bret Michaels, of the band Poison, was rushed to the hospital. It was discovered that he had suffered from a brain hemorrhage. Two weeks earlier he had been taken to the hospital and underwent an emergency appendectomy.
2011 – In Los Angeles, CA, Lindsay Lohan was found guilty of misdemeanor theft and probation violation, and sentenced to 120 days in jail, 360 hours of community service at the Downtown Women’s Center and 120 hours at the L.A. County morgue.
2016 – The Paris Agreement was signed, an agreement to help fight global warming.
BIRTHDAYS:
Jack Nicholson – 88 a old (1937) – Actor (“The Shining”, “Batman”, “The Witches of Eastwicke”, “A Few Good Men”, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Terms of Endearment”, “As Good as It Gets”, “Easy Rider”, “Chinatown”, “Prizzi’s Honor”, “The Bucket List”, “About Schmidt”)
Mel Carter – 86 a old (1939) – Singer, actor (“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”)
Cleve Francis – 80 a old (1945) – Country singer (“Walkin'”)
John Waters – 79 a old (1946) – Director (“Pink Flamingos”, “Polyester”, “Hairspray”, “Serial Mom”)
Larry Groce – 77 a old (1948) – Singer, songwriter (“Junk Food Junkie”)
Peter Frampton – 75 a old (1950) – Musician (Humble Pie)
Paul Carrack – 74 a old (1951) – Singer, musician (Ace, Squeeze, Mike & the Mechanics)
Joseph Bottoms – 71 a old (1954) – Actor (“Surfacing”, “Inner Sanctum”)
Ryan Stiles – 66 a old (1959) – Actor, comedian (TV’s “Whose Line is It Anyway”)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan – 59 a old (1966) – Actor (TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”, “The Walking Dead”)
Sheryl Lee – 58 a old (1967) – Actress (TV’s “Twin Peaks”)
Sherri Shepherd – 58 a old (1967) – Talk show host, actress (TV’s “Suddenly Susan”, “Everybody Loves Raymond”, “The Jamie Foxx Show”, “Less than Perfect”, “The View”, “Sherri”)
Eric Mabius – 54 a old (1971) – Actor (“Welcome to the Dollhouse”, TV’s “Ugly Betty”)
Ingo Rademacher – 54 a old (1971) – Actor (TV’s “General Hospital”, “Dancing with the Stars”, movie “Alex Cross”)
Amber Heard – 39 a old (1986) – Actress (“The Danish Girl”, “Magic Mike XXL”, “Zombieland”, “Pineapple Express”)
TODAY IS:
- National Baseball Day: America's pastime, where a small, round ball sparks exhilarating moments, connecting generations through the love of sport.
- Earth Day: As threats to the Earth grow, so too do the global initiatives that seek to preserve it, whether through volunteer work, donations, or political lobbying.
- National Jelly Bean Day: Put together a colorful bag of your favorite flavors, or be brave and take the risk of vomit and bogey-flavored beans in Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.
- National Library Outreach Day: Donate books or volunteer to support this charity dedicated to driving free library books around the world and improving literacy rates.
- National Beagle Day: Floppy ears and soulful eyes, the beagle is man’s best friend, and a valuable hunting dog. Pamper your beagle, or join in an event like the Beagle Walk.
- National Administrative Professionals Day: Administrative professionals keep our world turning behind the scenes; they’re our first point of communication and organization, so thank them for their hard work.
- In God We Trust Day:
- National Pinup Day: Capturing timeless allure through classic visual aesthetics, embodying the essence of glamorous eras in an artful celebration of femininity.
- April Showers Day:
- National I.T. Service Provider Day:
- Global Selfie Earth Day:
- National Narwhal Day:
- National Girl Scout Leader’s Day: Girl Scout leaders empower young girls, fostering confidence, leadership skills, and a strong sense of community.
- International Mother Earth Day:
- Stephen Lawrence Day:
- National Crime Victims’ Rights Week:
- National Pediatric Transplant Week:
- National Library Week: Silent realms of knowledge, these havens harbor stories and wisdom, inviting exploration beyond the whispers of time.
- Coin Week: Begin or grow your coin collection, learn about how countries’ mints reflect their history, or join a coin club or even local competition during Coin Week.
- Lesbian Visibility Week:
- FOP Awareness Month: Raising awareness for a rare condition, efforts unite to support those facing the challenges of Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
- National Princess Week:
- Cleaning for a Reason Week:
- National Volunteer Week: Contributing time and effort, volunteering fosters positive change, enriching lives, and creating a ripple of goodwill in communities.
- Feet Week: Happy feet make a happy person. Proper foot care involves regular washing, trimming nails, wearing comfortable shoes, and keeping them dry. Treat your feet well and they will take you places!
- National Park Week:
- Administrative Professionals Week:
- Animal Cruelty / Human Violence Awareness Week:
- Every Kid Healthy Week: Nurturing vibrant habits, fostering active play, and embracing wholesome choices, helping children discover the joy of balanced living.
- Global Days of Action on Military Spending:
- National Work Zone Awareness Week:
- National Sky Awareness Week:
- American Quilters Society Week:
- Seville Fair:
- National Green Week:
- Health Information Professionals Week:
- National Playground Safety Week:
- Allergy Awareness 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.
