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:
1719 – The first recorded sighting of the aurora borealis took place in New England.
1769 – Edward Beran of London received a patent for venetian blinds.
1816 – Indiana was admitted to the Union to become the 19th American state.
1844 – Dr. Horace Wells became the first person to have a tooth extracted after receiving an anesthetic. Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) was the anesthetic.
1901 – Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio signal.
1929 – Stout Airlines, which had been flying between Grand Rapids, MI and Detroit, MI, and was the country’s first scheduled airline, became the USA’s first airline to carry 100,000 passengers.
1929 – Kellogg of Battle Creek, MI was incorporated.
1934 – Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, took his last drink and entered treatment for the last time.
1941 – Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The U.S in turn declared war on the two countries.
1946 – The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established by the U.N. General Assembly. The fund provided relief to children in countries devastated by war.
1957 – Jerry Lee Lewis secretly married his 13-year-old third cousin Myra Gale Brown. The marriage caused Lewis to be banned from many radio stations and he was dropped from Dick Clark’s shows.
1972 – Apollo 17 became the sixth and last Apollo mission to land on the Moon.
1980 – President Jimmy Carter signed into law legislation creating $1.6 billion environmental “superfund” that would be used to pay for cleaning up chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.
1980 – The TV show “Magnum, P.I.”, starring Tom Selleck, debuted on TV.
1981 – Muhammad Ali fought for the last time, losing to Trevor Berbick.
1985 – The single “The Super Bowl Shuffle”, by Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew, was released.
1985 – The General Electric Company agreed to buy RCA Corporation for $6.3 billion. Also included in the deal was NBC Radio and Television.
1987 – Charlie Chaplin’s trademark cane and bowler hat were sold at Christie’s for $139,000.
1987 – The movie “Wall Street”, starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, premiered in theaters.
1990 – Ivana Trump was divorced from Donald Trump after 12 years of marriage.
1991 – The movie “Hook”, starring Robin Williams, premiered in theaters.
1991 – William Kennedy Smith was found not guilty of rape charges.
1991 – Salman Rushdie, under an Islamic death sentence for blasphemy, made his first public appearance since 1989 in New York, NY, at a dinner marking the 200th anniversary of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech in the U.S.
1992 – The movie “The Muppet Christmas Carol” premiered in theaters.
1996 – In Crystal City, VA, “The Art of the Toy” opened. The exhibit was at the Patent and Trademark Office Museum.
1998 – Scientists announced that they had deciphered the entire genetic blueprint of a tiny worm.
1998 – The Mars Climate Orbiter blasted off on a nine-month journey to the Red Planet. The probe disappeared in September of 1999, apparently destroyed because scientists had failed to convert English measures to metric values.
1998 – Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee push through three articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton.
1999 – President Bill Clinton admitted that the official policy toward gays in the military was not being carried out as intended, due to military leaders’ lack of enforcement.
2000 – Mario Lemieux, owner of Pittsburgh Penquins, announced that he would end his three-plus year retirement and become an active National Hockey League player again. When Lemieux returned officially he became the first owner/player in NHL history.
2001 – Ted Turner purchased 12,000 acres in Nebraska for bison ranching.
2001 – Federal agents seized computers in 27 U.S. cities as part of “Operation Buccaneer.” The raids were used to gain evidence against an international software piracy ring.
2007 – TV’s “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek suffered a heart attack but survived and ultimately returned to the show.
2008 – Bernard Madoff was arrested and charged with securities fraud in a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
2009 – The game “Angry Birds” was released.
2013 – Standard & Poors announced that Facebook would join its S&P 500 index “after the close of trading on December 20.”
2020 – The Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine — the first COVID-19 vaccine to be approved.
BIRTHDAYS:
Thomas McGuane – 86 years old (1939) – Novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter
David Gates – 85 years old (1940) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Donna Mills – 85 years old (1940) – Actress and producer
Max Baucus – 84 years old (1941) – Lawyer, politician, and diplomat, 11th United States Ambassador to China
John Kerry – 82 years old (1943) – Lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 68th United States Secretary of State
Jon Garrison – 81 years old (1944) – Tenor and educator
Lynda Day George – 81 years old (1944) – Actress
Brenda Lee – 81 years old (1944) – Singer-songwriter
Diana Palmer – 79 years old (1946) – Journalist and author
Bess Armstrong – 72 years old (1953) – Actress
Brad Bryant – 71 years old (1954) – Golfer
Jermaine Jackson – 71 years old (1954) – Singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
Gene Grossman – 70 years old (1955) – Economist and academic
Stu Jackson – 70 years old (1955) – Basketball player, coach, and manager
Lani Brockman – 69 years old (1956) – Actress and director
Peter Bagge – 68 years old (1957) – Author and illustrator
Tom Shadyac – 67 years old (1958) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Nikki Sixx – 67 years old (1958) – Bass player, songwriter, and producer
Dave King – 64 years old (1961) – Irish-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Ben Browder – 63 years old (1962) – Actor
Dave Schools – 61 years old (1964) – Singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
Jay Bell – 60 years old (1965) – Baseball player and coach
Gary Dourdan – 59 years old (1966) – Actor
Mo'Nique – 58 years old (1967) – Comedian, actress, and producer
Katy Steding – 58 years old (1967) – Basketball player and coach
Max Martini – 56 years old (1969) – Actor, director, and screenwriter
Victoria Fuller – 55 years old (1970) – Model and actress
Willie McGinest – 54 years old (1971) – Football player and sportscaster
Mos Def – 52 years old (1973) – Rapper
Rey Mysterio – 51 years old (1974) – Wrestler
Lisa Ortiz – 51 years old (1974) – Theatre and voice actress
Shareef Abdur-Rahim – 49 years old (1976) – Basketball player, coach, and manager
Roy Wood – 47 years old (1978) – Jr. , American comedian, actor, and radio host
Colleen Hoover – 46 years old (1979) – Author
Rider Strong – 46 years old (1979) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Rebekkah Brunson – 44 years old (1981) – Basketball player and coach
Jason Kennedy – 44 years old (1981) – Journalist
Jeff McComsey – 44 years old (1981) – Author and illustrator
Roman Harper – 43 years old (1982) – Football player
James Ellsworth – 41 years old (1984) – Wrestler
Xosha Roquemore – 41 years old (1984) – Actress
Roy Hibbert – 39 years old (1986) – Basketball player
Clifton Geathers – 38 years old (1987) – Football player
Alexa Demie – 35 years old (1990) – Actress and singer
Tiffany Alvord – 33 years old (1992) – Singer-songwriter
Malcolm Brogdon – 33 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Hailee Steinfeld – 29 years old (1996) – Actress, singer and songwriter
Matthew Tkachuk – 28 years old (1997) – Ice hockey player
Onyeka Okongwu – 25 years old (2000) – Basketball player
TODAY IS:
- National Tango Day:
- National Have a Bagel Day: A delightful morning treat — round and satisfying, toasted to perfection and topped with a variety of delicious spreads.
- International Mountain Day: Take a scenic hike or drive up a nearby peak, try adventurous sports like mountain biking and skiing or camp out and sleep under the stars.
- UNICEF Day for Change: Extending a helping hand to children worldwide, making a meaningful difference through a renowned global organization.
- National App Day:
- Holiday Food Drive for Needy Animals Day:
- National Stretching Day:
- Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster:
- National Salesperson Day: These are the folks who can chat up a storm about anything from the weather to your wildest dreams, and you'll end up buying something anyway.
- National Noodle Ring Day:
- Lost & Found Day: Don't worry when you lose something precious — it might just be waiting for you in the magical world of the lost and found.
- Zagreb Advent:
- Hanukkah: The festival of lights — a time for family, delicious eats, and stories that remind of hope's enduring glow in the darkest times.
- Advent:
- Computer Science Education Week:
- National Influenza Vaccination Week:
- Older Driver Safety Awareness Week:
- Inclusive Schools Week:
- Clerc-Gallaudet Week:
- National Handwashing Awareness Week:
- 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.
