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:
1654 – A meteorological office established in Tuscany began recording daily temperature readings.
1791 – The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, went into effect following ratification by the state of Virginia.
1854 – The first street cleaning machine was put into use in Philadelphia, PA.
1877 – Thomas Edison received a patent for the phonograph.
1933 – The Twenty-first Amendment to the Constitution officially became effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.
1935 – The Detroit Lions won their first championship when they defeated the New York Giants to secure the National Football League Championship at the University of Detroit Stadium.
1938 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt presided over the ground-breaking ceremonies for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC.
1939 – “Gone With the Wind”, based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell, premiered at Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta, GA. The movie starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into practice Bill of Rights Day.
1944 – Dr. R. Townley Paton and a small group of doctors laid the groundwork for the Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration.
1965 – Two U.S. crewed spacecraft, Gemini 6 and Gemini 7, maneuvered within 10 feet of each other while in orbit around the Earth.
1979 – Chris Haney and Scott Abbott created their own trivia game called “Trivial Pursuit”. It is now available in over 26 countries and 17 languages.
1981 – Congress passed $200 billion spending bill. At the time it was the largest in U.S. history.
2000 – The third reactor at the Chernobyl atomic power plant in Kiev, Ukraine, was shut down.
2000 – New York Senator-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton agreed to a $8 million book deal with Simon & Schuster. The book would be about her eight years in the White House. The advance was the highest ever to be paid to a member of the U.S. Congress.
2001 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened after 11 years and $27 million spent to fortify it, without fixing its famous lean.
2001 – It was announced that Siena Heights University would begin offering a class called “Animated Philosophy and Religion.” The two-credit class would cover how religion and philosophy are part of popular culture and is based on the television series “The Simpsons”.
2005 – The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor was introduced into U.S. Air Force active service.
2009 – Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner made its maiden flight from Seattle, WA.
2013 – In the animated TV show “Family Guy”, the family dog, Brian, was hit and killed by a car. Public outrage resulted in the writers bringing him back just a few episodes later.
2019 – A few additional snow flurries broke the record in Grand Rapids, MI for the most annual precipitation. The old record was 48.8″. That is the most precipitation that has been recorded in a calendar year in Grand Rapids since records started being kept in 1892.
BIRTHDAYS:
Cindy Birdsong – 86 years old (1939) – Singer-songwriter
Jim Leyland – 81 years old (1944) – Baseball player and manager
Heather Booth – 80 years old (1945) – Civil rights activist, feminist, and political strategist
Carmine Appice – 79 years old (1946) – Drummer and songwriter
Art Howe – 79 years old (1946) – Baseball player and manager
Genny Lim – 79 years old (1946) – Writer
Charlie Scott – 77 years old (1948) – Basketball player
Don Johnson – 76 years old (1949) – Actor
Melanie Chartoff – 75 years old (1950) – Actress and comedian
Sylvester James Gates – 75 years old (1950) – Theoretical physicist and professor
Rudi Protrudi – 73 years old (1952) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Julie Taymor – 73 years old (1952) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
John R. Allen – 72 years old (1953) – General and diplomat
J. M. DeMatteis – 72 years old (1953) – Author
Robert Charles Wilson – 72 years old (1953) – American-Canadian author
Mark Warner – 71 years old (1954) – Businessman and politician, 69th Governor of Virginia
John Lee Hancock – 69 years old (1956) – Screenwriter, film director, and producer
Tim Reynolds – 68 years old (1957) – German-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Richard Kastle – 67 years old (1958) – Classical pianist
Tim Gaines – 63 years old (1962) – Bass player
Ellie Cornell – 62 years old (1963) – Actress and producer
Norman J. Grossfeld – 62 years old (1963) – Screenwriter and producer
Helen Slater – 62 years old (1963) – Actress
David Wingate – 62 years old (1963) – Basketball player
Molly Price – 59 years old (1966) – Actress
Mo Vaughn – 58 years old (1967) – Baseball player
Garrett Wang – 57 years old (1968) – Actor
Adam Setliff – 56 years old (1969) – Discus thrower and lawyer
Lawrence Funderburke – 55 years old (1970) – Basketball player
Clint Lowery – 54 years old (1971) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Rodney Harrison – 53 years old (1972) – Football player and sportscaster
Alexandra Tydings – 53 years old (1972) – Actress, director, writer and producer
P. J. Byrne – 51 years old (1974) – Actor
Aaron Miles – 49 years old (1976) – Baseball player and coach
Todd Tichenor – 49 years old (1976) – Baseball player and umpire
Geoff Stults – 48 years old (1977) – Actor and producer
Ned Brower – 47 years old (1978) – Drummer
Jerome McDougle – 47 years old (1978) – Football player
Adam Brody – 46 years old (1979) – Actor
Eric Young – 46 years old (1979) – Canadian-American wrestler
Andy González – 44 years old (1981) – Puerto Rican-American baseball player
George O. Gore II – 43 years old (1982) – Actor and comedian
Ronnie Radke – 42 years old (1983) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Sophia Young – 42 years old (1983) – Vincentian-American basketball player
Josh Norman – 38 years old (1987) – Football player
Nichole Bloom – 36 years old (1989) – Actress and model
Conor Daly – 34 years old (1991) – Race car driver
Alana Haim – 34 years old (1991) – Musician and actress
Daniel Ochefu – 32 years old (1993) – Basketball player
Jahlil Okafor – 30 years old (1995) – Basketball player
Maude Apatow – 28 years old (1997) – Actress
Zach Banks – 28 years old (1997) – Race car driver
Stefania LaVie Owen – 28 years old (1997) – New Zealand-American actress
Chandler Canterbury – 27 years old (1998) – Actor
Kayvon Thibodeaux – 25 years old (2000) – Football player
TODAY IS:
- National Cupcake Day: Visit a cupcake bakery, or host a cupcake making and decorating party with friends or family. Make it a competition to get the absolute best possible results.
- National Wear Your Pearls Day: Enhancing elegance with a classic and timeless jewelry choice, embodying sophistication and grace in your personal style.
- National Lemon Cupcake Day: Indulge in the zesty sweetness of this tasty treat, with a tangy citrus flavor and fluffy frosting that will melt in your mouth.
- National Cat Herders Day: From project managers to parents, show appreciation for people in your life who achieve seemingly impossible tasks with patience and humility.
- Bill of Rights Day: Bill of Rights Day is a special day that reminds us of the freedoms we enjoy every Day. Celebrated on December 15, it marks the Day in 1791 when the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution were ratified. These amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, play a...
- Zagreb Advent: Zagreb Advent is a magical celebration that transforms Croatia's capital into a winter wonderland. The streets light up with festive decorations, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Wooden stalls filled with handmade crafts and delicious treats line the squares, and the air is filled with the scent of mulled wine and...
- Hanukkah: The festival of lights — a time for family, delicious eats, and stories that remind of hope's enduring glow in the darkest times.
- Christmas Bird Count Week: Christmas Bird Count Week is exciting for bird enthusiasts and nature lovers. During this week, thousands of volunteers across multiple countries joined forces to count and document bird species. This event is fun and crucial for gathering important data about bird populations. The observations help scientists track bird numbers and...
- Advent: Advent marks a period of eager anticipation and preparation for Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Each year, Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which can fall anywhere between November 27 and December 3, ending on Christmas Eve, December 24. This timing reminds us that the holiday...
- 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.
