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:
1787 – New Jersey became the third state to ratify the Constitution.
1796 – The “Monitor”, of Baltimore, MD, was published as the first Sunday newspaper.
1862 – The first orthopedic hospital was organized in New York, NY. It was called the Hospital for Ruptured and Crippled.
1865 – U.S. Secretary of State William Seward issued a statement verifying the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment abolished slavery with the declaration: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
1898 – A new automobile speed record was set at 39 mph.
1903 – The Panama Canal Zone was acquired “in perpetuity” by the United States for an annual rent.
1915 – President Woodrow Wilson, widowed the year before, married Edith Bolling Galt at her Washington home.
1917 – The Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed by the Senate and then officially proposed the states.
1927 – Michigan’s first solid yellow “no passing” lines were painted on the state’s highways. Signs were posted to let out-of-state drivers know what the lines meant.
1932 – The Chicago Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL Championship Game.
1935 – A $1 silver certificate was issued for the first time in the U.S.
1936 – Su-Lin, the first giant panda to come to the United States from China, arrived in San Francisco, CA. The bear was sold to the Brookfield Zoo for $8,750.
1953 – WPTZ, in Philadelphia, PA, presented a Felso commercial, it was the first color telecast seen on a local station.
1956 – The television game show “To Tell the Truth” debuted on CBS.
1957 – The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania went online. It was the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States. It was taken out of service in 1982.
1958 – Project SCORE, the world’s first communications satellite was launched.
1961 – The Number 1 song on this day, 64 a ago, was “The Lion Sleeps Tonight“, by the Tokens.
1963 – Ron Clarke set a world record when he ran six miles in 28 minutes and 15.6 seconds.
1963 – A winter storm dumped 3 feet of snow on Muskegon, MI.
1965 – Kenneth LeBel jumped 17 barrels on ice skates.
1966 – The animated TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” aired for the first time on CBS.
1971 – Central Michigan University began using it’s Kelly Shorts Stadium.
1971 – Capitol Reef National Park was established in Utah.
1976 – The TV series “Wonder Woman”, starring Lynda Carter, debuted on ABC.
1979 – The sound barrier was broken on land for the first time by Stanley Barrett when he drove at 739.6 mph.
1985 – The movie “The Color Purple”, starring Oprah Winfrey, premiered in theaters.
1987 – Ivan F. Boesky was sentenced to three years in prison for plotting Wall Street’s biggest insider-trading scandal. He only served about two years of the sentence.
1997 – The Michigan Gray Wolf Recovery and Management Plan was put into effect by the state Department of Natural Resources.
1998 – The House of Representatives began the debate on the four articles of impeachment concerning President Bill Clinton. It was only the second time in U.S. history that process had begun.
1999 – After living atop an ancient redwood in Humboldt County, CA, for two years, environmental activist Julia “Butterfly” Hill came down, ending her anti-logging protest.
2001 – A fire damaged St. John Cathedral in New York, NY. The cathedral is the largest in the United States.
2002 – Nine competing designs for the World Trade Center site were unveiled. The Lower Manhattan Development Corp. expected to choose a design by January 31, 2003.
2003 – Lee Malvo was found guilty of one murder in the October, 2002 shooting spree that killed 10 people around the Washington, DC area. A Virginia jury sentences him to life in prison.
2003 – Actor Adam Rich, once a star on TV’s “Eight Is Enough”, was arrested for driving onto a closed section of Interstate 10 and nearly striking a California Highway Patrol car.
2003 – In Santa Maria, CA, Michael Jackson was charged with seven counts of molesting a child under 14 and two counts of supplying the child with “an intoxicating agent”. Jackson’s lawyer denounced the allegations and said they were driven by money and revenge.
2009 – General Motors announced that it would shut down its Saab brand.
2009 – A Paris court ruled that Google was breaking French law with its policy of digitizing books and fined the company a $14,300-a-day fine until it rid its search engine of the literary extracts.
2009 – James Cameron’s movie “Avatar” was released in the United States. On January 26, the movie became the highest-grossing film worldwide.
2019 – The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power and for obstruction of Congress, with the votes falling almost entirely along party lines. He’s only the third American president in history impeached by the House.
BIRTHDAYS:
Jacques Pépin – 90 years old (1935) – French-American chef and author
Harold E. Varmus – 86 years old (1939) – Biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Wadada Leo Smith – 84 years old (1941) – Trumpet player and composer
Joan Wallach Scott – 84 years old (1941) – Historian, author, and academic
Lenore Blum – 83 years old (1942) – Mathematician and academic
Alan Rudolph – 82 years old (1943) – Director and screenwriter
Steven Spielberg – 79 years old (1946) – Director, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded DreamWorks
George T. Johnson – 77 years old (1948) – Basketball player
Leonard Maltin – 75 years old (1950) – Historian, author, and critic
Bobby Jones – 74 years old (1951) – Basketball player
John Leventhal – 73 years old (1952) – Songwriter and producer
Elliot Easton – 72 years old (1953) – Guitarist and singer
Ron White – 69 years old (1956) – Comedian
Julia Wolfe – 67 years old (1958) – Composer and educator
Leila Steinberg – 64 years old (1961) – Singer, producer, author, and poet
Greg D'Angelo – 62 years old (1963) – Drummer
Karl Dorrell – 62 years old (1963) – Football player and coach
Charles Oakley – 62 years old (1963) – Basketball player and coach
Brad Pitt – 62 years old (1963) – Actor and producer
Stone Cold Steve Austin – 61 years old (1964) – Professional wrestler and producer
Don Beebe – 61 years old (1964) – Football player and coach
Shawn Christian – 60 years old (1965) – Actor, director, and screenwriter
Casper Van Dien – 57 years old (1968) – Actor and producer
Norman Brown – 55 years old (1970) – Singer and guitarist
Lucious Harris – 55 years old (1970) – Basketball player
Rob Van Dam – 55 years old (1970) – Wrestler
Raymond Herrera – 53 years old (1972) – Drummer and songwriter
DJ Lethal – 53 years old (1972) – Latvian-American musician
Peter Boulware – 51 years old (1974) – Football player and politician
Randy Houser – 50 years old (1975) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Ali Curtis – 47 years old (1978) – Soccer player
Josh Dallas – 47 years old (1978) – Actor
Katie Holmes – 47 years old (1978) – Actress
Christina Aguilera – 45 years old (1980) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
Benjamin Watson – 45 years old (1980) – Football player
Brian Boyle – 41 years old (1984) – Ice hockey player
Derrick Tribbett – 41 years old (1984) – Bass player and singer
Chris Carter – 39 years old (1986) – Baseball player
Seth Doege – 37 years old (1988) – Football player
Ashley Benson – 36 years old (1989) – Actress and singer
Sierra Kay – 35 years old (1990) – Singer-songwriter
Ryan Crouser – 33 years old (1992) – Shot putter
Bridgit Mendler – 33 years old (1992) – Singer-songwriter and actress
Byron Buxton – 32 years old (1993) – Baseball player
Natália Kelly – 31 years old (1994) – American-Austrian singer
Alex DeBrincat – 28 years old (1997) – Ice hockey player
Jayden Daniels – 25 years old (2000) – Football player
Travon Walker – 25 years old (2000) – Football player
Billie Eilish – 24 years old (2001) – Singer
Jalen Johnson – 24 years old (2001) – Basketball player
TODAY IS:
- Bake Cookies Day: Make a batch of your favorite biscuits, experiment with imaginative cookie cutter shapes or organize a bake sale for charity.
- World Arabic Language Day: Like a melody from a distant land, this language dances with intricate calligraphy, inviting exploration into its rich tapestry.
- Flake Appreciation Day: Flake Appreciation Day celebrates the beauty and uniqueness of snowflakes. This special day highlights how each snowflake is a marvel of nature, with no two flakes being exactly alike. The intricate designs of the snowflakes transform the winter landscape into a magical wonderland, evoking a sense of wonder and tranquility...
- International Migrants Day: Migration has been a courageous expression of the individual’s will to overcome adversity and to live a better life. Today, globalization, together with advances in communications and transportation, has greatly increased the number of people who have the desire and the capacity to move to other places. This new era has...
- National Re-Gifting Day: Passing along the fun surprises we can't use — it's recycling with a sprinkle of unexpected joy.
- Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day: Every December 18, people celebrate a day full of laughter and joy: Answer The Telephone Like Buddy The Elf Day. It's a time when folks everywhere pick up their phones and greet callers with a merry, "Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?" This simple act turns an ordinary day...
- National Roast Suckling Pig Day: A mouthwatering centerpiece, crispy on the outside, tender inside, its aroma filling the air - a feast fit for a king.
- National Crime Junkie Day: National Crime Junkie Day brings together fans of true crime stories. These enthusiasts dive into real-life mysteries, exploring the details of criminal cases and the pursuit of justice. The day celebrates this shared interest, offering a chance for people to connect over their fascination with the darker aspects of human...
- Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day: Wear a Plunger on Your Head Day is as silly as it sounds—and that’s the beauty of it. On this day, people pop a (clean!) plunger on their heads and walk around like it’s completely normal. It flips the script on what’s expected and invites a little harmless chaos. There’s no...
- National Twin Day: Some people share birthdays, but twins share much more. National Twin Day celebrates this one-of-a-kind connection. Whether they look alike or not, twins often move through life side by side, building a bond that’s hard to explain. From playful mischief to emotional support, their connection runs deep. This special day...
- 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...
- Saturnalia: Saturnalia, celebrated from December 17 to 23, is a vibrant festival from ancient Rome. It originally honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. Initially a one-day affair, the jubilation soon spread across an entire week due to its immense popularity. The festivity marked the end of the autumn planting season and...
- 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.
