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:
1732 – Benjamin Franklin began publishing “Poor Richard’s Almanac”.
1777 – General George Washington led his army of 11,000 men to Valley Forge, PA, to camp for the winter.
1842 – Hawaii’s independence was recognized by the U.S.
1843 – Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was first published in London, England.
1856 – Celery was served at Kalamazoo, MI’s Burdick Hotel. It was the first time the vegetable was served to the public. Celery was introduced to the state of Michigan by a Scottish immigrant named George Taylor. He brought the celery seed from Scotland to southwest Michigan. For a time, Kalamazoo promoted themselves as the “Celery City”.
1871 – Albert L. Jones received a patent for his corrugated paper.
1903 – The Williamsburg Bridge opened in New York, NY. It was the first major suspension bridge in America. It opened as the largest suspension bridge and remained the largest until 1924. It was also the first major suspension bridge to use steel towers to support the main cable.
1917 – The first games of the new National Hockey League were played. Five teams made up the league: Toronto Arenas, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Wanderers.
1918 – Robert Ripley began his “Believe It or Not” column in “The New York Globe”.
1924 – The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was sold in London, England.
1957 – Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the U.S. Army. He joined the 32nd Tank Battalion third Armor Corps based in Germany.
1970 – President Richard Nixon commended MGM Records president Mike Curb for dropping from the label 18 acts who supposedly advocate drug use.
1971 – The movie “A Clockwork Orange”, based on Anthony Burgess’s novel of the same name, premiered in theaters.
1972 – Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific (crewed by Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans, and Harrison Schmitt) ending the Apollo program of crewed lunar landings.
1973 – Johnny Carson started a fake toilet-paper scare on the “Tonight Show”.
1974 – Nelson Rockefeller was sworn in as Vice President under President Gerald Ford under the provisions of the twenty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
1975 – John Paul Stevens was appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
1979 – The movie “Kramer vs. Kramer”, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep premiered in theaters. It becoming the highest-grossing film of 1979 and received a leading nine Oscar nominations at the 52nd Academy Awards, winning five: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Hoffman), Best Supporting Actress (for Streep), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
1979 – ESPN televised its first NHL game, between the Washington Capitals and the Hartford Whalers.
1980 – Dolly Parton’s first feature film, “9 to 5”, with the Oscar nominated title tune she wrote and sang, opened in theaters nationwide.
1985 – ABC Sports announced that it is severing ties with Howard Cosell, who continued to broadcast on ABC Radio for another five years.
1986 – Michael Sergio, who parachuted into New York’s Shea Stadium during the first inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, was fined $500 and sentenced to 100 hours of community service. On October 25th he landed on the infield with a “Let’s Go Mets” banner in the game between the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox.
1990 – Baseball and football player Bo Jackson became the first athlete to be chosen for All Star Games in two sports.
1995 – Queen Elizabeth told Prince Charles and Princess Diana to get a divorce.
1996 – The school board of Oakland, CA, voted to recognize Black English, also known as “ebonics.” The board later reversed its stance.
1997 – James Cameron’s “Titanic”, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, opened in theaters.
1998 – After nearly 14 hours of debate, President Bill Clinton was impeached on two charges of perjury and obstruction of justice by the House of Representatives. He became the second President of the U.S. to be impeached.
2001 – The movie “The Fellowship of The Ring” premiered in theaters in the United States. It was based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”.
2003 – Images for the new design for the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center site were released. The building sloped into a spire that reached 1,776 feet.
2006 – Donald Trump showed a little holiday-season compassion and allowed the underage drinking and possibly drug using Miss USA, Tara Conner, to keep her crown.
2008 – President George W. Bush signed a $17.4 billion rescue package of loans for ailing auto makers General Motors and Chrysler.
2015 – Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album became the first to sell more than 30 million copies in the United States. The album was released 33 years earlier.
BIRTHDAYS:
Jay Arnette – 87 years old (1938) – Basketball player
James L. Jones – 82 years old (1943) – General and politician, 22nd United States National Security Advisor
Elaine Joyce – 82 years old (1943) – Actress, singer, and dancer
William Christie – 81 years old (1944) – American-French harpsichord player and conductor
Tim Reid – 81 years old (1944) – Actor and director
Steve Tyrell – 81 years old (1944) – Singer-songwriter and producer
John McEuen – 80 years old (1945) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Claudia Kolb – 76 years old (1949) – Swimmer
Lenny White – 76 years old (1949) – Musician
Eleanor J. Hill – 75 years old (1950) – Lawyer and diplomat
Walter Murphy – 73 years old (1952) – Pianist and composer
Rob Portman – 70 years old (1955) – Lawyer and politician
Tom Lawless – 69 years old (1956) – Baseball player and manager
Kevin McHale – 68 years old (1957) – Basketball player, coach, and manager
Derrick Jensen – 65 years old (1960) – Author and activist
Michelangelo Signorile – 65 years old (1960) – Journalist and author
Scott Cohen – 64 years old (1961) – Actor
Eric Allin Cornell – 64 years old (1961) – Physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Gary Fleder – 63 years old (1962) – Director, producer, and screenwriter
Jennifer Beals – 62 years old (1963) – Model and actress
Randall McDaniel – 61 years old (1964) – Football player
Chito Martínez – 60 years old (1965) – Belizean-American baseball player
Chuckii Booker – 59 years old (1966) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Robert MacNaughton – 59 years old (1966) – Actor
Eric Weinrich – 59 years old (1966) – Ice hockey player and coach
Criss Angel – 58 years old (1967) – Magician
Charles Austin – 58 years old (1967) – High jumper
Kristina Keneally – 57 years old (1968) – American-Australian politician, 42nd Premier of New South Wales
Ken Marino – 57 years old (1968) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
Michael Bates – 56 years old (1969) – Sprinter and football player
Tom Gugliotta – 56 years old (1969) – Basketball player
Kristy Swanson – 56 years old (1969) – Actress
Tyson Beckford – 55 years old (1970) – Model and actor
Amy Locane – 54 years old (1971) – Actress
Rosa Blasi – 53 years old (1972) – Actress
Alyssa Milano – 53 years old (1972) – Actress, television personality, and activist
Warren Sapp – 53 years old (1972) – Football player and analyst
Joe Jurevicius – 51 years old (1974) – Football player
Felipe Lopez – 51 years old (1974) – Dominican-American basketball player
Jake Plummer – 51 years old (1974) – Football player and sportscaster
Brandon Sanderson – 50 years old (1975) – Author and academic
Jeremy Soule – 50 years old (1975) – Composer
LaTasha Jenkins – 48 years old (1977) – Sprinter
Patrick Casey – 47 years old (1978) – Actor, producer, and screenwriter
Kevin Devine – 46 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Jake Gyllenhaal – 45 years old (1980) – Actor and producer
Marla Sokoloff – 45 years old (1980) – Actress and musician
Mo Williams – 43 years old (1982) – Basketball player
Casey Crescenzo – 42 years old (1983) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Ian Kennedy – 41 years old (1984) – Baseball player
Lauren Boebert – 39 years old (1986) – Politician
Ingrid Burley – 39 years old (1986) – Rapper and songwriter
Ronan Farrow – 38 years old (1987) – Activist, journalist, and lawyer
Greg Bretz – 35 years old (1990) – Snowboarder
Torrey Craig – 35 years old (1990) – Basketball player
Josh Huestis – 34 years old (1991) – Basketball player
King Princess – 27 years old (1998) – Singer-songwriter and musician
TODAY IS:
- National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day: Wear your most garish knitwear with pride, add some tacky accessories and organize a jumper auction to fundraise for Save the Children.
- National Oatmeal Muffin Day: Combine a classic cake with a healthy grain to create a scrumptious baked good and share these treats round the office or in the playground.
- National Emo Day: Emo is more than just a music genre, it's a subculture. From fashion to lyrics, emo music has influenced an entire generation.
- National Underdog Day: Everyone loves a good comeback story — the unexpected win that makes you stand up and cheer! Let's celebrate those who defy the odds.
- National Hard Candy Day: Colorful and sweet, bringing back memories of childhood. From fruity to minty, they're perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth craving anytime.
- Look for an Evergreen Day: Taking time to notice the vibrant colors and unique shapes of plants in your neighborhood, a simple way to connect with nature.
- National Heroes and Heroines Day: National Heroes and Heroines Day honors the remarkable individuals who have left a lasting mark on their countries. Celebrated on different dates worldwide, it's a day dedicated to honoring those who've made significant contributions to their nation's progress and freedom. For example, Anguilla observes this special day on December 19...
- 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.
