May 12

Scott Winters May 12, 2025 1 Comment

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:

1781 – The British purchased Mackinac Island from the Chippewa Indians for 5,000 pounds.

1847 – William Clayton invented the odometer.

1883 – The University of Michigan played their first ever home football game against the Detroit Independents at the Ann Arbor fairgrounds. U of M won the game 40-5.

1888 – Charles Sherrill, of the Yale track team, became the first runner to use the crouching start for a fast break in a foot race.

1926 – The airship Norge became the first vessel to fly over the North Pole.

1929 – Zehnder’s restaurant in Frankenmuth, MI opened.

1932 – Ten weeks after his abduction, the infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh was found dead in Hopewell, NJ, just a few miles from Lindbergh’s home.

1932 – A new character named Dippy Dawg appeared in the Walt Disney cartoon “Mickey’s Revue”. Dippy’s name was later changed to Goofy.

1935 – Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith (founders of Alcoholics Anonymous) met for the first time in Akron, OH, at the home of Henrietta Siberling.

1950 – The American Bowling Congress abolished its white males-only membership restriction after 34 years.

1957 – A.J. Foyt won his first auto racing victory in Kansas City, MO.

1966 – Busch Memorial Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, opened in St. Louis, MI.

1970 – Ernie Banks, of the Chicago Cubs, hit his 500th home run.

1978 – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that they would no longer exclusively name hurricanes after women. Before then, only women’s named were used. Some complained it wasn’t fair that women got all the attention for causing destruction and damage.

1993 – The final episode of TV’s “The Wonder Years”, starring Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, aired on ABC.

1999 – George Jones pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and violating the Tennessee’s open-container law in Franklin. He was fined $550.

2002 – Former President Jimmy Carter arrived in Cuba for a five day visit with Fidel Castro. It was the first time a U.S. head of state, in or out of office, had gone to the island since Castro’s 1959 revolution.

2002 – At Miami International Airport, Dionne Warwick was arrested when baggage screeners found 11 marijuana cigarettes inside her lipstick container.

2003 – New rules required airlines to increase the assumed passenger weight to 190 pounds, up from 180 pounds.

2006 – The Milwaukee Brewers gave away free tickets to a future game to fans who let a doctor check their prostrate.

2008 – The price for a one-ounce First-Class stamp increased from 41 to 42 cents.

2015 – It was announced that Verizon would be acquiring AOL.

BIRTHDAYS:

John Bucyk – 90 years old (1935) – Hockey player (Detroit Red Wings 1955-1957)

Susan Hampshire – 88 years old (1937) – Actress (“Cry Terror”, “David Copperfield”)

Millie Perkins – 87 years old (1938) – Actress (“Wall Street”, “Ensign Pulver”, “The Diary of Anne Frank”)

Billy Swan – 83 years old (1942) – Singer, songwriter (“I Can Help”)

Linda Dano – 82 years old (1943) – Actress (TV’s “Another World”)

Lindsay Crouse – 77 years old (1948) – Actress (“The Juror”, “Slap Shot”, “Traps”, “Places in the Heart”)

Steve Winwood – 77 years old (1948) – Musician (Blind Faith, Traffic, Spencer Davis Group)

Bruce Boxleitner – 75 years old (1950) – Actor (“The Babe”, “Tron”, “Tron: Legacy”, TV’s “Scarecrow and Mrs. King”, “Babylon 5”)

Gabriel Byrne – 75 years old (1950) – Actor (TV’s “In Treatment”, movies “Miller’s Crossing”, “The Usual Suspects”)

Billy Squier – 75 years old (1950) – Singer (“The Stroke”, “Everybody Wants You”)

Kix Brooks – 70 years old (1955) – Singer (Brooks and Dunn)

Lou Whitaker – 68 years old (1957) – Baseball player (Detroit Tigers 1977-1995)

Kim Greist – 67 years old (1958) – Actress (“Homeward Bound” movies, TV’s “Chicago Hope”)

Ving Rhames – 66 years old (1959) – Actor (“Mission: Impossible” movies, “Pulp Fiction”, “Dawn of the Dead”, “Piranha 3D”)

Billy Duffy – 64 years old (1961) – Guitarist (The Cult)

Emilio Estevez – 63 years old (1962) – Actor (“Breakfast Club”, “The Mighty Ducks” movies, “Young Guns”, “The Outsiders”, “Repo Man”, “St. Elmo’s Fire”)

Stephen Baldwin – 59 years old (1966) – Actor (“Born on the Fourth of July”, “The Usual Suspects”, TV’s “Celebrity Apprentice”)

Tony Hawk – 57 years old (1968) – Skateboarder

Kim Fields – 56 years old (1969) – Actress (Played Tootie on TV’s “The Facts of Life”, “Living Single”)

Samantha Mathis – 55 years old (1970) – Actress (“Pump Up the Volume”, “Little Women”, “The American President”, “Broken Arrow”, “American Psycho”, “The Punisher”, “Atlas Shrugged: Part II”)

Jamie Luner – 54 years old (1971) – Actress (TV’s “Just the Ten of Us”, “Melrose Place”, “Profiler”, “All My Children”)

Mackenzie Astin – 52 years old (1973) – Actor (TV’s “The Facts of Life”)

Malin Akerman – 47 years old (1978) – Actress (TV’s “Billions”, movies “Watchmen”, “Couples Retreat”)

Jason Biggs – 47 years old (1978) – Actor (“American Pie” movies, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “Jersey Girl”)

Emily VanCamp – 39 years old (1986) – Actress (TV’s “Everwood”, “Brothers & Sisters”, “Revenge”, movies “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”, “Captain America: Civil War”)

Malcolm David Kelley – 33 years old (1992) – Actor (TV’s “Lost”)

TODAY IS:

National Limerick Day: Read or write your own five-line limericks to enjoy the humorous, simple formula that has entertained children and adults alike for many generations.
National Nutty Fudge Day: Try making your own fudge, or take a fun trip with friends or family to a nearby tourist town to try out any number of flavor and flavor combinations.
National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day: Learn and spread awareness about the difficult disease known as fibromyalgia, which affects many men and women around the world and as of yet has no cure.
National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day: National Mental Health Provider Appreciation Day is a special day to honor the dedication and hard work of mental health professionals. These individuals, including therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors, play a crucial role in supporting mental well-being. They offer care, compassion, and guidance, helping people manage their mental health challenges and...
National Women’s Checkup Day: Many women seem to have a tendency to make sure that the people around them are cared for and looked after, but sometimes they forget to take care of themselves. National Women’s Checkup Day brings attention to this concern, recognizing that all women need to have regular, annual check-ups from their...
International Day of Plant Health: Imagine a world where every leaf, every stem, and every root tells a story of vitality, a saga of life-sustaining life. This is the heart of the International Day of Plant Health, with the hope to turn the spotlight on our green companions, the silent heroes underpinning the web of...
International ME/CFS Awareness Day: Imagine waking up feeling like you ran a marathon in your sleep. Your muscles ache, your mind feels foggy, and even small tasks drain every bit of energy. That’s daily life for people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). This condition goes far beyond being "just tired." It disrupts careers...
National Tampon Day: Menstruation is a fact of life, but many people avoid talking about it. National Tampon Day pushes that silence aside. It opens the door for honest, open conversations about periods. People of all ages can learn why menstrual health matters. This day helps make periods feel normal, not shameful. It invites...
World Topiary Day: World Topiary Day celebrates the art of shaping plants into imaginative forms. From spirals to animals, these living sculptures bring gardens to life. Levens Hall in England, known for its historic topiary garden, plays a central role in this celebration. Each year, gardens worldwide join in, highlighting the creativity involved in...
National Hospital Day: National Hospital Day celebrates the lifesaving work that happens inside hospitals every day. It’s about recognizing these places as more than emergency stops—they’re where care begins and continues. Hospitals bring together people with skill, heart, and a sense of duty. Every department, every shift, every moment matters. The energy inside...
National YA DIG Day: National YA DIG Day is all about embracing your worth and encouraging others to do the same. The phrase “YA DIG!” stands for “You Are Destined In Greatness,” a message that uplifts and motivates. This day reminds everyone to pause and reflect on their value. It’s a time to share...
National Sapphire Segulah Day: Raising a child with special needs takes patience, love, and strength. Doing it alone adds another layer of challenges. National Sapphire Segulah Day honors single parents who walk this path every day. Their journey is filled with sacrifices, long nights, and moments of pure joy. They juggle doctor visits, therapies...
National Odometer Day: Be thankful for the odometer, a device that keeps track of your mileage, which in turn helps you know when and how to get your car looked at and adjusted.
International Nurses Day: Give a big thank-you to the hard-working, often under-paid medical professionals who keep hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and hospice care running.
Buddha Day: Buddha Day, known as Vesak, celebrates the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. It’s observed on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month, usually in May. This day is a key moment for Buddhists as it marks the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing, making it the most...
National Nurse’s Week: Give a big thank-you to the hard-working, often under-paid medical professionals who keep hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and hospice care running.
Bike to Work Week: Bike to Work Week is a special time celebrated each year across the United States. This event encourages people to ride their bikes to work or anywhere else they need to go as part of a larger movement to promote cycling and its benefits. How to Celebrate Bike to Work Week Embracing...
Learning at Work Week: Learning at Work Week is a special time dedicated to boosting learning culture within the workplace. Celebrated annually, this initiative encourages all types of organizations to engage in activities that foster learning among their teams. The goal is to make learning an integral part of working life, benefiting individual growth and...
Christian Aid Week: Christian Aid Week is an important time that provides urgent humanitarian relief to the less fortunate and urges long-term programs to help. It calls out the plight of the suffering, giving immediate aid. But it does more; it stands up for the rights of - and demands justice for -...
Tracky Dack Day: Tracky Dack Day is a funny name for a serious cause. This annual event, run by TLC for Kids, encourages people to wear their favorite track pants (aka 'tracky dacks'!) to support children in hospitals! The name brings a smile, but the mission is profound. It raises awareness and funds...
National Hospital Week: Whether performing a small elective procedure or treating a life-threatening illness, hospitals are critical places that make a huge difference in the health of individuals, families and communities across the nation. National Hospital Week is here to celebrate and show appreciation for all of the different people who are integral...
National Public Gardens Week: National Public Gardens Week shines a spotlight on the incredible beauty and significance of public gardens. Held each year in early May, it's a week-long celebration designed to highlight the vital role these gardens play in our communities. From fragrant flower displays to serene landscapes, they offer more than just...
M.E. Awareness Week: M.E. Awareness Week, celebrated annually, highlights the struggles of people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.). The week encourages empathy for those affected and serves as a time for people to learn more about this condition. The campaign is organized by various charities, patient groups, and healthcare professionals working together to increase...
National Salvation Army Week: Supporting those in need, providing hope, and creating positive change—efforts that embody the essence of humanitarian assistance.
I Love My State Parks Week: The United States defines up to 10,000 different areas as state parks. State parks protect more than 14 million acres of landscape, ranging from coastal beaches to forests, sandy deserts to swampland. In addition, state parks provide local residents with opportunities for recreation, access to clean and safe green spaces...