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:
1842 – Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd in Springfield, IL.
1846 – Benjamin Palmer was granted a patent for an artificial leg.
1847 – Scottish obstetrician James Young Simpson discovered the anesthetic qualities of chloroform.
1862 – Dr. Gatling patented the machine gun.
1880 – The first cash register was patented by James and John Ritty of Dayton, OH.
1904 – Harvard Stadium was the first facility built for football.
1907 – Russian immigrant brothers Ben and Perry Feigensen founded Faygo pop. They started with grape, fruit punch and strawberry flavored sodas that were based on their cake frosting recipes.
1922 – In Egypt, Howard Carter discovered the entry of the lost tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen.
1924 – Calvin Coolidge won a full term as President of the United States.
1924 – Nellie T. Ross, of Wyoming, was elected America’s first woman governor so she could serve out the remaining term of her late husband, William B. Ross.
1939 – The first air-conditioned car, The Packard, went on display at the 40th National Automobile Show in Chicago, IL.
1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected the 34th President of the United States.
1952 – The National Security Agency (NSA) was established.
1965 – Lee Ann Roberts Breedlove became the first woman to exceed 300 mph when she went 308.5 mph. (There must have been a sale somewhere!)
1972 – The first game played on artificial turf in Michigan occurred at Kelly-Short Stadium at Central Michigan University.
1979 – A mob of Iranians (mostly students) overran the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 90 hostages (63 were Americans). The militants demanded that the United States send the former Shah back to Iran to stand trial. Some of the hostages were later released, but 52 were held for the next 14 months.
1980 – Republican Ronald Reagan was elected the 40th President of the United States in a landslide over President Jimmy Carter.
1981 – The second scheduled flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia was canceled with only 31 seconds left in the countdown.
1982 – The Food and Drug Administration began requiring tamper-proof packaging on certain drugs.
1991 – The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library opened in Simi Valley, CA. The dedication ceremony was attended by President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard M. Nixon. It was the first gathering of all five past and present Chief Executives.
1996 – Michael Jackson announced that he and a friend, Debbie Rowe, were expecting a child. They denied that they had used artificial insemination and that Rowe had been paid to carry the baby.
1999 – Cristina Saralegui received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000 – President Bill Clinton vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the leaking of government secrets.
2001 – The movie “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” had its world premiere in London.
2008 – Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States.
BIRTHDAYS:
Gail E. Haley – 86 years old (1939) – Author and illustrator
Delbert McClinton – 85 years old (1940) – Singer-songwriter
Kafi Benz – 84 years old (1941) – Conservationist, environmentalist, historic preservationist, author, artist, community leader
Clark Graebner – 82 years old (1943) – Tennis player
Laura Bush – 79 years old (1946) – Educator and librarian, 45th First Lady of the United States
Frederick Elmes – 79 years old (1946) – Cinematographer
Charles Frazier – 75 years old (1950) – Novelist
Carlos Gutierrez – 72 years old (1953) – Cuban-American businessman and politician, 35th United States Secretary of Commerce
Jordan Rudess – 69 years old (1956) – Keyboard player and songwriter
Anne Sweeney – 67 years old (1958) – Businesswoman
Kathy Griffin – 65 years old (1960) – Comedian and actress
Daron Hagen – 64 years old (1961) – Pianist, composer, and conductor
Edward Knight – 64 years old (1961) – Composer and academic
Ralph Macchio – 64 years old (1961) – Actor
Jeff Probst – 64 years old (1961) – Television host and producer
Eric Karros – 58 years old (1967) – Baseball player and sportscaster
Matthew Tobin Anderson – 57 years old (1968) – Author, critic, and educator
Sean Combs – 56 years old (1969) – Rapper, producer, and actor
Matthew McConaughey – 56 years old (1969) – Actor and producer
Samantha Smith – 56 years old (1969) – Actress
Tim DeBoom – 55 years old (1970) – Triathlete
Anthony Ruivivar – 55 years old (1970) – Actor
Gregory Porter – 54 years old (1971) – Jazz singer-songwriter and actor
Mikki Moore – 50 years old (1975) – Basketball player
Orlando Pace – 50 years old (1975) – Football player
Heather Tom – 50 years old (1975) – Actress and director
Larry Bigbie – 48 years old (1977) – Baseball player
John Grabow – 47 years old (1978) – Baseball player
Richard Owens – 45 years old (1980) – Football player and coach
Emme Rylan – 45 years old (1980) – Actress
Vince Wilfork – 44 years old (1981) – Football player
Devin Hester – 43 years old (1982) – Football player
Dustin Brown – 41 years old (1984) – Ice hockey player
Dez Bryant – 37 years old (1988) – Football player
Ce'Aira Brown – 32 years old (1993) – Middle-distance runner
Kaitlin Hawayek – 29 years old (1996) – Ice dancer
Eric Paschall – 29 years old (1996) – Basketball player
Tyrese Maxey – 25 years old (2000) – Basketball player
TODAY IS:
- National Stress Awareness Day: Improve your mental wellbeing at work and in everyday life on Stress Awareness Day by noticing stressors and using tactics like journaling to combat them.
- National Candy Day: Indulge your sweet tooth by feasting on your favorite confectionary or caramelizing your own sugary sensations at home on Candy Day.
- Use Your Common Sense Day: Taking a step back and relying on good ol' logic, like deciphering a puzzle without needing a map or a compass.
- National Advent Calendar Day:
- Eating Healthy Day:
- National Easy-Bake Oven Day:
- Wobbly Wednesday:
- National Chicken Lady Day:
- Flag Day in Panama:
- National Medical Cannabis Week:
- Marzipan Week: With its unique texture and delicate almond flavor, marzipan is a delicious treat — perfect for those with a sweet tooth!
- National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week:
- Drowsy Driving Prevention Week:
- National Patient Transport Week:
- National Fig Week:
- Polar Bear Week:
- World Communication Week:
- Children’s Book Week : Spark the joy of exploration in young minds through tales that open doors to realms of endless fascination and growth.
- Cuckoo Dancing Week:
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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.
