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:
1692 – The Salem witch trials ended with a letter from Massachusetts Governor Sir William Phips.
1773 – America’s first insane asylum opened.
1792 – The first celebration of Columbus Day was held in New York, NY.
1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance was first recited by students in many U.S. public schools, as part of a celebration marking the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage.
1901 – President Theodore Roosevelt officially renamed the “Executive Mansion” to “The White House”.
1920 – Construction of the Holland Tunnel began. It opened on November 13, 1927. The tunnel links Jersey City, NJ and New York City, NY.
1926 – John Phillip Sousa played in Grand Rapids, MI at the G.R. Armory.
1928 – An iron lung respirator was used for the first time at Children’s Hospital in Boston, MA.
1933 – The U.S. Department of Justice acquired Alcatraz Island from the U.S. Army.
1938 – Filming began on “The Wizard of Oz”.
1966 – Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell officially performed for the first time as The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
1969 – The “Paul is Dead” craze began when a radio DJ played “Revolution #9” backwards.
1973 – Gerald R. Ford was nominated to replace Spiro Agnew as Vice President of the United States.
1979 – “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, the first of five books in the comedy science fiction series by Douglas Adams was published.
1983 – Karen Carpenter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1989 – The House of Representatives approved a statutory federal ban against destroying the American flag.
1994 – NASA lost radio contact with the Magellan spacecraft as the probe descended into the thick atmosphere of Venus.
1998 – Matthew Shephard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, died five days after he was beaten, robbed and left tied to a wooded fence post outside of Laramie, WY.
1998 – The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Online Copyright Bill.
1999 – Rob Reiner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2000 – The U.S.S. Cole was badly damaged in Aden, Yemen, by two suicide bombers. The blast killed 17 crew members and wounded at least 39.
2001 – Responding to a request by President George W. Bush, “America’s Most Wanted” aired a special episode about terrorists.
2005 – It was announced that Daniel Craig would become the sixth “James Bond.”
2006 – The Dow Jones industrial average advanced over 11,900 for the first time.
2007 – Former Vice President Al Gore was named a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work on global climate change.
2019 – The Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, LA, which was under construction, collapsed, killing two and injuring 20.
BIRTHDAYS:
Robert Coles – 96 years old (1929) – Psychologist, author, and academic
Ned Jarrett – 93 years old (1932) – Race car driver and sportscaster
Richard Meier – 91 years old (1934) – Architect, designed the Getty Center and City Tower
Tony Kubek – 90 years old (1935) – Baseball player and sportscaster
Robert Mangold – 88 years old (1937) – Painter
Drew Edmondson – 79 years old (1946) – Politician
Chris Wallace – 78 years old (1947) – Journalist
John Engler – 77 years old (1948) – Businessman and politician, 46th Governor of Michigan
Barclay Shaw – 76 years old (1949) – Artist
Susan Anton – 75 years old (1950) – Actress and model
Dave Freudenthal – 75 years old (1950) – Economist and politician, 31st Governor of Wyoming
Sally Little – 74 years old (1951) – South African-American golfer
Ed Royce – 74 years old (1951) – Businessman and politician
Michael Roe – 71 years old (1954) – Singer, songwriter, and record producer
Steve Austria – 67 years old (1958) – Lawyer and politician
Jeff Keith – 67 years old (1958) – Rock singer-songwriter
Anna Escobedo Cabral – 66 years old (1959) – Lawyer and politician, 42nd Treasurer of the United States
Steve Lowery – 65 years old (1960) – Golfer
Carlos Bernard – 63 years old (1962) – Actor and director
Chris Botti – 63 years old (1962) – Trumpet player and composer
Deborah Foreman – 63 years old (1962) – Actress and photographer
Chris Chandler – 60 years old (1965) – Football player
Scott O'Grady – 60 years old (1965) – Captain and pilot
Brenda Romero – 59 years old (1966) – Game designer
Becky Iverson – 58 years old (1967) – Golfer
Bill Auberlen – 57 years old (1968) – Race car driver
Leon Lett – 57 years old (1968) – Football player
Martie Maguire – 56 years old (1969) – Singer-songwriter, violinist, and producer
José Valentín – 56 years old (1969) – Baseball player, coach, and manager
Kirk Cameron – 55 years old (1970) – Actor, screenwriter, and Christian evangelical/anti-evolution activist
Tanyon Sturtze – 55 years old (1970) – Baseball player
Charlie Ward – 55 years old (1970) – Basketball player and coach
Tony Fiore – 54 years old (1971) – Baseball player
Marion Jones – 50 years old (1975) – Basketball player and runner
Cristie Kerr – 48 years old (1977) – Golfer
Bode Miller – 48 years old (1977) – Skier
Jordan Pundik – 46 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Tom Guiry – 44 years old (1981) – Actor
Giuseppe Lanzone – 44 years old (1981) – Rower
Brian J. Smith – 44 years old (1981) – Actor
Michelle Carter – 40 years old (1985) – Shot putter
Tyler Blackburn – 39 years old (1986) – Actor
Josh Hutcherson – 33 years old (1992) – Actor and producer
Olivia Smoliga – 31 years old (1994) – Swimmer
Iris Apatow – 23 years old (2002) – Actress
Darci Lynne – 21 years old (2004) – Ventriloquist
TODAY IS:
- National Farmers Day: Without farmers, we’d all starve. Visit a farmer’s market, take a trip to a farm, or reenact how farmers used to live and grow with old-fashioned tools.
- National Pulled Pork Day: Gather friends and family and make pulled pork together, a delicious and filling cut of meat is sure to please, or go out and enjoy professionally made pulled pork.
- National Gumbo Day:
- National Savings Day:
- National Heritage Day in the Turks and Caicos Islands:
- World Arthritis Day: Educate yourself on arthritis, consider taking steps to prevent it, and raise awareness to guide policy in order to help those who suffer from this condition.
- National Kick Butt Day:
- International Moment of Frustration Scream Day:
- National Vermont Day:
- Día de la Raza:
- National Online Bank Day:
- National Freethought Day:
- Lady of Aparecida:
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Coming together to honor and learn from the rich heritage and wisdom of those who've lived on American soil for generations.
- Canadian Thanksgiving: Canadian Thanksgiving differs from the more well-known US version, but the important thing is to take time to show gratitude for the positive things in your life.
- Columbus Day: Though Columbus is a controversial figure, there’s no denying he was important in the history of America. Read up on why to understand the legacy of this holiday.
- National Day of Spain:
- Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity:
- National School Lunch Week: Fueling minds, nourishing potential—school lunches aren't just meals; they're key ingredients for young aspirations to thrive.
- Rtveli:
- Anti-Poverty Week:
- Baby Loss Awareness Week:
- Haemophilia Awareness Week:
- The Iris Film Festival:
- Recycle Awareness Week:
- International Cephalopod Awareness Days:
- Drink Local Wine Week:
- Hispanic Heritage Month: Join an event, forum, or exhibition for Hispanic Heritage Month, and appreciate the art, history, and cultural offerings of this rich and expansive heritage.
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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.
