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 – Los Angeles, CA, was founded by Spanish settlers. The original name was “El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula”. The name translates as “The Town of the Queen of Angels.” (Just “Los Angeles” is so much easier!)
1833 – A 10 year old, named Barney Flaherty, answered an ad in “The New York Sun” and became the first newsboy/paperboy.
1882 – Thomas Edison flipped the switch to the first commercial electrical power plant in history. It lit a one square mile of lower Manhattan, of New York, NY. It was the first display of an electrical lighting system.
1886 – After almost 30 years of fighting, Geronimo, and the Apache Indians he led, surrendered in Skeleton Canyon in Arizona to Gen. Nelson Miles.
1888 – George Eastman registered the name “Kodak” and received a patent for his camera that used roll film. The camera could take 100 exposures per roll.
1893 – Beatrix Potter wrote a letter with a tale of a rabbit named Peter. It would later be published as “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”.
1894 – A strike in New York, NY by 12,000 tailors took place to protest sweatshops.
1904 – The St. Regis Hotel in New York City became the first to have individual air conditioning and heating in every room.
1907 – Grand Rapids, MI patrolman Henry Slater was killed when he was struck by a street car while directing traffic. The street car had jumped the tracks.
1921 – The first police broadcast was made by radio station WIL in St. Louis, MO.
1923 – The first American dirigible, the “Shenandoah,” began its maiden voyage in Lakehurst, NJ.
1950 – Darlington Raceway was the site of the very first Southern 500. It was the first 500 mile NASCAR race.
1951 – The first live, coast-to-coast TV broadcast took place in the U.S. The event took place in San Francisco, CA, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference. It was seen by viewers all the way to New York, NY.
1953 – The New York Yankees became the first baseball team to win five consecutive American League championships.
1957 – The Ford Motor Company began selling the Edsel. It became the biggest flop in automotive history.
1967 – The TV show “Gilligan’s Island” aired for the last time on CBS.
1967 – Michigan Governor George Romney said during a TV interview that he had undergone “brainwashing” by U.S. officials while visiting Vietnam in 1965.
1971 – The TV show “The Lawrence Welk Show” ended on ABC.
1972 – The TV game shows “The Price Is Right”, “Joker’s Wild”, and “Gambit” all made their debut.
1972 – Swimmer Mark Spitz became the first athlete to win seven Olympic gold medals.
1989 – A reconnaissance satellite was released by the Air Force’s Titan Three rocket.
1995 – The TV show “Xena: Warrior Princess” debuted.
1995 – The TV show “WCW Monday Nitro” made its debut on TNT.
1998 – Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. They were both students at Stanford University.
1998 – While in Ireland, President Bill Clinton said the words “I’m sorry” for the first time about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. He described his behavior as indefensible.
2000 – The PBS animated TV show “Clifford the Big Red Dog” premiered.
2002 – Singer Kelly Clarkson won the first season of “American Idol” on the Fox TV series.
2003 – Keegan Reilly, 22, became the first parapalegic climber to reach the peak of Japan’s Mount Fuji.
2006 – “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray barb to the heart off the coast of Australia. He had been filming a nature special.
2007 – Whoopi Goldberg made her debut on TV’s “The View”.
2012 – The TV morning show “Live! With Kelly” became “Live! With Kelly and Michael”, when former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan was formally introduced as Kelly Ripa’s new co-host.
2016 – Mother Teresa was canonized by Pope Francis in a ceremony at the Vatican.
2018 – Amazon became America’s second trillion dollar company. The first was Apple.
2020 – Pope Benedict XVI became the longest-lived pope, 93 years, four months, 16 days, surpassing Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903.
BIRTHDAYS:
Merald “Bubba” Knight – 83 a old (1942) – Singer (Gladys Knight & The Pips)
Gene Parsons – 81 a old (1944) – Drummer, banjo player, guitarist, singer (The Byrds)
Jennifer Salt – 81 a old (1944) – Actress (Played Eunice Tate-Leitner on TV’s “Soap”, movies “Midnight Cowboy”, “Sisters”)
Tom Watson – 76 a old (1949) – Golfer
Martin Chambers – 74 a old (1951) – Drummer (Pretenders)
Judith Ivey – 74 a old (1951) – Actress (Played B.J. Poteet on TV’s “Designing Women”, “Will & Grace”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Person of Interest”, “Nurse Jackie”, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”)
Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs – 72 a old (1953) – Actor (Played Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington on TV’s “Welcome Back, Kotter”, “Cooley High)
Khandi Alexander – 68 a old (1957) – Actress (TV’s “CSI: Miami”, “ER”, “Newsradio”)
Kim Thayil – 65 a old (1960) – Lead guitarist (Soundgarden)
Damon Wayans – 65 a old (1960) – Actor, comedian (“The Last Boy Scout”, “Major Payne”, TV’s “My Wife and Kids”, “In Living Color”, “Saturday Night Live”)
Ione Skye – 55 a old (1970) – Actress (“Say Anything…”)
Jason David Frank – 52 a old (1973) – Actor (“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”)
Nona Gaye – 51 a old (1974) – Singer, actress (“The Gospel”, “XXX: State of the Union”, “The Matrix Reloaded”, “Ali”)
Wes Bentley – 47 a old (1978) – Actor (“American Horror Story: Hotel”, “Interstellar”, “The Hunger Games”, “Ghost Rider”, “American Beauty”)
Beyoncé Knowles – 44 a old (1981) – Singer (Destiny’s Child)
TODAY IS:
- National Wildlife Day:
- National Lazy Mom’s Day: Parenting is a demanding job, but it's okay to take a break. Resting and practicing self-care can recharge and make you a better parent.
- National Chianti Day: Savoring this rich, velvety red with deep flavors and aromatic complexity enhances any meal or celebration beautifully.
- National Food Bank Day:
- National Macadamia Nut Day: Enjoy a healthy, wholesome, but incredibly tasty snack of roasted macademia nuts, generally imported from Australia, on Macadamia Nut Day.
- National Eat an Extra Dessert Day:
- Bring Your Manners To Work Day: Though you should be polite year round, take Take Your Manners to Work Day as an opportunity to make sure you’re treating everyone as well as you can.
- International Taekwondo Day:
- National Spice Blend Day:
- National Newspaper Carrier Day: Thank your newspaper carrier for getting out every day, rain or shine to bring you the latest news from around the world in good old fashioned print.
- National College Colors Day: Wear the colors of your favorite school sports team to show your support and loyalty as a fan, and let others know where your loyalties lie.
- World Cogeneration Day: Efficiently generating power and heat concurrently, cogeneration offers a sustainable solution for energy demands and conservation.
- Crayfish Party:
- Festa do Vinho:
- National Childhood Injury Prevention Week:
- Rtveli:
- Legacy Week:
- Fiesta de San Pacho:
- Literacy & Numeracy Week:
- Navasard:
- Janmashtami:
Powered by Days Of The Year
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.
