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:
1674 – Father Jacques Marquette founded a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek. The mission would later grow into the city of Chicago, IL.
1812 – Peter Gaillard received a patent for the power mower.
1844 – Baptists opened Michigan Central College in Spring Arbor, MI. It was the first college in Michigan to offer degrees to women.
1931 – The horror movie classic “Frankenstein” premiered.
1942 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the dismantling of the Works Progress Administration. The program had been created in order to provide jobs during the Great Depression.
1943 – Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that any club was free to employ black players.
1945 – The U.S. Senate approved American participation in the United Nations by a vote of 65 to 7.
1954 – The first Burger King restaurant opened in Miami, FL. It was originally called Insta-Burger King.
1965 – The U.S. launched Gemini 7. On board were Air Force Lt. Col. Frank Borman and Navy Comdr. James A. Lovell.
1973 – Pioneer 10 reached Jupiter.
1978 – Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein became San Francisco’s first female mayor. (She served until January 8, 1988.)
1981 – The nighttime television soap opera “Falcon Crest” debuted on CBS.
1989 – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling that said that Prince did not steal the song, “U Got The Look” from his half-sister. Lorna Nelson had claimed the lyrics were similar to ones she had written
1990 – After MTV banned Madonna’s “Justify My Love” video, she appeared on “Nightline” to defend the video. She denied the explicit contents were intended to stir up controversy and get her publicity.
1991 – Associated Press correspondent Terry Anderson was released after almost seven years in captivity in Lebanon.
1991 – Paula Abdul was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1991 – Pan American World Airways ceased operations.
1997 – The National Basketball Association suspended Latrell Sprewell of the Golden State Warriors for one year for choking and threatening to kill his coach, P.J. Carlesimo.
1998 – The Unity Module, the second module of the International Space Station, was launched.
2000 – In Miami, FL, O.J. Simpson was involved in an incident with another motorist. Simpson was accused of scratching the other motorists face while pulling off the man’s glasses.
2001 – O.J. Simpson’s home in Florida was raided by the FBI in an ongoing two year international investigation into drug trafficking, satellite service pilfering, and money laundering. Authorities took some satellite equipment from the home, but no drugs were found.
2006 – A fossilized nest of 22 dinosaur eggs was sold at auction for $420,000. The buyer was unknown.
2017 – The Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI was imploded, a day after it had failed to be imploded. It first opened on August 23, 1975.
2017 – The Thomas Fire started near Santa Paula, CA and became the largest wildfire in the state’s modern history after burning 440 square miles (281,893 acres) in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
BIRTHDAYS:
Freddy Cannon – 89 years old (1936) – Singer and guitarist
Max Baer Jr. – 88 years old (1937) – Actor, director, and producer
Andre Marrou – 87 years old (1938) – Lawyer and politician
Marty Riessen – 84 years old (1941) – Tennis player and coach
Bob Mosley – 83 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter and bass player
Chris Hillman – 81 years old (1944) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Jane Lubchenco – 78 years old (1947) – Ecologist, academic, and diplomat
Southside Johnny – 77 years old (1948) – Singer-songwriter
Jeff Bridges – 76 years old (1949) – Actor
Patricia Wettig – 74 years old (1951) – Actress and playwright
Dave Taylor – 70 years old (1955) – Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
Cassandra Wilson – 70 years old (1955) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Bernard King – 69 years old (1956) – Basketball player and sportscaster
Eric S. Raymond – 68 years old (1957) – Computer programmer and author
Lee Smith – 68 years old (1957) – Baseball player
David Green – 65 years old (1960) – Nicaraguan-American baseball player
Frank Reich – 64 years old (1961) – Football player and coach
Naomi Robson – 64 years old (1961) – American-Australian television host
Vinnie Dombroski – 63 years old (1962) – Singer-songwriter and musician
Chelsea Noble – 61 years old (1964) – Actress
Marisa Tomei – 61 years old (1964) – Actress
Fred Armisen – 59 years old (1966) – Actor and musician
Andy Hess – 59 years old (1966) – Bass player
Suzanne Malveaux – 59 years old (1966) – Journalist
Suzette M. Malveaux – 59 years old (1966) – Lawyer and academic
Dionne Farris – 56 years old (1969) – Singer-songwriter, producer and actress
Jay-Z – 56 years old (1969) – Rapper, producer, actor, and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records
Kevin Sussman – 55 years old (1970) – Actor and comedian
Shannon Briggs – 54 years old (1971) – Boxer and actor
Tyra Banks – 52 years old (1973) – Model, actress, and producer
Mina Caputo – 52 years old (1973) – Singer-songwriter and keyboard player
Corliss Williamson – 52 years old (1973) – Basketball player and coach
Betty Lennox – 49 years old (1976) – Basketball player
Darvis Patton – 48 years old (1977) – Sprinter
Ysabella Brave – 46 years old (1979) – Singer-songwriter
Jay DeMerit – 46 years old (1979) – Soccer player
Brian Cook – 45 years old (1980) – Basketball player
Lindsay Felton – 41 years old (1984) – Actress
Jelly Roll – 41 years old (1984) – Singer and rapper
Joe Thomas – 41 years old (1984) – Football player
Andrew Brackman – 40 years old (1985) – Baseball player
Martell Webster – 39 years old (1986) – Basketball player
Orlando Brown – 38 years old (1987) – Actor and rapper
André Roberson – 34 years old (1991) – Basketball player
Max Holloway – 34 years old (1991) – Mixed martial artist
Reality Winner – 34 years old (1991) – Intelligence specialist convicted of espionage
Joe Musgrove – 33 years old (1992) – Baseball player
Blake Snell – 33 years old (1992) – Baseball player
Jackson Holliday – 22 years old (2003) – Baseball player
TODAY IS:
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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.
