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:
1799 – Eliakim Spooner patented the seeding machine.
1858 – Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was presented for the first time at the wedding of the daughter of Queen Victoria and the Crown Prince of Prussia.
1866 – Davenport University began classes (it began as Grand Rapids Business College) in Grand Rapids, MI. There were 16 students.
1870 – G.D. Dows patented the ornamental soda fountain.
1881 – Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and others signed an agreement to organize the Oriental Telephone Company.
1890 – The United Mine Workers of America was founded.
1915 – In New York, NY, Alexander Graham Bell spoke to his assistant in San Francisco, CA, inaugurating the first transcontinental telephone service.
1922 – Chocolate covered ice cream on a stick was patented. Originally called the “I-Scream Bar”, it later became the “Eskimo Pie”.
1924 – The first Winter Olympic Games began in Chamonix in the French Alps. The only U.S. gold medal is won by Charles Jewtraw, who finished first in the men’s 500 meter speed skating competition. The five original sports were: bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, and skating.
1937 – NBC radio presented the first broadcast of “The Guiding Light” from Chicago, IL. The show remained on radio until 1956 and began on CBS-TV in 1952. It remained on TV until September 18, 2009.
1939 – Filming began on the movie “Gone With the Wind”.
1945 – Grand Rapids, MI, became the first city to add fluoride to public drinking water.
1947 – Thomas Goldsmith Jr. filed a patent for a “Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device”, the first ever electronic game.
1949 – The first Emmys were presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.
1959 – American Airlines had the first scheduled transcontinental flight of a Boeing 707.
1961 – Walt Disney released the animated film “101 Dalmatians”.
1961 – John F. Kennedy presented the first live Presidential news conference from Washington, DC. The event was carried on radio and television.
1964 – Blue Ribbon Sports was founded. The company changed its name to Nike in 1971.
1971 – Charles Manson and three of his female followers were convicted of seven 1969 murders.
1980 – The Black Entertainment Television cable channel was launched.
1981 – The 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived back in the United States and were reunited with their families.
1987 – The New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI on NBC. The game featured TV commercials costing $550,000 for 30 seconds.
1994 – Michael Jackson reached an out of court settlement with the family of a 13 year old boy he was accused of molesting.
1995 – Johnnie Cochran made his opening statement for the defense at the O.J. Simpson trial.
1998 – The Denver Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos had lost 3 previous Super Bowl appearances with quarterback John Elway.
1999 – In Louisville, KY, a man received the first hand transplant in the United States.
2004 – The second Mars rover, the Opportunity (MER-B), landed on the red planet and sent pictures back to Earth. Opportunity has continued to move, gather scientific observations, and report back to Earth for over 50 times its designed lifespan. As of January, 2017, the rover had traveled over 27 miles on the surface of Mars.
2005 – The first winner of the reality television show “Survivor”, Richard Hatch, was arraigned in Providence, RI, on tax evasion charges.
2006 – “Survivor” winner Richard Hatch was found guilty of tax evasion in Rhode Island.
2010 – In Arlington, TX, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame had its grand opening.
2010 – The band KISS rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
BIRTHDAYS:
Leigh Taylor-Young – 79 years old (1945) – Actress (“Soylent Green”, TV’s “Passions”, “Sunset Beach”, “Picket Fences”, “Dallas”, “Peyton Place”)
Andy Cox – 68 years old (1956) – Guitarist (Fine Young Cannibals)
Dinah Manoff – 68 years old (1956) – Actress (TV’s “Empty Nest”, “Soap”)
China Kantner – 53 years old (1971) – Former MTV VJ
Mia Kirshner – 49 years old (1975) – Actress (TV’s “The L Word”, “24”)
Christine Lakin – 45 years old (1979) – Actress (TV’s “Step by Step”, “Reefer Madness”)
Alicia Keys – 43 years old (1981) – Singer, actress (“The Secret Life of Bees”, “The Nanny Diaries”, “Smokin’ Aces”)
TODAY IS:
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.
