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:
1849 – A new fort constructed in Detroit was named Fort Wayne, in honor of the late General “Mad” Anthony Wayne, whose victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 eliminate the threat of an alliance of Indian tribes in the Northwest Territory.
1865 – General Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate armies.
1865 – Congress passed the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. The vote in the House was 212 to 24.
1876 – All Native American Indians were ordered to move into reservations.
1893 – The trademark “Coca-Cola” was first registered in the United States Patent Office.
1930 – Richard Dew invented a transparent tape he called Scotch Cellulose Tape. Today we call it Scotch Tape.
1930 – U.S. Navy Lt. Ralph S. Barnaby became the first glider pilot to have his craft released from a dirigible (a large blimp) at Lakehurst, NJ.
1934 – Jim Londos defeated Joe Savoldi in a one-fall match in Chicago, IL. The crowd of 20,000 was one of the largest crowds to see a wrestling match.
1936 – The radio show “The Green Hornet” debuted on WXYZ radio in Detroit. The character was created by Fran Striker (an possible the radio station owner, George W. Trendle).
1940 – The first Social Security check was issued by the U.S. government.
1949 – The first TV soap opera, “These Are My Children”, was broadcast from the NBC station in Chicago, IL.
1950 – President Harry Truman announced that he had ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.
1958 – Explorer I, the first manmade Earth satellite, was put into orbit.
1961 – Ham the Chimp traveled into outer space on the Mercury-Redstone 2.
1971 – Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highland on the Moon.
1983 – Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album was certified platinum — the first of many such awards.
1983 – J.C. Penney announced plans to spend in excess of $1 billion over the next five years to modernize stores and to accelerate a rebranding program.
1985 – The final Jeep rolled off the assembly line at the AMC plant in Toledo, OH.
1988 – The TV show “The Wonder Years”, starring Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold, premiered on ABC. It would run until May, 1993.
1989 – LaToya Jackson’s Playboy pictorial hit newsstands.
1990 – McDonald’s Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow, Russia.
1993 – Michael Jackson performed during halftime at Super Bowl 27.
1995 – President Bill Clinton authorized a $20 billion loan to Mexico to stabilize their economy.
1999 – The animated series “Family Guy” premiered on FOX.
2000 – John Rocker, of the Atlanta Braves, was suspended from major league baseball for disparaging foreigners, homosexuals and minorities in a “Sports Illustrated” interview.
2001 – It was announced that Peter Criss was leaving the band KISS and that he would be replaced by Eric Singer for the remainder of dates of the farewell tour. Criss’ last show was on October 7, 2000.
2005 – Jury selection began in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial.
2005 – Keanu Reeves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2010 – The movie “Avatar” became the first film to gross over $2 billion worldwide.
2018 – Both a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse occur.
2023 – The last Boeing 747, the first wide-body airliner, was delivered.
2025 – Med Jets Flight 056 crashed near Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, PA, killing 7 people and injuring 19.
BIRTHDAYS:
Philip Glass – 89 years old (1937) – Composer
Lynn Carlin – 88 years old (1938) – Actress
Dick Gephardt – 85 years old (1941) – Lawyer and politician
Charlie Musselwhite – 82 years old (1944) – Musician and singer-songwriter
Joseph Kosuth – 81 years old (1945) – Sculptor and theorist
Jonathan Banks – 79 years old (1947) – Actor
Nolan Ryan – 79 years old (1947) – Baseball player
Glynn Turman – 79 years old (1947) – Actor
Ken Wilber – 77 years old (1949) – Sociologist, philosopher, and author
Denise Fleming – 76 years old (1950) – Author and illustrator
Harry Wayne Casey – 75 years old (1951) – Singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
Shirley Babashoff – 69 years old (1957) – Swimmer
Kelly Lynch – 67 years old (1959) – Model and actress
Gwen Graham – 63 years old (1963) – Lawyer and politician
Martha MacCallum – 62 years old (1964) – Journalist
Dawn Prince-Hughes – 62 years old (1964) – Scientist
Peter Sagal – 61 years old (1965) – Author and radio host
Fat Mike – 59 years old (1967) – Singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
Dov Charney – 57 years old (1969) – Canadian-American fashion designer and businessman, founded American Apparel
Daniel Moder – 57 years old (1969) – Cinematographer
Portia de Rossi – 53 years old (1973) – Australian-American actress
Othella Harrington – 52 years old (1974) – Basketball player and coach
Buddy Rice – 50 years old (1976) – Racing driver
Bobby Moynihan – 49 years old (1977) – Actor and comedian
Kerry Washington – 49 years old (1977) – Actress
James Adomian – 46 years old (1980) – Comedian, actor, and screenwriter
Justin Timberlake – 45 years old (1981) – Singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
Vernon Davis – 42 years old (1984) – Football player
Walter Dix – 40 years old (1986) – Sprinter
Megan Ellison – 40 years old (1986) – Film producer, founded Annapurna Pictures
Marcus Mumford – 39 years old (1987) – American-English singer-songwriter
Tommy La Stella – 37 years old (1989) – Baseball player
Joel Courtney – 30 years old (1996) – Actor
Nikita Dragun – 30 years old (1996) – YouTuber
Donte DiVincenzo – 29 years old (1997) – Basketball player
Jalen McDaniels – 28 years old (1998) – Basketball 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.
