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23rd day of 2011 - 342 remaining
Sunday, January 23, 2011
JOHN HANCOCK DAY
John Hancock, statesman and patriot, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1737. Although major sources state that John Hancock was born on January 12 of that year, others were so sure his birthday was on January 23 that it was designated as National Handwriting Day in his honor. In 1985, the National Writing Instrument Manufacturer’s Association set this day to promote legible handwriting. The Association selected the day they believed to be John Hancock’s birthday.
Mr. Hancock, as the President of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777, was the first to put his signature on the Declaration of Independence. Hancock reportedly said, “I’ll sign it in letters bold enough so the King of England can see it without his spectacles on!” And he did. We still refer to this momentous event whenever we sign a document, “I’ll put my John Hancock on it.”
Hancock first gained fame as a patriot when one of his ships, Liberty, landed in Boston with a cargo of wine. The crew, having locked the British customs officer in a cabin, unloaded the wine without paying duty. The British seized the ship and filed suit against Hancock. Colonists rioted, the British sent troops to quell the disturbance. Hancock won the suit and became very popular with the colonists and extremely unpopular with the British. Seven years later, he again escaped the wrath of the British when Paul Revere heralded the red coats’ arrival. John Hancock later became the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a position he held until his death in 1793.
His signing of the Declaration of Independence was not only bold and legible; it was a commentary on Hancock’s political position.
Events January 23
1789 - Georgetown College was established as the first Catholic college in the United States. The school is in Washington, DC.
1907 - Charles Curtis of Kansas began serving in the United States Senate. He was the first American Indian to become a U.S. Senator. He resigned in March of 1929 to become President Herbert Hoover’s Vice President.
1941 - Lady in the Dark premiered. It was the first of 162 performances. The show’s star, Danny Kaye, gained popularity as a result of his appearance in the play.
1941 - Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded Moonglow on Victor Records. In the band were such sidemen as Johnny Guarnieri, Jack Jenney, Billy Butterfield and Ray Conniff (on trombone).
1943 - Duke Ellington and the band played for a black-tie crowd at Carnegie Hall in New York City. It was the first of what was to become an annual series of concerts featuring the the Duke.
1943 - The British, under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, captured Tripoli, Libya.
1956 - ‘Citizen’ Harry Truman, who had just wound up his tenure as president of the United States, was pictured on the cover of LIFE magazine.
1960 - Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh in the U.S. Navy bathyscaphe Trieste dived to a record depth of 10,916 meters (35,810 feet) to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
1964 - The Milwaukee Braves’ legendary pitcher, Warren Spahn, signed a contract worth $85,000, making him the highest paid pitcher in baseball.
1968 - North Korea seized the U.S. Navy ship USS Pueblo, charging it had intruded North Korean territorial waters on a spying mission. One crew member was killed in the takeover. The other 82 crewmen, including Commander Lloyd M. Bucher, were released 11 months later after the United States signed an apology that it branded false.
1971 - It was a cold day in Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was reported as the mercury fell to a minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Our teeth chatter and the car battery dies at the mere thought of it...
1973 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon announced an agreement with Hanoi intended to bring an end to the Vietnam War.
1974 - Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells opened the credits of the movie, The Exorcist, based on the book by William Peter Blatty. The song received a gold record this day. Mr. Oldfield was a bit surprised when he cracked open the wooden frame and removed the gold-plated disk. When he put it on his stereo, the record went around the OTHER way all by itself and the only sound he heard was that of Linda Blair throwing up pea soup. Yeeeech! We heard that the flip side was Sympathy for the Devil, by the Rolling Stones, but we’re not sure. We were too scared to find out.
1975 - Barney Miller made his debut on ABC-TV. We saw life in the 12th Precinct as Hal Linden starred as Barney and Abe Vagoda played Fish. The talented cast made the show a hit for eight seasons. There are 170 episodes in the series; making it one of television’s most durable comedies.
1977 - Carole King’s landmark album, Tapestry, became the longest-running album to hit the charts, as it reached its 302nd week on the album lists.
1983 - One of television’s most intellectual, sophisticated and classy shows came into American homes. It was full of action and drama and starred some guy named Mr. T, wearing a ton of gold jewelry. He played the not so mild-mannered Sgt. Bosco B.A. Baracus, and George Peppard took the lead role as John Hannibal Smith. Yes, The A-Team debuted. Speak kindly of the show or Mr. T. will rip your face off, sucka!
1985 - O.J. Simpson became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to pro football’s Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. Roger Staubach of the Dallas Cowboys, another Heisman winner, was also elected; but ‘the Juice’ went in first because his name comes before Staubach’s, alphabetically.
1986 - Ten performers, including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Fats Domino, were the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other performers honored at the ceremony in New York were Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, James Brown, the Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis. Three of rock music’s forefathers, blues singer Robert Johnson, country and western singer Jimmie Rodgers and blues pianist Jimmy Yancey, were also inducted.
1989 - Surrealist artist Salvador Dali died in his native Spain. He was 84 years old. Dali’s work included two surrealist films made with Luis Bunuel, Un Chien Andalou and L’Age d’Or.
1991 - The first full season of Seinfeld debuted -- on NBC-TV.
1993 - Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the father of gospel music, died in Chicago. He was 93 years old. Dorsey was one of gospel music’s most important composers, writing such classics as "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". His music publishing company, formed in 1930, was the leader in publishing gospel songs.
1994 - The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up the NFC championship and the Buffalo Bills won the prize in the AFC -- setting up their rematch in Super Bowl XXVIII.
1995 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled (McKennon v. Nashville Banner Publishing Co.) that companies who have fired employees illegally can not escape liability by later finding a lawful reason to justify the termination.
1996 - Delivering his State of the Union address to a skeptical Republican Congress, President Bill Clinton traced the themes of his re-election campaign and confronted GOP lawmakers on the budget, warning that they “never, ever” shut down the U.S. government again.
1997 - The Swiss government, three banks and some businesses agreed to set up a private sector humanitarian fund for Nazi Holocaust victims and their heirs. Reportedly, the neutral Swiss profited from millions of dollars worth of gold deposited some fifty years earlier by victims of the Holocaust. It seems that the gold was also used to make deals with the Nazis.
1997 - Madeleine Albright was sworn into office, becoming to the 64th U.S. Secretary of State. Albright was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State.
1998 - Nine students and two adult guides were killed after an avalanche swept away a group trekking in the snow near the ski resort of Les Orres in the southern French Alps. 23 others were injured, six seriously. The trekkers were hit by a fast-moving, 1,000-foot wall of snow, which was triggered by people skiing further up the mountain.
1998 - These films debuted in the U.S.: Slappy and the Stinkers, starring B.D. Wong, Bronson Pinchot, Jennifer Coolidge, Joseph Ashton, Gary LeRoi Gray, Carl Michael Lindner, Scarlett Pomers, Travis Tedford, David Dukes, Spencer Klein, Sam McMurray, Terry Urdang, Bodhi Elfman, Terri Garber and Rick Lawless; Spice World, with Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Addams, Richard E. Grant, Claire Rushbrook, Alan Cumming, Roger Moore, George Wendt, Meat Loaf, Naoko Mori and Richard O’Brien; and Swept from the Sea, starring Vincent Perez, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Ian Mckellen, Joss Ackland, Zoe Wanamaker and Tom Bell.
1999 - Jay Pritzker, founder of the Hyatt hotel chain, died at age 76. Pritzker was listed as the 20th richest man in America in 1998.
2000 - At the 57th annual Golden Globe Awards American Beauty won the best dramatic film category, Toy Story 2 won for best musical or comedy, and The Sopranos won for best dramatic TV series.
2000 - The Tennessee Titans advanced to Super Bowl XXXIV by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-to-14 in the AFC Championship game. The St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-to-6 to win the NFC Championship.
2000 - NFL star Derrick Thomas was injured when the sport utility vehicle he was driving overturned on an icy road in Missouri; Thomas died Feb 8th. The crash also claimed the life of Thomas’ friend, Michael Tellis.
2001 - California’s electricity crisis prompted energy officials to scramble to come up with emergency power. Rush-hour blackouts loomed as lawmakers tried to make long-term deals to buy more juice.
2002 - Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign; he was later murdered.
2002 - Enron CEO Kenneth Lay resigned under great pressure.
2003 - Actress Nell Carter died in Beverly Hills, CA. She was 54 years old.
2004 - Opening in U.S. movie houses: The Butterfly Effect, starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, Elden Henson, Ethan Suplee, Melora Walters, John Patrick Amedori, Cameron Crigger, Irene Gorovaia, Brandy Heidrick, Jesse James, Callum Keith Rennie, Kevin Schmidt and William Lee Scott; Dirt, with Trace Fraim, Michael Covert, Tara chocol, Jack Kehler, Leland Crooke, Bethany ‘Rose’ Hill, Michael Horse, Luke Perry, Don Riley, Olivia Rosewood, Jennifer Tilly and Patrick Warburton; and Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!, starring Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Topher Grace, Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, Ginnifer Goodwin and Gary Cole.
2004 - Bob Keeshan, who entertained and educated generations of children as TV’s walrus-mustachioed Captain Kangaroo, died at 76 years of age. Keeshan’s Captain Kangaroo debuted on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public TV for six more.
2005 - Travel was slowed to a crawl at best across wide areas of the Northeast U.S. and Canada as a huge snowstorm whipped up blizzard conditions. Winds gusting to 60 mph, made highways treacherous, forcing cancellation of hundreds of airline flights and slowing trains.
2005 - Johnny Carson, 30-year host of the Tonight Show, died at 79 years of age. His death was blamed on complications from emphysema. Carson, the “King of Late Night TV,” succeeded Jack Paar as host of the NBC late show on Oct 2, 1962. Carson reigned until May 22, 1992 -- 4,531 shows in all.
2006 - An archeological expedition from Johns Hopkins University uncovered a statue of Queen Tiye, wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten. at Karnak’s Mut Temple in Luxor, Egypt. The team stumbled upon the statue while brushing sand off the temple’s second hall.
2006 - Ford Motor Company announced plans to close 14 assempbly plants and cut up to 30,000 jobs -- 25% of its workforce -- by 2012.
2006 - A five-story building in Nairobi, Kenya, collapsed, killing eleven people and burying dozens more. Rescuers used their bare hands to dig through the rubble. 100 people were admitted to local hospitals.
2007 - Spy, Nixon-administration ‘plumber’, author E. Howard Hunt died in Florida at 88 years of age. Hunt, along with G. Gordon Liddy, engineered the 1972 Watergate break-in and was convicted of burglary, conspiracy, and wiretapping. He served 33 months in prison for those crimes.
2007 - U.S. customs rules went into effect requiring passports for air travelers who are citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, as well as U.S. citizens returning home by air from any country including Canada, Mexico and Caribbean nations.
2008 - Bechtel Corp. and Parsons Brinckerhoff, partners in Boston’s Big Dig, agreed to pay $407 million to settle a government lawsuit over a 2006 tunnel collapse that killed a woman.
2009 - Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans opened in the U.S. The fantasy horror thriller stars Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy and Rhona Mitra.
2009 - The British economy was officially declared to be in recession. The economic crisis had driven down the value of the British pound to a 23-year low.
2009 - Japan’s space agency (JAXA) launched Ibuki (breath), the first satellite dedicated to monitoring carbon dioxide emissions. The plan was to gather information on climate change and help the country compete in the lucrative satellite-launching business.
2010 - Les 7 jours du talion (7 Days) opened in U.S. theatres. The thriller stars Claude Legault and Remy Girard.
2010 - The U.S. Marine Corps ended its nearly seven-year presence in Iraq, handing over military duties to the U.S. Army and signaling the beginning of an accelerated withdrawal of American troops as the U.S. turned its focus away from the waning Iraq war to a growing war in Afghanistan.
2010 - President Barack Obama said he could not imagine “anything more devastating to the public interest” than the Jan 21, 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision to ease limits on campaign spending by corporations and labor unions.
Birthdays January 23
1737 - John Hancock
statesman and patriot; died Oct 8, 1793; see John Hancock Day [above]
1832 - Edouard Manet
artist: leader of the impressionist movement; died Apr 30, 1883
1855 - John Moses Browning
inventor: small arms and automatic weapons; best known for his Browning automatic rifle
1898 - Randolph Scott
(Crane) actor: Last of the Mohicans, The Nevadan, Ride the High Country, To the Shores of Tripoli, Man in the Saddle, Go West Young Man, Bombardier; died Mar 2, 1987
1899 - Humphrey (DeForest) Bogart
Academy Award-winning actor: The African Queen [1951]; The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Caine Mutiny, The Barefoot Contessa, Tokyo Joe, Key Largo, Action in the North Atlantic, High Sierra [over 50 films]; died Jan 14, 1957
1900 - David Hand
film animator: Bambi, Victory Through Air Power, The Wayward Canary, Mickey’s Nightmare, The Bird Store, The Beach Party; died Oct 11, 1986
1907 - Dan Duryea
actor: The Flight of the Phoenix, Five Golden Dragons; died June 7, 1968
1915 - Potter Stewart
Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court [1958-1981]; died Dec 7, 1985
1916 - David Douglas Duncan
photojournalist; author: The World of Allah, Viva Picasso, This Is War! : A Photo Narrative of the Korean War, Picasso Paints a Portrait, Great treasures of the Kremlin
1916 - Sol Price
founder of FedMart and Price Club [since merged into Costco]; he was considered to be a pioneer of the ‘warehouse store’ retail model; died Dec 14, 2009
1919 - Ernie Kovacs
comedian: The Ernie Kovacs Show; actor: Bell Book and Candle, North to Alaska; killed in car crash Jan 13, 1962
1920 - Ray Abrams
jazz/be-bop tenor saxophonist
1925 - Marty Paich
pianist, composer, arranger with/for: Peggy Lee, Shorty Rogers’ Giants, Dorothy Dandridge, Shelley Manne, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, DAVE Pell, Mel Torme, Ray Brown, Anita O’Day, Stan Kenton, Terry Gibbs, Ella Fitzgerald, and Buddy Rich; died Aug 12, 1995
1928 - Ken Errair
singer, musician: group: The Four Freshmen
1928 - Jeanne Moreau
actress: The Summer House, La Femme Nikita, The Last Tycoon, The Bride Wore Black, Jules et Jim, Viva Maria, Dangerous Liaisons
1933 - Chita Rivera (Conchita del Rivero)
singer, dancer, actress: Sweet Charity, Pippin, Mayflower Madam
1934 - Joey (John Joseph) Amalfitano
baseball: NY Giants, SF Giants, Houston Colt .45’s, Chicago Cubs; manager: Chicago Cubs
1934 - Lou Antonio
actor, director: Mayflower Madam, A Real American Hero, A Taste for Killing
1936 - Jerry Kramer
football: Green Bay Packers guard: Super Bowl I, II
1938 - Eugene Church
singer: How Long
1943 - Gary Burton
jazz bandleader, composer, musician: piano, vibraphone
1943 - Gil Gerard
actor: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Sidekicks, Hooch, Soldier’s Fortune
1944 - Sergei Belov
Basketball Hall of Famer: 4-time Olympian; called the Jerry West of Russia
1944 - Rutger Hauer
actor: Lady Hawke, Nighthawks, Blade Runner, Beyond Justice, Forbidden Choices
1948 - Anita Pointer
singer: group: The Pointer Sisters: Fairy Tale, Fire, He’s So Shy, Slow Hand, Jump [For My Love], Automatic, Neutron Dance, I’m So Excited, Dare Me
1948 - Patrick Simmons
singer, musician: guitar: group: The Doobie Brothers: Listen to the Music, Black Water, What a Fool Believes, Real Love; solo: So Wrong
1950 - Richard Dean Anderson
actor: Legend, MacGyver, Emerald Point N.A.S., Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, General Hospital, Stargate SG-1
1950 - Bill Cunningham
musician: bass, piano: group: The Box Tops: The Letter, Cry like a Baby, Soul Deep, Big Star
1950 - Richard Gilliland
actor: Audrey’s Rain, Star Kid, The Man Next Door, The West Side Waltz, Just My Imagination, Police Story: Monster Manor
1951 - Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger
US Airways hero pilot: landed his Airbus A320 on the Hudson River off Manhattan, New York City on Jan 15, 2009; his flying expertise is credited with saving the lives of all 115 people on the aircraft
1953 - Pat Haden
football: Los Angeles Rams; sportscaster
1953 - Robin Zander
singer: group: Cheap Trick: I Want You to Want Me, Voices, Ain’t That a Shame, Southern Girls, Stop the Game, Dream Police, If You Want My Love, Tonight It’s You, Surrender
1957 - Princess Caroline of Monaco
royalty: daughter of Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco
1957 - Earl Falconer
musician: bass, singer:, group: UB40: Food for Thought, Here I Am [Come and Take Me], If It Happens Again, Red Red Wine, Don’t Break My Heart, Bring Me Your Cup, Sing Our Own Song, One in Ten, Red, Red Wine, Kingston Town
1961 - Trey Junkin
football: Louisiana Tech; NFL: Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, LA/Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals
1963 - Gail O’Grady
actress: N.Y.P.D. Blue, Monk, Boston Legal, American Dreams
1964 - Frank Winters
football: Western Illinois Univ; NFL: Cleveland Browns, KC Chiefs, GB Packers
1966 - Haywoode Workman
basketball: Winston-Salem State Univ, Oral Roberts Univ; Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors
1969 - Brendan Shanahan
hockey: NJ Devils, SL Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings
1970 - Alan Embree
baseball [pitcher]: Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, SF Giants, Chicago White Sox, SD Padres, Boston Red Sox
1970 - Richard Smehlik
hockey: Buffalo Sabres, NJ Devils, Atlanta Thrashers
1970 - Mark Wohlers
baseball [pitcher]: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, NY Yankees, Cleveland Indians
1971 - Kevin Mawae
football: Louisiana State; NFL: Seattle Seahawks, NY Jets
1974 - Joel Bouchard
hockey: Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, NJ Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers
1974 - Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
actress: Beverly Hills 90210, Saved by the Bell, Son in Law
1976 - Brandon Duckworth
baseball [pitcher]: Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals
1978 - Martin Sonnenberg
hockey [left wing]: NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames
1979 - Larry Hughes
basketball [guard]: Univ of St. Louis; NBA: Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavalier
1982 - Geoffrey Wigdor
actor: In Dream, Sleepers, It Runs in the Family, Loving, One Life to Live, The Guiding Light
Chart Toppers January 23
1944My Heart Tells Me - The Glen Gray Orchestra (vocal: Eugenie Baird)
Shoo, Shoo, Baby - The Andrews Sisters
Besame Mucho - The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Bob Eberly & Kitty Kallen
Pistol Packin’ Mama - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
1953Why Don’t You Believe Me - Joni James
Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como
Keep It a Secret - Jo Stafford
I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive - Hank Williams
1962The Twist - Chubby Checker
Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
Can’t Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley
Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke
1971Knock Three Times - Dawn
Lonely Days - Bee Gees
Stoney End - Barbra Streisand
Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
1980Rock with You - Michael Jackson
Do that to Me One More Time - The Captain & Tennille
Coward of the County - Kenny Rogers
I’ll Be Coming Back for More - T.G. Sheppard
1989Two Hearts - Phil Collins
Don’t Rush Me - Taylor Dayne
Armageddon It - Def Leppard
She’s Crazy for Leavin’ - Rodney Crowell
1998Together Again - Janet Jackson
Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden
My Love Is the Shhh! - Somethin’ For The People
Just to See You Smile - Tim McGraw
2007Irreplaceable - Beyoncé
Fergalicious - Fergie
I Wanna Love You - Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
She’s Everything - Brad Paisley
Chart Topper January 23rd, 1962...
Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
View attachment 9793
Sunday, January 23, 2011
JOHN HANCOCK DAY
John Hancock, statesman and patriot, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1737. Although major sources state that John Hancock was born on January 12 of that year, others were so sure his birthday was on January 23 that it was designated as National Handwriting Day in his honor. In 1985, the National Writing Instrument Manufacturer’s Association set this day to promote legible handwriting. The Association selected the day they believed to be John Hancock’s birthday.
Mr. Hancock, as the President of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777, was the first to put his signature on the Declaration of Independence. Hancock reportedly said, “I’ll sign it in letters bold enough so the King of England can see it without his spectacles on!” And he did. We still refer to this momentous event whenever we sign a document, “I’ll put my John Hancock on it.”
Hancock first gained fame as a patriot when one of his ships, Liberty, landed in Boston with a cargo of wine. The crew, having locked the British customs officer in a cabin, unloaded the wine without paying duty. The British seized the ship and filed suit against Hancock. Colonists rioted, the British sent troops to quell the disturbance. Hancock won the suit and became very popular with the colonists and extremely unpopular with the British. Seven years later, he again escaped the wrath of the British when Paul Revere heralded the red coats’ arrival. John Hancock later became the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a position he held until his death in 1793.
His signing of the Declaration of Independence was not only bold and legible; it was a commentary on Hancock’s political position.
Events January 23
1789 - Georgetown College was established as the first Catholic college in the United States. The school is in Washington, DC.
1907 - Charles Curtis of Kansas began serving in the United States Senate. He was the first American Indian to become a U.S. Senator. He resigned in March of 1929 to become President Herbert Hoover’s Vice President.
1941 - Lady in the Dark premiered. It was the first of 162 performances. The show’s star, Danny Kaye, gained popularity as a result of his appearance in the play.
1941 - Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded Moonglow on Victor Records. In the band were such sidemen as Johnny Guarnieri, Jack Jenney, Billy Butterfield and Ray Conniff (on trombone).
1943 - Duke Ellington and the band played for a black-tie crowd at Carnegie Hall in New York City. It was the first of what was to become an annual series of concerts featuring the the Duke.
1943 - The British, under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, captured Tripoli, Libya.
1956 - ‘Citizen’ Harry Truman, who had just wound up his tenure as president of the United States, was pictured on the cover of LIFE magazine.
1960 - Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh in the U.S. Navy bathyscaphe Trieste dived to a record depth of 10,916 meters (35,810 feet) to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
1964 - The Milwaukee Braves’ legendary pitcher, Warren Spahn, signed a contract worth $85,000, making him the highest paid pitcher in baseball.
1968 - North Korea seized the U.S. Navy ship USS Pueblo, charging it had intruded North Korean territorial waters on a spying mission. One crew member was killed in the takeover. The other 82 crewmen, including Commander Lloyd M. Bucher, were released 11 months later after the United States signed an apology that it branded false.
1971 - It was a cold day in Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was reported as the mercury fell to a minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Our teeth chatter and the car battery dies at the mere thought of it...
1973 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon announced an agreement with Hanoi intended to bring an end to the Vietnam War.
1974 - Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells opened the credits of the movie, The Exorcist, based on the book by William Peter Blatty. The song received a gold record this day. Mr. Oldfield was a bit surprised when he cracked open the wooden frame and removed the gold-plated disk. When he put it on his stereo, the record went around the OTHER way all by itself and the only sound he heard was that of Linda Blair throwing up pea soup. Yeeeech! We heard that the flip side was Sympathy for the Devil, by the Rolling Stones, but we’re not sure. We were too scared to find out.
1975 - Barney Miller made his debut on ABC-TV. We saw life in the 12th Precinct as Hal Linden starred as Barney and Abe Vagoda played Fish. The talented cast made the show a hit for eight seasons. There are 170 episodes in the series; making it one of television’s most durable comedies.
1977 - Carole King’s landmark album, Tapestry, became the longest-running album to hit the charts, as it reached its 302nd week on the album lists.
1983 - One of television’s most intellectual, sophisticated and classy shows came into American homes. It was full of action and drama and starred some guy named Mr. T, wearing a ton of gold jewelry. He played the not so mild-mannered Sgt. Bosco B.A. Baracus, and George Peppard took the lead role as John Hannibal Smith. Yes, The A-Team debuted. Speak kindly of the show or Mr. T. will rip your face off, sucka!
1985 - O.J. Simpson became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to pro football’s Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. Roger Staubach of the Dallas Cowboys, another Heisman winner, was also elected; but ‘the Juice’ went in first because his name comes before Staubach’s, alphabetically.
1986 - Ten performers, including Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Fats Domino, were the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other performers honored at the ceremony in New York were Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, James Brown, the Everly Brothers and Jerry Lee Lewis. Three of rock music’s forefathers, blues singer Robert Johnson, country and western singer Jimmie Rodgers and blues pianist Jimmy Yancey, were also inducted.
1989 - Surrealist artist Salvador Dali died in his native Spain. He was 84 years old. Dali’s work included two surrealist films made with Luis Bunuel, Un Chien Andalou and L’Age d’Or.
1991 - The first full season of Seinfeld debuted -- on NBC-TV.
1993 - Thomas A. Dorsey, known as the father of gospel music, died in Chicago. He was 93 years old. Dorsey was one of gospel music’s most important composers, writing such classics as "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" and "Peace in the Valley". His music publishing company, formed in 1930, was the leader in publishing gospel songs.
1994 - The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up the NFC championship and the Buffalo Bills won the prize in the AFC -- setting up their rematch in Super Bowl XXVIII.
1995 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled (McKennon v. Nashville Banner Publishing Co.) that companies who have fired employees illegally can not escape liability by later finding a lawful reason to justify the termination.
1996 - Delivering his State of the Union address to a skeptical Republican Congress, President Bill Clinton traced the themes of his re-election campaign and confronted GOP lawmakers on the budget, warning that they “never, ever” shut down the U.S. government again.
1997 - The Swiss government, three banks and some businesses agreed to set up a private sector humanitarian fund for Nazi Holocaust victims and their heirs. Reportedly, the neutral Swiss profited from millions of dollars worth of gold deposited some fifty years earlier by victims of the Holocaust. It seems that the gold was also used to make deals with the Nazis.
1997 - Madeleine Albright was sworn into office, becoming to the 64th U.S. Secretary of State. Albright was the first woman to serve as Secretary of State.
1998 - Nine students and two adult guides were killed after an avalanche swept away a group trekking in the snow near the ski resort of Les Orres in the southern French Alps. 23 others were injured, six seriously. The trekkers were hit by a fast-moving, 1,000-foot wall of snow, which was triggered by people skiing further up the mountain.
1998 - These films debuted in the U.S.: Slappy and the Stinkers, starring B.D. Wong, Bronson Pinchot, Jennifer Coolidge, Joseph Ashton, Gary LeRoi Gray, Carl Michael Lindner, Scarlett Pomers, Travis Tedford, David Dukes, Spencer Klein, Sam McMurray, Terry Urdang, Bodhi Elfman, Terri Garber and Rick Lawless; Spice World, with Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Addams, Richard E. Grant, Claire Rushbrook, Alan Cumming, Roger Moore, George Wendt, Meat Loaf, Naoko Mori and Richard O’Brien; and Swept from the Sea, starring Vincent Perez, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, Ian Mckellen, Joss Ackland, Zoe Wanamaker and Tom Bell.
1999 - Jay Pritzker, founder of the Hyatt hotel chain, died at age 76. Pritzker was listed as the 20th richest man in America in 1998.
2000 - At the 57th annual Golden Globe Awards American Beauty won the best dramatic film category, Toy Story 2 won for best musical or comedy, and The Sopranos won for best dramatic TV series.
2000 - The Tennessee Titans advanced to Super Bowl XXXIV by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-to-14 in the AFC Championship game. The St. Louis Rams defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-to-6 to win the NFC Championship.
2000 - NFL star Derrick Thomas was injured when the sport utility vehicle he was driving overturned on an icy road in Missouri; Thomas died Feb 8th. The crash also claimed the life of Thomas’ friend, Michael Tellis.
2001 - California’s electricity crisis prompted energy officials to scramble to come up with emergency power. Rush-hour blackouts loomed as lawmakers tried to make long-term deals to buy more juice.
2002 - Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was abducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by a group demanding the return of prisoners from the Afghan campaign; he was later murdered.
2002 - Enron CEO Kenneth Lay resigned under great pressure.
2003 - Actress Nell Carter died in Beverly Hills, CA. She was 54 years old.
2004 - Opening in U.S. movie houses: The Butterfly Effect, starring Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, Elden Henson, Ethan Suplee, Melora Walters, John Patrick Amedori, Cameron Crigger, Irene Gorovaia, Brandy Heidrick, Jesse James, Callum Keith Rennie, Kevin Schmidt and William Lee Scott; Dirt, with Trace Fraim, Michael Covert, Tara chocol, Jack Kehler, Leland Crooke, Bethany ‘Rose’ Hill, Michael Horse, Luke Perry, Don Riley, Olivia Rosewood, Jennifer Tilly and Patrick Warburton; and Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!, starring Kate Bosworth, Josh Duhamel, Topher Grace, Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, Ginnifer Goodwin and Gary Cole.
2004 - Bob Keeshan, who entertained and educated generations of children as TV’s walrus-mustachioed Captain Kangaroo, died at 76 years of age. Keeshan’s Captain Kangaroo debuted on CBS in 1955 and ran for 30 years before moving to public TV for six more.
2005 - Travel was slowed to a crawl at best across wide areas of the Northeast U.S. and Canada as a huge snowstorm whipped up blizzard conditions. Winds gusting to 60 mph, made highways treacherous, forcing cancellation of hundreds of airline flights and slowing trains.
2005 - Johnny Carson, 30-year host of the Tonight Show, died at 79 years of age. His death was blamed on complications from emphysema. Carson, the “King of Late Night TV,” succeeded Jack Paar as host of the NBC late show on Oct 2, 1962. Carson reigned until May 22, 1992 -- 4,531 shows in all.
2006 - An archeological expedition from Johns Hopkins University uncovered a statue of Queen Tiye, wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten. at Karnak’s Mut Temple in Luxor, Egypt. The team stumbled upon the statue while brushing sand off the temple’s second hall.
2006 - Ford Motor Company announced plans to close 14 assempbly plants and cut up to 30,000 jobs -- 25% of its workforce -- by 2012.
2006 - A five-story building in Nairobi, Kenya, collapsed, killing eleven people and burying dozens more. Rescuers used their bare hands to dig through the rubble. 100 people were admitted to local hospitals.
2007 - Spy, Nixon-administration ‘plumber’, author E. Howard Hunt died in Florida at 88 years of age. Hunt, along with G. Gordon Liddy, engineered the 1972 Watergate break-in and was convicted of burglary, conspiracy, and wiretapping. He served 33 months in prison for those crimes.
2007 - U.S. customs rules went into effect requiring passports for air travelers who are citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda, as well as U.S. citizens returning home by air from any country including Canada, Mexico and Caribbean nations.
2008 - Bechtel Corp. and Parsons Brinckerhoff, partners in Boston’s Big Dig, agreed to pay $407 million to settle a government lawsuit over a 2006 tunnel collapse that killed a woman.
2009 - Underworld 3: The Rise of the Lycans opened in the U.S. The fantasy horror thriller stars Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy and Rhona Mitra.
2009 - The British economy was officially declared to be in recession. The economic crisis had driven down the value of the British pound to a 23-year low.
2009 - Japan’s space agency (JAXA) launched Ibuki (breath), the first satellite dedicated to monitoring carbon dioxide emissions. The plan was to gather information on climate change and help the country compete in the lucrative satellite-launching business.
2010 - Les 7 jours du talion (7 Days) opened in U.S. theatres. The thriller stars Claude Legault and Remy Girard.
2010 - The U.S. Marine Corps ended its nearly seven-year presence in Iraq, handing over military duties to the U.S. Army and signaling the beginning of an accelerated withdrawal of American troops as the U.S. turned its focus away from the waning Iraq war to a growing war in Afghanistan.
2010 - President Barack Obama said he could not imagine “anything more devastating to the public interest” than the Jan 21, 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision to ease limits on campaign spending by corporations and labor unions.
Birthdays January 23
1737 - John Hancock
statesman and patriot; died Oct 8, 1793; see John Hancock Day [above]
1832 - Edouard Manet
artist: leader of the impressionist movement; died Apr 30, 1883
1855 - John Moses Browning
inventor: small arms and automatic weapons; best known for his Browning automatic rifle
1898 - Randolph Scott
(Crane) actor: Last of the Mohicans, The Nevadan, Ride the High Country, To the Shores of Tripoli, Man in the Saddle, Go West Young Man, Bombardier; died Mar 2, 1987
1899 - Humphrey (DeForest) Bogart
Academy Award-winning actor: The African Queen [1951]; The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, The Caine Mutiny, The Barefoot Contessa, Tokyo Joe, Key Largo, Action in the North Atlantic, High Sierra [over 50 films]; died Jan 14, 1957
1900 - David Hand
film animator: Bambi, Victory Through Air Power, The Wayward Canary, Mickey’s Nightmare, The Bird Store, The Beach Party; died Oct 11, 1986
1907 - Dan Duryea
actor: The Flight of the Phoenix, Five Golden Dragons; died June 7, 1968
1915 - Potter Stewart
Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court [1958-1981]; died Dec 7, 1985
1916 - David Douglas Duncan
photojournalist; author: The World of Allah, Viva Picasso, This Is War! : A Photo Narrative of the Korean War, Picasso Paints a Portrait, Great treasures of the Kremlin
1916 - Sol Price
founder of FedMart and Price Club [since merged into Costco]; he was considered to be a pioneer of the ‘warehouse store’ retail model; died Dec 14, 2009
1919 - Ernie Kovacs
comedian: The Ernie Kovacs Show; actor: Bell Book and Candle, North to Alaska; killed in car crash Jan 13, 1962
1920 - Ray Abrams
jazz/be-bop tenor saxophonist
1925 - Marty Paich
pianist, composer, arranger with/for: Peggy Lee, Shorty Rogers’ Giants, Dorothy Dandridge, Shelley Manne, Art Pepper, Shorty Rogers, DAVE Pell, Mel Torme, Ray Brown, Anita O’Day, Stan Kenton, Terry Gibbs, Ella Fitzgerald, and Buddy Rich; died Aug 12, 1995
1928 - Ken Errair
singer, musician: group: The Four Freshmen
1928 - Jeanne Moreau
actress: The Summer House, La Femme Nikita, The Last Tycoon, The Bride Wore Black, Jules et Jim, Viva Maria, Dangerous Liaisons
1933 - Chita Rivera (Conchita del Rivero)
singer, dancer, actress: Sweet Charity, Pippin, Mayflower Madam
1934 - Joey (John Joseph) Amalfitano
baseball: NY Giants, SF Giants, Houston Colt .45’s, Chicago Cubs; manager: Chicago Cubs
1934 - Lou Antonio
actor, director: Mayflower Madam, A Real American Hero, A Taste for Killing
1936 - Jerry Kramer
football: Green Bay Packers guard: Super Bowl I, II
1938 - Eugene Church
singer: How Long
1943 - Gary Burton
jazz bandleader, composer, musician: piano, vibraphone
1943 - Gil Gerard
actor: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Sidekicks, Hooch, Soldier’s Fortune
1944 - Sergei Belov
Basketball Hall of Famer: 4-time Olympian; called the Jerry West of Russia
1944 - Rutger Hauer
actor: Lady Hawke, Nighthawks, Blade Runner, Beyond Justice, Forbidden Choices
1948 - Anita Pointer
singer: group: The Pointer Sisters: Fairy Tale, Fire, He’s So Shy, Slow Hand, Jump [For My Love], Automatic, Neutron Dance, I’m So Excited, Dare Me
1948 - Patrick Simmons
singer, musician: guitar: group: The Doobie Brothers: Listen to the Music, Black Water, What a Fool Believes, Real Love; solo: So Wrong
1950 - Richard Dean Anderson
actor: Legend, MacGyver, Emerald Point N.A.S., Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, General Hospital, Stargate SG-1
1950 - Bill Cunningham
musician: bass, piano: group: The Box Tops: The Letter, Cry like a Baby, Soul Deep, Big Star
1950 - Richard Gilliland
actor: Audrey’s Rain, Star Kid, The Man Next Door, The West Side Waltz, Just My Imagination, Police Story: Monster Manor
1951 - Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger
US Airways hero pilot: landed his Airbus A320 on the Hudson River off Manhattan, New York City on Jan 15, 2009; his flying expertise is credited with saving the lives of all 115 people on the aircraft
1953 - Pat Haden
football: Los Angeles Rams; sportscaster
1953 - Robin Zander
singer: group: Cheap Trick: I Want You to Want Me, Voices, Ain’t That a Shame, Southern Girls, Stop the Game, Dream Police, If You Want My Love, Tonight It’s You, Surrender
1957 - Princess Caroline of Monaco
royalty: daughter of Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco
1957 - Earl Falconer
musician: bass, singer:, group: UB40: Food for Thought, Here I Am [Come and Take Me], If It Happens Again, Red Red Wine, Don’t Break My Heart, Bring Me Your Cup, Sing Our Own Song, One in Ten, Red, Red Wine, Kingston Town
1961 - Trey Junkin
football: Louisiana Tech; NFL: Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, LA/Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals
1963 - Gail O’Grady
actress: N.Y.P.D. Blue, Monk, Boston Legal, American Dreams
1964 - Frank Winters
football: Western Illinois Univ; NFL: Cleveland Browns, KC Chiefs, GB Packers
1966 - Haywoode Workman
basketball: Winston-Salem State Univ, Oral Roberts Univ; Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors
1969 - Brendan Shanahan
hockey: NJ Devils, SL Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings
1970 - Alan Embree
baseball [pitcher]: Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, SF Giants, Chicago White Sox, SD Padres, Boston Red Sox
1970 - Richard Smehlik
hockey: Buffalo Sabres, NJ Devils, Atlanta Thrashers
1970 - Mark Wohlers
baseball [pitcher]: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, NY Yankees, Cleveland Indians
1971 - Kevin Mawae
football: Louisiana State; NFL: Seattle Seahawks, NY Jets
1974 - Joel Bouchard
hockey: Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Phoenix Coyotes, NJ Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers
1974 - Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
actress: Beverly Hills 90210, Saved by the Bell, Son in Law
1976 - Brandon Duckworth
baseball [pitcher]: Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals
1978 - Martin Sonnenberg
hockey [left wing]: NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames
1979 - Larry Hughes
basketball [guard]: Univ of St. Louis; NBA: Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavalier
1982 - Geoffrey Wigdor
actor: In Dream, Sleepers, It Runs in the Family, Loving, One Life to Live, The Guiding Light
Chart Toppers January 23
1944My Heart Tells Me - The Glen Gray Orchestra (vocal: Eugenie Baird)
Shoo, Shoo, Baby - The Andrews Sisters
Besame Mucho - The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Bob Eberly & Kitty Kallen
Pistol Packin’ Mama - Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
1953Why Don’t You Believe Me - Joni James
Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes - Perry Como
Keep It a Secret - Jo Stafford
I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive - Hank Williams
1962The Twist - Chubby Checker
Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
Can’t Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley
Walk on By - Leroy Van Dyke
1971Knock Three Times - Dawn
Lonely Days - Bee Gees
Stoney End - Barbra Streisand
Rose Garden - Lynn Anderson
1980Rock with You - Michael Jackson
Do that to Me One More Time - The Captain & Tennille
Coward of the County - Kenny Rogers
I’ll Be Coming Back for More - T.G. Sheppard
1989Two Hearts - Phil Collins
Don’t Rush Me - Taylor Dayne
Armageddon It - Def Leppard
She’s Crazy for Leavin’ - Rodney Crowell
1998Together Again - Janet Jackson
Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden
My Love Is the Shhh! - Somethin’ For The People
Just to See You Smile - Tim McGraw
2007Irreplaceable - Beyoncé
Fergalicious - Fergie
I Wanna Love You - Akon featuring Snoop Dogg
She’s Everything - Brad Paisley
Chart Topper January 23rd, 1962...
Peppermint Twist - Joey Dee & The Starliters
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