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3rd day of 2011 - 362 remaining
Monday, January 3, 2011
MARCH OF DIMES DAY
The March of Dimes was established on this day in 1938 -- by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- to fight poliomyelitis (Roosevelt himself was afflicted with polio). The organization was originally called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (as the disease was commonly known).
The March of Dimes accomplished its mission within 20 years. Research led by Dr. Jonas Salk and supported by funds (those marching little dimes) raised annually by thousands of volunteers, resulted in the announcement in April 1955 that the Salk polio vaccine was “safe, potent and effective.” The foundation also supported the research that led to the Sabin oral vaccine, another safe, effective polio preventative discovered by Dr. Albert B. Sabin.
Following the victory over infantile paralysis, the March of Dimes turned its attention to conquering the largest killer and crippler of children: the mental and physical problems that are present at birth.
Today, The March of Dimes raises funds to support research, education and community-based programs to prevent birth defects and help lower the rate of premature births and infant mortality. The March of Dimes is one of the 10 largest voluntary health agencies in the United States, with 101 chapters nationwide.
Events January 3
1825 - The first engineering college in the U.S., Rensselaer School, opened in Troy, New York. It’s still there; now known as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rah!
1871 - A Binghamton, NY chap named Henry W. Bradley patented oleomargarine this day. How many of you want to reveal your age by saying you remember when oleomargarine was white and was sold in plastic bags with a color tab inside the bag? What fun it was to break that tab and squish the yellow color through the oleomargarine! Let the good times roll!
1888 - Marvin C. Stone of Washington, DC patented the drinking straw. Slurp something yummy in celebration today.
1938 - The first broadcast of Woman in White was presented on the NBC Red network. The program remained on radio for 10 years and was one of the first to feature real, honest-to-goodness doctors and nurses in leading roles.
1939 - Tennis legend Don Budge played a pro tennis match, his first in Madison Square Garden, NY, before 16,725 spectators. Budge was touring the country as the top U.S. tennis player, having won the grand slam of tennis (Australian, French and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon) the year before.
1940 - The Southland Shuffle was recorded on Bluebird Records by Charlie Barnet and his orchestra. A young trumpet player named Billy May was featured.
1945 - Allied forces landed on the west coast of Burma.
1946 - William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) was hanged in England for treason. He had made Nazi broadcasts to British and American fighting troops.
1947 - Congressional proceedings were televised for the first time in the U.S. as viewers in Washington, Philadelphia and New York City saw some of the opening ceremonies of the 80th Congress. Proceedings of the Congress are now regularly broadcast on cable-TV’s C-SPAN.
1953 - Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, became the first mother-son combination to serve at the same time in the United States Congress.
1957 - The Hamilton Watch Company was the first to introduce an electric watch; now a standard in the watch world.
1959 - Alaska (49th state) entered the United States of America; capital: Juneau; Bird : willow ptarmigan; flower: forget-me-not; nickname: The Last Frontier. President Eisenhower signed the proclamation admitting the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ to the Union. U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward had purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. The state is nearly 1/5 the size of the total area of the rest of the U.S.
1961 - The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel Castro announced he was a communist. Tensions between the two governments peaked during the October 1962 missile crisis.
1964 - Barry Goldwater announced that he was a candidate for the U.S. Presidency. Later that year he lost ... big time! Lyndon B. Johnson: 43,126,506; Goldwater: 27,176,799.
1967 - Jack Ruby died in a Dallas hospital. It was Ruby who had shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald before he could be tried for the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
1969 - 30,000 copies of the John Lennon, Yoko Ono album, Two Virgins, were confiscated by police in Newark, New Jersey. The nude photo of John and Yoko on the cover violated pornography laws in the state.
1972 - Don McLean received a gold record for his 8-minute-plus (8:32) hit, American Pie.
1973 - The Columbia Broadcasting System or CBS, as it’s known, got out of the baseball business this day by selling the New York Yankees to a 17-person syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner. The price tag: $10 million.
1974 - Following eight years of inactivity, Bob Dylan toured for 39 dates in 25 cities. His first stop was in Chicago, IL. The tour was recorded and later released as a double-LP set titled, Before the Flood.
1977 - Apple Computer, Inc., with registered trademarks of ‘Apple’ and the ‘Company’, was incorporated under the laws of the state of California.
1981 - John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over and the album Double Fantasy topped the pop music charts just weeks after the death of the former Beatle.
1985 - Soprano Leontyne Price bid adieu to the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She sang the title role of Aida. Price had been part of the Met since 1961.
1986 - Capital Cities acquired ABC-TV for $3.5 billion. (In 1991, Capital Cities/ABC Inc. was purchased by Disney for a then-record $19 billion).
1987 - The first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was ‘Lady Soul’: Aretha Franklin. Bill Haley was among the 14 others inducted on this day.
1988 - Margaret Thatcher became the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century. Thatcher served in the P.M. post from 1979 to 1990. Her premiership was the longest since Lord Liverpool’s tenure between 1812 and 1827.
1990 - Ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, ten days after taking refuge in the Vatican anuncio in Panama City.
1991 - Matsu****a Electric Industrial Co. of Japan bought MCA Inc. for $6.9 billion.
1992 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average Closed above 3,200 for the first time, ending the day at 3,201.48.
1993 - The START II treaty was signed between the U.S. and Russia. President George Bush (I) and President Boris Yeltsin agreed to eliminate land-based multiple-warhead missiles and reduce long-range nuclear arsenals.
1997 - Bryant Gumbel ended his 15-year career as host of the NBC morning show Today.
1998 - Funeral services were held in Centerville, Massachusetts, for Michael Kennedy, the son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. Michael was killed New Year’s Eve in a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado.
1999 - Chicagoans dug out from their biggest snowstorm in more than 30 years. Diggers measured 22 inches at O’Hare International Airport when the last of the flakes had settled.
2000 - The last new daily Peanuts strip by Charles Schulz ran in 2,600 newspapers.
2001 - The 107th U.S. Congress opened with the Senate split evenly down the middle. Because of the 50-50 divide, the Democrats were initially in control, since Vice President Al Gore could break ties. But the Republicans took over on Inauguration Day when **** Cheney became vice president. However, the Senate reverted to Democratic control when Vermont Senator James Jeffords switched his affiliation from Republican to Independent in May.
2002 - The conviction of Juan Melendez for a 1983 murder was overturned in Florida after he had spent 17 years on death row.
2002 - Alfred ‘Freddy’ Henry Heineken, builder of the global beer brand, died in the Netherlands. He was 78 years old.
2003 - The Pianist opened in U.S. theatres. The musical drama stars Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner, Jessica Kate Meyer and Ruth Platt.
2004 - A flash Airlines charter Boeing 737, carrying 148 people, most of them French tourists on New Year family holidays, crashed into the Red Sea off the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. All on board were killed.
2004 - The NASA spacecraft Spirit landed on Mars at the Gusev Crater. It was the fourth successful U.S. landing on Mars.
2004 - Rescuers in Iran pulled Sharbanou Mazandarani (97) alive from the rubble at Bam, nine days after its massive earthquake.
2005 - Comic book pioneer Will Eisner died in Florida. He was 87 years old. Over his seven-decade career, Eisner created such memorable comic strips as Hawk of the Seas, The Flame, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Muss em Up, Uncle Sam, Wonder Man, Lady Luck, Black Hawk. His most famous comic was The Spirit. Eisner also authored A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories and Comics and Sequential Art.
2005 - Jewish settlers clashed with Israeli troops who came to tear down two structures at an unauthorized West Bank outpost. One soldier was arrested for encouraging comrades to refuse to evacuate. And settlement leaders warned that thousands of additional soldiers might refuse to carry out orders to enforce evictions from the Gaza Strip.
2006 - Parts of Oklahoma City were being evacuated as fire reached the northeastern edge of the city of half a million people.
2007 - Bob Nardelli resigned from his post as chairman of The Home Depot Inc. The home improvement store chain posted big profits during Nardelli’s watch, but left investors disheartened by poor stock performance. Now before you cry to hard for Mr. Nardelli, note that he left with a severance package of $210 million.
2007 - 14-year-old Mike Perham became the youngest person to sail solo across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the Caribbean island of Antigua after a six-week voyage. The British teenager had been followed by his father in another boat.
2008 - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses as the candidates moved on to New Hampshire.
2009 - Opposition leader John Atta Mills was declared the president of Ghana. It was the closest electoral race the West African nation had seen. The peaceful ballot secured Ghana’s place as a beacon of democracy on a volatile continent.
2010 - Police in northern India reported that more than 40 people had died in cold weather-related incidents in just 24 hours. The dead included 10 people killed in train accidents caused by dense fog.
2010 - Avalanches killed at least four skiers and a rescue doctor in Switzerland. The first avalanche hit a group of skiers and the second one buried rescuers who had come to their aid. A third avalanche killed two skiers near Switzerland’s borders with France and Italy.
Birthdays January 3
106 B.C. - Cicero
Roman statesman; died Dec 7, 43 B.C.
1793 - Lucretia Mott
women’s rights activist: one of the founders of the movement; teacher, minister, antislavery leader; died Nov 11, 1880
1879 - Grace Coolidge (Goodhue)
First Lady: wife of 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge [1923-29]; died July 8, 1957
1883 - Clement Attlee
Britain’s prime minister [1945-1951]; head of Labour Party; died Oct 8, 1967
1892 - J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien
writer: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit; died Sep 2, 1973
1894 - Zasu Pitts
actress: Busby Berkeley’s 1933 musical: Dames; died June 7, 1963
1897 - Marion (Cecilia Douras) Davies
actress: Runaway Romany, When Knighthood Was in Flower, The Patsy, Show People, Going Hollywood; died Sep 22, 1961
1900 - Robert Adair
actor: Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder, Park Plaza 605, The Gambler and the Lady, Portrait of Clare, Me and My PAL , The Prince and the Pauper; died Aug 10, 1954
1907 - Ray Milland (Reginald Truscott-Jones)
Academy Award-winning actor: The Lost Weekend [1945], We’re Not Dressing, Star-Spangled Rhythm, Lady in the Dark, Let’s Do It Again, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes; died Mar 10, 1986
1908 - Dorothea Wieck
actress: Schachnovelle, Menschen im Hotel, A Time to Love and a Time to Die, Unternehmen Schlafsack, Der Mann meines Lebens, Hinter Klostermauern; died Feb 20, 1986
1909 - Victor Borge (Borge Rosenbaum)
pianist, comedian: phonetic punctuation: "bpft"; died Dec 23, 2000
1911 - Joseph Rauh
civil rights activist: cofounded Americans for Democratic Action; member: executive board of NAACP; general counsel: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; died Sep 4, 1992
1911 - John Sturges
director: Bad Day at Black Rock, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Ice Station Zebra, The Eagle Has Landed; died Aug 18, 1992
1916 - Maxene Andrews
singer [w/sisters LaVerne and Patti]: group: The Andrews Sisters: Why Talk About Love?, A Simple Melody, Bei Mir Bist Du Schön, Rum and Coca Cola; solo: I Suppose; on Broadway with Patti: Over Here; died Oct 21, 1995
1916 - Betty (Elizabeth Mary) Furness
actress: Renegades of the West, Flying Down to Rio, Magnificent Obsession; TV host: Penthouse Party, News Gal/Byline, Meet Betty Furness; consumer advocate, TV spokesperson for refrigerators: Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse; died Apr 2, 1994
1921 - John (William Lawrence) Russell
actor: Forever Amber, Rio Bravo, Pale Rider; died Jan 19, 1991
1922 - Bill Travers
producer, director, actor: Born Free; died Mar 29, 1994
1923 - Hank Stram
football: coach: Kansas City Chiefs: Super Bowls I, IV; sportscaster: CBS radio; died July 4, 2005
1926 - Joan Walsh Anglund
author: Bedtime Book, Crocus in the Snow; illustrator of children’s books
1926 - Sir George Martin
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame record producer, arranger, keyboard: group: The Beatles; AIR Studios
1930 - Robert Loggia
actor: Independence Day, Wild Palms, Big, Armed and Dangerous, Prizzi’s Honor, Scarface, Psycho 2, Pink Panther series, A Woman Called Golda, Speedtrap, An Officer and a Gentleman, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Mancuso FBI
1932 - Dabney Coleman
actor: The Guardian, Judicial Consent, The Beverly Hillbillies, Amos and Andrew, Clifford, Never Forget, Short Time, Dragnet, The Man with One Red Shoe, Tootsie, On Golden Pond, 9 to 5, North Dallas Forty, The Other Side of the Mountain, Cinderella Liberty, The President’s Plane is Missing, Buffalo Bill
1932 - Clifton ‘Coo Coo’ Marlin
auto racer: Winston Cup star; died Aug 14, 2005
1935 - Jeremy Kemp (Edmund Walker)
actor: The Winds of War, War and Remembrance, Prisoner of Zenda, Duel of Hearts
1939 - Bobby Hull
‘The Golden Jet’: Hockey Hall of Famer: Chicago Blackhawks left wing: Hart Memorial Trophy, NHL’s MVP award [1965, 1966]; Lady Byng Trophy for good sportsmanship [1965]; 1st pro hockey player to score more than 50 goals in one season [54: 1965]
1941 - Quinn O’Hara
actress: The Teacher, Rubia’s Jungle, In the Year 2889, A Swingin’ Summer, Good Neighbor Sam, Las Vegas, NYPD Blue, Baywatch, Diagnosis Murder, Matlock
1945 - Stephen Stills
singer, songwriter, guitarist: group: Buffalo Springfield: For What It’s Worth; group: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
1946 - John Paul Jones (Baldwin)
musician: bass: film score: Scream for Help; group: Led Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Love, Moby ****, Ramble On, Immigrant Song, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Black Dog, Rock & Roll, The Battle of Evermore, Stairway to Heaven
1946 - Don May
basketball: Univ. of Dayton; NY Knickerbockers, Buffalo Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, KC-Omaha Kings
1949 - Gary (Robert) Lavelle
baseball: pitcher: SF Giants, [all-star: 1977, 1983], Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics
1950 - Bart (Clair Barth) Johnson
baseball: pitcher: Chicago White Sox
1950 - Rick MacLeish
hockey: London Nationals, Oklahoma City Blazers, Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings
1950 - Victoria Principal
actress: Dallas, Fantasy Island, Scott Turow’s The Burden of Proof, Naked Lie, Blind Witness, Mistress, Pleasure Palace, Earthquake, Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean
1956 - Mel (Columcille) Gibson
Academy Award-winning director: Braveheart [1995]; The Passion of the Christ; actor: Braveheart, Maverick, The Man Without a Face, Lethal Weapon series, Forever Young, Hamlet, Bird on a Wire, Tequila Sunrise, Mad Max series, Mrs. Soffel, The Road Warrior, The Year of Living Dangerously, Summer City, Conspiracy Theory, The Patriot, What Women Want
1963 - Jim Everett III
football: quarterback: Purdue Univ., LA Rams [Pro Bowl: 1990], New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers
1964 - Cheryl Miller
Basketball Hall of Famer: U.S. Olympic, Pan American and Goodwill Games teams [she won gold medal w/each]; coach: USC [44-14], Phoenix Mercury [WNBA]; sports commentator; brother of player Reggie Miller
1965 - Luis Sojo
baseball: Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, Seattle Mariners, NY Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates
1969 - Matt LaBounty
football: Univ of Oregon; NFL: SF 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks
1969 - Steve Poapst
hockey: Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks
1969 - Michael Schumacher
Indy race car driver: five F1 championships; youngest double Formula 1 World Champion [1994, 1995]; world champion [2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004]
1970 - Tony Farmer
basketball: Univ of Nebraska; NBA: Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers
1971 - Cory Cross
hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, NY Rangers
1972 - Drake Berehowsky
hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks
1972 - Charles Johnson
football: Univ of Colorado; NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills
1974 - Todd Warriner
hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators
1975 - James Cannida
football: Univ of Nevada-Reno; NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins
1975 - Jason Marsden
actor: White Squall, Mr. Saturday Night, Step By Step, Full House, General Hospital
1975 - Danica McKellar
actress: The Wonder Years, Hack!, Path of Destruction, Quiet Kill, Raising Genius, The Year That Trembled, Jane White Is Sick and Twisted; author: Math Doesn’t Suck, Kiss My Math
1977 - A. J. Burnett
baseball: pitcher: Florida Marlins
1978 - Delvin James
baseball: pitcher: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
1978 - Kimberley Locke
singer: 8th World Wonder, Wrong, It’s Alright, You’ve Changed, I Can’t Make You Love Me; finalist [3rd]: American Idol
1978 - Mike York
hockey: NY Rangers, Edmonton Oilers
1980 - Bryan Clay
track & field: World/Olympic decathalon [US]; Olympic silver medalist, Olympic Trials champion, World Indoor silver medalist [2004]; NAIA champion [2000]
1981 - Eli Manning
football: QB: Univ of Mississppi; NFL: NY Giants [Super Bowl XLII MVP]; brother of Peyton Manning
1989 - Alex D. Linz
actor: Home Alone 3, Final Guardian, Max Keeble’s Big Move, One Fine Day, My Brother the Pig, Vanished, The Young and the Restless, Touched by an Angel
Chart Toppers January 3
1951Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
The Thing - Phil Harris
Nevertheless - Jack Denny
Moanin’ the Blues - Hank Williams
1960Why - Frankie Avalon
The Big Hurt - Miss Toni Fisher
It’s Time to Cry - Paul Anka
El Paso - Marty Robbins
1969I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder
Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
Daddy Sang Bass - Johnny Cash
1978How Deep is Your Love - Bee Gees
Blue Bayou - Linda Ronstadt
(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again - L.T.D.
Here You Come Again - Dolly Parton
1987Walk Like an Egyptian - Bangles
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
Notorious - Duran Duran
Mind Your Own Business - Hank Williams, Jr.
1996One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
Hey Lover - LL Cool J
Gangsta’s Paradise - Coolio featuring L.V.
That’s as Close as I’ll Get to Loving You - Aaron Tippin
2005Let Me Love You - Mario
I Don’t Want to Be - Gavin DeGraw
Drop It Like It’s Hot - Snoop Dogg
Some Beach - Blake Shelton
Happy Birthday Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield
Monday, January 3, 2011
MARCH OF DIMES DAY
The March of Dimes was established on this day in 1938 -- by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- to fight poliomyelitis (Roosevelt himself was afflicted with polio). The organization was originally called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (as the disease was commonly known).
The March of Dimes accomplished its mission within 20 years. Research led by Dr. Jonas Salk and supported by funds (those marching little dimes) raised annually by thousands of volunteers, resulted in the announcement in April 1955 that the Salk polio vaccine was “safe, potent and effective.” The foundation also supported the research that led to the Sabin oral vaccine, another safe, effective polio preventative discovered by Dr. Albert B. Sabin.
Following the victory over infantile paralysis, the March of Dimes turned its attention to conquering the largest killer and crippler of children: the mental and physical problems that are present at birth.
Today, The March of Dimes raises funds to support research, education and community-based programs to prevent birth defects and help lower the rate of premature births and infant mortality. The March of Dimes is one of the 10 largest voluntary health agencies in the United States, with 101 chapters nationwide.
Events January 3
1825 - The first engineering college in the U.S., Rensselaer School, opened in Troy, New York. It’s still there; now known as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rah!
1871 - A Binghamton, NY chap named Henry W. Bradley patented oleomargarine this day. How many of you want to reveal your age by saying you remember when oleomargarine was white and was sold in plastic bags with a color tab inside the bag? What fun it was to break that tab and squish the yellow color through the oleomargarine! Let the good times roll!
1888 - Marvin C. Stone of Washington, DC patented the drinking straw. Slurp something yummy in celebration today.
1938 - The first broadcast of Woman in White was presented on the NBC Red network. The program remained on radio for 10 years and was one of the first to feature real, honest-to-goodness doctors and nurses in leading roles.
1939 - Tennis legend Don Budge played a pro tennis match, his first in Madison Square Garden, NY, before 16,725 spectators. Budge was touring the country as the top U.S. tennis player, having won the grand slam of tennis (Australian, French and U.S. Opens and Wimbledon) the year before.
1940 - The Southland Shuffle was recorded on Bluebird Records by Charlie Barnet and his orchestra. A young trumpet player named Billy May was featured.
1945 - Allied forces landed on the west coast of Burma.
1946 - William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) was hanged in England for treason. He had made Nazi broadcasts to British and American fighting troops.
1947 - Congressional proceedings were televised for the first time in the U.S. as viewers in Washington, Philadelphia and New York City saw some of the opening ceremonies of the 80th Congress. Proceedings of the Congress are now regularly broadcast on cable-TV’s C-SPAN.
1953 - Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver from Ohio, became the first mother-son combination to serve at the same time in the United States Congress.
1957 - The Hamilton Watch Company was the first to introduce an electric watch; now a standard in the watch world.
1959 - Alaska (49th state) entered the United States of America; capital: Juneau; Bird : willow ptarmigan; flower: forget-me-not; nickname: The Last Frontier. President Eisenhower signed the proclamation admitting the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ to the Union. U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward had purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. The state is nearly 1/5 the size of the total area of the rest of the U.S.
1961 - The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel Castro announced he was a communist. Tensions between the two governments peaked during the October 1962 missile crisis.
1964 - Barry Goldwater announced that he was a candidate for the U.S. Presidency. Later that year he lost ... big time! Lyndon B. Johnson: 43,126,506; Goldwater: 27,176,799.
1967 - Jack Ruby died in a Dallas hospital. It was Ruby who had shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald before he could be tried for the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
1969 - 30,000 copies of the John Lennon, Yoko Ono album, Two Virgins, were confiscated by police in Newark, New Jersey. The nude photo of John and Yoko on the cover violated pornography laws in the state.
1972 - Don McLean received a gold record for his 8-minute-plus (8:32) hit, American Pie.
1973 - The Columbia Broadcasting System or CBS, as it’s known, got out of the baseball business this day by selling the New York Yankees to a 17-person syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner. The price tag: $10 million.
1974 - Following eight years of inactivity, Bob Dylan toured for 39 dates in 25 cities. His first stop was in Chicago, IL. The tour was recorded and later released as a double-LP set titled, Before the Flood.
1977 - Apple Computer, Inc., with registered trademarks of ‘Apple’ and the ‘Company’, was incorporated under the laws of the state of California.
1981 - John Lennon’s (Just Like) Starting Over and the album Double Fantasy topped the pop music charts just weeks after the death of the former Beatle.
1985 - Soprano Leontyne Price bid adieu to the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She sang the title role of Aida. Price had been part of the Met since 1961.
1986 - Capital Cities acquired ABC-TV for $3.5 billion. (In 1991, Capital Cities/ABC Inc. was purchased by Disney for a then-record $19 billion).
1987 - The first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was ‘Lady Soul’: Aretha Franklin. Bill Haley was among the 14 others inducted on this day.
1988 - Margaret Thatcher became the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century. Thatcher served in the P.M. post from 1979 to 1990. Her premiership was the longest since Lord Liverpool’s tenure between 1812 and 1827.
1990 - Ousted Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces, ten days after taking refuge in the Vatican anuncio in Panama City.
1991 - Matsu****a Electric Industrial Co. of Japan bought MCA Inc. for $6.9 billion.
1992 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average Closed above 3,200 for the first time, ending the day at 3,201.48.
1993 - The START II treaty was signed between the U.S. and Russia. President George Bush (I) and President Boris Yeltsin agreed to eliminate land-based multiple-warhead missiles and reduce long-range nuclear arsenals.
1997 - Bryant Gumbel ended his 15-year career as host of the NBC morning show Today.
1998 - Funeral services were held in Centerville, Massachusetts, for Michael Kennedy, the son of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. Michael was killed New Year’s Eve in a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado.
1999 - Chicagoans dug out from their biggest snowstorm in more than 30 years. Diggers measured 22 inches at O’Hare International Airport when the last of the flakes had settled.
2000 - The last new daily Peanuts strip by Charles Schulz ran in 2,600 newspapers.
2001 - The 107th U.S. Congress opened with the Senate split evenly down the middle. Because of the 50-50 divide, the Democrats were initially in control, since Vice President Al Gore could break ties. But the Republicans took over on Inauguration Day when **** Cheney became vice president. However, the Senate reverted to Democratic control when Vermont Senator James Jeffords switched his affiliation from Republican to Independent in May.
2002 - The conviction of Juan Melendez for a 1983 murder was overturned in Florida after he had spent 17 years on death row.
2002 - Alfred ‘Freddy’ Henry Heineken, builder of the global beer brand, died in the Netherlands. He was 78 years old.
2003 - The Pianist opened in U.S. theatres. The musical drama stars Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard, Julia Rayner, Jessica Kate Meyer and Ruth Platt.
2004 - A flash Airlines charter Boeing 737, carrying 148 people, most of them French tourists on New Year family holidays, crashed into the Red Sea off the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. All on board were killed.
2004 - The NASA spacecraft Spirit landed on Mars at the Gusev Crater. It was the fourth successful U.S. landing on Mars.
2004 - Rescuers in Iran pulled Sharbanou Mazandarani (97) alive from the rubble at Bam, nine days after its massive earthquake.
2005 - Comic book pioneer Will Eisner died in Florida. He was 87 years old. Over his seven-decade career, Eisner created such memorable comic strips as Hawk of the Seas, The Flame, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, Muss em Up, Uncle Sam, Wonder Man, Lady Luck, Black Hawk. His most famous comic was The Spirit. Eisner also authored A Contract with God and Other Tenement Stories and Comics and Sequential Art.
2005 - Jewish settlers clashed with Israeli troops who came to tear down two structures at an unauthorized West Bank outpost. One soldier was arrested for encouraging comrades to refuse to evacuate. And settlement leaders warned that thousands of additional soldiers might refuse to carry out orders to enforce evictions from the Gaza Strip.
2006 - Parts of Oklahoma City were being evacuated as fire reached the northeastern edge of the city of half a million people.
2007 - Bob Nardelli resigned from his post as chairman of The Home Depot Inc. The home improvement store chain posted big profits during Nardelli’s watch, but left investors disheartened by poor stock performance. Now before you cry to hard for Mr. Nardelli, note that he left with a severance package of $210 million.
2007 - 14-year-old Mike Perham became the youngest person to sail solo across the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the Caribbean island of Antigua after a six-week voyage. The British teenager had been followed by his father in another boat.
2008 - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee won the Iowa caucuses as the candidates moved on to New Hampshire.
2009 - Opposition leader John Atta Mills was declared the president of Ghana. It was the closest electoral race the West African nation had seen. The peaceful ballot secured Ghana’s place as a beacon of democracy on a volatile continent.
2010 - Police in northern India reported that more than 40 people had died in cold weather-related incidents in just 24 hours. The dead included 10 people killed in train accidents caused by dense fog.
2010 - Avalanches killed at least four skiers and a rescue doctor in Switzerland. The first avalanche hit a group of skiers and the second one buried rescuers who had come to their aid. A third avalanche killed two skiers near Switzerland’s borders with France and Italy.
Birthdays January 3
106 B.C. - Cicero
Roman statesman; died Dec 7, 43 B.C.
1793 - Lucretia Mott
women’s rights activist: one of the founders of the movement; teacher, minister, antislavery leader; died Nov 11, 1880
1879 - Grace Coolidge (Goodhue)
First Lady: wife of 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge [1923-29]; died July 8, 1957
1883 - Clement Attlee
Britain’s prime minister [1945-1951]; head of Labour Party; died Oct 8, 1967
1892 - J.R.R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien
writer: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit; died Sep 2, 1973
1894 - Zasu Pitts
actress: Busby Berkeley’s 1933 musical: Dames; died June 7, 1963
1897 - Marion (Cecilia Douras) Davies
actress: Runaway Romany, When Knighthood Was in Flower, The Patsy, Show People, Going Hollywood; died Sep 22, 1961
1900 - Robert Adair
actor: Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder, Park Plaza 605, The Gambler and the Lady, Portrait of Clare, Me and My PAL , The Prince and the Pauper; died Aug 10, 1954
1907 - Ray Milland (Reginald Truscott-Jones)
Academy Award-winning actor: The Lost Weekend [1945], We’re Not Dressing, Star-Spangled Rhythm, Lady in the Dark, Let’s Do It Again, X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes; died Mar 10, 1986
1908 - Dorothea Wieck
actress: Schachnovelle, Menschen im Hotel, A Time to Love and a Time to Die, Unternehmen Schlafsack, Der Mann meines Lebens, Hinter Klostermauern; died Feb 20, 1986
1909 - Victor Borge (Borge Rosenbaum)
pianist, comedian: phonetic punctuation: "bpft"; died Dec 23, 2000
1911 - Joseph Rauh
civil rights activist: cofounded Americans for Democratic Action; member: executive board of NAACP; general counsel: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; died Sep 4, 1992
1911 - John Sturges
director: Bad Day at Black Rock, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, Ice Station Zebra, The Eagle Has Landed; died Aug 18, 1992
1916 - Maxene Andrews
singer [w/sisters LaVerne and Patti]: group: The Andrews Sisters: Why Talk About Love?, A Simple Melody, Bei Mir Bist Du Schön, Rum and Coca Cola; solo: I Suppose; on Broadway with Patti: Over Here; died Oct 21, 1995
1916 - Betty (Elizabeth Mary) Furness
actress: Renegades of the West, Flying Down to Rio, Magnificent Obsession; TV host: Penthouse Party, News Gal/Byline, Meet Betty Furness; consumer advocate, TV spokesperson for refrigerators: Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse; died Apr 2, 1994
1921 - John (William Lawrence) Russell
actor: Forever Amber, Rio Bravo, Pale Rider; died Jan 19, 1991
1922 - Bill Travers
producer, director, actor: Born Free; died Mar 29, 1994
1923 - Hank Stram
football: coach: Kansas City Chiefs: Super Bowls I, IV; sportscaster: CBS radio; died July 4, 2005
1926 - Joan Walsh Anglund
author: Bedtime Book, Crocus in the Snow; illustrator of children’s books
1926 - Sir George Martin
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame record producer, arranger, keyboard: group: The Beatles; AIR Studios
1930 - Robert Loggia
actor: Independence Day, Wild Palms, Big, Armed and Dangerous, Prizzi’s Honor, Scarface, Psycho 2, Pink Panther series, A Woman Called Golda, Speedtrap, An Officer and a Gentleman, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Mancuso FBI
1932 - Dabney Coleman
actor: The Guardian, Judicial Consent, The Beverly Hillbillies, Amos and Andrew, Clifford, Never Forget, Short Time, Dragnet, The Man with One Red Shoe, Tootsie, On Golden Pond, 9 to 5, North Dallas Forty, The Other Side of the Mountain, Cinderella Liberty, The President’s Plane is Missing, Buffalo Bill
1932 - Clifton ‘Coo Coo’ Marlin
auto racer: Winston Cup star; died Aug 14, 2005
1935 - Jeremy Kemp (Edmund Walker)
actor: The Winds of War, War and Remembrance, Prisoner of Zenda, Duel of Hearts
1939 - Bobby Hull
‘The Golden Jet’: Hockey Hall of Famer: Chicago Blackhawks left wing: Hart Memorial Trophy, NHL’s MVP award [1965, 1966]; Lady Byng Trophy for good sportsmanship [1965]; 1st pro hockey player to score more than 50 goals in one season [54: 1965]
1941 - Quinn O’Hara
actress: The Teacher, Rubia’s Jungle, In the Year 2889, A Swingin’ Summer, Good Neighbor Sam, Las Vegas, NYPD Blue, Baywatch, Diagnosis Murder, Matlock
1945 - Stephen Stills
singer, songwriter, guitarist: group: Buffalo Springfield: For What It’s Worth; group: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
1946 - John Paul Jones (Baldwin)
musician: bass: film score: Scream for Help; group: Led Zeppelin: Whole Lotta Love, Moby ****, Ramble On, Immigrant Song, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Black Dog, Rock & Roll, The Battle of Evermore, Stairway to Heaven
1946 - Don May
basketball: Univ. of Dayton; NY Knickerbockers, Buffalo Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, KC-Omaha Kings
1949 - Gary (Robert) Lavelle
baseball: pitcher: SF Giants, [all-star: 1977, 1983], Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics
1950 - Bart (Clair Barth) Johnson
baseball: pitcher: Chicago White Sox
1950 - Rick MacLeish
hockey: London Nationals, Oklahoma City Blazers, Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings
1950 - Victoria Principal
actress: Dallas, Fantasy Island, Scott Turow’s The Burden of Proof, Naked Lie, Blind Witness, Mistress, Pleasure Palace, Earthquake, Life & Times of Judge Roy Bean
1956 - Mel (Columcille) Gibson
Academy Award-winning director: Braveheart [1995]; The Passion of the Christ; actor: Braveheart, Maverick, The Man Without a Face, Lethal Weapon series, Forever Young, Hamlet, Bird on a Wire, Tequila Sunrise, Mad Max series, Mrs. Soffel, The Road Warrior, The Year of Living Dangerously, Summer City, Conspiracy Theory, The Patriot, What Women Want
1963 - Jim Everett III
football: quarterback: Purdue Univ., LA Rams [Pro Bowl: 1990], New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers
1964 - Cheryl Miller
Basketball Hall of Famer: U.S. Olympic, Pan American and Goodwill Games teams [she won gold medal w/each]; coach: USC [44-14], Phoenix Mercury [WNBA]; sports commentator; brother of player Reggie Miller
1965 - Luis Sojo
baseball: Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, Seattle Mariners, NY Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates
1969 - Matt LaBounty
football: Univ of Oregon; NFL: SF 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks
1969 - Steve Poapst
hockey: Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks
1969 - Michael Schumacher
Indy race car driver: five F1 championships; youngest double Formula 1 World Champion [1994, 1995]; world champion [2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004]
1970 - Tony Farmer
basketball: Univ of Nebraska; NBA: Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers
1971 - Cory Cross
hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, NY Rangers
1972 - Drake Berehowsky
hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks
1972 - Charles Johnson
football: Univ of Colorado; NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills
1974 - Todd Warriner
hockey: Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators
1975 - James Cannida
football: Univ of Nevada-Reno; NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins
1975 - Jason Marsden
actor: White Squall, Mr. Saturday Night, Step By Step, Full House, General Hospital
1975 - Danica McKellar
actress: The Wonder Years, Hack!, Path of Destruction, Quiet Kill, Raising Genius, The Year That Trembled, Jane White Is Sick and Twisted; author: Math Doesn’t Suck, Kiss My Math
1977 - A. J. Burnett
baseball: pitcher: Florida Marlins
1978 - Delvin James
baseball: pitcher: Tampa Bay Devil Rays
1978 - Kimberley Locke
singer: 8th World Wonder, Wrong, It’s Alright, You’ve Changed, I Can’t Make You Love Me; finalist [3rd]: American Idol
1978 - Mike York
hockey: NY Rangers, Edmonton Oilers
1980 - Bryan Clay
track & field: World/Olympic decathalon [US]; Olympic silver medalist, Olympic Trials champion, World Indoor silver medalist [2004]; NAIA champion [2000]
1981 - Eli Manning
football: QB: Univ of Mississppi; NFL: NY Giants [Super Bowl XLII MVP]; brother of Peyton Manning
1989 - Alex D. Linz
actor: Home Alone 3, Final Guardian, Max Keeble’s Big Move, One Fine Day, My Brother the Pig, Vanished, The Young and the Restless, Touched by an Angel
Chart Toppers January 3
1951Tennessee Waltz - Patti Page
The Thing - Phil Harris
Nevertheless - Jack Denny
Moanin’ the Blues - Hank Williams
1960Why - Frankie Avalon
The Big Hurt - Miss Toni Fisher
It’s Time to Cry - Paul Anka
El Paso - Marty Robbins
1969I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
For Once in My Life - Stevie Wonder
Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
Daddy Sang Bass - Johnny Cash
1978How Deep is Your Love - Bee Gees
Blue Bayou - Linda Ronstadt
(Every Time I Turn Around) Back in Love Again - L.T.D.
Here You Come Again - Dolly Parton
1987Walk Like an Egyptian - Bangles
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
Notorious - Duran Duran
Mind Your Own Business - Hank Williams, Jr.
1996One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
Hey Lover - LL Cool J
Gangsta’s Paradise - Coolio featuring L.V.
That’s as Close as I’ll Get to Loving You - Aaron Tippin
2005Let Me Love You - Mario
I Don’t Want to Be - Gavin DeGraw
Drop It Like It’s Hot - Snoop Dogg
Some Beach - Blake Shelton
Happy Birthday Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield