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326th day of 2010 - 39 remaining
Monday, November 22, 2010
JFK REMEMBERED DAY
Generations recall watching CBS Television on this day in 1963. The popular soap opera As the World Turns was interrupted by a flash bulletin from Dallas. No one was available to man the CBS News studio at that instant, but a voice informed the nation that President John F. Kennedy had been gravely wounded during a motorcade through downtown Dallas.
Minutes later, after teletype machines, with alarm bells clanging, had spread the word to newsrooms around the world, the network interrupted again.
This time, Walter Cronkite, wearing partially rolled-up, white shirt sleeves, a loosened tie, no makeup, and black glasses, read wire copy just handed him: “Ladies and gentleman, the President of the United States is dead.” Cronkite, disbelieving the words he had just said, turned to look at a studio clock, stoically raised a hand to wipe away tears and continued with the tragic news that President Kennedy had died while undergoing emergency surgery at Parkland Hospital.
Events November 22
1880 - Lillian Russell made her vaudeville debut -- in New York City.
1899 - The Marconi Wireless Company of America was incorporated under laws of the State of New Jersey.
1906 - Delegates attending the Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference in Germany voted to use SOS (...---...) as the letters for the new international signal. The international use of SOS was ratified in 1908. Its meaning? No, not “Save Our Ship” or “Save Our Souls” as many believe. Its only meaning was as a distress signal, quick to transmit by Morse code and not easily misread. It is not an acronym. Incidentally, how did SOS pads come to use the same initials? They’re named after a patented process, Soap on Steel.
1909 - Helen Hayes appeared for the first time on the New York stage. She was a member of the cast of Old Dutch, which opened at the Herald Square Theatre.
1910 - Arthur F. Knight of Schenectady, New York patented the steel shaft. Not a big shaft, actually, but one to replace the less durable hickory wood shafts used to that time -- in golf clubs.
1917 - The National Hockey League came into being. Its official formation was in Montreal, Canada.
1935 - The first transpacific airmail flight left San Francisco with over 20,000 folks waving good-bye. The China Clipper began its 8,000-mile journey with 110,865 letters on board, piloted by Captain Edwin Musick. The Pan American Martin 130 took off from San Francisco. 59 hours and 48 minutes later, it landed at Manila in the Philippines.
1938 - Bunny Berigan and his orchestra waxed Jelly Roll Blues on Victor Records. The tune became a standard for the band.
1943 - Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and China’s Chiang Kai-shek agreed at Cairo, Egypt, on measures to defeat Japan.
1950 - This was a slow night in the NBA. The lowest score recorded in the National Basketball Association was posted. The Fort Wayne Pistons (later Detroit Pistons) whipped the tar out of the hometown Minneapolis Lakers (later Los Angeles Lakers) by the score of 19-18.
1955 - RCA paid the unheard of sum of $25,000 to Sam Phillips of Memphis, TN for the rights to the music of a truck driver from Tupelo, Mississippi: Elvis Presley. Thanks to negotiations with Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, RCA tossed in a $5,000 bonus as well -- for a pink Cadillac for Elvis’ mother.
1957 - The Miles Davis Quintet debuted with a jazz concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.
1961 - A Man for All Seasons opened at the ANTA Playhouse in New York City. The play starred George Rose as the Common Man, Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More, Albert Dekker as the Duke of Norfolk, Leo McKern as Thomas Cromwell, Keith Baxter as King Henry VIII and Olga Bellin as Margaret More. A Man for All Seasons ran for 637 performances, closing on Jun 1, 1963.
1965 - The production of Man of La Mancha, including the classic The Impossible Dream, opened in New York City for the first of 2,328 performances.
1968 - The Beatles released their so-called White Album, a record called simply The Beatles.
1974 - The U.N. General Assembly recognized Palestine’s right to sovereignty and national independence.
1975 - Dr. Zhivago appeared on TV for the first time. The production, including Somewhere My Love, had earned $93 million from theatre tickets over ten years. NBC paid $4 million for the broadcast rights.
1975 - Juan Carlos took the oath as king of Spain this day. Juan Carlos and his collaborators peacefully and legally brought democracy to Spain over the following three years. Never before had a dictatorial regime been transformed into a parliamentary democracy without civil war, revolutionary overthrow, or defeat by a foreign power.
1976 - The comic strip Cathy, by Cathy Guisewite, debuted. The strip, chronicling the trials and tribulations of a single career woman, went on to appear in some 1,400 newspapers worldwide.
1977 - Tony Orlando returned to the concert stage after a self-imposed, three-month retirement following the suicide death of his good friend, Freddie Prinze. Orlando appeared in concert in San Carlos, California.
1977 - The first flight of the Concorde jet was made -- from London to New York.
1980 - Former House Speaker John W. McCormack died in Dedham, MA. He was 88 years old.
1980 - Actress Mae West died in Hollywood at age 87. Surprisingly, West made only a few films in her career – and her first one when she was 39 years old.
1984 - “Time to clear out the closet in the neighborhood...” Fred Rogers of PBS’ Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood presented a sweater, knitted by his mother, to the Smithsonian Institution as “a symbol of warmth, closeness and caring,” according to museum officials.
1986 - Mike Tyson was only 20 years and 4 months old, becoming the youngest to wear the world heavyweight boxing crown. He knocked out Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas, NV.
1988 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy was honored on the 25th anniversary of his assassination.
1989 - President René Moawad of Lebanon was assassinated less than three weeks after taking office.
1990 - British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher failed to win reelection as leader of the Conservative Party (over differences on European Community policy) and announced her resignation after eleven years in office.
1991 - Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt for Foreign Affairs, was chosen to be United Nations Secretary-General. Ghali was both the first Arab and the first African to hold the post.
1992 - Actor Sterling Holloway died at 87 years of age. He appeared in some 140 films, including Golddiggers of 1933, A Walk in the Sun and Batman. Holloway also appeared as a regular or semi-regular on TV series, such as The Life of Riley, Adventures of Superman and The Baileys of Balboa.
1994 - A gunman opened fire inside the District of Columbia’s police headquarters. The ensuing gun battle left two FBI agents, a city detective and the gunman dead.
1995 - Films debuting in the U.S.: Casino, starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, James Woods and Alan King; Money Train, with Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Robert Blake and Jennifer Lopez; and the animated Toy Story, starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, Eric Von Detton and Laurie Metcalf.
1996 - New movies in the U.S.: Jingle All The Way, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, James Belushi, Robert Conrad, Martin Mull and Jake Lloyd; and Star Trek: First Contact, starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes (who also directed), Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates Mcfadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Alfre Woodard and James Cromwell.
1997 - After 41 days, one hour and 55 minutes at sea, New Zealanders Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs rowed triumphantly into the marina at Port St. Charles, Barbados. They had just set a new Atlantic Ocean rowboat record, knocking over 30 days off the previous one, held by Mike Nester and Sean Crowley (set in 1986). Hamill and Phil Stubbs started from Los Gigantes on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) Oct 12. (Stubbs was killed in a plane crash in New Zealand Dec 20, 1998.)
1998 - It was week 12 of the NFL football season as Denver Broncos QB John Elway passed (pun intended) the 50,000-yard career-passing mark. He joined Dan Marino as the only passers to throw for more than 50,000 yards in a career. And Elway threw four touchdowns passes the following week to move into third place on the all-time TD pass list.
1999 - ‘The Great One’, Wayne Gretzky, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. On June 23, 1999 it had been announced that Gretzky would be the tenth, and last, player to have the three-year waiting period waived by the hall-of-fame selection committee “by reason of outstanding pre-eminence and skill.” Gretzky held 61 NHL records.
2000 - First-run flicks opening in the U.S.: 102 Dalmations (“Meet Two Unlikely Heroes with a Bone to Pick.”), with Glenn Close, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans and Tim Mcinnerny; and Unbreakable (“Are You Ready for the Truth?”), starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Penn Wright and Charlayne Woodard.
2001 - Using a laptop computer, Pope John Paul II for the first time sent out his official word (via e-mail) over the Internet. The pontif apologizing for missionary abuses against indigenous peoples of the South Pacific.
2001 - Mary Kay Ash founder of the Mary Kay cosmetics firm, died in Dallas, TX. She was 86 years old (she was born May 12, 1915). By 2001, the Mary Kay Ash 1963 sales force of eleven people had grown to over 750,000 in 37 countries.
2002 - These movies debuted in U.S. theatres: Die Another Day, with Pierce Brosnan (as Bond -- James Bond), Halle Berry (as Jinx), Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, John Cleese (as Q) and Judi Dench (as M); and The Emporer’s Club, starring Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch, Embeth Davidtz, Rob Morrow, Edward Herrmann, Harris Yulin and Paul Franklin Dano.
2003 - The Medicare prescription drug bill narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives (220-215), following a dusk-to-dawn debate.
2003 - 22-year-old North Dakota student Dru Sjodin was last seen at the Grand Forks, ND, mall on this day. Her body was found the following April. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr pleaded innocent to kidnapping resulting in Sjodin’s death.
2004 - Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Fidel Castro in Havana for talks focused on broadening ties between Cuba and China.
2005 - Floods and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Gamma, the 24th named storm in the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, killed some 32 people in Honduras.
2006 - U.S. film openings: Deck the Halls, starring Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis, Alia Shawkat, Sabrina Aldridge and Kelly Aldridge; Deja Vu, with Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg and Jim Caviezel; The Fountain, starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Gullette, Sean Patrick Thomas and Donna Murphy; Opal Dream, with Sapphire Boyce, Christian Byers, Abigail Gudgeon, Jacqueline McKenzie, Vince Colosimo, Peter Callan and Robert Menzies; and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, starring Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Will Ferrell, David Koechner, Jason Reed and Ronnnie James Dio.
2006 - A fire in a leather factory in Calcutta, India killed nine people who had been trapped inside the locked building.
2006 - The U.S. Copyright Office ruled that cell phone owners could break locks to use their handsets with competing carriers, and that film professors had the right to copy snippets from DVDs for educational compilations.
2007 - The World Health Organization said nearly 400 people, mostly children, had fallen ill in Angola due to an outbreak of bromide poisoning.
2008 - The Yellow River Conservancy Committee reported that one-third of the Yellow River, which supplies water to millions of people in northern China, was heavily polluted by industrial waste and was unsafe for any use.
2008 - MTV Africa launched its first-ever music award program for Africa in Abuja, Nigeria. Acts from across the world’s poorest continent were nominated for prizes.
2009 - 245 people were pulled from the sea after the Dumai Express went down in heavy rain and huge swells off Karimun island in the north of the Indonesian archipelago. At least 29 people were killed and 20 were missing.
2009 - Country/pop star Taylor Swift and the late Michael Jackson were the big winners at the American Music Awards. Swift on five awards including artist of the year. Jackson won four.
Birthdays November 22
1819 - George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
novelist: Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life, Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Felix Holt, Radical, Daniel Deronda; died Dec 22, 1880
1890 - Charles DeGaulle
WWII military leader; President of France [1958-1969]; author: The Army of the Future; died Nov 9, 1970
1898 - Wiley Post
pioneer aviator, parachutist; co-author: Around the World in Eight Days; killed in plane crash [w/flying companion Will Rogers] August 15, 1935
1899 - Hoagy (Hoagland Howard) Carmichael
composer, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer: Stardust, Lazybones, Two Sleepy People, Skylark, Georgia on My Mind, Ole Buttermilk Sky, Rockin’ Chair, [Up a] Lazy River, One Morning in May, The Nearness of You, Lamplighter’s Serenade, How Little We Know, Memphis in June, In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, New Orleans; singer, piano player, band leader, attorney; died Dec 27, 1981
1904 - Roland Winters
actor: Charlie Chan, A Conflict of Interest, The Dain Curse, Follow That Dream, Never Steal Anything Small, Blue Hawaii, The Iceman Cometh, Bigger Than Life; died Oct 22, 1989
1906 - Howard Petrie
radio announcer [WBZ, Boston, NBC net; actor: The Edge of Night, Death Valley Days, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, National Velvet, Rawhide, Woman of the North Country, Red Ball Express, Carbine Williams, Bend of the River, The Bounty Hunter, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; died Mar 24, 1968
1907 - Dora Maar
photographer, model: Picasso’s lover and subject of many paintings; died July 16, 1997
1910 - Mary Jackson
actress: The Waltons, A Family Thing, Leap of Faith, The Exorcist III, The Case of the Hillside Stranglers, Big Top Pee-wee, Space, Between Two Brothers; died Dec 10, 2005
1912 - Doris Duke
tobacco heiress: only child of American Tobacco Company baron, James Duke; Duke University was named for her grandfather, Washington Duke; she died Oct 28, 1993
1914 - Lew Hays
founder of PONY League baseball for youngsters; died Apr 11, 1998
1921 - Rodney Dangerfield (Jacob Cohen)
“I Don’t Get No Respect”: comedian, actor: Caddyshack, Easy Money, Back to School, Natural Born Killers, Ladybugs, The Dean Martin Show; died Oct 5, 2004
1923 - Arthur Hiller
director: The Americanization of Emily, Author! Author!, Love Story, Man of La Mancha, Plaza Suite, Silver Streak, Taking Care of Business
1924 - Geraldine Page
Academy Award-winning actress: The Trip to Bountiful [1985]; The Day of the Locust, Harry’s War, Pete ’n’ Tillie, Summer and Smoke, Sweet Bird of Youth, Toys in the Attic; Emmy Award-winner: A Christmas Memory, ABC Stage 67 [1966-1967], The Thanksgiving Visitor [1968-1969]; died June 13, 1987
1926 - Lew (Selva Lewis) Burdette
baseball: pitcher: NY Yankees, Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves [World Series: 1957, 1958/all-star: 1957, 1959], SL Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels; died Feb 6, 2007
1932 - Robert Vaughn
Emmy Award-winning actor: Washington: Behind Closed Doors [1977-78]; The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Magnificent Seven, The Big One, The Towering Inferno, The Bridge at Remagen, Delta Force, Superman 3, The Young Philadelphians
1935 - Michael Callan (Calinieff)
actor: Because They’re Young, Cat Ballou, Gidget Goes Hawaiian, Love American Style, Occasional Wife
1938 - Matty Alou
baseball [center field]: San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres
1939 - Allen Garfield (Goorwitz)
actor: Diabolique, Night Visitor, Beverly Hills Cop 2, **** Tracy, The Cotton Club, Mother, Jugs and Speed, The Conversation, The Candidate, The Owl and the *****cat, Greetings, Bananas
1940 - Terry Gilliam
actor: Monty Python series, And Now for Something Completely Different, Life of Brian; director: Brazil, The Fisher King, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1941 - Tom Conti
actor: American Dreamer, The Norman Conquests series, The Quick and the Dead, Saving Grace, Masterpiece Theater, Shirley Valentine, The Wright Verdicts
1941 - Jacques Laperriere
Hockey Hall of Famer [defense]: Montreal Canadiens [six Stanley Cups, one Norris Trophy]; assistant coach: Montreal Canadiens
1942 - Guion S. Bluford Jr.
astronaut: first African-American on space shuttle missions
1942 - Floyd Sneed
musician: drums: group: Three Dog Night: One, Try a Little Tenderness, Eli’s Coming, Easy to Be Hard, Celebrate, Mama Told Me [Not to Come], Out in the Country, Liar, Joy to the World, Black & White, Shambala
1943 - Wade (Allen) Blasingame
baseball: pitcher: Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, NY Yankees
1943 - Billie Jean King (Moffitt)
International Tennis Hall of Famer & Women’s Sports Hall of Famer: 20 Wimbledon titles incl. singles champion [1966-1968, 1972, 1973, 1975], Australian Open Champion [1968], French Open Champion [1972], US Open Champion [1967. 1971, 1972, 1974], AP Female Athlete of the Year [1967, 1973], Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year [1973]; founder of Women’s Sports Foundation and WomenSports magazine
1944 - Ken Houston
Pro Football Hall of Famer [strong safety]: Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins; career: intercepted 49 passes for 898 yards and 9 touchdowns, played in 10 Pro Bowls
1946 - Aston Barrett
‘Family Man’: musician: bass: group: Bob Marley & The Wailers
1947 - Rod Price
musician: guitar: group: Foghat: Maybelline, Ride, Ride, Ride, Take It or Leave It, Home in My Hand, Drivin’ Wheel, Fool for the City, Slow Ride; died Mar 22, 2005
1950 - Greg (Gregory Michael) Luzinski
baseball: Philadelphia Phillies [all-star: 1975-1978/World Series: 1980], Chicago White Sox; high school coach
1950 - Steve Van Zandt (aka Little Steven aka Miami Steve)
singer, songwriter, musician: guitar: groups: E Street Band, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
1950 - Tina (Martina) Weymouth
musician: bass: group: Talking Heads: Love Goes to Building on Fire, Psycho Killer, Take Me to the River, I Zimbra, Life During Wartime
1954 - Craig Hundley
musician: pianist: group: Craig Hundley Trio; actor: Star Trek [TV], Tammy and the Millionaire, Days of Our Lives, Knots Landing, Schizoid, The Acorn People
1958 - Jamie Lee Curtis
actress: A Fish Called Wanda, Forever Young, Halloween ’78, Halloween 2: The The Nightmare Isn’t Over!, Trading Places, True Lies, My Girl, Mother’s Boys, Love Letters, Anything But Love, Dominick & Eugene, Operation Petticoat; daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh
1960 - Victoria Paris
actress: X-rated films: Who Reamed Rosie Rabbit?, Naughty Neighbors, Mystic Pieces, Mischief in the Mansion, Bimbo Bowlers from Buffalo, Ringside Knockout
1961 - Mariel Hemingway
actress: Delirious, Falling from Grace, Lipstick, Personal Best, The Suicide Club, Superman 4: The Quest for Peace, Manhattan, Civil Wars, Star 80
1963 - Hugh Millen
football: QB: LA Rams, Atlanta Falcons, NE Patriots, Denver Broncos QB
1964 - Benoit Benjamin
basketball: LA Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, LA Lakers, New Jersey Nets, Vancouver Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers
1964 - Stephen Geoffreys
actor: Moon 44, 976-EVIL, The Chair, Fright Night, Fraternity Vacation, Heaven Help Us
1965 - Eric Allen
football [cornerback]: Arizona State Univ; NFL: Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders
1965 - Michael Benjamin
baseball: Arizona State Univ; San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates
1967 - Boris Becker
tennis: youngest Wimbledon Men’s Champion [17 years old][1985, 1986, 1989], US Open [1989], Australian Open [1991]
1969 - John Parrella
football: Univ of Nebraska; NFL: Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams
1971 - Tyoka Jackson
football: Penn State Univ; NFL: Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams
1972 - Jay Payton
baseball: Georgia Tech Univ; New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics
1974 - Joe Nathan
baseball [pitcher]: San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins
1975 - Warrick Holdman
football [linebacker]: Texas A&M Univ; NFL: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins
1975 - Ryan Neufeld
football [running back]: UCLA; NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills
1979 - Andrew Knott
actor: The Secret Garden, Police 2020, Black Beauty, Coronation Street
1984 - Scarlett Johansson
actress: The Horse Whisperer, My Brother the Pig, The Man Who Wasn’t There, An American Rhapsody
Chart Toppers November 22
1945 It’s Been a Long, Long Time - The Harry James Orchestra (Kitty Kallen)
Till the End of Time - Perry Como
I’ll Buy that Dream - The Pied Pipers
Sioux City Sue - **** Thomas
1954I Need You Now - Eddie Fisher
Hold My Hand - Don Cornell
Mr. Sandman - The Chordettes
More and More - Webb Pierce
1963I’m Leaving It Up to You - Dale & Grace
Washington Square - The Village Stompers
Dominique - The Singing Nun
Love’s Gonna Live Here - Buck Owens
1972I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
I’d Love You to Want Me - Lobo
I Am Woman - Helen Reddy
She’s Too Good to Be True - Charley Pride
1981Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
Here I Am (Just When I Thought I was Over You) - Air Supply
All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) - Hank Williams, Jr.
1990Love Takes Time - Mariah Carey
Pray - M.C. Hammer
More Than Words Can Say - Alias
You Really Had Me Going - Holly Dunn
1999Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit…) - Lou Bega
(You Drive Me) Crazy - Britney Spears
Heartbreaker - Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z
I Love You - Martina McBride
2008Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
So What - Pink
Whatever You Like - T.I.
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Happy Birthday Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night
Monday, November 22, 2010
JFK REMEMBERED DAY
Generations recall watching CBS Television on this day in 1963. The popular soap opera As the World Turns was interrupted by a flash bulletin from Dallas. No one was available to man the CBS News studio at that instant, but a voice informed the nation that President John F. Kennedy had been gravely wounded during a motorcade through downtown Dallas.
Minutes later, after teletype machines, with alarm bells clanging, had spread the word to newsrooms around the world, the network interrupted again.
This time, Walter Cronkite, wearing partially rolled-up, white shirt sleeves, a loosened tie, no makeup, and black glasses, read wire copy just handed him: “Ladies and gentleman, the President of the United States is dead.” Cronkite, disbelieving the words he had just said, turned to look at a studio clock, stoically raised a hand to wipe away tears and continued with the tragic news that President Kennedy had died while undergoing emergency surgery at Parkland Hospital.
Events November 22
1880 - Lillian Russell made her vaudeville debut -- in New York City.
1899 - The Marconi Wireless Company of America was incorporated under laws of the State of New Jersey.
1906 - Delegates attending the Berlin Radiotelegraphic Conference in Germany voted to use SOS (...---...) as the letters for the new international signal. The international use of SOS was ratified in 1908. Its meaning? No, not “Save Our Ship” or “Save Our Souls” as many believe. Its only meaning was as a distress signal, quick to transmit by Morse code and not easily misread. It is not an acronym. Incidentally, how did SOS pads come to use the same initials? They’re named after a patented process, Soap on Steel.
1909 - Helen Hayes appeared for the first time on the New York stage. She was a member of the cast of Old Dutch, which opened at the Herald Square Theatre.
1910 - Arthur F. Knight of Schenectady, New York patented the steel shaft. Not a big shaft, actually, but one to replace the less durable hickory wood shafts used to that time -- in golf clubs.
1917 - The National Hockey League came into being. Its official formation was in Montreal, Canada.
1935 - The first transpacific airmail flight left San Francisco with over 20,000 folks waving good-bye. The China Clipper began its 8,000-mile journey with 110,865 letters on board, piloted by Captain Edwin Musick. The Pan American Martin 130 took off from San Francisco. 59 hours and 48 minutes later, it landed at Manila in the Philippines.
1938 - Bunny Berigan and his orchestra waxed Jelly Roll Blues on Victor Records. The tune became a standard for the band.
1943 - Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and China’s Chiang Kai-shek agreed at Cairo, Egypt, on measures to defeat Japan.
1950 - This was a slow night in the NBA. The lowest score recorded in the National Basketball Association was posted. The Fort Wayne Pistons (later Detroit Pistons) whipped the tar out of the hometown Minneapolis Lakers (later Los Angeles Lakers) by the score of 19-18.
1955 - RCA paid the unheard of sum of $25,000 to Sam Phillips of Memphis, TN for the rights to the music of a truck driver from Tupelo, Mississippi: Elvis Presley. Thanks to negotiations with Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, RCA tossed in a $5,000 bonus as well -- for a pink Cadillac for Elvis’ mother.
1957 - The Miles Davis Quintet debuted with a jazz concert at Carnegie Hall in New York.
1961 - A Man for All Seasons opened at the ANTA Playhouse in New York City. The play starred George Rose as the Common Man, Paul Scofield as Sir Thomas More, Albert Dekker as the Duke of Norfolk, Leo McKern as Thomas Cromwell, Keith Baxter as King Henry VIII and Olga Bellin as Margaret More. A Man for All Seasons ran for 637 performances, closing on Jun 1, 1963.
1965 - The production of Man of La Mancha, including the classic The Impossible Dream, opened in New York City for the first of 2,328 performances.
1968 - The Beatles released their so-called White Album, a record called simply The Beatles.
1974 - The U.N. General Assembly recognized Palestine’s right to sovereignty and national independence.
1975 - Dr. Zhivago appeared on TV for the first time. The production, including Somewhere My Love, had earned $93 million from theatre tickets over ten years. NBC paid $4 million for the broadcast rights.
1975 - Juan Carlos took the oath as king of Spain this day. Juan Carlos and his collaborators peacefully and legally brought democracy to Spain over the following three years. Never before had a dictatorial regime been transformed into a parliamentary democracy without civil war, revolutionary overthrow, or defeat by a foreign power.
1976 - The comic strip Cathy, by Cathy Guisewite, debuted. The strip, chronicling the trials and tribulations of a single career woman, went on to appear in some 1,400 newspapers worldwide.
1977 - Tony Orlando returned to the concert stage after a self-imposed, three-month retirement following the suicide death of his good friend, Freddie Prinze. Orlando appeared in concert in San Carlos, California.
1977 - The first flight of the Concorde jet was made -- from London to New York.
1980 - Former House Speaker John W. McCormack died in Dedham, MA. He was 88 years old.
1980 - Actress Mae West died in Hollywood at age 87. Surprisingly, West made only a few films in her career – and her first one when she was 39 years old.
1984 - “Time to clear out the closet in the neighborhood...” Fred Rogers of PBS’ Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood presented a sweater, knitted by his mother, to the Smithsonian Institution as “a symbol of warmth, closeness and caring,” according to museum officials.
1986 - Mike Tyson was only 20 years and 4 months old, becoming the youngest to wear the world heavyweight boxing crown. He knocked out Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas, NV.
1988 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy was honored on the 25th anniversary of his assassination.
1989 - President René Moawad of Lebanon was assassinated less than three weeks after taking office.
1990 - British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher failed to win reelection as leader of the Conservative Party (over differences on European Community policy) and announced her resignation after eleven years in office.
1991 - Egypt’s Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt for Foreign Affairs, was chosen to be United Nations Secretary-General. Ghali was both the first Arab and the first African to hold the post.
1992 - Actor Sterling Holloway died at 87 years of age. He appeared in some 140 films, including Golddiggers of 1933, A Walk in the Sun and Batman. Holloway also appeared as a regular or semi-regular on TV series, such as The Life of Riley, Adventures of Superman and The Baileys of Balboa.
1994 - A gunman opened fire inside the District of Columbia’s police headquarters. The ensuing gun battle left two FBI agents, a city detective and the gunman dead.
1995 - Films debuting in the U.S.: Casino, starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, James Woods and Alan King; Money Train, with Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Robert Blake and Jennifer Lopez; and the animated Toy Story, starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, Eric Von Detton and Laurie Metcalf.
1996 - New movies in the U.S.: Jingle All The Way, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, James Belushi, Robert Conrad, Martin Mull and Jake Lloyd; and Star Trek: First Contact, starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes (who also directed), Levar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates Mcfadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Alfre Woodard and James Cromwell.
1997 - After 41 days, one hour and 55 minutes at sea, New Zealanders Rob Hamill and Phil Stubbs rowed triumphantly into the marina at Port St. Charles, Barbados. They had just set a new Atlantic Ocean rowboat record, knocking over 30 days off the previous one, held by Mike Nester and Sean Crowley (set in 1986). Hamill and Phil Stubbs started from Los Gigantes on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) Oct 12. (Stubbs was killed in a plane crash in New Zealand Dec 20, 1998.)
1998 - It was week 12 of the NFL football season as Denver Broncos QB John Elway passed (pun intended) the 50,000-yard career-passing mark. He joined Dan Marino as the only passers to throw for more than 50,000 yards in a career. And Elway threw four touchdowns passes the following week to move into third place on the all-time TD pass list.
1999 - ‘The Great One’, Wayne Gretzky, was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. On June 23, 1999 it had been announced that Gretzky would be the tenth, and last, player to have the three-year waiting period waived by the hall-of-fame selection committee “by reason of outstanding pre-eminence and skill.” Gretzky held 61 NHL records.
2000 - First-run flicks opening in the U.S.: 102 Dalmations (“Meet Two Unlikely Heroes with a Bone to Pick.”), with Glenn Close, Ioan Gruffudd, Alice Evans and Tim Mcinnerny; and Unbreakable (“Are You Ready for the Truth?”), starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Penn Wright and Charlayne Woodard.
2001 - Using a laptop computer, Pope John Paul II for the first time sent out his official word (via e-mail) over the Internet. The pontif apologizing for missionary abuses against indigenous peoples of the South Pacific.
2001 - Mary Kay Ash founder of the Mary Kay cosmetics firm, died in Dallas, TX. She was 86 years old (she was born May 12, 1915). By 2001, the Mary Kay Ash 1963 sales force of eleven people had grown to over 750,000 in 37 countries.
2002 - These movies debuted in U.S. theatres: Die Another Day, with Pierce Brosnan (as Bond -- James Bond), Halle Berry (as Jinx), Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, John Cleese (as Q) and Judi Dench (as M); and The Emporer’s Club, starring Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch, Embeth Davidtz, Rob Morrow, Edward Herrmann, Harris Yulin and Paul Franklin Dano.
2003 - The Medicare prescription drug bill narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives (220-215), following a dusk-to-dawn debate.
2003 - 22-year-old North Dakota student Dru Sjodin was last seen at the Grand Forks, ND, mall on this day. Her body was found the following April. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr pleaded innocent to kidnapping resulting in Sjodin’s death.
2004 - Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Fidel Castro in Havana for talks focused on broadening ties between Cuba and China.
2005 - Floods and mudslides caused by Tropical Storm Gamma, the 24th named storm in the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, killed some 32 people in Honduras.
2006 - U.S. film openings: Deck the Halls, starring Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis, Alia Shawkat, Sabrina Aldridge and Kelly Aldridge; Deja Vu, with Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Bruce Greenwood, Adam Goldberg and Jim Caviezel; The Fountain, starring Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Gullette, Sean Patrick Thomas and Donna Murphy; Opal Dream, with Sapphire Boyce, Christian Byers, Abigail Gudgeon, Jacqueline McKenzie, Vince Colosimo, Peter Callan and Robert Menzies; and Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny, starring Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Will Ferrell, David Koechner, Jason Reed and Ronnnie James Dio.
2006 - A fire in a leather factory in Calcutta, India killed nine people who had been trapped inside the locked building.
2006 - The U.S. Copyright Office ruled that cell phone owners could break locks to use their handsets with competing carriers, and that film professors had the right to copy snippets from DVDs for educational compilations.
2007 - The World Health Organization said nearly 400 people, mostly children, had fallen ill in Angola due to an outbreak of bromide poisoning.
2008 - The Yellow River Conservancy Committee reported that one-third of the Yellow River, which supplies water to millions of people in northern China, was heavily polluted by industrial waste and was unsafe for any use.
2008 - MTV Africa launched its first-ever music award program for Africa in Abuja, Nigeria. Acts from across the world’s poorest continent were nominated for prizes.
2009 - 245 people were pulled from the sea after the Dumai Express went down in heavy rain and huge swells off Karimun island in the north of the Indonesian archipelago. At least 29 people were killed and 20 were missing.
2009 - Country/pop star Taylor Swift and the late Michael Jackson were the big winners at the American Music Awards. Swift on five awards including artist of the year. Jackson won four.
Birthdays November 22
1819 - George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)
novelist: Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life, Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Romola, Felix Holt, Radical, Daniel Deronda; died Dec 22, 1880
1890 - Charles DeGaulle
WWII military leader; President of France [1958-1969]; author: The Army of the Future; died Nov 9, 1970
1898 - Wiley Post
pioneer aviator, parachutist; co-author: Around the World in Eight Days; killed in plane crash [w/flying companion Will Rogers] August 15, 1935
1899 - Hoagy (Hoagland Howard) Carmichael
composer, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer: Stardust, Lazybones, Two Sleepy People, Skylark, Georgia on My Mind, Ole Buttermilk Sky, Rockin’ Chair, [Up a] Lazy River, One Morning in May, The Nearness of You, Lamplighter’s Serenade, How Little We Know, Memphis in June, In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening, New Orleans; singer, piano player, band leader, attorney; died Dec 27, 1981
1904 - Roland Winters
actor: Charlie Chan, A Conflict of Interest, The Dain Curse, Follow That Dream, Never Steal Anything Small, Blue Hawaii, The Iceman Cometh, Bigger Than Life; died Oct 22, 1989
1906 - Howard Petrie
radio announcer [WBZ, Boston, NBC net; actor: The Edge of Night, Death Valley Days, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, National Velvet, Rawhide, Woman of the North Country, Red Ball Express, Carbine Williams, Bend of the River, The Bounty Hunter, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; died Mar 24, 1968
1907 - Dora Maar
photographer, model: Picasso’s lover and subject of many paintings; died July 16, 1997
1910 - Mary Jackson
actress: The Waltons, A Family Thing, Leap of Faith, The Exorcist III, The Case of the Hillside Stranglers, Big Top Pee-wee, Space, Between Two Brothers; died Dec 10, 2005
1912 - Doris Duke
tobacco heiress: only child of American Tobacco Company baron, James Duke; Duke University was named for her grandfather, Washington Duke; she died Oct 28, 1993
1914 - Lew Hays
founder of PONY League baseball for youngsters; died Apr 11, 1998
1921 - Rodney Dangerfield (Jacob Cohen)
“I Don’t Get No Respect”: comedian, actor: Caddyshack, Easy Money, Back to School, Natural Born Killers, Ladybugs, The Dean Martin Show; died Oct 5, 2004
1923 - Arthur Hiller
director: The Americanization of Emily, Author! Author!, Love Story, Man of La Mancha, Plaza Suite, Silver Streak, Taking Care of Business
1924 - Geraldine Page
Academy Award-winning actress: The Trip to Bountiful [1985]; The Day of the Locust, Harry’s War, Pete ’n’ Tillie, Summer and Smoke, Sweet Bird of Youth, Toys in the Attic; Emmy Award-winner: A Christmas Memory, ABC Stage 67 [1966-1967], The Thanksgiving Visitor [1968-1969]; died June 13, 1987
1926 - Lew (Selva Lewis) Burdette
baseball: pitcher: NY Yankees, Boston Braves, Milwaukee Braves [World Series: 1957, 1958/all-star: 1957, 1959], SL Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, California Angels; died Feb 6, 2007
1932 - Robert Vaughn
Emmy Award-winning actor: Washington: Behind Closed Doors [1977-78]; The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Magnificent Seven, The Big One, The Towering Inferno, The Bridge at Remagen, Delta Force, Superman 3, The Young Philadelphians
1935 - Michael Callan (Calinieff)
actor: Because They’re Young, Cat Ballou, Gidget Goes Hawaiian, Love American Style, Occasional Wife
1938 - Matty Alou
baseball [center field]: San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres
1939 - Allen Garfield (Goorwitz)
actor: Diabolique, Night Visitor, Beverly Hills Cop 2, **** Tracy, The Cotton Club, Mother, Jugs and Speed, The Conversation, The Candidate, The Owl and the *****cat, Greetings, Bananas
1940 - Terry Gilliam
actor: Monty Python series, And Now for Something Completely Different, Life of Brian; director: Brazil, The Fisher King, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1941 - Tom Conti
actor: American Dreamer, The Norman Conquests series, The Quick and the Dead, Saving Grace, Masterpiece Theater, Shirley Valentine, The Wright Verdicts
1941 - Jacques Laperriere
Hockey Hall of Famer [defense]: Montreal Canadiens [six Stanley Cups, one Norris Trophy]; assistant coach: Montreal Canadiens
1942 - Guion S. Bluford Jr.
astronaut: first African-American on space shuttle missions
1942 - Floyd Sneed
musician: drums: group: Three Dog Night: One, Try a Little Tenderness, Eli’s Coming, Easy to Be Hard, Celebrate, Mama Told Me [Not to Come], Out in the Country, Liar, Joy to the World, Black & White, Shambala
1943 - Wade (Allen) Blasingame
baseball: pitcher: Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, NY Yankees
1943 - Billie Jean King (Moffitt)
International Tennis Hall of Famer & Women’s Sports Hall of Famer: 20 Wimbledon titles incl. singles champion [1966-1968, 1972, 1973, 1975], Australian Open Champion [1968], French Open Champion [1972], US Open Champion [1967. 1971, 1972, 1974], AP Female Athlete of the Year [1967, 1973], Sports Illustrated Sportswoman of the Year [1973]; founder of Women’s Sports Foundation and WomenSports magazine
1944 - Ken Houston
Pro Football Hall of Famer [strong safety]: Houston Oilers, Washington Redskins; career: intercepted 49 passes for 898 yards and 9 touchdowns, played in 10 Pro Bowls
1946 - Aston Barrett
‘Family Man’: musician: bass: group: Bob Marley & The Wailers
1947 - Rod Price
musician: guitar: group: Foghat: Maybelline, Ride, Ride, Ride, Take It or Leave It, Home in My Hand, Drivin’ Wheel, Fool for the City, Slow Ride; died Mar 22, 2005
1950 - Greg (Gregory Michael) Luzinski
baseball: Philadelphia Phillies [all-star: 1975-1978/World Series: 1980], Chicago White Sox; high school coach
1950 - Steve Van Zandt (aka Little Steven aka Miami Steve)
singer, songwriter, musician: guitar: groups: E Street Band, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
1950 - Tina (Martina) Weymouth
musician: bass: group: Talking Heads: Love Goes to Building on Fire, Psycho Killer, Take Me to the River, I Zimbra, Life During Wartime
1954 - Craig Hundley
musician: pianist: group: Craig Hundley Trio; actor: Star Trek [TV], Tammy and the Millionaire, Days of Our Lives, Knots Landing, Schizoid, The Acorn People
1958 - Jamie Lee Curtis
actress: A Fish Called Wanda, Forever Young, Halloween ’78, Halloween 2: The The Nightmare Isn’t Over!, Trading Places, True Lies, My Girl, Mother’s Boys, Love Letters, Anything But Love, Dominick & Eugene, Operation Petticoat; daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh
1960 - Victoria Paris
actress: X-rated films: Who Reamed Rosie Rabbit?, Naughty Neighbors, Mystic Pieces, Mischief in the Mansion, Bimbo Bowlers from Buffalo, Ringside Knockout
1961 - Mariel Hemingway
actress: Delirious, Falling from Grace, Lipstick, Personal Best, The Suicide Club, Superman 4: The Quest for Peace, Manhattan, Civil Wars, Star 80
1963 - Hugh Millen
football: QB: LA Rams, Atlanta Falcons, NE Patriots, Denver Broncos QB
1964 - Benoit Benjamin
basketball: LA Clippers, Seattle SuperSonics, LA Lakers, New Jersey Nets, Vancouver Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers
1964 - Stephen Geoffreys
actor: Moon 44, 976-EVIL, The Chair, Fright Night, Fraternity Vacation, Heaven Help Us
1965 - Eric Allen
football [cornerback]: Arizona State Univ; NFL: Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders
1965 - Michael Benjamin
baseball: Arizona State Univ; San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates
1967 - Boris Becker
tennis: youngest Wimbledon Men’s Champion [17 years old][1985, 1986, 1989], US Open [1989], Australian Open [1991]
1969 - John Parrella
football: Univ of Nebraska; NFL: Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams
1971 - Tyoka Jackson
football: Penn State Univ; NFL: Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams
1972 - Jay Payton
baseball: Georgia Tech Univ; New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Oakland Athletics
1974 - Joe Nathan
baseball [pitcher]: San Francisco Giants, Minnesota Twins
1975 - Warrick Holdman
football [linebacker]: Texas A&M Univ; NFL: Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins
1975 - Ryan Neufeld
football [running back]: UCLA; NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills
1979 - Andrew Knott
actor: The Secret Garden, Police 2020, Black Beauty, Coronation Street
1984 - Scarlett Johansson
actress: The Horse Whisperer, My Brother the Pig, The Man Who Wasn’t There, An American Rhapsody
Chart Toppers November 22
1945 It’s Been a Long, Long Time - The Harry James Orchestra (Kitty Kallen)
Till the End of Time - Perry Como
I’ll Buy that Dream - The Pied Pipers
Sioux City Sue - **** Thomas
1954I Need You Now - Eddie Fisher
Hold My Hand - Don Cornell
Mr. Sandman - The Chordettes
More and More - Webb Pierce
1963I’m Leaving It Up to You - Dale & Grace
Washington Square - The Village Stompers
Dominique - The Singing Nun
Love’s Gonna Live Here - Buck Owens
1972I Can See Clearly Now - Johnny Nash
I’d Love You to Want Me - Lobo
I Am Woman - Helen Reddy
She’s Too Good to Be True - Charley Pride
1981Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner
Here I Am (Just When I Thought I was Over You) - Air Supply
All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) - Hank Williams, Jr.
1990Love Takes Time - Mariah Carey
Pray - M.C. Hammer
More Than Words Can Say - Alias
You Really Had Me Going - Holly Dunn
1999Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit…) - Lou Bega
(You Drive Me) Crazy - Britney Spears
Heartbreaker - Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z
I Love You - Martina McBride
2008Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
So What - Pink
Whatever You Like - T.I.
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Happy Birthday Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night
