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Sunday, January 2, 2011
LIFE OF RILEY DAY
NBC-TV presented the first program in the series of The Life of Riley, starring William Bendix, on this day in 1953.
The program had aired for one season in 1949 with Jackie Gleason in the starring role of Chester A. Riley. Before that it had a long run on radio where William Bendix also starred in the Riley role (before Bendix, the original Riley on the radio was played by Lionel Stander).
We remember Chester A. Riley as a big, lovable, galoot who had trouble getting things to go right. He worked at an aircraft factory but we usually saw him at home creating all kinds of problems and near disasters for himself and those around him: his wife Peg (Marjorie Reynolds), son Junior (Wesley Morgan), daughter Babs (Lugene Sanders) and good friend Jim Gillis (Tom D'Andrea).
Riley’s philosophy when things went wrong was, “What a revoltin’ development dis is!” When things went right (usually straightened out by Peg), however, Riley was very satisfied with life and ‘the life of Riley’ became synonymous in the 1950s with ‘the good life’.
Events January 2
1788 - One peach of a state, Georgia, became the 4th state to enter the United States of America. Nicknamed the Peach State for obvious reasons, Georgia is also referred to as the Empire State of the South. First explored by the Spanish, but named after King George II of England, Georgia became the stronghold of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Atlanta, its capital and largest city has been the center of commerce, communication, politics and transportation for the Southeastern region of the U.S. Like the rest of the 50 states, Georgia has a state Bird : the brown thrasher; a state flower: for some reason it's not the peach blossom, but the Cherokee rose; a state tree: the live oak; a state song: Georgia on My Mind; and an official state motto: Wisdom, Justice and Moderation.
1842 - The first wire suspension bridge was opened to traffic -- in Fairmount, Pennsylvania.
1859 - Erastus Beadle published The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette. Here’s one suggestion: “Always read Those Were the Days because it’s the proper thing to do.” Right there on page 7, we promise!
1872 - Brigham Young, the 71-year-old leader of the Mormon Church, was arrested on a charge of bigamy. He had 25 wives. Imagine taking them all to the grocery store each week?
1893 - The first commemorative postage stamps were issued. They commemorated the lowest prices these stamps would ever be again.
1921 - The first religious broadcast on radio was heard, as Dr. E.J. Van Etten of Calvary Episcopal Church preached on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1932 - Freddy Martin formed a new band and was hired to play the Roosevelt Grill in New York City. Martin became one of the big names in the music business. Merv Griffin later became Martin’s lead vocalist.
1941 - The Andrews Sisters recorded Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy on Decca Records. LaVerne, Maxene and Patty Andrews recorded in Los Angeles and the song was heard in the movie, Buck Privates, starring BUD Abbott and Lou Costello.
1942 - Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, fell to invading Japanese troops.
1952 - Libya became an independent constitutional monarchy.
1957 - Gene Fullmer defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to earn the world middleweight boxing title. (Robinson got the title back with a 5th-round knockout of Fullmer on May 1, 1957.)
1959 - CBS radio dropped the curtain on four soap operas. Our Gal Sunday, This is Nora Drake, Backstage Wife and Road of Life all hit the road for good.
1960 - Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
1965 - ‘Broadway’ Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football when he signed on the dotted line to play with the New York Jets of the American Football League.
1971 - George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass was number one on U.S. album charts. Harrison was the first ex-Beatle to hit #1 with a solo album.
1974 - Singing cowboy Tex Ritter died of a heart attack at the age of 67. His son, John, became a significant television star in Three’s Company, and in movies, including Problem Child. In fact, we just saw him on the tube the other night.
1974 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, requiring states to lower the maximum speed limit to 55 MPH. The law was meant to conserve gasoline supplies during an embargo imposed by Arab oil-producing countries, and was also intended to save an estimated 9,000 lives each year. (The law was repealed in 1995, returning the power of setting speed limits to the states.)
1980 - Officials of the Miss America Pageant announced that Bert Parks would not return as host of the annual beauty contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Parks sang “There she is, Miss America” for 25 years. He was replaced by Ron Ely, television's Tarzan.
1983 - The smash musical, Annie, Closed on Broadway at the Uris Theatre after 2,377 performances: the sixth longest-running show on the Great White Way. The five longest-running shows at the time were: Fiddler on the Roof, Life With Father, Tobacco Road, Hello Dolly and Music Man. Now you know...
1983 - The final edition of Garry Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury, appeared in 726 newspapers. It had a readership of 60 million people. Doonesbury began anew in September 1984.
1985 - The Rebels of UNLV beat Utah State in three overtime periods, 142-140. The 282 total points scored set a new NCAA mark for total points in a basketball game. It took over three hours to play the game.
1987 - The most-watched college football game was played this day, as Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions of Penn State defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 14-10, at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. The game was so popular that it beat Dallas and Falcon Crest in the TV ratings.
1988 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney signed the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement to lift trade restrictions between their countries. (The ratified by both governments and became effective January 1, 1989.)
1988 - An Ashland Oil Company tank collapsed in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, sending more than 700,000 gallons of diesel oil into the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers near Pittsburgh.
1990 - Actor Alan Hale Jr., Skipper on Gilligan’s Island, died of cancer. He was 71 years old.
1991 - Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC, becoming the first black woman to head a city of Washington’s size and prominence.
1994 - The newly-elected Republican mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, delivering his inaugural address, said, “On the second day of January of 1994, I dedicate my administration to you -- the people of New York.”
1995 - The most distant galaxy yet discovered was found by scientists using the Keck telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. "8C 1435+63" was estimated to be 15 billion light years away. The discovery was made by a team of astronomers from the University of California, led by Hyron Spinrad. They found the new galaxy to be 150,000 to 200,000 light-years across.
1996 - Former U.S. Interior Secretary James Watt pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count. He had attempted to sway a grand jury investigating 1980s influence-peddling at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Watt was later fined and sentenced to five years’ probation.
1997 - Rain and melting snow swamped the Western U.S., trapping visitors in Yosemite National Park, closing casinos in Reno, NV, and forcing the evacuation of 100,000 Californians.
1998 - Josef Tošovský was sworn in as prime minister of the Czech Republic. He pledged economic reforms, privatization, and efforts to fight crime and corruption.
1999 - Rolf Liebermann, Swiss composer, died in Paris. Liebermann led the Hamburg Opera from 1959-1972 and the Paris Opera from 1973-1980. His work included Eleonore 40/45, Penelope, L’Ecole des Femmes and La Foret.
2000 - Retired Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Junior died. He was 79 years old. Zumwalt was known early in his career for modernizing the U.S. Navy and later for ordering the spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam.
2001 - U.S. President-elect George Bush (II) tapped Democrat Norman Y. Mineta to be his transportation secretary, Spencer Abraham to be energy secretary and Linda Chavez to be secretary of labor. (Chavez later withdrew her name.)
2002 - The new Afghan government confirmed that American bombs had killed the Taliban’s intelligence chief, Qari Ahmadullah.
2002 - Eduardo Duhalde was sworn in as president of Argentina. He was the fifth president to take office in two weeks.
2003 - Astrologer Sydney Omarr, whose horoscopes appeared in more than 200 newspapers, died in Santa Monica, CA. He was 76 years old.
2004 - Secret Things opened in U.S. theatres. The drama stars Sabrina Seyvecou, Coralie Revel, Roger Mirmont, Fabrice Deville, Blandine Bury, Olivier Soler, Sylvain Bourguignon, Arnaud Goujon, Lisa Hérédia, Frédéric Marques and Bruno Sx.
2005 - The death toll from the Dec 26 earthquake/tsunami was estimated at 150,000.
2005 - The creator of the aluminum Bundt pan, H. David Dalquist, died at 86 years of age at his home in Edina, MN. Dalquist founded St. Louis Park-based Nordic Ware, which has sold more than 50 million Bundt pans.
2006 - An explosion in a West Virginia coal mine resulted in the deaths of 12 of 13 miners in what came to be known as the Sago Mine disaster. The survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., remained in a coma for over three weeks after his rescue. A Dec 2006 report blamed a lightning strike for the spark that set off the methane gas explosion in the mine.
2006 - Fifteen people died when the roof collapsed at the Bad Reichenhall ice rink in Bavaria, Germany.
2007 - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon created controversy on his first day in office when he failed to state the United Nation’ opposition to the death penalty -- and to Saddam Hussein’s execution. Ki-moon said capital punishment should be a decision of individual countries.
2007 - Oprah Winfrey opened a school for disadvantaged girls south of Johannesburg, South Africa, fulfilling a promise she made to former President Nelson Mandela and giving more than 150 students a chance for a better future.
2008 - California, 15 other states and five environmental groups challenged the Bush Administration in U.S. federal court over Bush’s refusal to let states limit vehicle emissions of gases.
2008 - Oil futures hit an intraday high of $100 per barrel and Closed at a record $99.62.
2009 - Some 30 Idaho investors were informed that about $100 million of their investments had been pilfered. State security regulators soon launched an investigation into Daren Palmer and his Trigon Group Inc. under allegations that he had operated a long-running Ponzi scheme.
2009 - Luis Fortuno, Puerto Rico’s new governor was sworn in, inheriting an island government that was battling a recession, a soaring murder rate and a deficit of more than $1 billion.
2010 - Thousands of North Koreans rallied in the capital to support the communist government’s policies for the new year, including improved relations with the U.S. and South Korea and a higher standard of living. But wait! North Korea, which does not tolerate any political opposition, stages this yearly rally to bolster public support for the government’s policies, announced each year in an editorial in major newspapers.
2010 - French police said about 30 works of art, including paintings by Pablo Picasso and Henri Rousseau, had been stolen from the home of a private collector near Marseilles. The theft came days after a drawing by Impressionist Edgar Degas worth €800,000 ($1.15 million) was stolen from the Cantini Museum in Marseilles.
Birthdays January 2
1752 - Philip Freneau
Poet of the American Revolution: The Indian Burying Ground; died Dec 18, 1832
1857 - Martha Carey Thomas
women’s education advocate: 1st president of National College Women's Equal Suffrage League, president of Bryn Mawr College for women [1894-1922]; died Dec 2, 1935
1861 - Helen Herron Taft
First Lady: wife of 27th U.S. President William Howard Taft; died May 22, 1943
1903 - Sally Rand (Helen Gould Beck)
dancer, stripper: inventor of the fan dance; actress: The Texas Bearcat, Bachelor Brides, The Night of Love, Getting Gertie’s Garter, Bolero, Sunset Murder Case; died Aug 31, 1979
1904 - James Melton
singer: La Traviata; died Apr 21, 1961
1905 - Sir Michael Tippett
composer: String Quartet No. 1, A Child of Our Time, The Midsummer Marriage, Fourth Symphony, The Mask of Time, The Rose Lake; writer: Those Twentieth Century Blues [autobiography], Tippett on Music, Caliban’s Song; died Jan 8, 1998
1905 - Pinky (Arthur Carter) Whitney
baseball: Philadelphia Phillies [all-star: 1936], Boston Braves, Boston Bees; died Sep 1, 1987
1913 - Anna Lee
actress: Port Charles, General Hospital, What Can I Do?, Beverly Hills Brats, Scruples, The Beasts Are on the Streets, Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years; died May 14, 2004
1917 - Vera Zorina (Eva Brigitta Hartwig)
dancer, actress: Star-Spangled Rhythm; died April 9, 2003
1920 - Isaac Asimov
sci-fi writer: I Robot; died Apr 6, 1992
1922 - Jason Evers
actor: Fer-De-Lance, Barracuda, Basket Case; died Mar 13, 2005
1927 - Gino Marchetti
Pro Football Hall of Famer: Baltimore Colts
1929 - Arthur Prysock
singer: All My Lovin’ Was in Vain, Got to Get You Off My Mind, Everything Must Change, Good Rockin’ Tonight, I Want to Thank You, Girl; died June 21, 1997
1930 - Julius LaRosa
singer: Anywhere I Wander, Eh Cumpari, Arthur Godfrey’s radio/TV shows; movie: Let’s Rock; DJ: WNEW, NYC
1932 - Ken Swofford
actor: Ellery Queen, Captain Newman, M.D., The Virginian, The Andromeda Strain, Columbo: Candidate for Crime, Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II, S.O.B., Annie, Fame, Murder, She Wrote, Thelma & Louise, Stranger at My Door, Battlestar Galactica
1935 - John Considine
actor: Gia, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Another World
1936 - Roger Miller
songwriter: King of the Road, Invitation to the Blues, You Don’t Want My Love; singer: Dang Me, Chug-a-Lug; 11 Grammys in 1964-65; wrote hit musical: Big River; died Oct 25, 1992
1937 - Martin Lauer
hurdler: Olypic Gold Medalist: Men’s 4-by-100 meter relay [w/Bernd Cullmann, Armin Hary, Walter Mahlendorf: Rome, 1960]
1939 - Jim Bakker (Orsen)
TV evangelist: PTL Club/Heritage USA: defrocked by Assemblies of God after 1987 financial scandal; autobiography: I Was Wrong
1942 - Dennis Hastert
politician: member of the U.S. House of Representatives [14th District of Illinois 1987-2007]; Speaker of the House [1999-2007]
1947 - Calvin Hill
football: Dallas Cowboys running back, Super Bowl V, VI
1949 - Chick Churchill
musician: keyboards: group: Ten Years After: I’m Going Home, Love like a Man
1949 - Christopher Durang
actor: Housesitter, The Butcher’s Wife, In the Spirit, Mr. North, Heaven Help Us
1949 - Mike Newlin
basketball: Houston Rockets guard
1951 - Bill Madlock
baseball: Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs [all-star: 1975/NL batting Champ: 1975, 1976], SF Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates [World Series: 1979/all-star: 1981, 1983/NL batting champ: 1981, 1983], LA Dodgers, Detroit Tigers
1952 - Wendy Phillips
actress: Executive Suite, A Year in the Life, The Robert Guillaume Show, Homefront, Falcon Crest, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Bugsy, Midnight Run, Death Be Not Proud
1957 - Joanna Pacula
actress: Timemaster, Deep Red, Tombstone, Eyes of the Beholder, Husbands and Lovers, Marked for Death, Sweet Lies, Death Before Dishonor, Gorky Park
1961 - Gabrielle Carteris
actress: Beverly Hills 90210, Raising Cain
1963 - David Cone
baseball [pitcher]: Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox; career: won Cy Young Award [1994], pitched a perfect game [July 18, 1999]
1963 - Edgar Martinez
baseball [designated hitter, first, third base: Seattle Mariners
1965 - Greg Swindell
baseball [pitcher]: Univ of Texas; NFL: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks
1967 - Tia Carrere (Althea Janairo)
actress: Relic Hunter, General Hospital, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Wayne’s World, Wayne’s World 2, True Lies, Operation Delta Force III: Clear Target, The Night of the Headless Horseman, Meet Prince Charming
1968 - Cuba Gooding Jr.
Academy Award-winning (supporting) actor: Jerry Maguire; Pearl Harbor, The Tuskegee Airmen, Outbreak, Losing Isaiah, A Few Good Men, Boyz N the Hood, Coming to America
1968 - Scott Mitchell
football [quarterback]: Univ of Utah; NFL: Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
1968 - Evan Parke
actor: King Kong [2005], Second String, My Brother’s Keeper, Planet of the Apes [2001], The Replacements, The Cider House Rules
1969 - Patrick Huard
actor: Taxi 0-22, Les Boys en prolongation, Les Guerriers, Nez rouge, La Vie apres l’amour, Les Boys
1969 - Rick Tabaracci
hockey [goalie]: NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, Colorado Avalanche
1970 - Glenn Cadrez
football: NFL: NY Jets, Denver Broncos, KC Chiefs
1970 - Royce Clayton
baseball: SF Giants, SL Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies
1971 - Aaron Williams
basketball [forward]: Xavier Univ; NBL: Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Vancouver Grizzlies, Seattle SuperSonics, Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors
1972 - Taye Diggs
actor: The Guiding Light, Slow Burn, Malibu’s Most Wanted, Chicago, Equilibrium, Cross the Line, New Best Friend, House on Haunted Hill
1972 - Mattias Norstrom
hockey: New York Rangers, LA Kings, Dallas Stars
1972 - Garrett Stephenson
baseball [pitcher]: Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals
1973 - Lucy Davis
actress: Shades of Ray, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, Rag Tale, Shaun of the Dead, Nicholas Nickleby, The Gambler, Ugly Betty, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Californication
1973 - Chris Woodruff
tennis: NCAA singles champion [in 1993]; assistant coach: Univ. of Tennessee
1974 - Ratcliff Thomas
football [linebacker]: Univ of Maryland; NFL: Indianapolis Colts
1975 - Dax Shepard
actor: Car Wars, Zathura, Sledge: The Untold Story, Without a Paddle, Cheaper By the Dozen [2003], Hairshirt
1975 - Jeff Suppan
baseball [pitcher]: Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, KC Royals, SL Cardinals
1976 - Cletidus Hunt
football: Kentucky State Univ; NFL: Green Bay Packers
1976 - Paz Vega
actress: Carmen, Zapping, 7 vidas TV series, Spanglish
1977 - Brian Boucher
hockey: Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes
1978 - Yuri Babenko
hockey: Colorado Avalanche
1978 - Frank Chamberlin
football: Boston College; NFL: Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals
1979 - Blake Washer
actor: Zombie Bloodbath 3: Zombie Armageddon, The Shivers, Shadow King, Whispers in the Gloom, Vampire Holocaust
1980 - Marcus Wilkins
football: Univ of Texas; NFL: GB Packers, Cincinnati Bengals
1981 - Kirk Hinrich
basketball: Univ of Kanasas; NBA: Chicago Bulls
1981 - Kelton ‘LDB’ Kessee
‘Little Drummer Boy’: musician [drums], singer: groups: Immature/IMx: Never Lie, Constantly, I Don Mind, Feel the Funk, We Got It, Please Don’t Go, Lover’s Groove, Watch Me Do My Thing, I’m Not a Fool
1983 - Kate Bosworth
actress: The Horse Whisperer, Young Americans, Remember the Titans, The Newcomers
1984 - David Deveau
actor: Little Men, Bleeder, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Drummer Boy
Chart Toppers January 2
1950Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Dinah Shore
A Dreamer’s Holiday - Perry Como
The Old Master Painter - Snooky Lanson
Mule Train - Tennessee Ernie Ford
1959The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters
One Night - Elvis Presley
City Lights - Ray Price
1968Hello Goodbye - The Beatles
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band
For Loving You - Bill Anderson & Jan Howard
1977Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart
You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
Sweet Dreams - Emmylou Harris
1986Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
Party All the Time - Eddie Murphy
Alive & Kicking - Simple Minds
Have Mercy - The Judds
1995On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men
Another Night - Real McCoy
Creep - TLC
Pickup Man - Joe Diffie
2004Hey Ya! - Outkast
The Way You Move - Outkast
It’s My Life - No Doubt
There Goes My Life (facts) - Kenny Chesney
Chart Topper January 2nd, 1995...Creep - TLC
Sunday, January 2, 2011
LIFE OF RILEY DAY
NBC-TV presented the first program in the series of The Life of Riley, starring William Bendix, on this day in 1953.
The program had aired for one season in 1949 with Jackie Gleason in the starring role of Chester A. Riley. Before that it had a long run on radio where William Bendix also starred in the Riley role (before Bendix, the original Riley on the radio was played by Lionel Stander).
We remember Chester A. Riley as a big, lovable, galoot who had trouble getting things to go right. He worked at an aircraft factory but we usually saw him at home creating all kinds of problems and near disasters for himself and those around him: his wife Peg (Marjorie Reynolds), son Junior (Wesley Morgan), daughter Babs (Lugene Sanders) and good friend Jim Gillis (Tom D'Andrea).
Riley’s philosophy when things went wrong was, “What a revoltin’ development dis is!” When things went right (usually straightened out by Peg), however, Riley was very satisfied with life and ‘the life of Riley’ became synonymous in the 1950s with ‘the good life’.
Events January 2
1788 - One peach of a state, Georgia, became the 4th state to enter the United States of America. Nicknamed the Peach State for obvious reasons, Georgia is also referred to as the Empire State of the South. First explored by the Spanish, but named after King George II of England, Georgia became the stronghold of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Atlanta, its capital and largest city has been the center of commerce, communication, politics and transportation for the Southeastern region of the U.S. Like the rest of the 50 states, Georgia has a state Bird : the brown thrasher; a state flower: for some reason it's not the peach blossom, but the Cherokee rose; a state tree: the live oak; a state song: Georgia on My Mind; and an official state motto: Wisdom, Justice and Moderation.
1842 - The first wire suspension bridge was opened to traffic -- in Fairmount, Pennsylvania.
1859 - Erastus Beadle published The Dime Book of Practical Etiquette. Here’s one suggestion: “Always read Those Were the Days because it’s the proper thing to do.” Right there on page 7, we promise!
1872 - Brigham Young, the 71-year-old leader of the Mormon Church, was arrested on a charge of bigamy. He had 25 wives. Imagine taking them all to the grocery store each week?
1893 - The first commemorative postage stamps were issued. They commemorated the lowest prices these stamps would ever be again.
1921 - The first religious broadcast on radio was heard, as Dr. E.J. Van Etten of Calvary Episcopal Church preached on KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1932 - Freddy Martin formed a new band and was hired to play the Roosevelt Grill in New York City. Martin became one of the big names in the music business. Merv Griffin later became Martin’s lead vocalist.
1941 - The Andrews Sisters recorded Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy on Decca Records. LaVerne, Maxene and Patty Andrews recorded in Los Angeles and the song was heard in the movie, Buck Privates, starring BUD Abbott and Lou Costello.
1942 - Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, fell to invading Japanese troops.
1952 - Libya became an independent constitutional monarchy.
1957 - Gene Fullmer defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to earn the world middleweight boxing title. (Robinson got the title back with a 5th-round knockout of Fullmer on May 1, 1957.)
1959 - CBS radio dropped the curtain on four soap operas. Our Gal Sunday, This is Nora Drake, Backstage Wife and Road of Life all hit the road for good.
1960 - Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
1965 - ‘Broadway’ Joe Namath signed the richest rookie contract ($400,000) in the history of pro football when he signed on the dotted line to play with the New York Jets of the American Football League.
1971 - George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass was number one on U.S. album charts. Harrison was the first ex-Beatle to hit #1 with a solo album.
1974 - Singing cowboy Tex Ritter died of a heart attack at the age of 67. His son, John, became a significant television star in Three’s Company, and in movies, including Problem Child. In fact, we just saw him on the tube the other night.
1974 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, requiring states to lower the maximum speed limit to 55 MPH. The law was meant to conserve gasoline supplies during an embargo imposed by Arab oil-producing countries, and was also intended to save an estimated 9,000 lives each year. (The law was repealed in 1995, returning the power of setting speed limits to the states.)
1980 - Officials of the Miss America Pageant announced that Bert Parks would not return as host of the annual beauty contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Parks sang “There she is, Miss America” for 25 years. He was replaced by Ron Ely, television's Tarzan.
1983 - The smash musical, Annie, Closed on Broadway at the Uris Theatre after 2,377 performances: the sixth longest-running show on the Great White Way. The five longest-running shows at the time were: Fiddler on the Roof, Life With Father, Tobacco Road, Hello Dolly and Music Man. Now you know...
1983 - The final edition of Garry Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury, appeared in 726 newspapers. It had a readership of 60 million people. Doonesbury began anew in September 1984.
1985 - The Rebels of UNLV beat Utah State in three overtime periods, 142-140. The 282 total points scored set a new NCAA mark for total points in a basketball game. It took over three hours to play the game.
1987 - The most-watched college football game was played this day, as Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions of Penn State defeated the Miami Hurricanes, 14-10, at the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona. The game was so popular that it beat Dallas and Falcon Crest in the TV ratings.
1988 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney signed the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement to lift trade restrictions between their countries. (The ratified by both governments and became effective January 1, 1989.)
1988 - An Ashland Oil Company tank collapsed in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, sending more than 700,000 gallons of diesel oil into the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers near Pittsburgh.
1990 - Actor Alan Hale Jr., Skipper on Gilligan’s Island, died of cancer. He was 71 years old.
1991 - Sharon Pratt Dixon was sworn in as mayor of Washington, DC, becoming the first black woman to head a city of Washington’s size and prominence.
1994 - The newly-elected Republican mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, delivering his inaugural address, said, “On the second day of January of 1994, I dedicate my administration to you -- the people of New York.”
1995 - The most distant galaxy yet discovered was found by scientists using the Keck telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. "8C 1435+63" was estimated to be 15 billion light years away. The discovery was made by a team of astronomers from the University of California, led by Hyron Spinrad. They found the new galaxy to be 150,000 to 200,000 light-years across.
1996 - Former U.S. Interior Secretary James Watt pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count. He had attempted to sway a grand jury investigating 1980s influence-peddling at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Watt was later fined and sentenced to five years’ probation.
1997 - Rain and melting snow swamped the Western U.S., trapping visitors in Yosemite National Park, closing casinos in Reno, NV, and forcing the evacuation of 100,000 Californians.
1998 - Josef Tošovský was sworn in as prime minister of the Czech Republic. He pledged economic reforms, privatization, and efforts to fight crime and corruption.
1999 - Rolf Liebermann, Swiss composer, died in Paris. Liebermann led the Hamburg Opera from 1959-1972 and the Paris Opera from 1973-1980. His work included Eleonore 40/45, Penelope, L’Ecole des Femmes and La Foret.
2000 - Retired Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Junior died. He was 79 years old. Zumwalt was known early in his career for modernizing the U.S. Navy and later for ordering the spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam.
2001 - U.S. President-elect George Bush (II) tapped Democrat Norman Y. Mineta to be his transportation secretary, Spencer Abraham to be energy secretary and Linda Chavez to be secretary of labor. (Chavez later withdrew her name.)
2002 - The new Afghan government confirmed that American bombs had killed the Taliban’s intelligence chief, Qari Ahmadullah.
2002 - Eduardo Duhalde was sworn in as president of Argentina. He was the fifth president to take office in two weeks.
2003 - Astrologer Sydney Omarr, whose horoscopes appeared in more than 200 newspapers, died in Santa Monica, CA. He was 76 years old.
2004 - Secret Things opened in U.S. theatres. The drama stars Sabrina Seyvecou, Coralie Revel, Roger Mirmont, Fabrice Deville, Blandine Bury, Olivier Soler, Sylvain Bourguignon, Arnaud Goujon, Lisa Hérédia, Frédéric Marques and Bruno Sx.
2005 - The death toll from the Dec 26 earthquake/tsunami was estimated at 150,000.
2005 - The creator of the aluminum Bundt pan, H. David Dalquist, died at 86 years of age at his home in Edina, MN. Dalquist founded St. Louis Park-based Nordic Ware, which has sold more than 50 million Bundt pans.
2006 - An explosion in a West Virginia coal mine resulted in the deaths of 12 of 13 miners in what came to be known as the Sago Mine disaster. The survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., remained in a coma for over three weeks after his rescue. A Dec 2006 report blamed a lightning strike for the spark that set off the methane gas explosion in the mine.
2006 - Fifteen people died when the roof collapsed at the Bad Reichenhall ice rink in Bavaria, Germany.
2007 - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon created controversy on his first day in office when he failed to state the United Nation’ opposition to the death penalty -- and to Saddam Hussein’s execution. Ki-moon said capital punishment should be a decision of individual countries.
2007 - Oprah Winfrey opened a school for disadvantaged girls south of Johannesburg, South Africa, fulfilling a promise she made to former President Nelson Mandela and giving more than 150 students a chance for a better future.
2008 - California, 15 other states and five environmental groups challenged the Bush Administration in U.S. federal court over Bush’s refusal to let states limit vehicle emissions of gases.
2008 - Oil futures hit an intraday high of $100 per barrel and Closed at a record $99.62.
2009 - Some 30 Idaho investors were informed that about $100 million of their investments had been pilfered. State security regulators soon launched an investigation into Daren Palmer and his Trigon Group Inc. under allegations that he had operated a long-running Ponzi scheme.
2009 - Luis Fortuno, Puerto Rico’s new governor was sworn in, inheriting an island government that was battling a recession, a soaring murder rate and a deficit of more than $1 billion.
2010 - Thousands of North Koreans rallied in the capital to support the communist government’s policies for the new year, including improved relations with the U.S. and South Korea and a higher standard of living. But wait! North Korea, which does not tolerate any political opposition, stages this yearly rally to bolster public support for the government’s policies, announced each year in an editorial in major newspapers.
2010 - French police said about 30 works of art, including paintings by Pablo Picasso and Henri Rousseau, had been stolen from the home of a private collector near Marseilles. The theft came days after a drawing by Impressionist Edgar Degas worth €800,000 ($1.15 million) was stolen from the Cantini Museum in Marseilles.
Birthdays January 2
1752 - Philip Freneau
Poet of the American Revolution: The Indian Burying Ground; died Dec 18, 1832
1857 - Martha Carey Thomas
women’s education advocate: 1st president of National College Women's Equal Suffrage League, president of Bryn Mawr College for women [1894-1922]; died Dec 2, 1935
1861 - Helen Herron Taft
First Lady: wife of 27th U.S. President William Howard Taft; died May 22, 1943
1903 - Sally Rand (Helen Gould Beck)
dancer, stripper: inventor of the fan dance; actress: The Texas Bearcat, Bachelor Brides, The Night of Love, Getting Gertie’s Garter, Bolero, Sunset Murder Case; died Aug 31, 1979
1904 - James Melton
singer: La Traviata; died Apr 21, 1961
1905 - Sir Michael Tippett
composer: String Quartet No. 1, A Child of Our Time, The Midsummer Marriage, Fourth Symphony, The Mask of Time, The Rose Lake; writer: Those Twentieth Century Blues [autobiography], Tippett on Music, Caliban’s Song; died Jan 8, 1998
1905 - Pinky (Arthur Carter) Whitney
baseball: Philadelphia Phillies [all-star: 1936], Boston Braves, Boston Bees; died Sep 1, 1987
1913 - Anna Lee
actress: Port Charles, General Hospital, What Can I Do?, Beverly Hills Brats, Scruples, The Beasts Are on the Streets, Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years; died May 14, 2004
1917 - Vera Zorina (Eva Brigitta Hartwig)
dancer, actress: Star-Spangled Rhythm; died April 9, 2003
1920 - Isaac Asimov
sci-fi writer: I Robot; died Apr 6, 1992
1922 - Jason Evers
actor: Fer-De-Lance, Barracuda, Basket Case; died Mar 13, 2005
1927 - Gino Marchetti
Pro Football Hall of Famer: Baltimore Colts
1929 - Arthur Prysock
singer: All My Lovin’ Was in Vain, Got to Get You Off My Mind, Everything Must Change, Good Rockin’ Tonight, I Want to Thank You, Girl; died June 21, 1997
1930 - Julius LaRosa
singer: Anywhere I Wander, Eh Cumpari, Arthur Godfrey’s radio/TV shows; movie: Let’s Rock; DJ: WNEW, NYC
1932 - Ken Swofford
actor: Ellery Queen, Captain Newman, M.D., The Virginian, The Andromeda Strain, Columbo: Candidate for Crime, Rich Man, Poor Man - Book II, S.O.B., Annie, Fame, Murder, She Wrote, Thelma & Louise, Stranger at My Door, Battlestar Galactica
1935 - John Considine
actor: Gia, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Another World
1936 - Roger Miller
songwriter: King of the Road, Invitation to the Blues, You Don’t Want My Love; singer: Dang Me, Chug-a-Lug; 11 Grammys in 1964-65; wrote hit musical: Big River; died Oct 25, 1992
1937 - Martin Lauer
hurdler: Olypic Gold Medalist: Men’s 4-by-100 meter relay [w/Bernd Cullmann, Armin Hary, Walter Mahlendorf: Rome, 1960]
1939 - Jim Bakker (Orsen)
TV evangelist: PTL Club/Heritage USA: defrocked by Assemblies of God after 1987 financial scandal; autobiography: I Was Wrong
1942 - Dennis Hastert
politician: member of the U.S. House of Representatives [14th District of Illinois 1987-2007]; Speaker of the House [1999-2007]
1947 - Calvin Hill
football: Dallas Cowboys running back, Super Bowl V, VI
1949 - Chick Churchill
musician: keyboards: group: Ten Years After: I’m Going Home, Love like a Man
1949 - Christopher Durang
actor: Housesitter, The Butcher’s Wife, In the Spirit, Mr. North, Heaven Help Us
1949 - Mike Newlin
basketball: Houston Rockets guard
1951 - Bill Madlock
baseball: Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs [all-star: 1975/NL batting Champ: 1975, 1976], SF Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates [World Series: 1979/all-star: 1981, 1983/NL batting champ: 1981, 1983], LA Dodgers, Detroit Tigers
1952 - Wendy Phillips
actress: Executive Suite, A Year in the Life, The Robert Guillaume Show, Homefront, Falcon Crest, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Bugsy, Midnight Run, Death Be Not Proud
1957 - Joanna Pacula
actress: Timemaster, Deep Red, Tombstone, Eyes of the Beholder, Husbands and Lovers, Marked for Death, Sweet Lies, Death Before Dishonor, Gorky Park
1961 - Gabrielle Carteris
actress: Beverly Hills 90210, Raising Cain
1963 - David Cone
baseball [pitcher]: Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox; career: won Cy Young Award [1994], pitched a perfect game [July 18, 1999]
1963 - Edgar Martinez
baseball [designated hitter, first, third base: Seattle Mariners
1965 - Greg Swindell
baseball [pitcher]: Univ of Texas; NFL: Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks
1967 - Tia Carrere (Althea Janairo)
actress: Relic Hunter, General Hospital, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Wayne’s World, Wayne’s World 2, True Lies, Operation Delta Force III: Clear Target, The Night of the Headless Horseman, Meet Prince Charming
1968 - Cuba Gooding Jr.
Academy Award-winning (supporting) actor: Jerry Maguire; Pearl Harbor, The Tuskegee Airmen, Outbreak, Losing Isaiah, A Few Good Men, Boyz N the Hood, Coming to America
1968 - Scott Mitchell
football [quarterback]: Univ of Utah; NFL: Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
1968 - Evan Parke
actor: King Kong [2005], Second String, My Brother’s Keeper, Planet of the Apes [2001], The Replacements, The Cider House Rules
1969 - Patrick Huard
actor: Taxi 0-22, Les Boys en prolongation, Les Guerriers, Nez rouge, La Vie apres l’amour, Les Boys
1969 - Rick Tabaracci
hockey [goalie]: NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, Atlanta Thrashers, Colorado Avalanche
1970 - Glenn Cadrez
football: NFL: NY Jets, Denver Broncos, KC Chiefs
1970 - Royce Clayton
baseball: SF Giants, SL Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies
1971 - Aaron Williams
basketball [forward]: Xavier Univ; NBL: Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Vancouver Grizzlies, Seattle SuperSonics, Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors
1972 - Taye Diggs
actor: The Guiding Light, Slow Burn, Malibu’s Most Wanted, Chicago, Equilibrium, Cross the Line, New Best Friend, House on Haunted Hill
1972 - Mattias Norstrom
hockey: New York Rangers, LA Kings, Dallas Stars
1972 - Garrett Stephenson
baseball [pitcher]: Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals
1973 - Lucy Davis
actress: Shades of Ray, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, Rag Tale, Shaun of the Dead, Nicholas Nickleby, The Gambler, Ugly Betty, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Californication
1973 - Chris Woodruff
tennis: NCAA singles champion [in 1993]; assistant coach: Univ. of Tennessee
1974 - Ratcliff Thomas
football [linebacker]: Univ of Maryland; NFL: Indianapolis Colts
1975 - Dax Shepard
actor: Car Wars, Zathura, Sledge: The Untold Story, Without a Paddle, Cheaper By the Dozen [2003], Hairshirt
1975 - Jeff Suppan
baseball [pitcher]: Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, KC Royals, SL Cardinals
1976 - Cletidus Hunt
football: Kentucky State Univ; NFL: Green Bay Packers
1976 - Paz Vega
actress: Carmen, Zapping, 7 vidas TV series, Spanglish
1977 - Brian Boucher
hockey: Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes
1978 - Yuri Babenko
hockey: Colorado Avalanche
1978 - Frank Chamberlin
football: Boston College; NFL: Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals
1979 - Blake Washer
actor: Zombie Bloodbath 3: Zombie Armageddon, The Shivers, Shadow King, Whispers in the Gloom, Vampire Holocaust
1980 - Marcus Wilkins
football: Univ of Texas; NFL: GB Packers, Cincinnati Bengals
1981 - Kirk Hinrich
basketball: Univ of Kanasas; NBA: Chicago Bulls
1981 - Kelton ‘LDB’ Kessee
‘Little Drummer Boy’: musician [drums], singer: groups: Immature/IMx: Never Lie, Constantly, I Don Mind, Feel the Funk, We Got It, Please Don’t Go, Lover’s Groove, Watch Me Do My Thing, I’m Not a Fool
1983 - Kate Bosworth
actress: The Horse Whisperer, Young Americans, Remember the Titans, The Newcomers
1984 - David Deveau
actor: Little Men, Bleeder, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Drummer Boy
Chart Toppers January 2
1950Dear Hearts and Gentle People - Dinah Shore
A Dreamer’s Holiday - Perry Como
The Old Master Painter - Snooky Lanson
Mule Train - Tennessee Ernie Ford
1959The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - The Platters
One Night - Elvis Presley
City Lights - Ray Price
1968Hello Goodbye - The Beatles
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band
For Loving You - Bill Anderson & Jan Howard
1977Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stewart
You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show) - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing - Leo Sayer
Sweet Dreams - Emmylou Harris
1986Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie
Party All the Time - Eddie Murphy
Alive & Kicking - Simple Minds
Have Mercy - The Judds
1995On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men
Another Night - Real McCoy
Creep - TLC
Pickup Man - Joe Diffie
2004Hey Ya! - Outkast
The Way You Move - Outkast
It’s My Life - No Doubt
There Goes My Life (facts) - Kenny Chesney
Chart Topper January 2nd, 1995...Creep - TLC