Sunday March 23. 2014 Today is: Black Marriage Day, Near Miss Day, OK Day, World Meteorological Day, National Chip and Dip Day This Week is: Tsunami Awareness Week 23-29, Pediatric Nurse Practioner Week 23-29, National Protocol Officers Week 23-29, National Cleaning Week 23-29 For my Catholic friends Today is a Feast Day for: St. Fidelis, St. Benedict of Campania, St. Victorian, St. Theodulus, St. Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo, St. Domitius, St. Ethelwald, St. Felix, St. Joseph Oriol, St. Julian, St. Nicon, St. Rafqa On This Day in History: 1775 - During a speech before the second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry responds to the increasingly oppressive British rule over the American colonies by declaring, I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! Following the signing of the American Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, Patrick Henry was appointed governor of Virginia by the Continental Congress. 1806 - The Lewis and Clark expedition began the journey back to St. Louis from their winter encampment, Fort Clatsop, near the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon after passing a wet and tedious winter near the Pacific Coast. 1839 - The initials O.K. are first published in The Boston Morning Post. Meant as an abbreviation for oll correct, a popular slang misspelling of all correct at the time, OK steadily made its way into the everyday speech of Americans. 1880 - A patent for a glass milk bottle was issued to Warren Glass Works. 1880 - John Stevens of Neenah, Wisconsin was issued U.S. patent No. 225,770 for a grain-crushing mill which could increase flour production by up to 70 percent. 1912 - The Dixie Cup was developed by Lawrence Luellen and Hugh Moore. Its original name was the Health Kup, changed to Dixie Cup in 1919. The name came from a line of dolls made by the Dixie Doll Company. 1913 - A horrible month for weather-related disasters in the United States culminates with a devastating tornado ripping through Nebraska, near Omaha, on this day in 1913. It was the worst of five twisters that struck that day in Nebraska and Iowa, killing 115 people in total. 1918 - At 7:20 in the morning, an explosion in the Place de la Republique in Paris announces the first attack of a new German gun. The Pariskanone, or Paris gun, as it came to be known, was manufactured by Krupps; it was 210mm, with a 118-foot-long barrel, which could fire a shell the impressive distance of some 130,000 feet, or 25 miles, into the air. Three of them fired on Paris that day from a gun site at CrÉpy-en-Laonnaise, 74 miles away. 1919 - Benito Mussolini, an Italian World War I veteran and publisher of Socialist newspapers, breaks with the Italian Socialists and establishes the nationalist Fasci di Combattimento, named after the Italian peasant revolutionaries, or Fighting Bands, from the 19th century. Commonly known as the Fascist Party, Mussolinis new right-wing organization advocated Italian nationalism, had black shirts for uniforms, and launched a program of terrorism and intimidation against its leftist opponents. 1944 - German occupiers shoot more than 300 Italian civilians as a reprisal for an Italian partisan attack on an SS unit. 1961 - One of the first American casualties in Southeast Asia, an intelligence-gathering plane en route from Laos to Saigon is shot down over the Plain of Jars in central Laos. The mission was flown in an attempt to determine the extent of the Soviet support being provided to the communist Pathet Lao guerrillas in Laos. The guerrillas had been waging a war against the Royal Lao government since 1959. In a television news conference, President John F. Kennedy warned of communist expansion in Laos and said that a cease-fire must precede the start of negotiations to establish a neutral and independent nation. 1962 - Pakistans governor, Ayub Khan, in a gesture of goodwill, gives first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy a horse named Sardar. Governor Khan and President Kennedy cultivated a close diplomatic relationship between their two countries. When the Pakistani governor first visited the White House, he and Jackie discovered a common interest in horses. In her memoirs, the first lady referred to Sardar as her favorite treasure. She nicknamed the jet gelding Black Jack. 1965 - Astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich aboard the first Gemini spacecraft flight. 1979 - Federal Judge Barrington Parker presides over the sentencing of Guillermo Novo and Alvin Ross Diaz for the murder of Orlando Letelier. Novo and Ross Diaz were initally sentenced to consecutive terms of life imprisonment. Novo and Ross Diazs sentence was turned over on appeal and they were later acquitted. Evidence has since come to light suggesting that the CIA might have been aware of the impending assassination in advance and, perhaps because of the U.S.s close relationship with Pinochet, done nothing to stop it. 1983 - In an address to the nation, President Ronald Reagan proposes that the United States embark on a program to develop antimissile technology that would make the country nearly impervious to attack by nuclear missiles. Reagans speech marked the beginning of what came to be known as the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). 1994 - Wayne Gretzky scores his 802nd goal, breaking his childhood idol Gordie Howe’s National Hockey League record for most goals scored in a career. Gretzky, known to hockey fans as The Great One, broke a total of 61 offensive records in his NHL career, including many previously held by Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe. 1994 - Luis Donaldo Colosio, Mexicos ruling partys presidential candidate, is gunned down during a campaign rally in the northern border town of Tijuana. 1998 - By the time James Cameron took the stage to accept his Academy Award for Best Director on the night of March 23, 1998, the Oscar dominance of his blockbuster film Titanic was all but assured. Titanic tied the record for most Oscar nominations with 14—joining 1950s All About Eve—and by nights end would tie with Ben Hur (1959) for most wins by sweeping 11 categories, including the coveted Best Picture. Born on This Day: 1857 - Fannie Merritt Farmer, American culinary authority, and author of the 1896 edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book which became known in future editions as the Fannie Farmer Cook Book. Director of the Boston Cooking School, and founder of Miss Farmers School of Cookery. She is often cited as the first cookbook author to introduce standard measurements. 1937 - Craig Breedlove, American professional race car driver and a five-time world land speed record holder. He was the first person in history to reach 400 mph (640 km/h), 500 mph (800 km/h), and 600 mph (970 km/h), using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America. 1953 - Chaka Khan (Born Yvette Marie Stevens), American singer-songwriter whose career has spanned four decades, beginning in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. Often cited as the Queen of Funk, Khan has won ten Grammys and has sold an estimated 200 million records worldwide 1955 - Moses Eugene Malone, Retired American Hall of Fame basketball player who starred in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. A three-time NBA MVP and one of the NBAs 50 greatest players, Malone was the most successful prep-to-pro player of his era, going straight from Petersburg High to a 21-year career in professional basketball. By the time Malone retired after 19 seasons in the NBA he was the last former ABA player active and held numerous distinctions in both leagues, including a championship ring and NBA finals MVP trophy won with the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers. He was nicknamed Chairman of the Boards and Big Mo. 1976 - Keri Lynn Russell, American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-TV films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series Felicity, which ran from 1998 to 2002, and for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Russell has since appeared in several films including Mission: Impossible III (2006), Waitress (2007), August Rush (2007), Extraordinary Measures (2010), Dark Skies (2013), and currently stars in the FX television series The Americans. Died on This Day: 1983 - Dr. Barney B. Clark, Retired dentist and the recipient of the worlds first permanent artificial heart 2008 - Alvin Charles Al Copeland, American entrepreneur who created the Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits fast food chain. He was also a successful restaurateur who created many successful upscale restaurants. 2011 - Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Liz Taylor, British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywoods Golden Age. As one of the worlds most famous film stars, Taylor was recognized for her acting ability and for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty, and distinctive violet eyes. If you were born on this day in 1973 your parents may have been listening to the radio while Roberta Flack was holding the number one spot on Billboard Magazines Hot 100 with Killing Me Softly with His Song. Composed by Charles Fox with lyrics by Norman Gimbel the song was written in collaboration with Lori Lieberman, who recorded the song in late 1971 before it was a number-one hit in 1973 for Roberta Flack. The song has since been covered by numerous artists.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 15:11:36 +0000
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