Today in History - NOVEMBER 7
Podkayne Fries
From: land...@aol.comnospamno (LandonEx)
Newsgroups: alt.gossip.celebrities
Date: 07 Nov 2002 19:34:08 GMT
Subject: Today's History & Birthdays - Thurs. 11/07
Message-ID: <20021107143408...@mb-fx.aol.com>
Today in History - NOVEMBER 7
Today is Thursday, November 7, the 311th day of 2002. There are 54
days left in the year. On this date:
In 1805, American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark sighted
the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River in what is now
Washington state, 19 months and 2,200 miles after beginning their
expedition. Clark wrote in his journal: "Ocean in VIEW! O! the joy!"
In 1867, Madame Marie Curie (Marja Sklodowski), the Nobel
Prize-winning physicist, was born; she was renowned for her study of
radiation and the discovery of radium and polonium. She died on July
4, 1934.
In 1874, Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist for Harper's Weekly,
created a satirical drawing of an elephant about to fall into a giant
hole, representing the Republican party and candidate Ulysses S.
Grant's possible bid for a third term. The symbol stuck, and has been
used ever since to represent the G.O.P. both in political cartoons and
by the party itself.
In 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed when the last
spike was driven at Craigellachie in British Columbia; the 2,980-mile
transcontinental railroad started in Montreal, Quebec, running between
Montreal and Port Moody, B.C.
In 1893, the state of Colorado granted its women the right to vote.
In 1903, actor Dean Jagger was born in Lima, Ohio. Jagger taught
elementary school for several semesters before deciding to become an
actor. He made his screen debut in 1929, and appeared in such films
as "You Belong to Me," "People Will Talk," "Western Union," "Sister
Kenny," "My Son John," "The Robe," "White Christmas," "Bad Day at
Black Rock," "King Creole," "The Nun's Story," "Elmer Gantry" and
"Vanishing Point," as well as on the TV series "Mr. Novak" (1963-64).
Jagger won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in 1949's
"Twelve O'Clock High." He died on February 5, 1991.
In 1914, the New Republic magazine was printed for the first time.
In 1916, Republican Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman
elected to the U.S. Congress.
In 1917, Russia's Bolshevik Revolution took place as forces led by
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin overthrew the provisional government of
Alexander Kerensky.
In 1929, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City opened to the
public.
In 1932, CBS radio presented the first broadcast of "Buck Rogers in
the 25th Century." Matt Crowley, Curtis Arnall, Carl Frank and John
Larkin played Buck in the serial over the years (1932-1947).
In 1937, "Dr. Christian" debuted on CBS radio, with Jean Hersholt
playing the part of the kindly, elderly Dr. Christian who practiced on
the air until 1954.
In 1940, the middle section of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington
state collapsed due to wind-induced vibrations, only four months and
seven days after it was dedicated.
In 1944, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt won an unprecedented fourth
term in office, defeating Thomas E. Dewey. FDR died in office on
April 12, 1945, after serving 53 days of his fourth term; Vice
President Harry S. Truman filled the remainder of the term and was
elected president in 1948.
In 1948, an adaptation of the mystery play, "The Storm," starring
Margaret Sullavan, became the first production of "Studio One" on
CBS-TV; the "Studio One" program continued on the airwaves until 1958.
In 1962, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt died in New York City.
Richard M. Nixon, having lost California's gubernatorial race, held
what he called his "last press conference," telling reporters, "You
won't have Nixon to kick around anymore."
In 1963, Elston Howard of the New York Yankees baseball team was named
the American League's Most Valuable Player; he was the first black
player to receive the honor.
In 1964, actress Dana Plato was born. Despite childhood fame via a
starring role (1978-84) on the TV series "Diff'rent Strokes" and in
such films as "Return to Boggy Creek" and "Beyond the Bermuda
Triangle," the troubled actress was plagued with alcohol and drug
problems in adulthood. In 1991 Plato was arrested after robbing a
video store in Las Vegas and given five years probation, but in 1992
she was arrested again for forging prescriptions for Valium. On May
8, 1999, she died at her parents' home in Moore, Oklahoma, of
an apparent accidental overdose of the painkiller Loritab along with
the tranquilizer Valium; she was 34 and left behind a 14-year-old son.
In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon was re-elected in a landslide
over Democrat George McGovern.
In 1973, U.S. Congress overrode President Richard Nixon's veto of the
War Powers Act, which limits a chief executive's power to wage war
without congressional approval. New Jersey became the first state in
the U.S.A. where girls were allowed to play on Little League baseball
teams.
In 1976, "Gone With the Wind" was aired (over two nights) on NBC-TV;
the broadcast was the highest-rated TV show in history, with 65
percent of all viewers tuned in.
In 1980, actor Steve McQueen died at age 50 of a heart attack in
Juarez, Mexico, where he had gone to seek treatment for his cancer.
After a bit role in 1956's "Somebody Up There Likes Me," McQueen
zoomed to stardom via his performance in such films as "The Blob,"
"The Magnificent Seven," "The Great Escape," "Love with the Proper
Stranger," "The Cincinnati Kid," "Nevada Smith," "The Sand Pebbles,"
"The Thomas Crown Affair," "Bullitt," "Le Mans," "The Getaway,"
"Papillon" and "The Towering Inferno."
In 1986, the longest high school football winning streak came to an
end when Canyon High School of Canyon Country, California, lost 21-20
to Antelope Valley High of nearby Lancaster. Canyon High had 46
consecutive wins before the loss.
In 1989, L. Douglas Wilder won the governor's race in Virginia,
becoming the first elected black governor in U.S. history; David N.
Dinkins was elected New York City's first black mayor.
In 1991, basketball star Magic Johnson stunned the country as he
announced that he had tested positive for the AIDS virus, and was
retiring. In Russia, pro- and anti-Communist rallies took place in
Moscow on the 74th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.
Ten years ago (1992): Former Czechoslovak leader Alexander Dubcek,
whose failed attempt to loosen the Communist grip on his country
became known as the "Prague Spring," died at age 70.
In 1994, The Electrical Engineering Times ran a cover story about an
obscure flaw in Intel's Pentium computer chip -- one that caused
extremely rare computation errors when performing certain types of
mathematical calculations. The disclosure eventually caused Intel to
replace any Pentium processor affected by the flaw, regardless of
whether the user was a mathematician or not, at a cost of around $475
million.
In 1996, the U.S. liquor industry voted to drop its decades-old
voluntary ban on broadcast advertising. Thousands of Communists
marched through Moscow to mark the 79th anniversary of the Bolshevik
revolution. A Nigerian Boeing 727 jetliner crashed en route to Lagos,
killing 142 people. NASA's Mars Global Surveyor blasted off from Cape
Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to map the surface of the Red Planet;
it went into orbit around Mars the following year.
Five years ago (1997): In a rising war of words, the Clinton
administration warned it was considering military options, including a
cruise missile strike, if Iraq carried out its threat to shoot down UN
surveillance planes.
In 2000, Americans went to the polls for an election that would result
in indecision for George W. Bush and Al Gore, with Florida's disputed
electoral votes emerging as critical. Hillary Rodham Clinton became
the first First Lady to win public office, defeating Republican Rick
Lazio for a U.S. Senate seat from New York.
One year ago (2001): More than 15 months after a Concorde crashed
outside Paris, two of the world's only supersonic jetliners returned
to the skies. In Washington, D.C., the Bush administration targeted
Osama bin Laden's multimillion-dollar financial networks, closing
businesses in four states, detaining U.S. suspects and urging allies
to help choke off money supplies in 40 nations. At the White House,
President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, allies in the
war on terrorism, confidently offered back-to-back pledges of victory,
no matter how long it took.
////////// Today in Music History:
In 1922, trumpeter Al Hirt (Alois Maxwell Hirt) was born in New
Orleans, Louisiana. His popular hits include "Java," "Cotton Candy"
and "Sugar Lips." After obtaining his first trumpet at age 6, Hirt's
first "professional" gig, at the age of 17, was calling the horses to
the post at the Louisiana Fairgrounds in 1939. Honored over the
course of his career with four gold albums and one platinum, Hirt died
on April 27, 1999, at the age of 76.
In 1930, "The Waltz You Save for Me," by Wayne King, was recorded on
Victor Records; it became King's theme song.
In 1947, Billboard magazine began listing the top 15 popular records;
only 10 songs had been featured previously.
In 1956, Elvis Presley hit the charts with "Love Me"; the song was the
first million-seller to make the charts without being released as a
single. Instead, it was an RCA Victor EP (extended play) 45 rpm, with
three other songs on it: "Rip It Up," "Paralyzed" and "When My Blue
Moon Turns to Gold Again."
In 1970, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" was released by
Columbia Records; it became the third tune by Chicago to hit the pop
music charts and eventually reached No. 7 on the charts (January 7,
1971).
In 1976, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Tonight's the Night (Gonna
Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart.
In 1979, the No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit was "Pop Muzik" by M. The
performer's real name is Robin Scott; this was his only song to make
the Hot 100.
In 1986, Willie Nelson made a guest appearance as a corrupt policeman
on the television series "Miami Vice."
In 1987, Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel of Love" was the No. 1 album in
the United States. The remaining top five for week: 2) "Bad" (Michael
Jackson); 3) "Dirty Dancing" (film soundtrack); 4) "Whitesnake"
(Whitesnake); and 5) "A Memory Lapse of Reason" (Pink Floyd).
In 1992, "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men logged its 13th and final
week at No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The industry
record stood for just three months until Whitney Houston's "I Will
Always Love You" logged its 14th week at No. 1 on Feb. 20, 1993.
Bounding back in 1995, Boyz II Men tied Houston's record with a new
release, "I'll Make Love to You."
In 1995, The Captain and Tennille (Daryl Dragon and Toni Tennille),
hitmakers from the 1970s ("Love Will Keep Us Together," "Muskrat
Love"), renewed their wedding vows in Virginia City, Nevada; it was
their 20th anniversary.
In 1998, Little Jimmy Dickens celebrated a historic milestone when he
appears on the Grand Ole Opry, in a performance that marked his 50th
year as a member of the show's cast.
In 2000, Doug Nelson, the bassist in blues artist Jonny Lang's band,
died after being hit by a truck while walking on a rural highway in
Minnesota; he was 46.
Jazz drummer Vernel Fournier died in Jackson, Mississippi, of
complications from a recent stroke; he was 72. Founier, a New Orleans
native, was known for his delicate brushwork -- the art of playing
drums with splayed wire bristles, creating a smooth "swishing sound."
////////// Today's Birthdays (born under the sign of Scorpio):
-- Evangelist William "Billy" Graham (TV's "Hour of Decision") is 84.
-- Opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland is 76.
-- Singer Mary Travers (Peter, Paul & Mary) is 65.
-- Actor Barry Newman ("Vanishing Point," TV's "Petrocelli") is 64.
-- Singer Johnny Rivers ("Poor Side of Town," "Secret Agent Man") is
60.
-- Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell ("Help Me," "Big Yellow Taxi") is
59.
-- Pro baseball player Joe Niekro is 58.
-- Pro football player Tommy Hart is 58.
-- Singer Nick Gilder ("Hot Child in the City") is 51.
-- Actor Christopher Knight (TV's "The Brady Bunch") is 45.
-- Actor Christopher Daniel Barnes ("The Brady Bunch Movie") is 30.
-- Actor Jason London ("Dazed & Confused," "Poor White Trash") is 30.
-- Actor Jeremy London ("Mallrats," "Happenstance") is 30.
////////// Thought for Today:
"History is simply a piece of paper covered with print; the main thing
is still to make history, not to write it."
-- Otto von Bismarck, German statesman (1815-1898)
AP / Reuters / E! Online / Zap2it
--
Regards, Podkayne Fries
Cats ... the other white meat.