Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ON JANUARY 26th:
In 1564, The Council of Trent established an official distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guided a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding the colony, later the nation, of Australia.

In 1837, Michigan was admitted as the 26th U.S. state.

In 1838, Tennessee enacted the first prohibition law in the U.S.

In 1861, the state of Louisiana seceded from the Union.

In 1863, during the Civil War, General Ambrose Burnside was relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac after the disastrous Fredericksburg campaign. He was replaced by Joseph Hooker.

In 1870, following the Civil War, Virginia rejoined the Union.

In 1885, troops loyal to the Mahdi conquered Khartoum, killing the Governor-General Charles George Gordon.

In 1880, Gen. Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, AR.

In 1911, Glenn H. Curtiss flew the first successful American seaplane, the Curtiss Model D.

In 1915, the Rocky Mountain National Park was established by an act of the U.S. Congress.

In 1934, the Apollo Theater reopened in Harlem.

In 1950, The Constitution of India came into force, forming a republic. Rajendra Prasad was sworn in as its first president.

In 1962, the comedy “The Three Stooges Meet Hercules” premiered in the U.S.

In 1946, journalist/critic Gene Siskel was born in Chicago, IL.

In 1972, the caper comedy “The Hot Rock”, starring Robert Redford and George Segal, was released in the U.S.

In 1979, the action-comedy series "The Dukes of Hazzard premiered on CBS-TV.

Also in 1979, the 121st and last shooting day of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was completed.

In addition in 1979, businessman/politician Nelson Rockefeller, 41st Vice-President of the U.S., died in New York City at age 70.

In 1980, at the request of President Jimmy Carter, the U.S. Olympic Committee voted to ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics. (They did neither.)

Also in 1980, Israel and Egypt established diplomatic relations.

In 1992, Russian Head of Government Boris Yeltsin announced that Russia would stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.

In 1994, the sci-fi series “Babylon 5” premiered over the PTEN network, nearly a year after the broadcast of the series pilot.

In 2004, President Hamid Karzai signed the current Constitution of Afghanistan.

In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Condoleezza Rice to the post of secretary of state, making her the highest ranking African-American woman ever to serve in a presidential cabinet.

 

ADDENDUM:

Actor Mike Connors died in Tarzana, CA at age 91.

 

If I may...

ON JANUARY 27th:

In 1606, the trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators in connection with the Gunpowder Plot began.

In 1756, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria.

In 1785, The University of Georgia was founded, the first public university in the United States.

In 1880, Thomas Edison received a patent for his electric incandescent lamp.

In 1888, the National Geographic Society was founded in Washington, D.C.

In 1913, actor Michael Ripper, best-known for his appearances in movies from Hammer Films in the 1950’s & 60’s, was born in Portsmouth, England.

In 1919, singer/songwriter Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., creator of the Chipmuks, was born in Fresno, CA.

In 1943, during World War II, the VIII Bomber Command sortied ninety-one B-17s and B-24s to attack the U-boat construction yards at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. This was the first American bombing attack on Germany.

In 1944, during World War II, the Soviet Union announced the complete end of the deadly German siege of Leningrad, which had lasted for more than two years.

In 1945, during World War II, Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau in Poland.

In 1956, the comedy “The Court Jester”, starring Danny Kaye, was released in the U.S.

In 1957, comic book author/artist Frank Miller was born in Olney, MD.

In 1967, astronauts Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo 1 spacecraft.

Also in 1967, more than 60 nations signed a treaty banning the orbiting of nuclear weapons, and limiting use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes.

In 1968, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding was released, six weeks after he was killed in a plane crash.

In 1969, actor/comedian Patton Oswalt was born. Well-known for his role as Spencer on “King of Queens”, he’ll soon be helping torment another trio watching bad movies.

In 1972, singer Mahalia Jackson died of heart failure in Chicago. She was 60.

In 1973, the Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris. The same day, Colonel William Nolde was killed in action becoming the conflict's last recorded American combat casualty.

Also in 1973, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “The Carnival of Monsters” was broadcast on BBC 1. The cast included Ian Marter, two years before his appearance as Companion Harry Sullivan.

In 1976, the sit-com "Laverne and Shirley" premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1980, through cooperation between the U.S. and Canadian governments, six American diplomats secretly escaped hostilities in Iran in the culmination of the Canadian Caper. This event would later be the basis of the book and movie “Argo”.

In 1984, singer Michael Jackson suffered serious burns to his scalp when pyrotechnics set his hair on fire during the filming of a Pepsi-Cola TV commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

In 1998, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, on NBC's "Today" show, charged the sexual misconduct allegations against her husband were the work of a "vast right-wing conspiracy."

In 2003, the first selections for the National Recording Registry were announced by the Library of Congress.

In 2006, Western Union discontinued its Telegram and Commercial Messaging services.

In 2013, Two hundred forty-two peopled die in a nightclub fire in the Brazilian city of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul.

In 2014, singer/songwriter/musician/activist Pete Seeger died in New York City at age 94.

In 2017, on the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire, NASA officially opened a tribute to astronauts Grissom, White and Chaffee at the Visitor’s Complex at the Kennedy Space Center. The hatch to the spacecraft was placed on display, along with remains of the Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia, which had been destroyed in flight.

Also in 2017, actor Sir John Hurt, CBE died in London at age 77.

 

Lest we forget...

 

If I may...

ON JANUARY 28th:

In 1547, England's King Henry VIII died; he was succeeded by his 9-year-old son, Edward VI.

In 1813, the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen was first published anonymously in London.

In 1896, Walter Arnold of East Peckham, Kent, became the first person to be convicted of speeding. He was fined one shilling, plus costs, for speeding at 8 mph (13 km/h), thereby exceeding the contemporary speed limit of 2 mph (3.2 km/h).

In 1909, the United States withdrew its forces from Cuba, with the exception of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, as Jose Miguel Gomez became president.

In 1910, actor John Banner, best-known for playing Sgt. Schultz on the sit-com “Hogan’s Heroes”, was born in Vienna, Austria.

In 1915, the United States Coast Guard was created as President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill merging the Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service.

Also in 1915, the American merchant vessel SS William P. Frye, en route to England with a cargo of wheat, became the first U.S. ship to be sunk during World War I by a German cruiser, the SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich, even though the United States was not at war.

In 1945, during World War II, Allied supplies began reaching China over the newly reopened Burma Road.

In 1950, the crime drama “Radar Secret Service” was released in the U.S., years before Mike & the ‘bots got a hold of it.

In 1956, Elvis Presley made his first national TV appearance on "Stage Show," a CBS program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

In 1958, the Lego company patented the design of its Lego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today.

Also in 1958, the last episode of the British radio comedy program “The Goon Show” was broadcast.

In 1959, the Green Bay Packers signed Vince Lombardi to a five-year contract as the team's coach and general manager.

In 1962, the last of Washington, D.C.'s original streetcars made its final run.

In 1967, the spy thriller “Il Ragio Infernale” was released in Italy. Some years later, re-titled “Danger!! Death Ray”, it would be memorably MSTed.

In 1973, a cease-fire officially went into effect in the Vietnam War.

Also in 1973, actor John Banner died in Vienna, Austria at age 63.

In 1977, the Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 began, dumping 10 feet (3.0 m) of snow in one day in Upstate New York, with Buffalo, Syracuse, Watertown, and surrounding areas most affected.

In 1979, “CBS News Sunday Morning” premiered with original host and cocreator Charles Kuralt.

In 1985, the charity supergroup USA for Africa recorded the Michael Jackson-Lionel Richie song "We Are the World" at A&M Studios in Los Angeles.

In 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members.

In 1996, author/illustrator Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman, died in Los Angeles at age 81.

 

Lest we forget...

 

Sorry, I was sick over the weekend. Anyway...

ON JANUARY 29th:

In 1820, Britain's King George III died at Windsor Castle.

In 1843, the 25th president of the United States, William McKinley, was born in Niles, OH.

In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" was first published in the New York Evening Mirror.

In 1861, Kansas became the 34th state of the Union.

In 1923, author/screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky was born in the Bronx.

In 1936, the first inductees of baseball's Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were named in Cooperstown, New York.

In 1958, Challenge Records released the single "Tequila" by The Champs.

In 1959, the Disney animated feature “Sleeping Beauty” premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1964, Stanley Kubrick's nuclear war satire "Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" premiered in New York, Toronto and London.

In 1966, on “Doctor Who”, the episode “The Destruction of Time” was broadcast on BBC 1. It was the final part of the 12-part serial “The Daleks’ Masterplan”, the longest single serial in the program’s history.

In 1975, a bomb exploded inside the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., causing considerable damage, but injuring no one; the radical group Weather Underground claimed responsibility.

In 1977, actor/comedian Freddie Prinze died in Los Angeles at age 22 from injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

In 1979, a female shooter killed two men and wounded nine children with a rifle as they entered the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. She’d later plead guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, and be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

In 1982, principle photography was completed on the movie, ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”.

In 1990, former Exxon Valdez skipper Joseph Hazelwood went on trial in Anchorage, AK, on charges stemming from the 1989 oil spill. (Hazelwood was acquitted of the major charges, and convicted of a misdemeanor.)

In 1998, a bomb exploded at an abortion clinic in Birmingham, AL, killing security guard Robert Sanderson and critically injuring nurse Emily Lyons. (The bomber, Eric Rudolph, was captured in May 2003 and is serving a life sentence.)

In 2002, in his State of the Union address, President George W, Bush described "regimes that sponsor terror” as an “Axis of Evil”, in which he included Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

In 2009, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was removed from office following his conviction of several corruption charges, including the alleged solicitation of personal benefit in exchange for an appointment to the U.S. Senate as a replacement for then- U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama.

In 2015, Malaysia officially declared the March 8, 2014 disappearance of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 an accident and its passengers and crew presumed dead.

Also in 2015, singer/songwriter/poet Rod McKuen died in Beverly Hills at age 81.

 

If I may...

ON JANUARY 30th:

In 1615, Thomas Rolfe, the only child of John Rolfe and his wife, Rebecca (the former Pocahontas), was born in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony.

In 1649, England's King Charles I was executed for treason.

In 1661, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England was ritually executed more than two years after his death, on the 12th anniversary of the execution of Charles I, the monarch he himself deposed.

In 1781, Maryland became the 13th and final state to ratify the Articles of Confederation, almost three years after the official deadline given by Congress of March 10, 1778. (The Articles would be replaced by the U.S. Constitution in 1789.)

In 1806, the original Lower Trenton Bridge (also called the “Trenton Makes the World Takes” Bridge), which spans the Delaware River between Morrisville, PA and Trenton, NJ, was opened.

In 1815, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in agreeing to purchase the personal book collection of former President Thomas Jefferson to replace volumes lost when the British burned the U.S. Capitol and its congressional library during the War of 1812.

In 1835, in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol, President Andrew Jackson, the 7th president of the U.S., survived the first attempt against the life of a U.S. president, when Richard Lawrence attempted to shoot him. His pistols misfired and he was overcome by bystanders, as well as Jackson, himself.

In 1882, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States, was born in Hyde Park, NY.

In 1920, Carwood Lipton, decorated soldier and World War II veteran, was born in Huntington, WV. He’s best-known for his service with Easy Co., 2nd Battalion, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division.

In 1930, actor Gene Hackman was born in San Bernardino, CA.

In 1931, the Charlie Chaplin silent comedy/drama “City Lights” premiered in Los Angeles.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany.

Also in 1933, the first episode of the radio Western "The Lone Ranger" was broadcast on station WXYZ in Detroit.

In 1941, Dick Cheney, 46th Vice-President of the U.S., was born in Lincoln, NE.

In 1945, during World War II, more than 500 Allied captives held at the Japanese prison camp in Cabanatuan in the Philippines were liberated by U.S. Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts and Filipino guerrilla fighters.

In 1948, Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas K. Gandhi, age 78, was shot and killed in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. (Godse and a co-conspirator were later executed.)

In 1951, singer/songwriter/musician Phil Collins was born in Chiswick, Middlesex, England.

In 1956, African-American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s home was bombed in retaliation for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

In 1962, two members of "The Flying Wallendas" high-wire act were killed when their seven-person pyramid collapsed during a performance at the State Fair Coliseum in Detroit.

In 1963, actress Daphne Ashbrook was born in Long Beach, CA. Years later, she’d play a cardiologist treating a patient with a very unusual hearts (plural) condition.

In 1965, some one million people attended former Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral, the biggest in the United Kingdom up to that point.

In 1968, the Tet Offensive began during the Vietnam War as Communist forces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese provincial capitals.

In 1969, The Beatles staged an impromptu concert atop Apple headquarters in London; it was the group's last public performance.

In 1971, Carole King’s “Tapestry” album was released to become the longest charting album by a female solo artist and sell 24 million copies worldwide.

In 1972, 13 Roman Catholic civil rights marchers were shot to death by British soldiers in Northern Ireland on what became known as "Bloody Sunday."

In 1981, an estimated 2 million New Yorkers turned out for a ticker-tape parade honoring the freed American hostages from Iran.

In 1986, Steve Jobs of Apple Computers bought the computer graphics division of Industrial Light and Magic for $10 million. He would later incorporate the company as Pixar.

In 1993, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the second part of the short subject “Hired!”, followed by the movie “Manos, the Hands of Fate” was broadcast on Comedy Central. The episode included the first appearance of Michael J. Nelson as Torgo, and was the only time that the characters of Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank ever apologized for showing a particular movie. And they certainly should’ve.

In 2001, the Prequel-era novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves was published by Del Rey. It’s unclear if it has retained its canonicity.

In 2005, Iraqis voted in their country's first free election in a half-century.

In 2017, actor Peter Capaldi announced that he would be leaving the role of the Doctor on “Doctor Who” at the close of the series’ 10th season, later in the year.

 

Still sick, still getting caught up...

ON JANUARY 31st:

In 1606, Guy Fawkes, convicted of treason for his part in the "Gunpowder Plot" against the English Parliament and King James I, was executed.

In 1797, composer Franz Schubert was born in Vienna.

In 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery, sending it to states for ratification. (The amendment was adopted in Dec. 1865.)

Also in 1865, Gen. Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of the Confederate States Army by President Jefferson Davis.

In 1892, comedian/entertainer Eddie Cantor was born in New York City.

In 1915, during World War I, Germany was the first to make large-scale use of poison gas in warfare in the Battle of Bolimow against Russia.

In 1917, during World War I, Germany announces that its U-boats would resume unrestricted submarine warfare after a two-year hiatus.

In 1919, baseball player Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, GA.

In 1921, actor John Agar was born in Chicago, IL. The supremely smug characters in sci-fi movies would come later.

In 1941, the comedy “Buck Privates”, the first movie starring Abbott & Costello, was released in the U.S.

In 1943, during World War II, German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered to the Soviets at Stalingrad, followed 2 days later by the remainder of his Sixth Army, ending one of the war's fiercest battles.

In 1944, actress/screenwriter/psychotherapist Connie Booth was born in Indianapolis, IN. Years later, she’d play the sanest staff member of a certain hotel in Torquay.

In 1945, during World War II, Pvt. Eddie Slovik, age 24, became the first U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion as he was shot by an American firing squad in France.

In 1949, “These Are My Children”, the first television daytime soap opera was broadcast live from Chicago over NBC-TV.

In 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb

In 1958, the United States entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite into orbit, Explorer I. The satellite detected the Van Allen Belt of radiation around the Earth.

In 1961, NASA launched Ham the Chimp aboard a Mercury-Redstone rocket from Cape Canaveral; Ham was recovered safely from the Atlantic Ocean following his 16 1/2-minute suborbital flight.

In 1968, during the Vietnam War, Viet Cong attacked the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.

In 1970, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “Doctor Who and the Silurians” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Bessie, the Doctor’s car, and began the only serial in the program’s history to include “Doctor Who” in the title.

In 1971, astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart Roosa blasted off aboard Apollo 14 on a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon.

In 1973, the private eye movie “Shamus”, starring Burt Reynolds and Dyan Cannon, premiered in New York City.

In 1981, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “The Keeper of Traken” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Sarah Sutton as Nyssa, as well as the first series appearance of actor Anthony Ainley.

In 1990, McDonald's Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow.

In 2000, an Alaska Airlines MD-83 jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Port Hueneme, California, killing all 88 people aboard.

In 2004, the Sci-Fi Channel broadcast “Mystery Science Theater 3000” for the last time. It was a repeat of the episode featuring the horror movie “The Screaming Skull”.

In 2007, Boston authorities responded to calls of bomb scares for blinking electronic signs on bridge overpasses and near transit stations. The signs ended up being promotional items for Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force."

In 2016, radio & TV broadcaster Sir Michael Terence “Terry” Wogan, KBE, DL died in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, England at age 77.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 1st:

In 1790, the U.S. Supreme Court convened for the first time in New York. (However, since only three of the six justices were present, the court recessed until the next day.)

In 1861, Texas voted to leave the Union at a Secession Convention in Austin.

In 1865, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman began the Carolinas Campaign as they invaded South Carolina.

Also in 1865, Abolitionist John S. Rock became the first black lawyer admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1893, Thomas A. Edison finished construction of the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria in West Orange, NJ.

In 1894, producer/director John Ford was born in Cape Elizabeth, ME.

In 1901, actor Clark Gable was born in Cadiz, OH.

In 1908, producer/animator George Pal was born in Cegled, Hungary. The lunar flight, time machine and invading Martians would come along later.

In 1909, singer/songwriter George Beverly Shea was born in Winchester, Ontario, Canada.

In 1921, actor Peter Sallis, best-known as Clegg in “Last of the Summer Wine” and as the voice of Wallace, was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, England.

In 1937, actor/singer/original Not Ready For Prime Time Player Garret Morris was born in New Orleans.

In 1940, actress Bibi Besch was born in Vienna, Austria. Years later, she’d play one of Jim Kirk’s past girlfriends, but with a significant difference.

In 1942, U.S. Navy conducted the Marshalls-Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.

Also in 1942, actor/writer/director/Python Terry Jones was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales.

In 1943, one of America's most highly decorated military units, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up almost exclusively of Japanese-Americans, was authorized.

In 1946, actress Elisabeth Sladen was born in Liverpool, England.

Also In 1946, Norwegian statesman Trygve Lie was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the United Nations.

In 1950, RCA introduced the 45 RPM record player.

In 1954, actor Bill Mumy was born in San Gabriel, CA. “Twilight Zone”, “Lost in Space”, “Babylon 5” and “Fish Heads” were some years away.

In 1960, four black college students began a sit-in protest at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, where they'd been refused service.

In 1961, the drama “The Misfits” was released in the U.S. Directed by John Huston and writtem by Arthur Miller, it starred Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe (in, respectively, their last completed film), along with Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach.

In 1964,the governor of Indiana declared the song "Louie, Louie" by The Kingsmen to be pornographic, even though the average listener wasn't able to decipher the lyrics. The governor asked a state broadcasters' association to ban the record.

In 1965, James Brown recorded "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" in Charlotte, NC.

Also in 1965, actor/martial artist Brandon Lee was born in Oakland, CA.

In 1968, during the Vietnam War, South Vietnam's police chief (Nguyen Ngoc Loan) executed a Viet Cong officer with a pistol shot to the head. The act would be memorably filmed and photographed.

Also in 1968, Richard M. Nixon announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

In 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini received a tumultuous welcome in Tehran as he ended nearly 15 years of exile.

Also in 1979, the Sherlock Holmes thriller “Murder by Decree” was released in Canada. Directed by Bob Clark, it starred Christopher Plummer as Holmes, and James Mason as Dr. Watson.

In 1982, "Late Night with David Letterman" premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1983, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “Mawdryn Undead” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Mark Strickson as Turlough, and a return appearance by Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

In 1988, actress Heather O'Rourke, who'd co-starred in the 1982 movie "Poltergeist," died in San Diego at age 12.

In 1993, on “Batman: The Animated Series”, the episode “The Man Who Killed Batman” was broadcast on the Fox Network.

In 1997, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the movie “Revenge of the Creature” was broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel. It was the first regular episode of the series shown on the Sci-Fi Channel, and it featured Bill Corbett’s first appearance as Crow T. Robot, and Kevin Murphy’s first appearance as Professor Bobo.

In 2002, Daniel Pearl, American journalist and South Asia Bureau Chief of the “Wall Street Journal”, who was kidnapped in Pakistan on January 23, 2002, was beheaded and mutilated by his captors.

In 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry, killing all seven of its crew members.

In 2014, the animated film “The LEGO Movie” premiered in Westwood, CA.

 

Lest we forget...

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 2nd:

In 1653, New Amsterdam - now New York City - was incorporated.

In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War, was signed.

In 1876, the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, which comes to be more commonly known as the National League (NL), was formed.

In 1887, Punxsutawney, PA, held its first Groundhog Day festival. Bill Murray’s involvement would come later.

In 1913, Grand Central Terminal was opened in New York City.

In 1914, Charles Chaplin made his movie debut as the comedy short "Making a Living" was released by Keystone Film Co.

In 1925, the legendary Alaska Serum Run ended as the last of a series of dog mushers brought a life-saving treatment to Nome, the scene of a diphtheria epidemic, six days after the drug left Nenana.

Also in 1925, the silent film "The Lost World," based on the Arthur Conan Doyle novel about explorers who encounter living prehistoric animals in South America, had its world premiere.

In 1927, musician Stan Getz was born in Philadelphia, PA.

In 1937, comedian/actor/musician Tom Smothers was born in New York City. His later battles with CBS-TV censors would become both celebrated and infamous, depending on your viewpoint.

In 1943, during World War II, The Battle of Stalingrad came to an end when Soviet troops accepted the surrender of the last German troops in the city.

In 1949, actor Brent Spiner was born in Houston, TX. He’d later become well-known for starring in some syndicated sci-fi show, I understand it’s popular.

In 1950, the game show “What’s My Line?” premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1964, the Hasbro toy company launched the G.I. Joe line of action figures. The Kung-Fu grip would be added later.

In 1972, the British embassy in Dublin was destroyed in protest for the “Bloody Sunday” incident.

In 1973, the musical variety series “The Midnight Special” premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1979, the caper movie “The Great Train Robbery”, starring Sean Connery and Donald Sutherland, was released in the U.S.

In 1980, NBC News reported the FBI had conducted a sting operation targeting members of Congress using phony Arab businessmen in what became known as "Abscam," a codename protested by Arab-Americans.

In 1985, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “Mark of the Rani” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Kate O’Mara as the Rani.

In 1990, in a dramatic concession to South Africa's black majority, President F.W. de Klerk lifted a ban on the African National Congress and promised to free Nelson Mandela.

In 2016, actor/comedian/writer Bob Elliott died in Cundy Harbor, ME at age 92.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 3rd:

In 1783, Spain formally recognized American independence.

In 1787, militia led by General Benjamin Lincoln crushed the remnants of Shays’ Rebellion in Petersham, MA.

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens held a shipboard peace conference off the Virginia coast; the talks deadlocked over the issue of Southern autonomy.

In 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing voting rights to citizens regardless of race.

In 1876, Albert Spalding and his brother started a sporting goods store. They manufactured the first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball and football.

In 1894, author/artist Norman Rockwell was born in New York City.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.

In 1924, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the U.S., died in Washington, D.C., at age 67.

In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, former U.S. President William Howard Taft, resigned for health reasons. (He died just over a month later.)

In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. transport ship Dorchester, which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a German torpedo; of the more than 900 men aboard, only some 230 survived.

In 1945, the U.S. and the Philippine Commonwealth began a month-long battle to retake Manila from Japan.

In 1950, Klaus Fuchs, a German-born British scientist who helped developed the atomic bomb, was arrested in Great Britain for passing top-secret information about the bomb to the Soviet Union.

In 1959, rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

Also in 1959, an American Airlines Lockheed Electra crashed into New York's East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.

In 1961, the USAF began Operation Looking Glass, and over the next 30 years, a "Doomsday Plane" was always in the air, with the capability of taking direct control of the United States' bombers and missiles in the event of the destruction of the SAC's command post.

In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9 became the first manmade object to make a soft landing on the moon.

In 1967, photography started on the “Star Trek” episode “City on the Edge of Forever”.

In 1969, "Candid Camera" creator Allen Funt and his family were aboard an Eastern Airlines flight that was hijacked to Cuba. (Fellow passengers who recognized Funt thought the whole thing was a stunt for his TV show; in an article written for The Associated Press, Funt said the whole episode "looked like a bad movie.")

In 1970, actor Warwick Davis was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. Helping turn the tide of battle on the Moon of Endor would come later.

In 1972, the XI Olympic Winter Games opened in Sapporo, Japan.

In 1989, Alfredo Stroessner, president of Paraguay for more than three decades, was overthrown in a military coup.

In 1994, the space shuttle Discovery lifted off, carrying Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard a U.S. spacecraft.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 4th:

In 1783, Britain’s King George III proclaimed a formal cessation of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War.

In 1789, electors chose George Washington to be the first President of the United States. He remains the only President to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College.

In 1861, delegates from six southern states that had recently seceded from the Union met in Montgomery, AL, to form the Confederate States of America.

In 1895, actor Nigel Bruce, best-known for playing Dr. Watson opposite Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes, was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

In 1902, aviator/inventor/author Charles Lindbergh was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1915, actor William Talman, best-known for playing District Attorney Hamilton Burger on the TV series “Perry Mason” was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1918, actress/writer/director Ida Lupino was born in Camberwell, London, England.

In 1919, Congress established the U.S. Navy Distinguished Service Medal and the Navy Cross.

In 1920, actress/voice artist Janet Waldo was born in Yakima, WA. She’s probably best-known for playing Judy on “The Jetsons”.

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, NY, the first Winter Games held in the U.S.

In 1940, writer/director George A. Romero was born in the Bronx. The “Living Dead” movies would come along later.

In 1941, the United Service Organizations (USO) came into existence.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta.

In 1948, Ceylon (later renamed Sri Lanka) became independent within the British Commonwealth.

Also in 1948, actor/singer/songwriter Alice Cooper was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1962, a rare conjunction of the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn occurred.

In 1966, the Disney cartoon short “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree” was released in the U.S.

In 1970, the movie “Patton”, starring George C. Scott in the title role, premiered in New York City.

In 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, age 19, was kidnapped in Berkeley, CA, by the radical Symbionese Liberation Army.

Also in 1974, the Provisional IRA exploded a bomb on a bus carrying off-duty British Armed Forces personnel in Yorkshire, England. Nine soldiers and three civilians are killed.

In 1987, pianist Liberace died at his Palm Springs, CA, home at age 67.

In 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, CA, found O.J. Simpson liable for the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

In 1999, unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo was shot dead by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, inflaming race relations in the city.

In 2004, the social networking website Facebook had its beginnings as Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg launched “Thefacebook.”

In 2016, aviator/engineer/astronaut Edgar Mitchell, LM Pilot for Apollo 14, died in West Palm Beach, FL at age 85.

 

Lest we forget...

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 5th:

In 1597, a group of early Japanese Christians were killed by the new government of Japan for being seen as a threat to Japanese society.

In 1723, minister/educator/Founding Father John Witherspoon was born in Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland. He’d later serve on the NJ delegation to the Second Continental Congress, and was one of the signers of both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

In 1778, South Carolina became the second state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.

In 1783, Sweden recognized the independence of the United States.

In 1837, evangelist Dwight L. Moody, founder of the Moody Church and Moody Bible Institute, was born in Northfield, MA.

In 1900, politician/diplomat Adlai Stevenson was born in Los Angeles. He’s perhaps best-known for his confrontation with Soviet U.N. representative Valerian Zorin during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1906, actor John Carradine was born in New York City. He’d frequently be a much better actor than some of his movies deserved.

In 1917, Mexican President Venustiano Carranza proclaimed the modern Mexican constitution, which promised the restoration of lands to native peoples, the separation of church and state, and dramatic economic and educational reforms.

Also in 1917, with more than a two-thirds majority, Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson’s veto and passed the Immigration Act, requiring a literacy test for immigrants and barring laborers from East Asian countries, except for those from countries with special treaties or agreements with the U.S., such as the Philippines.

In 1919, movie studio United Artists was incorporated by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith and Charles Chaplin.

In 1921, production designer Ken Adam was born in Berlin, Germany. He’s best-known for his work on many of the James Bond movies, including the oft-parodied hollowed-out volcano base from “You Only Live Twice”.

In 1922, the first edition of Reader's Digest was published.

In 1930, radio host John A. Gambling was born. Listeners in the NY/NJ/CT Tri-State area remember him as the second of three generations of Gamblings on the airwaves.

In 1934, baseball player Henry Louis “Hank” Aaron Jr., best-known for breaking Babe Ruth's legendary record of 714 home-runs, was born in Mobile, AL.

In 1936, the Charlie Chaplin silent comedy “Modern Times” premiered in New York City.

In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices; the proposal, which failed in Congress, drew accusations that Roosevelt was attempting to "pack" the nation's highest court.

In 1939, Generalísimo Francisco Franco became the 68th "Caudillo de España", or Leader of Spain. And, as of today, he’s still dead.

In 1940, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "Tuxedo Junction" for RCA Victor's Bluebird label.

Also in 1940, surrealist artist H.R. Giger was born in Chur, Graubunden, Switzerland. Years later, he’d help create the creature that would cause so much trouble for the crew of the Nostromo.

In 1943, the Western “The Outlaw” premiered in San Francisco. Directed by Howard Hughes, it’s more famous today for star Jane Russell’s…attributes.

In 1953, Walt Disney's animated feature "Peter Pan" was first released in the U.S.

In 1956, the science fiction/horror film “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was released in the U.S.

In 1957, Bill Haley and His Comets arrived in London for a tour and were mobbed by fans.

In 1967, the comedy-variety series "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" premiered on CBS-TV.

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell left the Lunar Module Antares and stepped onto the surface of the Moon in the first of two Lunar excursions.

In 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. Army Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty before the Vietnam cease-fire took effect.

In 1985, Ugo Vetere, the mayor of modern Rome, and Chedli Klibi, the mayor of modern Carthage, signed a treaty ending the Punic Wars after more than 20 centuries.

1989, the Soviet Union announced that all but a small rear-guard contingent of its troops had left Afghanistan.

In 1994, white separatist Byron De La Beckwith was convicted in Jackson, MS, of murdering civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963, and was immediately sentenced to life in prison. (Beckwith died Jan. 21, 2001 at age 80.)

In 2013, make-up designer/artist Stuart Freeborn, best-known for his work on the original “Star Wars” trilogy, died in London at age 98.

In 2015, after 94 years of existence, electronics retailer Radio Shack filed for bankruptcy.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 6th:

In 1788, Massachusetts became the 6th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

In 1815, the state of New Jersey issued the first American railroad charter to John Stevens, who proposed a rail link between Trenton and New Brunswick. (The line, however, was never built.)

In 1820, the first 86 African-American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society departed New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.

In 1862, forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the war, capturing Fort Henry, TN.

In 1895, baseball player George Herman “Babe” Ruth was born in Baltimore, MD. He’d build his house in New York years later.

In 1899, a peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate.

In 1908, screenwriter Michael Maltese, best-known for his work with the Warner Bros. animation department, was born in New York City.

In 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, was born in Tampico, Ill.

In 1914, voice actor/singer Thurl Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, NE. Years later, he’d sing about just how mean Mr. Grinch was.

In 1922, actor Patrick Macnee was born in Paddington, London, England. Years later, one of his characters would remind Mrs. Peel that they were needed.

In 1931, actress Mamie Van Doren was born in Rowena, SD.

In 1933, The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the so-called "lame duck" amendment, was proclaimed in effect by Secretary of State Henry Stimson.

In 1951, The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derailed near Woodbridge Township, NJ. The accident killed 85 people and injured over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.

In 1952, Britain's King George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his elder daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II.

In 1958, a British European airlines flight crashed just after takeoff from Munich Airport. Twenty-three people were killed, including eight players from the Manchester United soccer team, which had just qualified for the semifinals of the European Cup.

In 1959, Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments filed the first patent for an integrated circuit.

Also in 1959, the first successful test firing of a Titan ICBM was accomplished at Cape Canaveral, FL.

In 1971, during the second of two Lunar EVAs for the Apollo 14 mission, Mission Commander Alan Shepard hit the first golf shot on the Moon.

In 1974, the movie “Zardoz” was released. And it has confused audiences ever since.

In 1976, composer/musician Vince Guaraldi died in Menlo Park, CA at age 47.

In 1990, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the episode featuring the movie “Untamed Youth” premiered on the Comedy Channel. Coincidentally, it was also the birthday of the movie’s star, Mamie Van Doren.

In 1995, the space shuttle Discovery flew to within 37 feet of the Russian space station Mir in the first rendezvous of its kind in two decades.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed a bill changing the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

In 2014, Jay Leno said goodbye to NBC's "The Tonight Show" for the second time, making way for Jimmy Fallon to take over as host.

In 2017, actor/comedian/activist “Professor” Irwin Corey, “The World’s Foremost Authority”, died in New York City at age 102.

 

If I may...

ON FEBRUARY 7th:

In 1795, The 11th Amendment, dealing with each state’s sovereign immunity, to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

In 1804, businessman John Deere was born in Rutland, VT. Years later, five generations of the family of your humble correspondent would drive a John Deere Model M tractor.

In 1812, author Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England.

In 1904, a fire began in Baltimore that raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 15-hundred buildings.

In 1906, Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, was born in Beijing.

In 1908, athlete/actor Larry “Buster” Crabbe, the original Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, respectively, was born in Oakland, CA.

In 1932, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, CSM pilot for Apollo 15, was born in Jackson, MI.

In 1935, the classic board game Monopoly was first sold by Parker Brothers. It’s unclear if the shoe and thimble were included in that edition.

In 1936, President Roosevelt authorized a flag for the office of the vice president.

In 1940, the second full-length animated Walt Disney film, “Pinocchio”, premiered in New York City.

In 1944, during World War II, the Germans launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy.

Also in 1944, Bing Crosby and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra recorded "Swinging on a Star" in Los Angeles for Decca Records.

In 1947, voice actor/sound effects editor Wayne Allwine was born in Glendale, CA. He’s best-known for voicing Mickey Mouse from 1977-2009.

In 1962, the United States banned all Cuban imports and exports.

In 1964, The Beatles began their first American tour as they arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In 1974, the island nation of Grenada won independence from Britain.

Also in 1974, the Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles” was released in the U.S.

In 1979, the PLANET Pluto moved inside the planet Neptune’s orbit for the first time since either was discovered.

In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered space walk.

In 1986, the Philippines held a presidential election marred by charges of fraud against the incumbent, Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Also in 1986, Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule.

In 1990,the Central Committee of the Soviet Union's Communist Party agrees to endorse President Mikhail Gorbachev's recommendation that the party give up its 70-year long monopoly of political power.

In 1991, Haiti’s first democratically-elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was sworn in.

Also in 1991, the Provisional IRA launched a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street in London, the headquarters of the British government. Prime Minister John Major and his War Cabinet were unharmed, while four other people received minor unjuries.

In 1995, Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.

In 1999, Jordan’s King Hussein died of cancer in Amman at age 63; he was succeeded by his eldest son, Abdullah.

In 2009, Bushfires in Victoria left 173 dead in the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.

In 2013, Mississippi officially certified the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery.

In 2014, the opening ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics was held in the Russian city of Sochi.

In 2017, actor Richard Hatch, best-known for his work on both the original and reimagined versions of “Battlestar Galactica”, died in Los Angeles at age 71.