Today In History #01

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 25, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 25, the 25th day of 2012. There are 341 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 25, 1949, the first Emmy Awards, honoring local Los Angeles TV programs and talent, were presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club. (The very first Emmy presented, for "Most Outstanding Personality," went to ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale, star of the KTLA children's show "Judy Splinters.")

On this date:

In 1533, England's King Henry VIII secretly married his second wife, Anne Boleyn, who later gave birth to Elizabeth I.

In 1787, Shays's Rebellion suffered a setback when debt-ridden farmers led by Capt. Daniel Shays failed to capture an arsenal at Springfield, Mass.

In 1890, reporter Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) of the New York World completed a round-the-world journey in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. The United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1909, the opera "Elektra" by Richard Strauss premiered in Dresden, Germany.

In 1915, Alexander Graham Bell inaugurated U.S. transcontinental telephone service between New York and San Francisco.

In 1936, former Gov. Al Smith, D-N.Y., delivered a radio address in Washington, titled "Betrayal of the Democratic Party," in which he fiercely criticized the New Deal policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1947, American gangster Al Capone died in Miami Beach, Fla., at age 48.

In 1959, American Airlines began Boeing 707 jet flights between New York and Los Angeles.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy held the first presidential news conference to be carried live on radio and television.

In 1971, Charles Manson and three women followers were convicted in Los Angeles of murder and conspiracy in the 1969 slayings of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate. Idi Amin seized power in Uganda by ousting President Milton Obote (oh-BOH'-tay) in a military coup.

In 1981, the 52 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days arrived in the United States.

In 1990, an Avianca Boeing 707 ran out of fuel and crashed in Cove Neck, Long Island, N.Y.; 73 of the 158 people aboard were killed. Actress Ava Gardner died in London at age 67.

Ten years ago: J. Clifford Baxter, a former Enron executive who'd reportedly complained about the company's questionable accounting practices, was found shot to death in a car, a suicide. A judge in Cambridge, Mass., sentenced Thomas Junta (JUN'-tah) to six to ten years in prison for beating another man to death at their sons' hockey practice. (Junta was released in Aug. 2010 after serving eight years for involuntary manslaughter.)

Five years ago: Ford Motor Co. said it had lost a staggering $12.7 billion in 2006, at that time the worst loss in the company's 103-year history. (Ford later reported a loss of $14.6 billion for 2008.)

One year ago: Pleading for unity in a newly divided government, President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address to implore Democrats and Republicans to rally behind his vision of economic revival, declaring: "We will move forward together or not at all." In Egypt, thousands of anti-government protesters clashed with police during a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand the end of President Hosni Mubarak's rule. A federal judge in New York sentenced Ahmed Ghailani (guh-LAHN'-ee), the first Guantanamo detainee to have a U.S. civilian trial, to life in prison for conspiring in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Gregg Palmer is 85. The former president of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, is 84. Actor Dean Jones is 81. Country singer Claude Gray is 80. Movie director Tobe Hooper is 69. Actress Leigh Taylor-Young is 67. Actress Jenifer Lewis is 55. Actress Dinah Manoff is 54. Country Singer/Drummer Mike Burch ("River Road") is 46. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kina (born Kina Cosper) is 43. Actress China Kantner is 41. Actress Ana Ortiz is 41. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Matt Odmark ("Jars of Clay") is 38. Actress Mia Kirshner is 37. Actress Christine Lakin is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Alicia Keys is 31. Actor Michael Trevino (TV's "The Vampire Diaries") is 27.

Thought for Today: "A first-rate organizer is never in a hurry. He is never late. He always keeps up his sleeve a margin for the unexpected." — Arnold Bennett, English poet, author and critic (1867-1931).

 

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 26, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Thursday, Jan. 26, the 26th day of 2012. There are 340 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 26, 1942, the first American Expeditionary Force to go to Europe during World War II arrived in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

On this date:

In 1788, the first European settlers in Australia, led by Capt. Arthur Phillip, landed in present-day Sydney.

In 1837, Michigan became the 26th state.

In 1841, Britain formally occupied Hong Kong, which the Chinese had ceded to the British.

In 1861, Louisiana passed an Ordinance of Secession, becoming the sixth state to break free from the United States.

In 1870, Virginia rejoined the Union.

In 1911, the Richard Strauss opera "Der Rosenkavalier" (The Cavalier of the Rose) premiered in Dresden, Germany.

In 1939, during the Spanish Civil War, rebel forces led by Gen. Francisco Franco captured Barcelona.

In 1950, India officially proclaimed itself a republic as Rajendra Prasad took the oath of office as president.

In 1962, the United States launched Ranger 3 to land scientific instruments on the moon — but the probe ended up missing its target by more than 22,000 miles. Charles "Lucky" Luciano, a leading Mafia figure in the U.S., died in Naples, Italy, at age 64.

In 1979, former Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller died in New York at age 70.

In 1992, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton, appearing with his wife, Hillary, on CBS' "60 Minutes," acknowledged "causing pain in my marriage," but said past problems were not relevant to the campaign. The Washington Redskins won Super Bowl XXVI (26), defeating the Buffalo Bills 37-24. Actor Jose Ferrer, 80, died in Coral Gables, Fla.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton forcefully denied having an affair with a former White House intern, telling reporters, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

Ten years ago: In a preview of his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush pledged in his Saturday radio address to "work to create jobs and renew the strength of our economy." Jennifer Capriati made a stunning comeback as she overcame Martina Hingis to defend her Australian Open title, 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.

Five years ago: The White House said President George W. Bush had authorized U.S. forces in Iraq to take whatever actions were necessary to counter Iranian agents deemed a threat to American troops or the public at large. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a news conference that a congressional resolution opposing President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq undercut U.S. commanders and emboldened the enemy. Nine black youths were convicted in juvenile court in Long Beach, Calif., of beating three white women in a racially charged attack on Halloween night. (They were later sentenced to probation and house arrest after spending about three months in custody during their trials.)

One year ago: Speaking in Manitowoc, Wis., President Barack Obama campaigned vigorously for his revamped economic message, warning that other countries were grasping for first place in the global marketplace as the U.S. fell down on the job. Afghan President Hamid Karzai swore in the country's new parliament, marking the end of a drawn-out battle over whether the lawmakers would be able to start work despite ongoing investigations into electoral fraud.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Anne Jeffreys is 89. Actress Joan Leslie is 87. Cartoonist Jules Feiffer is 83. Former Baseball Catcher/Sportscaster/Actor Bob Uecker is 77. Actor Scott Glenn is 73. Singer Jean Knight is 69. Activist Angela Davis is 68. Rock Drummer Corky Laing (real name Laurence Gordon Laing)("Mountain") is 64. Actor David Strathairn is 63. Alt-country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Lucinda Williams is 59. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is 57. Reggae Trombonist/Percussionist Norman Hassan ("UB40") is 54. Actress-comedian-talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is 54. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky is 51. Pop Rock Singer/Guitarist Andrew Ridgeley ("Wham") is 49. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jazzie B. (real name Trevor Beresford Romeo)("Soul II Soul") is 49. Actor Paul Johansson is 48. Gospel singer Kirk Franklin is 42. Actress Jennifer Crystal is 39. Rock Drummer Chris Hesse ("Hoobastank") is 38. Actor Gilles Marini (ZHEEL ma-REE'-nee) is 36. NBA player Vince Carter is 35. Actress Sarah Rue is 34. Country Singer/Guitarist Michael Martin ("Marshall Dyllon") is 29.

Thought for Today: "Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels, and what one achieves." — Jawaharlal Nehru, Indian statesman (1889-1964).

 

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 27, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Friday, Jan. 27, the 27th day of 2012. There are 339 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 27, 1967, astronauts Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee died in a flash fire during a test aboard their Apollo spacecraft.

On this date:

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

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

In 1901, opera composer Giuseppe Verdi died in Milan, Italy, at age 87.

In 1943, some 50 bombers struck Wilhelmshaven in the first all-American air raid against Germany during World War II.

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

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

In 1951, an era of atomic testing in the Nevada desert began as an Air Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flat.

In 1967, more than 60 nations signed a treaty banning the orbiting of nuclear weapons.

In 1972, "Queen of Gospel" Mahalia Jackson, 60, died in Evergreen Park, Ill.

In 1973, the Vietnam peace accords were signed in Paris.

In 1977, the Vatican issued a declaration reaffirming the Roman Catholic Church's ban on female priests.

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.

Ten years ago: Wafa Idris, a Palestinian paramedic, became the first female suicide bomber against Israel; her attack claimed the life of an 81-year-old man. A munitions depot in Nigeria exploded; more than 1,000 people died, most of them drowning in a nearby canal during the resulting stampede. The Super Bowl matchup was decided as the New England Patriots upset the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-17, to win the AFC championship and the St. Louis Rams defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 29-24, to win the NFC championship. Thomas Johansson defeated Marat Safin 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to win the Australian Open final.

Five years ago: Tens of thousands of anti-war demonstrators marched in Washington, D.C., calling for the U.S. to get out of Iraq. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a congressional delegation to Pakistan, where she met with President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Serena Williams won her third Australian Open singles title, routing Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2. Kimmie Meissner and Evan Lysacek won their first national titles at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash.

One year ago: Tens of thousands of Yemenis demanded their president step down; taking inspiration from Tunisians' revolt, they vowed to continue until their U.S.-backed government fell. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that color-coded terror alerts would be phased out by late April 2011.

Today's Birthdays: Blues Hall of Fame Singer Bobby "Blue" Bland is 82. Actor James Cromwell is 72. Actor/Comedian John Witherspoon is 70. Rock Drummer Nick Mason ("Pink Floyd") is 67. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nedra Talley ("The Ronettes") is 66. Ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov is 64. Chief U.S. Justice John Roberts is 57. Country singer Cheryl White is 57. Country Singer/Guitarist Richard Young ("The Kentucky Headhunters") is 57. Actress Mimi Rogers is 56. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Janick Gers ("Iron Maiden") is 55. Commentator Keith Olbermann is 53. Rock Singer Margo Timmins ("Cowboy Junkies") is 51. Rock Singer/Keyboardist/Guitarist Gillian Gilbert is 51. Actress Bridget Fonda is 48. Actor Alan Cumming is 47. Country singer Tracy Lawrence is 44. Rock singer Mike Patton is 44. Rapper Tricky (born Adrian Nicholas M. Thaws) is 44. Rock Singer/Songwriter Michael Kulas ("James") is 43. Actor-comedian Patton Oswalt is 43. Actor Josh Randall is 40. Country singer Kevin Denney is 36. Tennis player Marat Safin is 32.

Thought for Today: "The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world itself." — Wallace Stevens, American poet and author (1879-1955).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 28, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Saturday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2012. There are 338 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

On this date:

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 in London, anonymously.

In 1853, Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti was born in Havana.

In 1909, the United States withdrew its forces from Cuba as Jose Miguel Gomez became president.

In 1912, abstract painter Jackson Pollock was born in Cody, Wyo.

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.

In 1916, Louis D. Brandeis was nominated by President Woodrow Wilson to the Supreme Court; Brandeis became the court's first Jewish member.

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

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

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

In 1980, six U.S. diplomats who had avoided being taken hostage at their embassy in Tehran flew out of Iran with the help of Canadian diplomats.

In 1982, Italian anti-terrorism forces rescued U.S. Brigadier General James L. Dozier, 42 days after he had been kidnapped by the Red Brigades.

Ten years ago: Hamid Karzai (HAH'-mihd KAHR'-zy), the first Afghan leader to visit Washington in 39 years, met with President George W. Bush, who promised a “lasting partnership" with Afghanistan. Afghan troops backed by U.S. Special Forces stormed a hospital ward in Kandahar, killing six al-Qaida gunmen who had repeatedly refused to surrender. An Ecuadorean Boeing 727 jetliner crashed into the side of a volcano, killing all 94 aboard. “Pippi Longstocking" creator Astrid Lindgren died in Stockholm, Sweden, at age 94.

Five years ago: U.S.-backed Iraqi troops attacked insurgents allegedly plotting to kill pilgrims at a major Shiite Muslim religious festival; Iraqi officials estimated some 300 militants died in the daylong battle near Najaf. (A U.S. helicopter crashed during the fight, killing two American soldiers.) Britain's Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, met with New York schoolchildren as they visited Harlem during their whirlwind American weekend. Roger Federer captured his 10th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, beating Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4. The Rev. Robert Drinan, a priest who'd represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House during the 1970s, died in Washington, D.C., at age 86.

One year ago: Chaos engulfed Egypt as protesters seized the streets of Cairo, battling police, burning down the ruling party's headquarters and defying a military curfew. Hundreds gathered at NASA's launch site to mark the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. Police in Tampa, Fla., arrested Julie Schenecker in the shooting deaths of her 13-year-old son Beau and 16-year-old daughter Calyx; Schenecker allegedly told detectives she'd killed her children for being “mouthy." The nation's largest cable TV company, Comcast Corp., took control of NBC Universal, capping a 13-month bid.

Today's Birthdays: Musician-composer Acker Bilk is 83. Actor Nicholas Pryor is 77. Actor Alan Alda is 76. Actress Susan Howard is 70. Actress Marthe (cq) Keller is 67. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., is 65. Actress/Singer/Playboy Playmate Barbi Benton is 62. Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is 58. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is 57. Actress Harley Jane Kozak is 55. Movie director Frank Darabont is 53. Rock Guitarist Dave Sharp (born David Kitchingman)(formerly of "The Alarm") is 53. Rock singer Sam Phillips is 50. Rock Guitarist Dan Spitz is 49. Country Bassist Greg Cook ("Ricochet") is 47. Gospel singer Marvin Sapp is 45. Singer/Songwriter/Pianist/Guitarist Sarah McLachlan is 44. Rapper Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr.) is 44. DJ Muggs (real name Lawrence Muggerud)("Cypress Hill") is 44. Actress Kathryn Morris (TV's "Cold Case") is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Anthony Hamilton is 41. Rock Keyboardist Brandon Bush is 39. MLB player Jermaine Dye is 38. Singer/Actor/TV Personality Joey Fatone Jr. ("'N Sync") is 35. Rapper Rick Ross (real name William Leonard Roberts II) is 35. Actress Rosamund Pike is 33. Singer Nick Carter ("Backstreet Boys") is 32. Actor Elijah Wood is 31. Rapper J. Cole (full name Jermaine Lamarr Cole) is 27. Actress Alexandra Krosney is 24. Actress Ariel Winter (TV's "Modern Family") is 14.

Thought for Today: “It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." — Robert H. Goddard, American rocket engineer (1882-1945).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 29, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Sunday, Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2012. There are 337 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 29, 1845, Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" was first published in the New York Evening Mirror.

On this date:

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, Ohio.

In 1856, Britain's Queen Victoria introduced the Victoria Cross to reward military acts of valor during the Crimean War.

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

In 1862, composer Frederick Delius was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England.

In 1919, the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which launched Prohibition, was certified by Acting Secretary of State Frank L. Polk.

In 1929, The Seeing Eye, a New Jersey-based school which trains guide dogs to assist the blind, was incorporated by Dorothy Harrison Eustis and Morris Frank.

In 1936, the first members of baseball's Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were named in Cooperstown, N.Y.

In 1963, the first members of pro football's Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio. Poet Robert Frost died in Boston at age 88.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping to the White House, following the establishment of diplomatic relations.

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

In 1998, a bomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Ala., 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.)

Ten years ago: In his first State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America — and he warned of "an axis of evil" consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq. Actor Harold Russell, who'd received two Oscars for his sensitive portrayal of a disabled veteran in "The Best Years of Our Lives," died in Needham, Mass., at age 88.

Five years ago: Deeply distrustful of Iran, President George W. Bush said in an interview with National Public Radio "we will respond firmly" if Tehran escalated its military actions in Iraq and threatened American forces or Iraqi citizens. A Palestinian suicide bomber killed three Israelis at a bakery in Eilat in the first such attack inside Israel in nine months. Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized because of medical complications eight months after his gruesome breakdown at the Preakness. Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson was crowned Miss America at the pageant in Las Vegas.

One year ago: With protests raging, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named his intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, as his first-ever vice president as chaos engulfed Cairo. Kim Clijsters finally won her first Australian Open title and the fourth major of her career, after she beat Li Na 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Alissa Czisny won her second title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held in Greensboro, N.C. Avant-garde composer Milton Babbitt, 94, died in Princeton, N.J.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Noel Harrison is 78. Author Germaine Greer is 73. Actress Katharine Ross is 72. Actor Tom Selleck is 67. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bettye LaVette is 66. Actor Marc Singer is 64. Actress Ann Jillian is 62. Rock Drummer Tommy Ramone (real name Thomas Erdelyi)("Ramones") is 60. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Percussionist Louie Perez ("Los Lobos") is 59. Rhythm-and-blues/funk singer Charlie Wilson is 59. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is 58. Country Singer/Actress/Model Irlene Mandrell is 56. Actress Diane Delano is 55. Actress Judy Norton Taylor ("The Waltons") is 54. Rock Bassist Johnny Spampinato ("NRBQ") is 53. Olympic gold-medal diver Greg Louganis is 52. Rock Drummer David Baynton-Power ("James") is 51. Rock Singer/Bassist Eddie Jackson ("Queensryche") is 51. Actor Nicholas Turturro is 50. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Roddy Frame ("Aztec Camera") is 48. Actor-director Edward Burns is 44. Actress Heather Graham is 42. Actor Sharif Atkins is 37. Actress Sara Gilbert is 37. Actor Sam Jaeger (TV's "Parenthood") is 35. Actor Andrew Keegan is 33. Actor Jason James Richter is 32. Blues Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Jonny Lang (born Jon Gordon Langseth, Jr.) is 31. Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert (First runner-up on Season 8 of TV's "American Idol") is 30.

Thought for Today: "Misquotations are the only quotations that are never misquoted." — Hesketh Pearson, British biographer (1887-1964).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 30, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Monday, Jan. 30, the 30th day of 2012. There are 336 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 30, 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.

On this date:

In 1649, England's King Charles I was beheaded.

In 1798, a brawl broke out in the U.S. House of Representatives in Philadelphia, as Matthew Lyon of Vermont spat in the face of Roger Griswold of Connecticut.

In 1862, the ironclad USS Monitor was launched from the Continental Iron Works in Greenpoint, N.Y., during the Civil War.

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

In 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany. The first episode of the "Lone Ranger" radio program was broadcast on station WXYZ in Detroit.

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

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy delivered his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress. Author, journalist and radio commentator Dorothy Thompson died in Lisbon, Portugal, at age 67.

In 1964, the United States launched Ranger 6, an unmanned spacecraft carrying television cameras that crash-landed on the moon, but failed to send back images.

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

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 two million New Yorkers turned out for a ticker-tape parade honoring the freed American hostages from Iran.

In 1982, actor-comedian Stanley Holloway died in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England, at age 91.

Ten years ago: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the United States would watch closely to see what Iraq, Iran and North Korea did next, a day after President George W. Bush singled them out as part of a dangerous "axis of evil." Interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai (HAH'-mihd KAHR'-zy) visited the World Trade Center site and placed a wreath of yellow roses by a memorial wall as he surveyed the ruins of Sept. 11.

Five years ago: A propane tank explosion leveled the Flat Top Little General Store in Ghent, W.Va., killing four people. Two gunmen shot and killed Mellie McDaniel, the wife of the Jackson County, Fla., sheriff and a deputy sent to check on her; other deputies opened fire and killed the assailants. Hollywood writer-producer and novelist Sidney Sheldon died in Rancho Mirage, Calif., at age 89.

One year ago: Egypt's most prominent democracy advocate, Mohamed ElBaradei (ehl-BEHR'-uh-day), called for President Hosni Mubarak to resign during an address to thousands of protesters in Cairo who were defying a curfew for a third night. Rachid Ghanouchi (gah-NOO'-shee), leader of the long-outlawed Tunisian Islamist party, returned home after two decades in exile. MVP DeAngelo Hall had one of his team's five interceptions and returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown to help the NFC match a Pro Bowl scoring record in a 55-41 victory over the AFC. Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak JOH'-kuh-vich) won his second Australian Open title, breezing past Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Ryan Bradley won his first title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Dorothy Malone is 87. Producer-director Harold Prince is 84. Actor Gene Hackman is 82. Actress Tammy Grimes is 78. Actress Vanessa Redgrave is 75. Chess grandmaster Boris Spassky is 75. Country singer Jeanne Pruett is 75. Country singer Norma Jean (full name Norma Jean Beasler) is 74. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is 71. Rock singer Marty Balin is 70. Rhythm-and-Blues Trumpeter/Guitarist/Keyboardist/Choreographer William King ("The Commodores") is 63. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Drummer Phil Collins is 61. Actor Charles S. Dutton is 61. World Golf Hall of Famer Curtis Strange is 57. Actress-comedian Brett Butler is 54. Singer Jody Watley is 53. Actor-filmmaker Dexter Scott King is 51. The King of Jordan, Abdullah II, is 50. Actor Norbert Leo Butz is 45. Country singer Tammy Cochran is 40. Actor Christian Bale is 38. Rock Singer/Guitarist/Saxophonist Carl Broemel ("My Morning Jacket") is 38. Pop-country singer-songwriter Josh Kelley is 32. Actor Wilmer Valderrama is 32. Actor Jake Thomas is 22.

Thought for Today: "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death." — Harold Wilson, British prime minister (1916-1995).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today In History
Associated Press – January 31, 2012, 12:00 am US/Eastern

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 31, the 31st day of 2012. There are 335 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Jan. 31, 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.

On this date:

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, Gen. Robert E. Lee was named general-in-chief of all the Confederate armies.

In 1917, during World War I, Germany served notice it was beginning a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.

In 1929, revolutionary Leon Trotsky and his family were expelled from the Soviet Union.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. forces began a successful invasion of Kwajalein Atoll and other parts of the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.

In 1945, Pvt. Eddie Slovik, 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 1950, President Harry S. Truman announced he had ordered 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.

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

In 1992, leaders of the U.N. Security Council's member states held an unprecedented summit, after which they issued a declaration on collective security, arms control and nuclear non-proliferation.

In 2000, an Alaska Airlines jet spiraled into the Pacific Ocean off Port Hueneme, Calif., killing all 88 people aboard.

Ten years ago: The Bush administration handed abortion opponents a symbolic victory, classifying a developing fetus as an "unborn child" as a way of extending prenatal care to low-income pregnant women under the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in a speech that the United States had to prepare for potential surprise attacks "vastly more deadly" than those on 9/11. Kentucky, cited by the NCAA for more than three dozen recruiting violations, was placed on three years' probation.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush, visiting Wall Street, delivered his "State of the Economy" speech in which he took aim at lavish salaries and bonuses for corporate executives. Delaware Sen. Joe Biden formally launched his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Nine blinking electronic devices planted around Boston threw a scare into the city in what turned out to be a marketing campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Best-selling author and columnist Molly Ivins died in Austin, Texas, at age 62.

One year ago: A federal judge in Florida declared the Obama administration's health care overhaul unconstitutional, siding with 26 states that argued people cannot be required to buy health insurance. Egypt's military promised not to fire on peaceful protests and recognized "the legitimacy of the people's demands." Myanmar opened its first parliament in more than two decades, an event greeted with cautious optimism by opposition lawmakers despite the military's tight management of the event.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Carol Channing is 91. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks is 81. Composer Philip Glass is 75. Former Interior Secretary James Watt is 74. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is 74. Actor Stuart Margolin is 72. Actress Jessica Walter is 71. Former U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., is 71. Blues Singer/Harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite is 68. Actor Glynn Turman is 66. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan is 65. Singer/Songwriter/Keyboardist KC (real name Harry Wayne Casey)("KC and the Sunshine Band)" is 61. Rock Singer/Songwriter Johnny Rotten (real name John Joseph Lydon) is 56. Actress Kelly Lynch is 53. Actor Anthony LaPaglia is 53. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Lloyd Cole is 51. Rock Guitarist/Songwriter Jeff Hanneman ("Slayer") is 48. Rock Bassist Al Jaworski ("Jesus Jones") is 46. Actress Minnie Driver is 42. Actress Portia de Rossi is 39. Actor-comedian Bobby Moynihan (currently on TV's "Saturday Night Live") is 35. Actress Kerry Washington is 35. Singer/Actor Justin Timberlake is 31.

Thought for Today: "Mystics always hope that science will some day overtake them." — Booth Tarkington, American author-dramatist (1869-1946).

 

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 1, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 1, the 32nd day of 2012. There are 334 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 1, 1862, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly.

On this date:

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 1922, in one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries, movie director William Desmond Taylor was shot to death in his Los Angeles home; the killing has never been solved.

In 1942, the Voice of America broadcast its first program to Europe, relaying it through the facilities of the British Broadcasting Corp. in London.

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, Norwegian statesman Trygve Lie (TRIG'-vuh lee) was chosen to be the first secretary-general of the United Nations.

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

In 1962, the Ken Kesey novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was first published by Viking Press.

In 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (hoh-MAY'-nee) received a tumultuous welcome in Tehran as he ended nearly 15 years of exile.

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

In 1991, 34 people were killed when an arriving USAir jetliner crashed atop a commuter plane on a runway at Los Angeles International Airport.

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

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush responded to the collapse of Enron by proposing regulation reforms of 401(k) retirement plans. Justice Department investigators directed President Bush's staff to preserve the paper trail of any contact with Enron. Actress Winona Ryder was charged with four felony counts stemming from her shoplifting arrest at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Ryder was later convicted of felony grand theft and vandalism, and received three years' probation.) The NCAA placed Alabama on five years' probation, jolting the program with a two-year bowl ban and heavy scholarship reductions.

Five years ago: The departing top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that improving security in Baghdad would take fewer than half as many extra troops as President George W. Bush had chosen to commit. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (ah-muh-DEE'-neh-zhahd) launched anniversary celebrations for Iran's Islamic Revolution with a defiant promise to push ahead with the country's controversial nuclear program. Pulitzer Prize-winning opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti died in Monaco at age 95.

One year ago: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced he would not run for a new term in September elections but rejected protesters' demands he step down immediately and leave the country, vowing to die on Egypt's soil, after a dramatic day in which a quarter-million Egyptians staged their biggest protest to date calling on him to go.

Today's Birthdays: Gospel singer George Beverly Shea is 103. Actor Stuart Whitman is 84. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Singer/Guitarist Don Everly (born Isaac Donald Everly)("The Everly Brothers") is 75. Actor Garrett Morris is 75. Rock Singer/Guitarist Ray Sawyer ("Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show") is 75. Actor Sherman Hemsley is 74. Bluegrass singer Del McCoury is 73. Jazz Pianist/Keyboard Player/Composer Joe Sample is 73. TV personality-singer Joy Philbin is 71. Comedian Terry Jones is 70. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., is 68. Opera singer Carol Neblett is 66. Rock Guitarist/Producer Mike Campbell ("Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers") is 62. Blues Singer/Slide Guitarist Sonny Landreth is 61. Actor-writer-producer Bill Mumy (played 'Will Robinson' on TV's "Lost In Space") is 58. Rock singer Exene Cervenka (born as Christine Červenková) is 56. Actor Linus Roache is 48. Princess Stephanie of Monaco is 47. Country Singer/Keyboardist/Trumpeter Dwayne Dupuy ("Ricochet") is 47. Actress Sherilyn Fenn is 47. Lisa Marie Presley is 44. Comedian-actor Pauly Shore is 44. Actor Brian Krause is 43. Jazz Saxophonist Joshua Redman is 43. Rock Drummer Patrick Wilson ("Weezer") is 43. Actor Michael C. Hall is 41. Rock Drummer Ron Welty is 41. Rapper Big Boi (real name Antwan Patton)("Outkast") is 37. Country singer Julie Roberts is 33. Actor Jarrett Lennon is 30. TV personality Lauren Conrad is 26.

Thought for Today: "Facts and truth really don't have much to do with each other." — William Faulkner, American novelist and poet (1897-1962).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 2, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Thursday, Feb. 2, the 33rd day of 2012. There are 333 days left in the year. This is Groundhog Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 2, 1912, Frederick R. Law parachuted from the torch of the Statue of Liberty in a stunt filmed by Pathe (PA'-thay) News.

On this date:

In 1536, present-day Buenos Aires, Argentina, was founded by Pedro de Mendoza of Spain.

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 1882, Irish poet and novelist James Joyce was born near Dublin.

In 1887, Punxsutawney, Pa., held its first Groundhog Day festival.

In 1912, Broadway composer Burton Lane ("Finian's Rainbow") was born in New York City.

In 1922, the James Joyce novel "Ulysses" was published in Paris by Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare and Co. on Joyce's 40th birthday.

In 1942, a Los Angeles Times column by W.H. Anderson urged security measures against Japanese-Americans, arguing that a Japanese-American "almost inevitably ... grows up to be a Japanese, not an American."

In 1943, the remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad surrendered in a major victory for the Soviets in World War II.

In 1961, hijackers of a Portuguese ocean liner, the Santa Maria, allowed the passengers and crew to disembark in Brazil, 11 days after seizing the ship. Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 56.

In 1971, Idi Amin, having seized power in Uganda, proclaimed himself president.

In 1992, longtime "Miss America" emcee Bert Parks died in La Jolla (HOY'-uh), Calif., at age 77.

Ten years ago: Inside the World Economic Forum in New York, foreign economic leaders criticized the United States for protectionist policies while outside, thousands of protesters demonstrated against global capitalism. Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers star John Stallworth were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The NHL World All-Stars rallied to defeat North America 8-5.

Five years ago: Tornadoes killed 21 people in central Florida. A grim report from the world's leading climate scientists and government officials said that global warming was so severe, it would "continue for centuries" and that humans were to blame. Texas Gov. Rick Perry issued an order making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.

One year ago: Supporters of President Hosni Mubarak charged into Cairo's central square on horses and camels brandishing whips while others rained firebombs from rooftops in what appeared to be an orchestrated assault against protesters trying to topple Egypt's leader of 30 years. The red swimsuit that helped make Farrah Fawcett a 1970s icon was donated to the Smithsonian's collection by her longtime companion, Ryan O'Neal, on what would have been the late actress' 64th birthday.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Elaine Stritch is 87. Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing is 86. Actor Robert Mandan is 80. Singer/Guitarist/Comedian Tom Smothers (born Thomas Bolin Smothers III) is 75. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Graham Nash ("The Hollies" and "Crosby, Stills and Nash") is 70. Actor Bo Hopkins is 70. Television executive Barry Diller is 70. Country singer Howard Bellamy ("The Bellamy Brothers") is 66. TV chef Ina Garten is 64. Actor Jack McGee is 63. Actor Brent Spiner is 63. Rock Singer/Bassist Ross Valory ("Journey") is 63. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is 60. Model Christie Brinkley is 58. Actor Michael Talbott is 57. Actress Kim Zimmer is 57. Actor Michael T. Weiss is 50. Actor-comedian Adam Ferrara is 46. Rock Singer/Bassist Robert DeLeo ("Army of Anyone" and "Stone Temple Pilots") is 46. Actress Jennifer Westfeldt is 42. Rock Drummer Ben Mize is 41. Rapper T-Mo/T-Mo Goody (real name Robert Barnett) is 40. Actress Marissa Jaret Winokur is 39. Actress Lori Beth Denberg is 36. Singer Shakira (born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll) is 35. Country singer Blaine Larsen is 26.

Thought for Today: "Mistakes are the portals of discovery." — James Joyce (1882-1941).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 3, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Friday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2012. There are 332 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 3, 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.

On this date:

In 1783, Spain formally recognized American independence.

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

In 1924, the 28th president of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, died in Washington, D.C., at age 67.

In 1930, the chief justice of the United States, 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 1959, An American Airlines Lockheed Electra crashed into New York's East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.

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

In 1971, New York City police officer Frank Serpico, who had charged there was widespread corruption in the NYPD, was shot and seriously wounded during a drug bust in Brooklyn.

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

In 1991, the rate for a first-class postage stamp rose to 29 cents.

In 1998, Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker, 38, for the pickax killings of two people in 1983; she was the first woman executed in the United States since 1984. A U.S. Marine plane sliced through the cable of a ski gondola in Italy, sending the car plunging hundreds of feet, killing all 20 people inside.

Ten years ago: Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay backed out of testifying before Congress about the collapse of the energy giant. More than 40 people were killed in an earthquake in Turkey. The New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI (36) as they defeated the St. Louis Rams 20-17.

Five years ago: A suicide truck bomber struck a Baghdad market in a predominantly Shiite area, killing 137 people. President George W. Bush designated four central Florida counties disaster areas in the wake of tornadoes that had ripped through the region, leaving 21 dead. Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wehrli, Michael Irvin, Charlie Sanders and Gene Hickerson were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

One year ago: Tens of thousands of protesters staged unprecedented demonstrations against Yemen's autocratic president, Ali Abdullah Saleh (AH'-lee ahb-DUH'-luh sah-LEH'), a key U.S. ally in battling Islamic militants, as unrest inspired by uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia spread further in the Arab world. Actress Maria Schneider, who was Marlon Brando's young co-star in Bernardo Bertolucci's steamy "Last Tango in Paris," died in the French capital at age 58.

Today's Birthdays: Comedian Shelley Berman is 87. Former Sen. Paul Sarbanes, D-Md., is 79. Football Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton is 72. Actress Bridget Hanley is 71. Actress Blythe Danner is 69. Singer Dennis Edwards is 69. Football Hall-of-Famer Bob Griese is 67. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Producer Dave Davies ("The Kinks") is 65. Folk Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Melanie (full name Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk) is 65. Actress Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny) is 62. Actress Pamela Franklin is 62. Actor Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane, he took the name 'Nathan' from the character 'Nathan Detroit' because there already was an actor named Joseph Lane) is 56. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Producer Lee Ranaldo ("Sonic Youth") is 56. Actor Thomas Calabro is 53. Actor-director Keith Gordon is 51. Actress Michele Greene is 50. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Matraca Berg is 48. Actress Maura Tierney is 47. Actor Warwick Davis is 42. Actress Elisa Donovan is 41. Reggaeton Singer Daddy Yankee (real name Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) is 36. Trombonist Grant Barry is 35. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Jessica Harp is 30. Rapper Sean Kingston (born Kisean Jamal Anderson) is 22.

Thought for Today: "The path of civilization is paved with tin cans." — Elbert Hubbard, American author and publisher (1856-1915).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 4, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Saturday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2012. There are 331 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 4, 1962, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded in Memphis, Tenn., by entertainer Danny Thomas.

On this date:

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.

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

In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt opened the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid.

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

In 1962, a rare conjunction of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn occurred.

In 1972, Mariner 9, orbiting Mars, transmitted images of the red planet.

In 1974, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was kidnapped in Berkeley, Calif., by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

In 1976, more than 23,000 people died when a severe earthquake struck Guatemala with a magnitude of 7.5, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan announced a plan to eliminate all medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe.

In 1983, pop singer-musician Karen Carpenter died in Downey, Calif., at age 32.

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

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush proposed a $2.13 trillion budget, including billions for fighting terrorism. The World Economic Forum concluded five days of meetings in New York. Activists in Porto Alegre, Brazil, concluded their World Social Forum, held as a counter to the gathering in New York. Former Enron chairman and chief executive Kenneth Lay resigned from the board, cutting his last tie to the company beyond stock ownership.

Five years ago: The Indianapolis Colts won Super Bowl XLI (41), beating the Chicago Bears 29-17. Singer-actress Barbara McNair died in Los Angeles at age 72.

One year ago: President Barack Obama appealed to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to focus on his legacy and begin an orderly process to relinquish the power he'd held for 30 years; however, Obama stopped short of calling for Mubarak's immediate resignation. Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, said he would return half of his annual salary to the public treasury in a symbolic gesture that appeared calculated to insulate him against anti-government unrest spreading across the Middle East.

Today's Birthdays: Actor William Phipps is 90. Actor Conrad Bain is 89. Former Argentinian President Isabel Peron is 81. Comedian David Brenner is 76. Actor Gary Conway is 76. Movie director George A. Romero is 72. Rock Drummer John Steel ("The Animals") is 71. Pop R&B Singer Florence LaRue ("The Fifth Dimension") is 68. Former Vice President Dan Quayle is 65. Rock singer Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier) is 64. Actor Michael Beck is 63. Actress Lisa Eichhorn is 60. Football Hall-of-Famer Lawrence Taylor is 53. Rock singer Tim Booth is 52. Rock Bassist Henry Bogdan is 51. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Clint Black is 50. Rock Singer/Guitarist Noodles (real name Kevin Wasserman)("The Offspring") is 49. Country Bassist Dave Buchanan ("Yankee Grey") is 46. Actress Gabrielle Anwar is 42. Actor Rob Corddry is 41. Singer David (dah-VEED') Garza is 41. Actor Michael Goorjian is 41. Boxer Oscar De La Hoya is 39. Rock Singer/Bassist Rick Burch ("Jimmy Eat World") is 37. Singer Natalie Imbruglia is 37. Rapper Cam'ron (full name Cameron Ezike Giles) is 36. Rock singer Gavin DeGraw is 35. Olympic gold medal gymnast-turned-singer Carly Patterson is 24.

Thought for Today: "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian (1906-1945).

 

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 5, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Sunday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2012. There are 330 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices; critics accused Roosevelt of attempting to "pack" the nation's highest court. (The proposal failed in Congress.)

On this date:

In 1631, the co-founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, and his wife, Mary, arrived in Boston from England.

In 1762, an estimated 30,000 Sikhs were slain by Muslims in Punjab in present-day India.

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

In 1811, George, the Prince of Wales, was named Prince Regent due to the mental illness of his father, Britain's King George III.

In 1887, Verdi's opera "Otello" premiered at La Scala.

In 1917, Congress passed, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, an immigration act severely curtailing the influx of Asians. Mexico's constitution was adopted.

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

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

In 1958, Gamal Abdel Nasser was formally nominated to become the first president of the new United Arab Republic (a union of Syria and Egypt).

In 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell stepped onto the surface of the moon in the first of two lunar excursions.

In 1982, Laker Airways, founded by Sir Freddie Laker, collapsed in bankruptcy.

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

Ten years ago: A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Va., indicted John Walker Lindh on 10 charges, alleging he was trained by Osama bin Laden's network and then conspired with the Taliban to kill Americans. (Lindh later pleaded guilty to lesser offenses and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.) Congressional committees decided to subpoena former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay to appear to tell what he knew of Enron's complex financial dealings. (Lay did appear, but refused to testify, citing his Fifth Amendment rights.) At a Senate hearing, Deborah Perrotta, a laid-off Enron employee, wept as she described how her retirement savings all but disappeared when the company failed.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush unveiled a $2.9 trillion budget which proposed a big spending increase for the Pentagon while pinching domestic programs. NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested in Orlando, Fla., accused of trying to kidnap a perceived rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot. (Nowak was sentenced in 2009 to a year of probation in the altercation after pleading guilty to burglary charges; she was drummed out of the astronaut corps as well as the U.S. Navy.)

One year ago: The leadership of Egypt's ruling party stepped down as the military figures spearheading the transition tried to placate protesters without giving them the one resignation they were demanding, that of President Hosni Mubarak. Marshall Faulk and Deion Sanders led a class of seven voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; joining them were Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Ed Sabol, Les Richter and Chris Hanburger. J. Paul Getty III, the troubled grandson of the billionaire oil magnate, died outside London at age 54.

Today's Birthdays: Country singer Claude King is 89. The Rev. Andrew M. Greeley is 84. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Hank Aaron is 78. Actor Stuart Damon is 75. Tony-winning playwright John Guare is 74. Financial writer Jane Bryant Quinn is 73. Actor David Selby is 71. Singer-songwriter Barrett Strong is 71. Football Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach is 70. Pop Rock Singer Cory Wells (born Emil Lowendowski)("Three Dog Night") is 70. Movie director Michael Mann is 69. Rock singer Al Kooper is 68. Actress Charlotte Rampling is 66. Racing Hall-of-Famer Darrell Waltrip is 65. Actress Barbara Hershey is 64. Actor/Comedian/Screenwriter Christopher Guest (SIO Note: Guest became The Rt. Hon. The 5th Baron Haden-Guest, of Saling, in the County of Essex, when his father died in 1996) is 64. Actor Tom Wilkinson is 64. Actor-comedian Tim Meadows is 51. Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh is 50. Actress Laura Linney is 48. Rock Singer/Guitarist/Bassist Duff McKagan (real name Michael Andrew McKagan )("Velvet Revolver") is 48. World Golf Hall-of-Famer Jose Maria Olazabal is 46. Actor-comedian Chris Parnell is 45. Rock singer Chris Barron ("Spin Doctors") is 44. Singer Bobby Brown is 43. Actor Michael Sheen is 43. Country singer Sara Evans is 41. Actor-singer Darren Criss (TV's "Glee") is 25. Actor Jeremy Sumpter is 23.

Thought for Today: "Impatience is the mark of independence, not of bondage." — Marianne Moore, American poet (born 1887, died this day in 1972).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 6, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Monday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2012. There are 329 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain's King George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II.

On this date:

In 1778, the United States won official recognition from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris.

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

In 1862, during the Civil War, Fort Henry in Tennessee fell to Union forces.

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

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

In 1912, Adolf Hitler's longtime companion, Eva Braun, was born in Munich.

In 1922, Cardinal Archille Ratti was elected pope; he took the name Pius XI.

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

In 1959, the United States successfully test-fired for the first time a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile from Cape Canaveral.

In 1978, Muriel Humphrey took the oath of office as a United States senator from Minnesota, filling the seat of her late husband, former Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

In 1987, Wall Street Journal reporter Gerald Seib (syb) was released after being detained six days by Iran, accused of being a spy for Israel; Iran said the detention was a result of misunderstandings.

In 1992, 16 people were killed when a C-130 military transport plane crashed in Evansville, Ind.

Ten years ago: A federal judge in Alexandria, Va., ordered John Walker Lindh, the so-called "American Taliban," held without bail pending trial. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II reached a bittersweet milestone, somberly marking 50 years as monarch on the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI.

Five years ago: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (NOO'-ree ahl-MAHL'-ih-kee) complained that the long-awaited Baghdad security operation was off to a slow start, but he also reassured Iraqis that security forces would live up to their responsibilities. Singer Frankie Laine died in San Diego at age 93.

One year ago: Egypt's vice president met with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition groups and offered sweeping concessions, including granting press freedom and rolling back police powers in the government's latest attempt to end two weeks of upheaval. The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady became the first unanimous choice for The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor is 95. Actor Patrick Macnee (played 'John Steed' in TV's "The Avengers") is 90. Actor Rip Torn is 81. Actress Mamie Van Doren is 81. Actor Mike Farrell is 73. Former NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw is 72. Singer Fabian (born Fabiano Anthony Forte) is 69. Actress Gayle Hunnicutt is 69. Actor Michael Tucker is 68. Producer-director-writer Jim Sheridan is 63. Singer Natalie Cole is 62. Actor Jon Walmsley is 56. Actress Kathy Najimy is 55. Rock Drummer Simon Phillips ("Toto") is 55. Actor-director Robert Townsend is 55. Actor Barry Miller is 54. Actress Megan Gallagher is 52. Rock Singer/Songwriter Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose, Jr.)("Guns N' Roses") is 50. Country singer Richie McDonald is 50. Pop Singer/Songwriter Rick Astley is 46. Rock Bassist Tim Brown ("Boo Radleys") is 43. Actor Brandon Hammond is 28. Actress Alice Greczyn is 26.

Thought for Today: "Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." — Robert E. Lee, Confederate general (1807-1870).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 7, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2012. There are 328 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 7, 1812, author Charles Dickens, widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England.

On this date:

In 1795, the Eleventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, dealing with states' sovereign immunity, was ratified.

In 1812, the last of three major New Madrid Earthquakes, with an estimated magnitude of 7.7 (according to the USGS), shook the central Mississippi River Valley.

In 1857, a French court acquitted author Gustave Flaubert of obscenity for his serialized novel "Madame Bovary."

In 1904, a fire began in Baltimore that raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 1,500 buildings.

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

In 1943, the government announced the start of shoe rationing, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person for the remainder of the year.

In 1948, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.

In 1971, women in Switzerland gained the right to vote through a national referendum, 12 years after a previous attempt failed.

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

In 1992, European Community members signed the Maastricht Treaty, which led to creation of the euro.

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

Ten years ago: Former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling insisted to skeptical members of Congress that he knew of nothing improper about the complex web of partnerships that had brought down the company. Authorities in Oklahoma captured the last two of four escaped prison inmates from Texas who'd been on the run for more than a week.

Five years ago: A Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter was shot down by insurgents northwest of Baghdad, killing all seven people on board. The Food and Drug Administration approved alli (AL'-eye), a diet pill that can be bought without a prescription.

One year ago: Speaking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, President Barack Obama echoed John F. Kennedy as he prodded business leaders to "ask yourselves what you can do for America," not just for company bottom lines. AOL Inc. announced the $315 million purchase of The Huffington Post website.

Today's Birthdays: Author Gay Talese is 80. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., is 77. Actor Miguel Ferrer is 57. Reggae Saxophonist Brian Travers ("UB40") is 53. Comedy writer Robert Smigel is 52. Actor James Spader is 52. Country Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist/Pianist Garth Brooks (born Troyal Garth Brooks) is 50. Rock Keyboardist David Bryan (born David Bryan Rashbaum)("Bon Jovi") is 50. Actor-comedian Eddie Izzard is 50. Actor-comedian Chris Rock is 47. Actor Jason Gedrick is 45. Actress Essence Atkins is 40. Rock Singer/Guitarist Wes Borland ("Limp Bizkit") is 37. Rock Bassist Tom Blankenship ("My Morning Jacket") is 34. Actor Ashton Kutcher is 34. Actress Tina Majorino is 27.

Thought for Today: "A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self." — Charles Dickens (1812-1870).

 

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 8, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2012. There are 327 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.

On this date:

In 1693, a charter was granted for the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg in the Virginia Colony.

In 1837, the Senate selected the vice president of the United States, choosing Richard Mentor Johnson after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island, N.C, ended in victory for Union forces led by Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside.

In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War, a conflict over control of Manchuria and Korea, began as Japanese forces attacked Port Arthur.

In 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated.

In 1922, President Warren G. Harding had a radio installed in the White House.

In 1942, during World War II, Japanese forces began invading Singapore, which fell a week later.

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed her accession to the British throne following the death of her father, King George VI.

In 1968, three college students were killed in a confrontation with highway patrolmen in Orangeburg, S.C., during a civil rights protest against a whites-only bowling alley.

In 1971, NASDAQ, the world's first electronic stock exchange, held its first trading day.

In 1989, 144 people were killed when an American-chartered Boeing 707 filled with Italian tourists slammed into a fog-covered mountain in the Azores.

In 1992, the XVI Olympic Winter Games opened in Albertville, France.

Ten years ago: The Winter Olympics opened in Salt Lake City with an emotional tribute to America's heroes, from the pioneers of the West to past Olympic champions to the thousands who'd perished on Sept. 11. The Taliban's foreign minister (Mullah Abdul Wakil Muttawakil) turned himself in to authorities in Afghanistan. William T. Dillard Sr., founder of one of the nation's largest retail chains, died in Little Rock, Ark., at age 87.

Five years ago: Model, actress and tabloid sensation Anna Nicole Smith died in Florida at age 39 of an accidental drug overdose. A federal judge in Fargo, N.D., sentenced Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. to death for the slaying of college student Dru Sjodin (droo shoh-DEEN'). Rival Palestinian leaders signed an agreement on a power-sharing government at Saudi-brokered talks in Mecca.

One year ago: Wael Ghonim (WY'-uhl goh-NEEM'), a Google executive who'd helped ignite Egypt's uprising, appeared before protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the first time after being released from detention; he told them, "We won't give up."

Today's Birthdays: Composer-conductor John Williams is 80. Newscaster Ted Koppel is 72. Actor Nick Nolte is 71. Comedian/Actor Robert Klein is 70. Actor-Rock Guitarist Creed Bratton (born William Charles Schneider)(plays 'Creed Bratton' in TV's "The Office", was in rock band "The Grass Roots") is 69. Singer Ron Tyson is 64. Actress Brooke Adams is 63. Actress Mary Steenburgen is 59. Author John Grisham is 57. Actor Henry Czerny is 53. Rock singer Vince Neil ("Motley Crue") is 51. Rock Singer/Guitarist Sammy Llanas ("The BoDeans") is 51. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa P. Jackson is 50. Actress Mary McCormack is 43. Rock Guitarist Keith Nelson ("Buckcherry") is 43. Retired NBA player Alonzo Mourning is 42. Actor Seth Green is 38. Actor Josh Morrow is 38. Rock Bassist Phoenix (David Farrell )("Linkin Park") is 35. Rock Bassist Jeremy Davis ("Paramore") is 27. Rock Drummer Max Grahn ("Carolina Liar") is 24. Actor Ryan Pinkston is 24. Actress Karle Warren (TV's "Judging Amy") is 20.

Thought for Today: "Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; an argument an exchange of ignorance." — Robert Quillen, American journalist (1887-1948).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 9, 2012, 12:01 am ET

oday is Thursday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2012. There are 326 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 9, 1942, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II.

On this date:

In 1773, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, was born in Charles City County, Va.

In 1825, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams president after no candidate received a majority of electoral votes.

In 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected provisional president of the Confederate States of America at a congress held in Montgomery, Ala.

In 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau was established.

In 1942, daylight-saving "War Time" went into effect in the United States, with clocks turned one hour forward.

In 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces.

In 1950, in a speech in Wheeling, W.Va., Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., charged the State Department was riddled with Communists.

In 1962, an agreement was signed to make Jamaica an independent nation within the British Commonwealth later in the year.

In 1964, The Beatles made their first live American television appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," broadcast from New York on CBS.

In 1971, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in California's San Fernando Valley claimed 65 lives. The crew of Apollo 14 returned to Earth after man's third landing on the moon.

In 1984, Soviet leader Yuri V. Andropov, 69, died less than 15 months after succeeding Leonid Brezhnev; he was followed by Konstantin U. Chernenko (chehr-NYEN'-koh).

In 2001, a U.S. Navy submarine, the USS Greeneville, collided with a Japanese fishing boat, the Ehime Maru (eh-hee-mee mah-roo), while surfacing off the Hawaiian coast, killing nine men and boys aboard the boat.

Ten years ago: Britain's Princess Margaret, the high-spirited and unconventional sister of Queen Elizabeth II, died in London at age 71. At the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Jochem Uytdehaage (YAH'-kihm EYE'-tih-hah-geh) of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the men's 5,000-meter speedskating race in a world record time of 6:14.66. Oakland's Rich Gannon led the AFC to a 38-30 victory over the NFC in the Pro Bowl.

Five years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters in Munich, Germany, that serial numbers and other markings on bombs suggested that Iranians were linked to deadly explosives used by Iraqi militants. British actor Ian Richardson, who portrayed immoral politician Francis Urquhart in the satirical TV drama "House of Cards," died in London at age 72.

One year ago: Thousands of workers went on strike across Egypt, adding a new dimension to the uprising as public rage turned to the vast wealth President Hosni Mubarak's family reportedly amassed while close to half the country struggled near the poverty line. Rep. Christopher Lee, R-N.Y., abruptly resigned with only a vague explanation of regret after gossip website Gawker reported that the married congressman had sent a shirtless photo of himself flexing his muscles to a woman whose Craigslist ad he answered. Lindsay Lohan pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles to felony grand theft of a $2,500 necklace. (Lohan later pleaded no contest to taking the necklace without permission and served 35 days of house arrest.)

Today's Birthdays: Television journalist Roger Mudd is 84. Actress Janet Suzman is 73. Actress/former California State Assembly Member Sheila James Kuehl (TV's "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis") is 71. Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Carole King is 70. Actor Joe Pesci is 69. Singer Barbara Lewis is 69. Author Alice Walker is 68. Actress Mia Farrow is 67. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., is 66. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Joe Ely is 65. Actress Judith Light is 63. Rhythm-and-blues Alto Saxophonist Dennis "DT" Thomas ("Kool & the Gang") is 61. Actor Charles Shaughnessy is 57. Former Democratic National Chairman Terry McAuliffe is 55. Jazz Saxophonist Steve Wilson is 51. Country singer Travis Tritt is 49. Actress Julie Warner is 47. Country singer Danni Leigh is 42. Actor Jason George is 40. Actor-producer Charlie Day is 36. Rock singer Chad Wolf ("Carolina Liar") is 36. Actor A.J. Buckley (Aaron John Buckley)(TV's "CSI: NY") is 35. Rock Singer/Guitarist Richard On ("O.A.R." aka "Of A Revolution") is 33. Actress Ziyi Zhang is 33. Actor David Gallagher is 27. Actress Marina Malota is 24. Actress Camille Winbush ("The Bernie Mac Show") is 22. Actor Jimmy Bennett is 16.

Thought for Today: "You can fall in love at first sight with a place as with a person." — Alec Waugh, English author (1898-1981).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 10, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Friday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2012. There are 325 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 10, 1962, the Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States.

On this date:

In 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War.

In 1840, Britain's Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

In 1841, Upper Canada and Lower Canada were proclaimed united under an Act of Union passed by the British Parliament.

In 1912, Joseph Lister, the "Father of Antiseptic Surgery," died in Walmer, Kent, England, at age 84.

In 1942, the former French liner Normandie capsized in New York Harbor a day after it caught fire while being refitted for the U.S. Navy. RCA Victor presented Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with a "gold record" for their recording of "Chattanooga Choo Choo," which had sold more than 1 million copies.

In 1949, Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" opened at Broadway's Morosco Theater with Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman.

In 1962, Republican George W. Romney announced his ultimately successful candidacy for governor of Michigan.

In 1967, the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, dealing with presidential disability and succession, was ratified as Minnesota and Nevada adopted it.

In 1968, U.S. figure skater Peggy Fleming won America's only gold medal of the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France.

In 1981, eight people were killed when a fire set by a busboy broke out at the Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino.

In 1992, boxer Mike Tyson was convicted in Indianapolis of raping Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant. (Tyson served three years in prison.) Author Alex Haley died in Seattle at age 70.

In 2005, playwright Arthur Miller died in Roxbury, Conn., at age 89 on the 56th anniversary of the Broadway opening of his "Death of a Salesman."

Ten years ago: Snowboarder Kelly Clark won America's first gold at the Salt Lake City Olympics in women's halfpipe. Claudia Pechstein (PEH'-shtyn) of Germany shattered her own world record in the 3,000-meter speedskating event, crossing the line in 3:57.70. The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, 135-120, in the NBA All-Star Game. Former U.N. ambassador Vernon A. Walters died in West Palm Beach, Fla., at age 85. Convict-author Jack Henry Abbott committed suicide in his cell; he was 58.

Five years ago: Less than a month after launching his presidential bid online, Democrat Barack Obama announced his candidacy in person, telling thousands outside the Illinois state capital in Springfield: "Let us transform this nation." Gen. David Petraeus took charge of U.S. forces in Iraq. The AFC defeated the NFC 31-28 in the Pro Bowl.

One year ago: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused to step down or leave the country and instead handed his powers to his vice president, stunning protesters in central Cairo who waved their shoes in contempt and shouted, "Leave, leave, leave." (Mubarak resigned the next day.)

Today's Birthdays: Opera singer Leontyne Price is 85. Actor Robert Wagner is 82. Rock Guitarist Don Wilson ("The Ventures") is 79. Singer Roberta Flack is 75. Singer Jimmy Merchant ("Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers") is 72. Rock Guitarist Bob Spalding ("The Ventures") is 65. Olympic gold-medal swimmer Mark Spitz is 62. Walt Disney Co. president and chief executive Robert Iger is 61. World Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman is 57. Actress Kathleen Beller is 56. Country singer Lionel Cartwright is 52. Movie director Alexander Payne is 51. ABC News correspondent George Stephanopoulos is 51. Political commentator Glenn Beck is 48. Actress Laura Dern is 45. Country singer Dude Mowrey (born Daniel Mowrey) is 40. Actress Elizabeth Banks is 38. Pop singer Rosanna Taverez ("Eden's Crush") is 35. Actress Julia Pace Mitchell is 34. Country Mandolinist Jeremy Baxter ("Carolina Rain") is 32. Rock singer Eric Dill is 30. Rock Guitarist Ben Romans ("The Click Five") is 30. Actress Emma Roberts is 21. Actress Makenzie Vega is 18. Actress Chloe Grace Moretz is 15.

Thought for Today: "People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone." — Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-born British actress (1929-1993).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 11, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Saturday, Feb. 11, the 42nd day of 2012. There are 324 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 11, 1812, Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a re-districting law favoring his Democratic-Republican Party — giving rise to the term "gerrymandering."

On this date:

In 1858, a French girl, Bernadette Soubirous (soo-bee-ROO'), reported the first of 18 visions of a lady dressed in white in a grotto near Lourdes. (The Catholic Church later accepted that the visions were of the Virgin Mary.)

In 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln bade farewell to his adopted hometown of Springfield, Ill., as he headed to Washington for his inauguration.

In 1862, the Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson began in Tennessee. (Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant captured the fort five days later.)

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty was signed, with Italy recognizing the independence and sovereignty of Vatican City.

In 1937, a six-week-old sit-down strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union.

In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement during World War II.

In 1960, "Tonight Show" host Jack Paar stunned his audience by walking off the program in a censorship dispute with NBC. (Despite his very public resignation, Paar returned to the Tonight Show less than a month later.)

In 1972, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and Life magazine canceled plans to publish what had turned out to be a fake autobiography of reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

In 1975, Margaret Thatcher was elected leader of Britain's opposition Conservative Party.

In 1979, followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (hoh-MAY'-nee) seized power in Iran.

In 1982, actress-dancer Eleanor Powell, 69, died in Beverly Hills, Calif.

In 1990, South African black activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.

Ten years ago: Israel attacked Palestinian security headquarters in Gaza City in response to unprecedented Palestinian rocket fire and a shooting attack on Israeli civilians. Argentina fully uncoupled the peso from the U-S dollar for the first time in more than a decade. Americans Ross Powers, Danny Kass and J.J. Thomas took gold, silver and bronze in the men's halfpipe at the Salt Lake City Olympics. Controversy erupted at the games as Elena Berezhnaya (behr-ehzh-NY'-uh) and Anton Sikharulidze (sih-kar-OOL'-ihd-zeh) were crowned the champions of pairs figure skating, although many observers felt the best duo was Jamie Sale (sah-LAY') and David Pelletier (pehl-tee-YAY') of Canada.

Five years ago: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (ah-muh-DEE'-neh-zhahd), marking the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, vowed his country would not give up uranium enrichment. The Dixie Chicks won five Grammys in a defiant comeback after being shunned over their anti-President George W. Bush comments about the Iraq war. Harvard University named historian Drew Gilpin Faust its first female president.

One year ago: Egypt exploded with joy after pro-democracy protesters brought down President Hosni Mubarak, whose resignation ended three decades of authoritarian rule.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Conrad Janis is 84. Actress Tina Louise (played 'Ginger Grant' on TV's "Gilligan's Island") is 78. Actor Burt Reynolds is 76. Songwriter Gerry Goffin is 73. Actor Sonny Landham is 71. Composer/Bandleader Sergio Mendes is 71. Rhythm-and-blues singer Otis Clay is 70. Actor Philip Anglim is 60. Actress Catherine Hickland is 56. Rock Drummer David Uosikkinen ("The Hooters") is 56. Actress Carey Lowell is 51. Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Sheryl Crow is 50. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is 48. Actress Jennifer Aniston is 43. Actor Damian Lewis is 41. Actress Marisa Petroro is 40. Singer D'Angelo (real name Michael Eugene Archer) is 38. Actor Brice Beckham is 36. Rock M-C/Vocalist Mike Shinoda ("Linkin Park") is 35. Singer/Songwriter/Actress Brandy (full name Brandy Rayana Norwood) is 33. Actor Matthew Lawrence is 32. Rhythm-and-blues Singer/Actress Kelly Rowland (born Kelendria Trene Rowland)("Destiny's Child") is 31. Singer Aubrey O'Day is 28. Actress Q'orianka Kilcher is 22. Actor Taylor Lautner is 20.

Thought for Today: "We had better live as we think, otherwise we shall end up by thinking as we have lived." — Paul Bourget, French author (1852-1935).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 12, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Sunday, Feb. 12, the 43rd day of 2012. There are 323 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in present-day Larue County, Ky.

On this date:

In 1554, Lady Jane Grey, who'd claimed the throne of England for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being condemned for high treason.

In 1795, the University of North Carolina became the first U.S. state university to admit students with the arrival of Hinton James.

In 1818, Chile officially proclaimed its independence, more than seven years after initially renouncing Spanish rule.

In 1908, the first round-the-world automobile race began in New York. (It ended in Paris the following July with the drivers of the American car, a Thomas Flyer, declared the winners over teams from Germany and Italy.)

In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded.

In 1912, Pu Yi (poo yee), the last emperor of China, abdicated, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty.

In 1915, the cornerstone for the Lincoln Memorial was laid in Washington, D.C., a year to the day after groundbreaking.

In 1940, the radio play "The Adventures of Superman" debuted with Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel.

In 1942, painter Grant Wood, creator of "American Gothic," died in Iowa City, Iowa, a day before his 51st birthday.

In 1959, the redesigned Lincoln penny — with an image of the Lincoln Memorial replacing two ears of wheat on the reverse side — went into circulation.

In 1973, Operation Homecoming began as the first release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam conflict took place.

In 1999, the Senate voted to acquit President Bill Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Ten years ago: Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay expressed "profound sadness" about the collapse of the energy giant, but refused to testify at a Senate hearing. Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic (sloh-BOH'-dahn mee-LOH'-shuh-vich) went on trial in The Hague, accused of war crimes (he died in 2006 before the trial could conclude). Pakistan charged three men in connection with the kidnapping of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi (they and a fourth man were later convicted of Pearl's murder). An Iranian passenger jet crashed, killing all 119 on board. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" received 13 Academy Award nominations; tied for second with eight nods were "A Beautiful Mind" and "Moulin Rouge!"

Five years ago: Teen gunman Sulejman Talovic (SOO'-lay-mahn TAHL'-oh-vitch) shot nine people, killing five, at a Salt Lake City mall before he was shot and killed by police. Car bombs shattered Baghdad's oldest and largest market, killing at least 78 people.

One year ago: Thousands of Algerians defied government warnings and dodged barricades in their capital, demanding democratic reforms; demonstrations continued in Yemen as well. Death claimed actress Betty Garrett, 91, and actor Kenneth Mars, 75.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director Franco Zeffirelli is 89. Actor Louis Zorich is 88. Baseball Hall-of-Fame sportscaster Joe Garagiola is 86. Former Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., is 82. Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell is 78. Actor Joe Don Baker is 76. Author Judy Blume is 74. Rock Keyboardist/Songwriter Ray Manzarek ("The Doors") is 73. Country singer Moe Bandy is 68. Actress Maud Adams is 67. Actor Cliff DeYoung is 66. Tough-Guy Actor/Director/Producer/Screenwriter Michael Ironside :canada: (born Frederick Reginald Ironside) is 62. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Steve Hackett is 62. Rock Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Michael McDonald is 60. Actress Joanna Kerns is 59. Actor/Comedian/former Talk Show Host Arsenio Hall is 57. Actor John Michael Higgins is 49. Actor Raphael Sbarge is 48. Actress Christine Elise is 47. Actor Josh Brolin is 44. Singer Chynna Phillips is 44. Rock Bassist Jim Creeggan ("Barenaked Ladies") is 42. Rhythm-and-blues Keyboardist Keri Lewis is 41. Actor Jesse Spencer (TV's "House, M.D.") is 33. Actress Sarah Lancaster is 32. Actress Christina Ricci is 32. Actress Jennifer Stone (TV's "Wizards of Waverly Place") is 19.

Thought for Today: "Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still." — President Harry S. Truman (1884-1972).

 

[superintelligentone]

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Today in History
Associated Press – February 13, 2012, 12:00 am ET

Today is Monday, Feb. 13, the 44th day of 2012. There are 322 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Feb. 13, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was officially declared winner of the 1860 presidential election as electors cast their ballots.

On this date:

In 1542, the fifth wife of England's King Henry VIII, Catherine Howard, was executed for adultery.

In 1741, Andrew Bradford of Pennsylvania published the first American magazine. "The American Magazine, or A Monthly View of the Political State of the British Colonies" lasted three issues.

In 1914, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, known as ASCAP, was founded in New York.

In 1920, the League of Nations recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland.

In 1935, a jury in Flemington, N.J. found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnap-slaying of the son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was later executed.)

In 1945, during World War II, Allied planes began bombing the German city of Dresden. The Soviets captured Budapest, Hungary, from the Germans.

In 1960, France exploded its first atomic bomb in the Sahara Desert.

In 1961, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York announced that three statues in its collection, supposedly Etruscan terra cotta warriors, were, in fact, forgeries.

In 1972, the 11th Winter Olympics ended in Sapporo, Japan.

In 1980, the 13th Winter Olympics opened in Lake Placid, N.Y.

In 1988, the 15th winter Olympics opened in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

In 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, allied warplanes destroyed an underground shelter in Baghdad that had been identified as a military command center; Iraqi officials said 500 civilians were killed.

Ten years ago: John Walker Lindh pleaded not guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Va., to conspiring to kill Americans and supporting the Taliban and terrorist organizations. (Lindh later pleaded guilty to lesser offenses and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II made former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani an honorary knight. Country singer Waylon Jennings died in Chandler, Ariz., at age 64.

Five years ago: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney officially entered the 2008 presidential race in Michigan, the place of his birth. With Democrats in control, House members debated Iraq in an emotional and historic faceoff over a war that Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned as a commitment with "no end in sight."

One year ago: Egypt's military leaders dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and promised elections in moves cautiously welcomed by protesters who'd helped topple President Hosni Mubarak. Lady Antebellum was the big winner at the Grammys with five awards, including record and song of the year for the band's yearning crossover ballad "Need You Now," but rockers Arcade Fire won the biggest prize, album of the year, for their highly acclaimed "The Suburbs."

Today's Birthdays: Former test pilot Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager is 89. Actress Kim Novak is 79. Actor George Segal is 78. Actress Carol Lynley is 70. Singer/Guitarist/Keyboardist Peter Tork ("The Monkees") is 70. Actress Stockard Channing is 68. Talk show host Jerry Springer is 68. Actor Bo Svenson is 68. Singer Peter Gabriel is 62. Actor David Naughton is 61. Rock Bassist Peter Hook is 56. Actor Matt Salinger is 52. Singer/Songwriter/Actor Henry Rollins is 51. Actor Neal McDonough is 46. Singer Freedom Williams is 46. Actress Kelly Hu is 44. Rock Bassist Todd Harrell ("3 Doors Down") is 40. Singer/Songwriter/Record Producer/Actor Robbie Williams ("Take That") is 38. Rhythm-and-blues performer Natalie Stewart ("Floetry") is 33. Actress Mena Suvari is 33.

Thought for Today: "An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason." — C.S. Lewis, English author (1898-1963).