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Tag: January

  • January 31 in Pop Culture History

    January 31 in Pop Culture History

    January 31st History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 31st History Highlights

    • 1940 – Ida May Fuller received the first Social Security retirement check, in the amount of $22.54. She lived to 100 years old and collected a total of $22,888.
    • January 31, 1929 Birthday (fictional) Dorothy Zbornak, TV, Golden Girls
    • If you were born on January 31st,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 10th (prior year)

    January 31st is…

    Backwards Day
    Brandy Alexander Day
    Eat Brussels Sprouts Day
    Inspire your Heart with Art Day
    National Hot Chocolate Day

    Now You Know…

    What is the ONLY English word that ends in “mt”?

    Dreamt

    Ham, The First Space Chimp

    Ham, the first chimpanzee in space, was only given the name “Ham” after successfully completing his mission, Project Mercury mission labeled MR-2 on January 31, 1961. He was known as Number 65 before that, as NASA believed that it would be bad publicity if a “named” chimp burned up in the atmosphere or otherwise died as a result of mission failure.

    January 31st Birthday Quotes

    Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent.
    – Nolan Ryan

    To bear up under loss- to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief- to be victor over anger- to smile when tears are close- to resist evil men and base instincts- to hate hate and to love love- to go on when it would seem good to die- to seek ever after the glory and the dream- to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be- that is what any man can do, and so be great.
    – Zane Grey

    You’re not meant to do what’s easy, you’re meant to challenge yourself.
    – Justin Timberlake

    There’s nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.
    – Johnny Rotten (John Lydon)

    Science is clearly one of the most profound methods that humans have yet devised for discovering truth, while religion remains the single greatest force for generating meaning… if some sort of reconciliation between science and religion is not forthcoming, the future of humanity is, at best, precarious.
    – Ken Wilber

    We live in a time which has created the art of the absurd. It is our art. It contains happenings, Pop art, camp, a theater of the absurd … Do we have the art because the absurd is the patina of waste…? Or are we face to face with a desperate or most rational effort from the deepest resources of the unconscious of us all to rescue civilization from the pit and plague of its bedding?
    – Norman Mailer

    Listen, I’m not cool. Being cool is about keeping your blood pressure steady. So no. Don’t be cool. Be passionate. Be dedicated. Be tenacious. Be uncompromising. Be pissed. Be happy. Be sad.
    – Justin Timberlake

    January 31st Birthdays

    1734 – Robert Morris, English/American patriot (died in1806)
    1797 – Franz Schubert, Austrian pianist, and composer (died in 1828)
    1872 – Zane Grey, American author (died in 1939)
    1892 – Eddie Cantor, American singer-songwriter and actor (died in 1964)
    1894 – Isham Jones, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (died in 1956)
    1902 – Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (died in 1968)
    1902 – Julian Steward, American anthropologist (died in 1972)
    1914 – Jersey Joe Walcott, American boxer (died in 1994)
    1915 – Garry Moore, American comedian and game show host (died in 1993)
    1921 – Carol Channing, American entertainer (died in 2019)
    1921 – Mario Lanza, American tenor, and actor (died in 1959)
    1923 – Norman Mailer, American journalist and author (died in 2007)
    1929 – Jean Simmons, English-American actress (died in 2010)
    1931 – Ernie Banks, American baseball player and coach (died in 2015)
    1937 – Philip Glass, American composer
    1937 – Suzanne Pleshette, American actress (died in 2008)
    1946 – Terry Kath, American guitarist and singer-songwriter (Chicago) (died in 1978)
    1947 – Nolan Ryan, American baseball player
    1949 – Ken Wilber, American writer
    1956 – Johnny Rotten (John Joseph Lydon), English singer-songwriter
    1959 – Kelly Lynch, American model, and actress
    1960 – Grant Morrison, Scottish comic book writer
    1964 – Martha MacCallum, American journalist
    1967 – Fat Mike, American singer-songwriter
    1970 – Minnie Driver, English actress
    1973 – Portia de Rossi, Australian-American actress
    1977 – Kerry Washington, American actress
    1981 – Justin Timberlake, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
    1987 – Marcus Mumford, American-English singer-songwriter

    January 31st History

    1865
    Congress passed the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America.

    1906
    (Earthquake) Coastal Ecuador

    1922
    (Earthquake) Eureka/San Francisco, Oregon/California

    1929
    January 31, 1929 Birthday (fictional) Dorothy Zbornak, Golden Girls, TV

    1958
    The United States launched its first successful orbiting satellite, Explorer-I.

    1961
    The United States launched a 4-year-old male chimpanzee, Ham, on a Mercury-Redstone 2 rocket into test suborbital flight. Ham landed safely about 17 minutes later.

    1970
    #1 Hit January 31, 1970 – February 6, 1970: The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back

    1971
    Apollo 14 (January 31 – February 9, 1971) Crew: Alan B. Shepard, Stuart A. Roosa, and Edgar D. Mitchell

    1976
    #1 Hit January 31, 1976 – February 6, 1976: Ohio Players – Love Rollercoaster

    1981
    #1 Hit January 31, 1981 – February 6, 1981: Blondie – The Tide Is High

    1986
    Down and Out in Beverly Hills was released in theaters.

    1988
    The Wonder Years premiered on ABC

    1992
    ABC Sportscaster Howard Cosell retired.

    1993
    The Super Bowl (broadcast on NBC) featured Michael Jackson, marking the first time a solo performer existed during the show.

    1997
    Star Wars (Special Edition) was released in theaters.

    1998
    #1 Hit January 31, 1998 – February 13, 1998: Janet Jackson – Together Again

    1999
    Family Guy premiered on Fox

    January 31, 19** Mera (Queen of Atlantis) DC Comics

    2004
    You Got Served debuted in theaters.

    2016
    January 31, 2016 – Grease: Live starring Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Hudgens, and Carlos PenaVega, aired on FOX

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    I always imagined life in the Star Wars universe to be much more awesome, yet I probably still would only be sitting behind a desk of an intergalactic insurance company imagining how awesome life would be in a fictional universe.

    The Capital of Romania is Bucharest

    Biggest film of 1996: Independence Day (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $307,000,000

    If you blow up a balloon too much, it’ll blow up.

    What if aliens never invaded earth because they have seen Hollywood movies and think past attempts from other races continually fail.

    “Don’t let your dreams be dreams.” – Jack Johnson

    TV Quotes… “We are two wild and crazy guys!” (Steve Martin and Dan Aykroyd, as Czech playboys) on “Saturday Night Live”

    The phrase “old sport” is said 55 times during The Great Gatsby.

    A group of Turtle Doves is called a Pitying or Dule or Piteousness.

    The state of Rhode Island’s official name is the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

    Plurals can be used to properly refer to a titleless party in question. – “They then broke the window of the car and took off with my phone. I didn’t see their face.”

    Dr. Seuss – Real Name: Theodore Seuss Geisel

    Plagiarism is getting in trouble for something you didn’t even do.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 30 in Pop Culture History

    January 30 in Pop Culture History

    January 30th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 30th History Highlights

    • 1806 – The original Lower Trenton Bridge ( the Trenton Makes the World Takes Bridge), spanning the Delaware River between Morrisville, Pennsylvania and Trenton, New Jersey, was opened.
    • 1969 – The Beatles’ rooftop performance and recording for Let It Be took place at Apple Records.
    • 1972 – Bloody Sunday: British paratroopers opened fire on anti-internment marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland, killing 14 people.
    • January 29, 19** Birthday (fictional) Arthur Curry (Aquaman), DC Comics.
    • If you were born on January 30th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 9th (prior year)

    January 30th is…

    National Escape Day
    National Croissant Day
    Yodel for Your Neighbors Day

    Faith, Hope, and Charity

    We do not see faith, hope, and charity as unattainable ideals, but we use them as stout supports of a nation fighting the fight for freedom in modern civilization.
    Faith – in the soundness of democracy in the midst of dictatorships.
    Hope – renewed because we know so well the progress we have made.
    Charity – in the true spirit of that grand old word. For charity literally translated from the original means love, the love that understands, that does not merely share the wealth of the giver, but in true sympathy and wisdom helps men to help themselves.
    – Franklin D. Roosevelt

    January 30th Birthday Quotes

    Beyond a certain point, the music isn’t mine anymore. It’s yours.
    – Phil Collins

    I have a fear of being boring.
    – Christian Bale

    Is there not glory enough in living the days given to us? You should know there is an adventure in simply being among those we love and the things we love, and beauty, too.
    – Lloyd Alexander

    Sometimes you have to forgive and forget. Forgive them for hurting you and forget they exist.
    – Kid Cudi

    Ask the right questions if you’re going to find the right answers.
    – Vanessa Redgrave

    When things get dark, they’re going to get darker, and at that very moment, that’s when you hang on that much tighter because that’s when salvation and light come.
    – Wilmer Valderrama

    Whatever you do, do it completely. Don’t do it half-arsed. Do it more than anybody else would.
    – Christian Bale

    I just wanna learn and I wanna grow. I wanna consume as much information as possible. I wanna be great.
    – Kid Cudi

    January 30th Birthdays

    1882 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, American politician, 32nd President of the United States (died in 1945)
    1920 – Patrick Heron, British painter (died in 1999)
    1922 – Dick Martin, American comedic actor (died in 2008)
    1924 – Lloyd Chudley Alexander, American writer (died in 2007)
    1928 – Harold Prince, American director, and producer (died in 2019)
    1930 – Gene Hackman, American actor, and author
    1934 – Tammy Grimes, American actress, and singer (died in 2016)
    1937 – Vanessa Redgrave, English actress
    1937 – Boris Spassky, Russian chess player
    1941 – Dick Cheney, American businessman, and politician
    1942 – Marty Balin, American singer-songwriter
    1947 – Steve Marriott, English singer-songwriter
    1951 – Phil Collins, English drummer, singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
    1951 – Charles S. Dutton, American actor
    1953 – Fred Hembeck, American author and illustrator
    1958 – Brett Butler, American actress
    1959 – Jody Watley, American singer
    1974 – Christian Bale, Welsh actor
    1980 – Wilmer Valderrama, American actor
    1984 – Kid Cudi, American singer

    January 30th History

    1703 – The 47 Ronin, under the command of Oishi Kuranosuke, avenged the death of their master, Asano Naganori.

    1790 – The first boat designed as a lifeboat was tested on the River Tyne.

    1868 – Charles Darwin’s book, Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication, was published.

    1933 – Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany.

    1948 – Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse.

    1958 – The first two-way, moving sidewalk (1,425 feet long) was put in service at Love Field Air Terminal in Dallas, TX.

    January 30, 1960 Birthday (fictional) Lily Evans, Harry Potter

    1961 – #1 Hit January 30, 1961 – February 12, 1961: The Shirelles – Will You Love Me Tomorrow

    1968 – The North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong began the Tet Offensive

    1972 – British Paratroopers open fire on and kill fourteen unarmed civil rights/anti-internment marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland. It was commemorated by the US with 1983’s Sunday Bloody Sunday.

    1973 – KISS played their 1st show at the Coventry Club in Queens New York.

    1982 – #1 Hit January 30, 1982 – February 5, 1982: Daryl Hall and John Oates – I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)

    1987 – Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, Radio Days, and Outrageous Fortune were released in theaters.

    1988 – #1 Hit January 30, 1988 – February 5, 1988: INXS – Need You Tonight

    1999 – #1 Hit January 30, 1999 – February 12, 1999: Britney Spears – Baby One More Time

    2007 – Microsoft released Windows Vista.

    2009 – Taken and The Uninvited were released in theaters

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Peanuts aren’t nuts, they’re legumes.

    “Back, and to the left.” – Jim Garrison in JFK  #moviequotes

    “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” – Woody Allen

    Warren Beatty – Real Name: Warren Beaty

    When I had 28.8k internet, all I wanted was to be able to watch videos. Now that we have broadband and youtube everywhere, I hate links that turn out to be videos.

    Biggest film of 1948: The Snake Pit earned ~ $10,000,000

    “I dread high-priced Havanas with a fancy label; a label which augments the price of the cigar twenty-seven degrees beyond its value. I have accepted tons of those; and given them to the poor. It’s not that I hate the poor but that I do not wish to waste anything.” – Mark Twain, speaking about Cuban Cigars

    What is it with film villains and Beethoven’s 9th symphony, 4th movement?

    Steven Spielberg nicknamed the mechanical shark in the movie Jaws: ‘Bruce’.

    I want to see a movie where machines gain intelligence and go to war with humanity, only to be defeated when some guy deletes a single semi-colon from their code.

    A group of Tomorrows is a Promise.

    “He had no hobby, cared for no amusement of any kind and lived in utter disregard of the most elementary rules of hygiene.” – Tesla dissing Edison.

    If a bunch of girls named Paige are around each other, does that make them a chapter?

    Car tires are made with uneven tread, to stop them ‘humming’ as they drive along.

    The kid: Why did the chicken cross the road?
    Me: Why?
    The kid: To get to the ugly guy’s house.
    Me:???
    The kid: Knock knock
    Me: Who’s there?
    The kid: It’s the chicken!

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  • January 29 in Pop Culture History

    January 29 in Pop Culture History

    January 29th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 29th History Highlights

    • 1980 – The Rubik’s Cube made its international debut at the Ideal Toy Corp. in Earl’s Court, London.
    • 2002 – In his State of the Union address, President George W. Bush described “regimes that sponsor terror” as an Axis of evil- he included Iraq, Iran, and North Korea.
    • 2015 – Malaysia officially declared the disappearance of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 (disappeared on March 8, 2014) an accident, and its passengers and crew were presumed dead.
    • If you were born on January 29th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 8th (prior year)

    Cleveland School Shooting

    On January 29, 1979, Brenda Spencer opened fire on the Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego. She was armed with a Ruger 10/22 rifle as she shot from her house across the street. The school’s principal and custodian were killed, as well as 8 children and one police officer who attempted to stop her. This event is now known as the “Cleveland School Shooting.”

    Brenda Spencer would go on to plead guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon before being sentenced to life in prison with a chance of parole after 25 years. After the shooting, she told a reporter, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.”

    In the aftermath of this tragedy, schools have looked for ways to better protect their students from similar incidents. One such measure has been to install metal detectors at entrances; however, this can be costly and time-consuming. Schools have also turned to other measures, such as improved surveillance and tracking systems, to better protect their students from potential threats.

    The Cleveland School Shooting remains a shocking memory in the minds of many Americans. While this shooting may have taken place over 30 years ago, it still serves as a reminder that school shootings can happen anytime or anywhere. Parents should be reassured by knowing that precautions are in place to protect kids at school, but they should also make sure that their children feel comfortable and safe when in the classroom.

    Schools have made many efforts towards better-protecting students from shootings like this one; however, parents can do a lot by teaching their kids how to be responsible with information about themselves online and encouraging them to speak up if they feel threatened.

    January 29th is…

    Curmudgeons Day
    National Carnation Day
    National Corn Chip Day
    Puzzle Day
    Seeing Eye Dog Day
    Thomas Paine (Free Thinkers) Day

    January 29th Birthday Quotes

    Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
    – Thomas Paine

    I personally stay away from natural foods. At my age I need all the preservatives I can get.
    – W.C. Fields

    Each of us is full of too many wheels, screws, and valves to permit us to judge one another on a first impression or by two or three external signs.
    – Anton Chekhov

    Human beings have an inalienable right to invent themselves; when that right is pre-empted it is called brain-washing.
    – Germaine Greer

    Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others.
    – Edward Abbey

    I don’t have to attend every argument I’m invited to.
    – W.C. Fields

    Newlyweds shooting budget: 5k for actors, 2k insurance, 2k food, and drink. 9k in the can. We only shot 12 days. That’s how to make an independent film.
    – Edward Burns

    January 29th Birthdays

    1737 – Thomas Paine, One of the Founding Fathers of the United States (died in 1809)
    1843 – William McKinley, American politician, 25th President of the United States (died in 1901)
    1860 – Anton Chekhov, Russian playwright and short story writer (died in 1904)
    1874 – John D. Rockefeller, Jr., American businessman and philanthropist (died in 1960)
    1880 – W.C. Fields (William Claude Dukenfield), American comedic actor (died in 1946)
    1913 – Victor Mature, American actor (died in 1999)
    1917 – John Raitt, American actor, and singer (died in 2005)
    1918 – John Forsythe, American actor (died in 2010)
    1927 – Edward Abbey, American writer (died in 1989)
    1939 – Germaine Greer, Australian journalist, and author
    1940 – Katharine Ross, American actress
    1945 – Tom Selleck, American actor
    1949 – Tommy Ramone (Thomas Erdelyi), Hungarian-American drummer, The Ramones(died in 2014)
    1950 – Ann Jillian, American actress
    1954 – Oprah Winfrey, American talk show host, actress, and producer
    1960 – Gia Carangi, American supermodel (died in 1986)
    1962 – Nicholas Turturro, American actor
    1968 – Edward Burns, American actor
    1970 – Heather Graham, American actress
    1975 – Sara Gilbert, American actress
    1993 – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Japanese singer

    January 29th History

    1845 – Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven’ was published in the New York Evening Mirror.

    1856 – Queen Victoria established the Victoria Cross to recognize acts of valor by British military personnel.

    1861 – Kansas became the 34th state.

    1886 – Karl Benz patented the first successful gasoline-driven automobile.

    1924 – The first US patent (#1481813) for an ice cream cone rolling machine was issued to Carl R. Taylor of Cleveland, Ohio

    1959 – Walt Disney’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was released. The Beauty, Princess Aurora, only appeared on screen for about 18 minutes as an ‘adult’, but she was actually a sixteen-year-old.

    1967 – The Mantra-Rock Dance (the ‘Ultimate High’) took place in San Francisco and features Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Allen Ginsberg, and others.

    1977 – #1 Hit January 29, 1977 – February 4, 1977: Rose Royce – Car Wash

    January 29, 19** Birthday (fictional) Arthur Curry (Aquaman), DC Comics

    2000 – #1 Hit January 29, 2000 – February 18, 2000: Savage Garden – I Knew I Loved You

    2009 – Governor of Illinois 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 United States Senate as a replacement for then-U.S. president-elect Barack Obama.

    2011 – #1 Hit January 29, 2011 – February 18, 2011: Britney Spears – Hold It Against Me.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Waldo has been traveling all over the world for years and never chosen a place to call home. Maybe the person trying the hardest to find Waldo is himself.

    The Seven Virtues #7- Temperance is moderation of needed things and abstinence from things which are not needed.

    Biggest film of 1997: Titanic (Thriller) earned ~ $659,000,000

    The boiling point of water on top of Mt Everest is 160f (71c).

    I’m not sure if it’s a false memory, but I remember climbing across monkey bars without feeling like my arms were being torn from their sockets.

    Offense: When it’s a legal matter, it’s pronounced o-FENCE. When it’s sports, it’s pronounced OFF-ence. Climbing? A fence.

    “You talkin’ to me?” – Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) in Taxi Driver, 1976

    According to a study, people will believe anything that’s according to a study.

    Since 1966 ‘Peaches and Herb’ has had 7 different Peaches, but only one Herb.

    “Just one more thing Sofie. Is she aware her daughter is alive?” – Bill #moviequotes

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  • January 28 in Pop Culture History

    January 28 in Pop Culture History

    January 28th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 28th History Highlights

    • 1909 – United States troops left Cuba with the exception of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base after being there since the SpanishAmerican War.
    • 1958 – The Lego company patented (#3005282) the design of its Lego bricks- it is still compatible with bricks produced today.
    • 1986 – The Challenger Space Shuttle exploded 73 seconds after lift-off, kiling all 7 people aboard.
    • If you were born on January 28th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 7th (prior year)

    USA For Africa

    Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, We Are The World was finished recording. It was relased on March 7, 1985 and won 3 Grammys. The artists included:

    Soloists (in appearance order): Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kenny Rogers, James Ingram, Tina Turner, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Willie Nelson, Al Jarreau, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Daryl Hall, Huey Lewis, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Carnes, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles

    Chorus (alphabetically), Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Mario Cipollina, Johnny Colla, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Bill Gibson, Chris Hayes, Sean Hopper, Jackie Jackson, La Toya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Bette Midler, John Oates, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters, Smokey Robinson

    The Band: John Barnes – keyboards & arrangement, David Paich – synthesizers, Michael Boddicker – synthesizers/ programming, Paulinho da Costa – percussion, Louis Johnson – synth bass, Michael Omartian – keyboards, Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, John Robinson – drums

    January 28th is…

    Blueberry Pancake Day
    Daisy Day
    Data Privacy Day
    National Kazoo Day
    National Pediatrician Day
    World Leprosy Day

    January 28th Birthday Quotes

    I touch the future. I teach.
    – Christa McAiliffe

    It doesn’t make much difference how the paint is put on as long as something has been said. Technique is just a means of arriving at a statement.
    – Jackson Pollock

    Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you’re a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff’s worth, without pity, and destroy most of it.
    – Colette

    If you love large, you’ve got to hurt large. If you’ve got a lot of light, you’ve probably got an equal amount of darkness.
    – Sarah McLachlan

    Everything that divides men, everything that specified, separates or pens them, is a sin against humanity.
    – José Martí

    It’s too bad I’m not as wonderful a person as people say I am, because the world could use a few people like that.
    – Alan Alda

    Doctor Livingstone, I presume?
    – Henry Morton Stanley

    The modern artist is working with space and time, and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating.
    – Jackson Pollock

    Happiness is like a cloud, if you stare at it long enough, it evaporates.
    – Sarah McLachlan

    January 28th Birthdays

    1717 – Mustafa III, Ottoman sultan (died in 1774)
    1841 – Henry Morton Stanley, Welsh Explorer (died in 1904)
    1853 – José Julián Martí Pérez, Cuban writer (died in 1895)
    1855 – William Seward Burroughs I, American businessman, founded the Burroughs Corporation (died in 1898)
    1864 – Charles Williams Nash, American businessman, founded Nash Motors (died in 1948)
    1873 – Sidonie-Gabrielle ‘Colette’, French writer (died in 1954)
    1900 – Alice Neel, American painter (died in 1984)
    1912 – Jackson Pollock, American painter (died in 1956)
    1936 – Alan Alda, American actor, director and writer
    1950 – Barbi Benton, American actress and model
    1954 – Rick Warren, American pastor and author
    1955 – Nicolas Sarkozy, French lawyer and politician
    1956 – Peter Schilling, German singer-songwriter
    1968 – Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer-songwriter
    1976 – Rick Ross (William Roberts II), American rapper
    1980 – Nick Carter, American singer-songwriter
    1981 – Elijah Wood, American actor
    1985 – J. Cole, American singer
    1998 – Ariel Winter, American actress

    January 28th History

    814 – RIP Charlemagne (April 2, 748 – January 28, 814), the first Holy Roman Emperor.

    1547 – Edward VI, the nine-year-old son of Henry VIII, became King of England after his father’s death.

    1782 – The Great Seal of The United States was approved.

    1807 – London’s Pall Mall became the first street of any city to be illuminated by gaslight.

    1813 – Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first published.

    1902 – The Carnegie Institution of Washington was founded in Washington, DC with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie.

    1915 – The US Congress created the United States Coast Guard as a branch of the United States Armed Forces.

    1934 – The first ski tow rope in the US, built by Robert Royce, was used for the first time in Woodstock, Vermont

    1953 – J. Fred Muggs (a chimp) joined NBC’s Today Show

    1958 – The Lego Company patented the design of its Lego bricks.

    1978 – Fantasy Island, starring Ricardo Montalban and Herve Villachaise, debuted on ABC.

    1979 – CBS News Sunday Morning debuted with original host Charles Kuralt.

    1986 – Space Shuttle Challenger 10 exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing astronauts Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik and schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

    January 28, 19** Birthday (fictional) Ernie, Sesame Street

    1995 – #1 Hit January 28, 1995 – February 24, 1995: TLCCreep

    January 28, 19** RIP Gwen Stacy, Spider-Man, Marvel Comics

    January 28, 2017 -May 5, 2017: Ed Sheeran – Shape of You

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    I before E except after C also works for the alphabet.

    Add an extra “o” to the word “stop” and it becomes “stoop.” Add more o’s and it becomes “stop” again.

    “Up your nose with a rubber hose” – Vinnie Barbarino (Welcome Back, Kotter)

    Mary Pickford – Real Name: Gladys Mary Smith

    The entire 150,000+ moose population of the island of Newfoundland is descendant from just four moose released a little over 100 years ago.

    “All-human staff” will eventually become a selling point for restaurants, like “free-range” or “fair trade”.

    In 20 minutes characters in TV shows can save lives, destroy lives, end relationships, start relationships, betray friends, die protecting others, and what-not. While I will spend twenty minutes stressing over how I have to be at work soon.

    The earth is 24,901 miles in circumference across its diameter.

    The word ‘brackets’ (like [ ] and { }) is related to the french word for a codpiece and derives from the old Germanic word for pants.

    If you told someone in 1990 that Ice Cube, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and OJ Simpson would be famous for: playing cops in movies, being Governor of California, alleged double murder …

    In 1923, Mark Sennett, Harry Chandler, and the Los Angeles Times put up the ‘Hollywoodland’ (later shortened to ‘Hollywood’) sign, for $21,000.

    A group of Bacteria is called a Culture.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 27 in Pop Culture History

    January 27 in Pop Culture History

    January 27th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 27th History Highlights

    • 1945 – The Auschwitz concentration camp, with about 6,000 prisoners was liberated by Soviet Forces.
    • 1944 – The Siege of Leningrad, which began on September 4, 1941, ended. More than 1/2 of the city’s population was killed.
    • 1973 – The Vietnam Peace Agreement was signed in Paris (taking effect January 28th). Colonel William Nolde was killed in action, becoming the conflict’s last recorded American combat casualty.
    • If you were born on January 27th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 6th (prior year)

    January 27th is…

    International Holocaust Remembrance Day
    National Chocolate Cake Day
    National Geographic Day

    International Holocaust Remembrance Day

    The Holocaust is one of the most tragic events in history. Over six million Jewish victims died at the hands of Nazi Germany and millions more were killed for reasons such as their race, sexuality, or disability. The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day to commemorate these lives lost and honor those who survived.

    Every year on this day, the UN urges every member state to take action in remembrance of the Holocaust. This can include anything from developing educational programs to spreading awareness about the importance of tolerance and diversity. It’s crucial that we remember the Holocaust not just as a dark chapter in history, but as a warning for future generations about the dangers of hate and bigotry

    January 27th Birthday Quotes

    When you handle yourself, use your head; when you handle others, use your heart.
    – Donna Reed

    I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.
    – Mikhail Baryshnikov

    So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, ‘The good outnumber you, and we always will.’
    – Patton Oswalt

    If you drink much from a bottle marked “poison” it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.
    – Lewis Carroll

    Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius
    – Mozart

    The world doesn’t make sense until you force it to.
    – Frank Miller

    No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.
    – Mikhail Baryshnikov

    The fact that the theatre-going public likes my music is no credit to me. There are many other composers who write better music that the public doesn’t like.
    – Jerome Kern

    Everything’s got a moral if only you can find it.
    – Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

    Every time I write a song I keep a mental picture of a housewife with her hands in soapy weather, listening to the radio. I try to figure out how to get her hands out of the dishwater to turn up the volume, to hear my song.
    – Ross Bagdasarian

    January 27th Birthdays

    1756 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Austrian pianist, and composer (died in 1791)
    1832 – Lewis Carroll (Charles Dodgson), English novelist, poet, and mathematician (died in 1898)
    1885 – Jerome Kern, American composer, and songwriter (died in 1945)
    1908 – William Randolph Hearst, Jr., American journalist and publisher (died in 1993)
    1919 – Ross Bagdasarian, Sr., American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor, created Alvin and the Chipmunks (died in 1972)
    1921 – Donna Reed, American actress (died in 1986)
    1924 – Sabu, Indian-American actor (died in 1963)
    1930 – Bobby “Blue” Bland, American blues singer-songwriter (died in 2013)
    1936 – Troy Donahue, American actor (died in 2001)
    1940 – Reynaldo Rey, American actor (died in 2015)
    1942 – James Cromwell, American actor
    1948 – Mikhail Baryshnikov, Russian-American dancer, choreographer, and actor
    1952 – G. E. Smith, American guitarist, and songwriter
    1954 – Bridget Fonda, American actress
    1955 – John Roberts, American jurist, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
    1956 – Mimi Rogers, American actress
    1957 – Frank Miller, American comic book illustrator, and writer
    1959 – Keith Olbermann, American journalist, and author
    1964 – Bridget Fonda, American actress
    1965 – Alan Cumming, Scottish-American actor
    1969 – Patton Oswalt, American comedian, and actor
    1979 – Rosamund Pike, English actress

    January 27th History

    1606 – The trial of Guy Fawkes and other conspirators began for the Gunpowder Plot, ending with their execution on January 31.

    1880 – Thomas Edison received a patent (#223,898) for his incandescent lamp.

    1888 – The National Geographic Society was established.

    1945 – 60th Army First Ukrainian Front soldiers opened the gates of Auschwitz Concentration Camp, liberating the remaining 7,000 prisoners, mostly ill and dying. In 2005 the United Nations declared 27 January as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

    1951 – Nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site began with Operation Ranger.

    1962 – #1 Hit January 27, 1962 – February 16, 1962: Joey Dee and the StarlitersPeppermint Twist – Part 1

    1967 – Astronauts Gus Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee were killed in a fire during a test of their Apollo 1 spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

    January 27, 1970 Birthday (fictional) Dwight Schrute, The Office, TV

    1970 – James M. Schlatter received a patent (#3492131) for ‘Peptide Sweetening Agents’ later marketed as NutraSweet.

    1973 – #1 Hit January 27, 1973 – February 2, 1973: Stevie WonderSuperstition

    1976 – Lavern and Shirley debuted on ABC.

    1977 – Roots mini-series began on ABC.

    1984 – Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire while filming a Pepsi commercial.

    1984 – The Lonely Guy & Broadway Danny Rose were released in theaters.

    2006 – Big Momma’s House 2 & Nanny McPhee debuted in theaters.

    2010 – Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s latest product, a tablet PC called the iPad, at a press conference in San Francisco.

    #1 Hit January 27, 2018 – February 2, 2018: Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug – Havana

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Spam stands for Shoulder Pork and hAM.

    I wonder what the odds are that I’ve never heard my favorite song…

    “He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich.” #songlyrics

    The biggest film of 1946: Song of the South (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $65,000,000

    The Scary Statistic: Tsunami 1-in-500,000

    What to do: “Anti Tsunami” T-shirts are not effective. Living on or near a mountain, or even deep under the sea offers reasonable protection.

    -40 Celsius and -40 Fahrenheit are the same temperatures. #science

    TV Quotes… “God’ll get you for that” (Maude) on “Maude”

    A group of Coyotes is called a Band.

    Google Deepmind might be able to beat the world’s best Go and Chess players. But the real test is can it figure out why my SO is mad at me.

    We can buy stars as little gifts to people, so is there another similar planet to ours far far away in which someone owns our sun?

    I love Grape Nuts – except, lots of times, I forget to put milk on them the night before I want to eat them.

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  • January 26 in Pop Culture History

    January 26 in Pop Culture History

    January 26th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 26th History Highlights

    • 1905 – The world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan, weighing 3,106.75 carats (1.369842266 pounds), was found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa.
    • 1915 – An act of the U.S. Congress established the Rocky Mountain National Park.
    • 1911 – Glenn Curtiss flew the first successful American seaplane off the battleship USS Pennsylvania.
    • 1983 – Computer program Lotus 1-2-3 debuted
    • 1992 – Boris Yeltsin announces that the collapsing USSR would stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons.
    • If you were born on January 26th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 5th (prior year)

    Australia Day

    On Independence Day, July 4, 1776, the United States celebrated throwing off British colonial rule.
    On Australia Day, January 26, 1788, Australia celebrated the arrival of British colonial rule. Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually in January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and Governor Arthur Phillip raised the Flag of Great Britain at that site.

    January 26th is…

    International Customs Day
    National Green Juice Day
    Peanut Brittle Day
    Spouses’ Day

    January 26th Birthday Quotes

    I made my mind up to try. I tried and was successful.
    – Bessie Coleman
    The biggest thrill a ballplayer can have is when your son takes after you. That happened when my Bobby was in his championship Little League game. He really showed me something. Struck out three times. Made an error that lost the game. Parents were throwing things at our car and swearing at us as we drove off. Gosh, I was proud.”
    – Bob Uecker

    I do believe that man is a rope between animal and superman. But the superman I’m thinking of isn’t Nietzsche’s. The real superhuman, man or woman, is the person who’s rid himself of all prejudices, neuroses, and psychoses, who realizes his full potential as a human being, who acts naturally on the basis of gentleness, compassion, and love, who thinks for himself and refuses to follow the herd. That’s the genuine dyed-in-the-wool superman.
    – Philip José Farmer

    If you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character.
    – Paul Newman

    I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more revolting. I have long advocated its complete abolition, as its very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes… But once war is forced upon us, there is no other alternative than to apply every available means to bring it to a swift end.
    – Douglas MacArthur

    Could I have but a line a century hence crediting a contribution to the advance of peace, I would gladly yield every honor which has been accorded me in war.
    – Douglas MacArthur

    Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.
    – Bessie Coleman

    January 26th Birthdays

    1857 – 12th Dalai Lama (Trinley Gyatso) (died in 1875)
    1880 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (died in 1964)
    1891 – Frank Costello, reputed Italian-American mob boss (died in 1973)
    1892 – Bessie Coleman, American pilot (died in 1926)
    1905 – Maria von Trapp, Austrian-American singer (died in 1987)
    1918 – Nicolae Ceausescu, Romanian dictator, 1st President of Romania (died in 1989)
    1918 – Philip José Farmer, American writer (died in 2009)
    1923 – Anne Jeffreys, American actress and singer (died in 2017)
    1925 – Paul Newman, American actor, race car driver and businessman, co-founded Newman’s Own (died in 2008)
    1928 – Roger Vadim, French actor and director (died in 2000)
    1929 – Jules Feiffer, American cartoonist and playwright
    1934 – Huey “Piano” Smith, American pianist and songwriter
    1934 – Bob Uecker, American baseball player, sportscaster and actor
    1936 – Sal Buscema, American comic book illustrator
    1953 – Lucinda Williams, American singer-songwriter
    1958 – Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian and talk show host
    1963 – Andrew Ridgeley, English singer-songwriter
    1981 – Colin O’Donoghue, Irish actor

    January 26th History

    1564 – The Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.

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

    1838 – Tennessee became the 1st state to prohibit alcohol.

    1858 – The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn was played at the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia.

    1906 – The world’s steam car land speed record was set at 127.7 mph (205.5 km/h) by Fred Marriot, racing at Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A. in his canoe-shaped Stanley Steamer Rocket. The record stood until 2009.

    1912 – Jim Thorpe relinquished his 1912 Olympic medals for being a professional athlete. He was paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the amateur rules at that time. His Olympic medals were reinstated posthumously by an act of Congress in 1983.

    Rocky Mountain National Park: Established on January 26, 1915, in Colorado, this park spans 415 square miles. Known for its snow-capped peaks, alpine tundra, and abundant wildlife.

    1963 – #1 Hit January 26, 1963 – February 8, 1963: The Rooftop Singers – Walk Right In

    1966 – The Beaumont Children (ages 9, 7, and 4) disappeared from Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, South Australia.

    1974 – #1 Hit January 26, 1974 – February 1, 1974: Ringo Starr – You’re Sixteen

    1979 – The Dukes of Hazzard debuted on CBS

    1980 – NHL – The New York Islanders and Hartford Whalers played a NHL penalty-free game.

    1988 – Broadway Show – The Phantom of the Opera (Musical) January 26, 1988

    1991 – #1 Hit January 26, 1991 – February 8, 1991: Surface – The First Time

    January 26, 19** Birthday (fictional) Cassandra Cain, Batgirl II, DC Comics

    2001 – The Wedding Planner debuted in theaters.

    2009 – East End Show – Thriller – Live (revival) January 26, 2009

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    The Capital of Russia is Moscow

    Biggest film of 1998: Saving Private Ryan (Drama) earned ~ $217,000,000

    Anyone who uses the phrase ‘easy as taking candy from a baby’ has never tried taking candy from a baby.

    Pour milk in your fresh “empty” chocolate syrup bottle for instant chocolate milk. #shakewell

    You think you’re unique until you have to choose a username.

    Fifty Shades of Grey started out as Twilight fan fiction, before having all references removed

    TV Quotes… “Book ’em, Danno” (Steve McGarrett) on “Hawaii Five-O”

    A group of Vultures is called a Venue. A group of Vultures (circling above) is called a Kettle.

    Count Basie – Real Name: William Basie

    The world’s only oyster museum is located in Chincoteague Island, Virginia.

    A group of Lizards is called a Lounge.

    Courtney Love – Real Name: Love Michelle Harrison

    “Tired and sick” and “sick and tired” have completely different meanings…

    “Dynamite with a laser beam” #songlyrics

    The first song Prince taught himself to play on the piano, at 7 years old, was the Batman theme.

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  • January 25 in Pop Culture History

    January 25 in Pop Culture History

    January 25th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 25th History Highlights

    • 1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell founded the Oriental Telephone Company.
    • 1890 – American writer Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochran Seaman) completed her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
    • 1921 – The word ‘robot’ was first used, in the play “R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Karel and Josef Capek.
    • The 1924 Winter Olympics opens in Chamonix, in the French Alps, starting the first Winter Olympic Games.
    • 1961 – From Washington, DC, President John F. Kennedy delivered the first live presidential television news conference.
    • If you were born on January 25th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 4th (prior year)

    January 25th is…

    A Room of One’s Own Day
    Fluoride Day
    Macintosh Computer Day
    National Irish Coffee Day
    National Opposite Day

    Opposite Day

    January 25 is the day that we celebrate Opposite Day. It’s a day where everything is turned upside down, and it can be an eye-opening experience for many people. We don’t know what inspired the creators of this holiday to choose this date, but one thing is certain: its paradoxical nature will leave you scratching your head in confusion! On Opposite Day, black is white and up is down. What could be more confusing than that?

    What is opposite day? Opposite day was referenced by comedian George Carlin in the 1960s. The game consisted of children asking each other silly questions and then reversing the answers to be something funny and nonsensical. For example, if a child were asked “what do you want for your birthday?” he or she would answer with things like “a dead cat wrapped up in a bow tie.” One of the truest pop-cultural moments in opposite day history has been the George Costanza method of “doing the opposite.”

    In an episode from Seinfeld, George realizes his life now consists of nothing but work and eating lunch at his desk so he decides to do everything as though it is opposite day. This means that he starts to act out of character, being loud and active instead of passive and introverted. The end result is that the typically horizontal, curmudgeon George suddenly becomes an active, successful member of society.

    It’s hard not to appreciate opposite day- after all, it’s a time where you can be a completely different person just for a day!

    If you’re looking for a day that will test your understanding of the world, look no further than Opposite Day! This holiday is all about flipping everything on its head, so it’s sure to leave you feeling confused and perplexed.

    January 25th Birthday Quotes

    Everything you want to be, you already are. You’re simply on the path to discovering it.
    – Alicia Keys

    The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind. Failure makes people bitter and cruel.
    – W. Somerset Maugham

    Dreams on paper are never as good as the real thing.
    – Geoff Johns

    The kids are really smart. They are sharp and they’re not yet bent over by the system. I think there’s a wonderful intelligence in today’s youth, and it’s a part of growing up.
    – Tobe Hooper

    While fame impedes and constricts, obscurity wraps about a man like a mist; obscurity is dark, ample, and free; obscurity lets the mind take its way unimpeded. Over the obscure man is poured the merciful suffusion of darkness. None knows where he goes or comes. He may seek the truth and speak it; he alone is free; he alone is truthful, he alone is at peace.
    – Virginia Woolf

    January 25th Birthdays

    1783 – William Colgate, English-American businessman and philanthropist, founded Colgate-Palmolive (died in 1857)
    1874 – William Somerset Maugham, English playwright (died in 1965)
    1882 – Virginia Woolf, English novelist, essayist, short story writer, and critic (died in 1941)
    1895 – Florence Mills, American singer, dancer, and actress (died in 1927)
    1923 – Sally Starr (Alleen Mae Beller), American actress and television host (died in 2013)
    1931 – Dean Jones, American actor (died in 2015)
    1936 – Diana Hyland, American actress (died in 1977)
    1943 – Tobe Hooper, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died in 2017)
    1957 – Jenifer Lewis, American actress and singer
    1971 – Ana Ortiz, American actress
    1973 – Geoff Johns, American author, screenwriter, and producer
    1975 – Mia Kirshner, Canadian actress
    1981 – Alicia Keys, American singer-songwriter

    January 25th History

    1533 – Henry VIII of England married his second wife Anne Boleyn.

    1554 – São Paulo, Brazil, was founded by Jesuit priests.

    1858 – The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn was played at the marriage of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia.

    1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell formed the Oriental Telephone Company.

    1915 – Alexander Graham Bell began the first U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to his assistant, Thomas Watson, in San Francisco.

    1937 – The Guiding Light debuted on NBC radio from Chicago.

    1939 – Joe Louis KO’d John Henry Lewis in one round for the World Heavyweight boxing title.

    1945 – Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first US city to begin fluoridating the drinking water.

    1955 – Columbia University scientists developed an atomic clock accurate to within one second in 300 years.

    1959 – American Airlines held the first commercial intercontinental flight, from Los Angeles, California to Idlewild, New York.

    1961 – 101 Dalmatians premiered in theaters.

    1975 – #1 Hit January 25, 1975 – January 31, 1975: The Carpenters – Please Mr. Postman

    1985 – The Falcon and the Snowman was released in theaters.

    1992 – #1 Hit January 25, 1992 – January 31, 1992: Color Me Badd – All 4 Love

    2002 – The Mothman Prophecies debuted in theaters.

    2004 – Opportunity rover (MER-B) landed on the surface of Mars.

    January 25, 2008 – Minutemen aired on The Disney Channel

    2008 – Meet the Spartans, Rambo and Untraceable debuted in theaters.

    2013 – Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters debuted in theaters.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    I wonder how many times a potential burglar has walked up to my house, tried to open my locked front door, and thought “meh- it’s locked, not robbing this house.”

    Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge was named after George La Forge, a quadriplegic Star Trek fan who passed away in 1975.

    A group of Cod is called a Lap.

    “Gremlins” and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” were largely responsible for the creation of the PG-13 rating.

    “We had fantastical feasts… when I lived in the palace.” – Ursula #moviequotes

    There should be an emergency lane at the grocery store where you’re only allowed to buy one item you forgot when making dinner.

    Toilet paper as we know it now was invented in 1857, but it took until 1930 to be splinter-free. #ouch

    The tall chef’s hat is called a toque.

    “How art thou, thou globby bottle of cheap, stinking chip oil? Come and get one in the yarbles, if ya have any yarbles, you eunuch jelly thou!” – Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange #moviequotes

    The Baby Ruth candy bar was actually named after Grover Cleveland’s baby daughter, Ruth.

    “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”- Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) #moviequotes

    Google has more influence over our daily lives than any ruler or lawmaker throughout history.

    Eagles were/are a symbol of monarchies in Europe. America’s symbol is a bald eagle, because it is a democracy and no one wears a crown.

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  • January 24 in Pop Culture History

    January 24 in Pop Culture History

    January 24th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 24th History Highlights

    • 1848 – California Gold Rush Bagan- James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill, near Sacramento.
    • 1984 – Apple Computer introduced the Macintosh personal computer for sale in the United States.
    • 1985 – The American shuttle Discovery began a ‘secret’ mission, probably for the military with a spy satellite.
    • 1995- Live coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial began. Day-time network soap operas were pre-empted for almost nine months.
    • If you were born on January 24th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 3rd (prior year)

    January 24th is…

    Belly Laugh Day
    Eskimo Pie Day
    ‘Just Do It’ Day
    National Compliment Day
    National Lobster Day
    National Peanut Butter Day
    Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day

    National Compliment Day

    National Compliment Day is a day for people to focus on the positive and appreciate others. National Compliment Day is not well-documented, but it is believed that National Compliment Day began in 1998 by two women from New Hampshire. These two women, Kathy Chamberlin of Hopkinton Debby Hoffman of New Hampshire, USA created National Compliment Day to let people know how easy paying compliments can be and that they are also a very positive way to connect with another human being! The pair wanted “to tell the people in our lives how much we appreciate them.”

    National Compliment Day is a great way to start out National Compliment Week, which begins on January 24th. National Compliment Week was created by the National Compliments Foundation in 2015 as an organization that encourages people to pay compliments and focus on positivity every day!

    January 24th Birthday Quotes

    Musick has Charms to soothe a savage Breast,
    To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
    – William Congreve

    As simple as it sounds, we all must try to be the best person we can: by making the best choices, by making the most of the talents we’ve been given.
    – Mary Lou Retton

    The only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.
    – Edith Wharton

    Well, first of all, let me say that I might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years. It was one of those phobias that really didn’t pay off.
    – Warren Zevon, regarding his terminal brain cancer

    Enjoy every sandwich.
    – Warren Zevon

    Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!
    – John Belushi, in Animal House

    Everything that’s realistic has some sort of ugliness in it. Even a flower is ugly when it wilts, a bird when it seeks its prey, the ocean when it becomes violent.
    – Sharon Tate

    In America, you break law. In Soviet Russia, law breaks you! In America, you watch Big Brother. In Soviet Russia, Big Brother watch you!
    – Yakov Smirnoff

    January 24th Birthdays

    1670 – William Congreve, English playwright, and poet (died in 29)
    1712 – Frederick the Great, Prussian king (died in 1786)
    1862 – Edith Wharton, American novelist and short-story writer (died in 1937)
    1906 – Wilfred Jackson, American animator, and composer (died in 1988)
    1916 – Jack Brickhouse, American baseball announcer (died in 1998)
    1917 – Ernest Borgnine, American actor (died in 2012)
    1918 – Oral Roberts, American evangelist, founded Oral Roberts University and Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association (died in 2009)
    1930 – John Romita Sr., American comic book illustrator
    1939 – Ray Stevens, American singer-songwriter
    1941 – Neil Diamond, American singer-songwriter
    1941 – Aaron Neville, American singer
    1943 – Sharon Tate, American model, and actress (died in 1969)
    1947 – Warren Zevon, American singer-songwriter (died in 2003)
    1948 – Michael Des Barres, English singer-songwriter
    1949 – John Belushi, American comedic actor (died in 1982)
    1951 – Yakov Smirnoff, Ukrainian-American comedian, and actor
    1957 – Ade Edmondson, English comedian, and musician
    1968 – Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
    1970 – Matthew Lillard, American actor
    1974 – Ed Helms, American actor
    1978 – Kristen Schaal, American actress
    1979 – Tatyana Ali, American actress, and singer
    1979 – Nik Wallenda, American acrobat
    1986 – Mischa Barton, English-American actress

    January 24th History

    41 – Roman Emperor Caligula was assassinated.

    1848 – Gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, Coloma, California by James W. Marshall.

    1899 – The US patent (#618128) for a rubber ‘safety heel’ was issued to Humphrey O’Sullivan

    1922 – The ‘Eskimo Pie’, an ice cream center covered in chocolate, was patented (#1404539) by Christian K. Nelson of Onawa, Iowa.

    1935 – The 1st beer in a can – ‘Krueger Cream Ale’ was sold by the Kruger Brewing Company.

    January 24, 1950 Birthday (fictional) Chucky, Chucky, Horror, Film

    1950 – A microwave oven patent (#2495429) was issued to Percy LeBaron Spencer under the title ‘Method of Treating Foodstuffs’.

    1963 – Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz wrestle in Toronto, Rogers becomes WWWF wrestling champ and Thesz becomes NWA champion.

    1976 – #1 Hit January 24, 1976 – January 30, 1976: Diana Ross – Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)

    January 24, 1979 Birthday (fictional) Dean Winchester, Supernatural, TV

    January 24, 1984 The Apple Macintosh was released.

    1987 – #1 Hit January 24, 1987 – February 6, 1987: Billy Vera and the Beaters – At This Moment

    1989 – Ted Bundy, with over 30 known victims, was executed by the electric chair at the Florida State Prison.

    2003 – The United States Department of Homeland Security officially began operation.

    2014 – I, Frankenstein debuted in theaters.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. #Ireadthatonline

    “They call me Mister Tibbs!” – Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) in In the Heat of the Night, 1967

    A proliferation of new laws creates a proliferation of new loopholes.

    Darth Vader’s helmet/facemask isn’t straight black, it’s a checkerboard paint scheme with alternating sections of black and gunmetal grey.

    A group of Journalists are called a Scoop.

    The biggest film of 1944: Going My Way earned ~ $16,000,000

    “She swam by me she got a cramp.” “He ran by me got my Sudan.” #misunderstoodlyrics

    The two types of people in this world: people who wet their hands first, then apply soap vs people who put soap on dry hands to wash them.

    “Wherever you go, there you are.” – Buckaroo Banzai #moviequotes

    Roulette Odds: numbers 1 to 18: Payoff: 1:1 True Odds: 47.37%

    The biggest film of 1999: Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace (Sci-Fi) earned ~ $475,000,000

    Jean Harlow – Real Name: Harlean Carpenter

    People used to keep diaries and get mad when anyone read them. Now we post personal stuff online and get mad when people don’t read it.

    7 Things Miley Cyrus said she hated about you in 2008: you’re vain, your games, you’re insecure, you love me, you like her, you make me laugh, you make me cry.

    TV Quotes… “Dyn-o-mite” (J.J.) on “Good Times”

    Might and ‘might not’ both mean the same thing.

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  • January 23 in Pop Culture History

    January 23 in Pop Culture History

    January 23rd History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 23rd History Highlights

    • 1556 – The Shaanxi earthquake struck in Shaanxi province, China. The death toll may have been as high as 830,000, the deadliest earthquake in history.
    • Walter Frederick Morrison sold the rights (Design Patent #D183,626) to his flying disc to the Wham-O toy company, which later renames it the “Frisbee”.
    • 1998 – Netscape announced Mozilla, with the intention to release Communicator code as open source.
    • If you were born on January 23rd,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 2nd (prior year)

    January 23rd is…

    Measure Your Feet Day
    National Handwriting Day
    National Handwriting Day is an annual event that celebrates the importance of handwriting and penmanship. The day was established by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association in 1977 with a goal to promote the consumption of pens, pencils, and paper. January 23rd was chosen as John Hancock’s birthday because he was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.

    January 23rd Birthday Quotes

    A chip on the shoulder is too heavy a piece of baggage to carry through life.
    – John Hancock

    You can’t do good if you’re wishing bad on others.
    – XXXTentacion

    Almost all our misfortunes in life come from the wrong notions we have about the things that happen to us. To know men thoroughly, to judge events sanely is, therefore, a great step towards happiness.
    – Stendhal

    To minimize suffering and to maximize security were natural and proper ends of society and Caesar. But then they became the only ends, somehow, and the only basis of law — a perversion. Inevitably, then, in seeking only them, we found only their opposites: maximum suffering and minimum security.
    – Walter M. Miller, Jr.

    Being fearless means busting down those walls of fear and being who you are, not who someone else thinks you are.
    – Mariska Hargitay

    One can acquire everything in solitude, except character.
    – Stendhal

    People who pay greater respect to a wealthy villain than to an honest, upright man in poverty, almost deserve to be enslaved; they plainly show that wealth, however it may be acquired, is, in their esteem, to be preferred to virtue.
    – John Hancock

    There’s a standard formula for success in the entertainment medium, and that is: Beat it to death if it succeeds.
    – Ernie Kovacs

    January 23rd Birthdays

    1737 – John Hancock, American general and politician (died in 1793)
    1783 – Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), French writer (died in 1842)
    1898 – Randolph Scott, American actor (died in 1987)
    1913 – Wally Parks, American businessman, founded the National Hot Rod Association (died in 2007)
    1919 – Ernie Kovacs, American comedic actor and game show host (died in 1962)
    1923 – Walter Michael Miller, Jr., American writer (died in 1996)
    1943 – Gil Gerard, American actor
    1947 – Tom Carper, American politician
    1948 – Anita Pointer, American R&B/soul singer-songwriter
    1953 – Robin Zander, American rock singer-songwriter
    1964 – Mariska Hargitay, American actress, and producer
    1974 – Tiffani Thiessen, American actress
    1986 – Michael Stevens, American YouTuber
    1998 – XXXTentacion (Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy), American rapper (died in 2018)

    January 23rd History

    1556 (Earthquake) Shaanxi, China. Over 800,000 people were killed.

    1571 – The Royal Exchange opened in London.

    1789 – Georgetown College, the first Catholic university in the United States, was founded in Georgetown, Maryland (Washington DC).

    1793 – Humane Society of Philadelphia (America’s 1st aid organization) founded.

    1849 – Elizabeth Blackwell was awarded her M.D. by the Geneva Medical College of Geneva, New York, becoming the United States’ first female doctor.

    1870 – US cavalrymen killed 173 Native Americans, mostly women and children, in what is known as the Marias Massacre, in Montana.

    January 23, 1951 Birthday (fictional) Angus MacGuyver, TV

    1960 – The bathyscaphe USS Trieste set a depth record by descending to 35,797 ft, in the Pacific Ocean.

    1964 – The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting the use of poll taxes in national elections, was ratified.

    1965 – #1 Hit January 23, 1965 – February 5, 1965: Petula Clark – Downtown

    1971 – #1 Hit January 23, 1971 – February 12, 1971: Tony Orlando and Dawn – Knock Three Times

    1977 – Roots premiered on ABC

    1978 – Chicago Guitarist Terry Kaith’s last words were “Don’t worry, it’s not loaded” while playing Russian Roulette.

    1983 – The A-Team premiered on NBC

    1984 – Hulk Hogan defeated the Iron Sheik for the WWF (now WWE) championship

    1985 – Thundercats debuted, in syndication

    1986 – The 1st induction of Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame included Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Domino, Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley.

    1988 – #1 Hit January 23, 1988 – January 29, 1988: Michael Jackson – The Way You Make Me Feel

    1998 – Spice World, The Gingerbread Man, Slappy  and the Stinkers, and Swept From The Sea were released in theaters.

    2003 – Mythbusters premiered on The Discovery Channel

    2008 – U2 3D debuted in theaters.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    The biggest film of 2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $318,000,000

    The local density of mosquitos is inversely proportional to your remaining repellent.

    SCOTTY’S RULE: When doing work for someone and giving a completion date, make it later than you expect so when you get it done early you look golden!

    R2D2 must swear a lot considering they bleep out every single word he says.

    TV Quotes… “I’m Larry, this is my brother Darryl …” (Larry) on “Newhart”

    A bunch of Information is called a Wealth.

    “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it.” – Charlie Chaplin

    Useless Pronunciation: W as in wrest

    Love is like an hourglass, with the heart filling up as the brain empties.

    “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” – Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) in Gone with the Wind, 1939

    The biggest film of 2000: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Comedy/Adventure) earned ~ $260,000,000

    It must be really embarrassing to be the guy who shouts “It’s a bird!” when it turns out to be Superman.

    Describing yourself as someone smarter than most people is not socially acceptable. Saying that people are stupid is. The only difference is the wording.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 22 in Pop Culture History

    January 22 in Pop Culture History

    January 22nd History, Facts and Trivia

    January 22nd History Highlights

    • 1889 – Columbia Phonograph (Columbia Records) was formed in Washington, D.C.
    • 1946 – Creation of the Central Intelligence Group, now the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).
    • 1947 – KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, began operation in Hollywood.
    • 1973 – The Supreme Court of the United States delivered its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
    • If you were born on January 22nd,
      You were likely conceived the week of… May 1st (prior year)

    January 22nd is…

    Come in From The Cold Day
    Dance of the Seven Veils Day
    National Hot Sauce Day
    National Polka Dot Day

    The Dance of the Seven Veils Day

    The Dance of the Seven Veils Day is an annual celebration that takes place on January 22nd. It commemorates Salome’s dance performance for Herod Antipas and his guests, which according to the Bible took place before the beheading of John the Baptist. Richard Strauss included this dance in his 1905 opera, “Salome,” an opera which made its American debut on January 22, 1907, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

    The Dance of the Seven Veils is a traditional cabaret theme. Salome’s dance symbolizes her sensual and seductive power over men, while also foreshadowing John’s death by dismemberment at Herod Antipas’ hands.

    Today marks the anniversary of this opera debut in America – and thus it commemorates the Dance of the Seven Veils.

    January 22nd Birthday Quotes

    If you listen, you learn; if you talk, you don’t.
    – John Hurt

    Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
    – Robert E. Howard

    Its difficult to understand why people don’t realize that pets are gifts to mankind.
    – Linda Blair

    I can see now that I should have been strong enough to conquer myself. – Author:
    – Conrad Veidt

    Near this spot
    Are deposited the Remains of one
    Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
    Strength without Insolence,
    Courage without Ferocity,
    And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.
    This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
    If inscribed over human ashes,
    Is but a just tribute to the Memory of
    BOATSWAIN, a DOG

    – Lord Byron

    If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.
    – Francis Bacon

    We’re takin’ you on a road rockin’ trip down to Flavortown, where the gravitational force of bacon warps the laws of space and time.
    – Guy Feiri

    You already know what it is!
    -Silento

    January 22nd Birthdays

    1552 – Sir Walter Raleigh, English poet, soldier, courtier and explorer (died in 1618)
    1561 – Francis Bacon, English philosopher and politician (died in 1626)
    1788 – Lord Byron, English influential poet and playwright (died in 1824)
    1874 – Edward Harkness, American philanthropist (died in 1940)
    1893 – Conrad Veidt, German-American actor, director, and producer (died in 1943)
    1906 – Robert E. Howard, American author, creator of Conan The Barbarian (died in 1936)
    1909 – Ann Sothern, American actress and singer (died in 2001)
    1931 – Sam Cooke, American singer-songwriter (died in 1964)
    1932 – Piper Laurie, American actress
    1934 – Bill Bixby, American actor (died in 1993)
    1940 – John Hurt, English actor (died in 2017)
    1946 – Malcolm McLaren, English singer-songwriter and manager (died in 2010)
    1949 – Steve Perry, American singer-songwriter
    1959 – Linda Blair, American actress
    1965 – DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ and producer
    1965 – Diane Lane, American actress
    1968 – Guy Fieri, American chef, author, and television host
    1969 – Olivia d’Abo, English-American singer-songwriter and actress
    1981 – Willa Ford, American singer-songwriter
    1981 – Beverley Mitchell, American actress
    1998 – Silento, American rapper

    January 22nd History

    1890 – The United Mine Workers of America was founded in Columbus, Ohio.

    1943 – Spearfish, North Dakota experienced a forty-nine degree temperature change over the span of two minutes.

    1947 – KTLA began operating in Hollywood.

    1954 – #1 Hit January 22, 1955 – February 4, 1955: Joan Weber – Let Me Go, Lover!

    1968 – Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In debuted on NBC

    1973 – Roe vs Wade: U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortions.

    1977 – #1 Hit January 22, 1977 – January 28, 1977: Stevie Wonder – I Wish

    1984 – Apple’s “1984” advertisement ran (for the only time) at Super Bowl XVII

    1987 – Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer shot and killed himself at a live, televised press conference.

    1994 – #1 Hit January 22, 1994 – February 11, 1994: Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart & Sting – All For Love

    1997 – Lottie Williams was the first human to be struck by a remnant of a space vehicle (Delta II rocket?) after re-entering the earth’s atmosphere.

    1999 – Gloria, Tango, Children of Heaven, Still Crazy and My Name is Joe were released in theaters.

    2003 – Chappelle’s Show debuted on Comedy Central.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Notice the big letter on the face of the dollar bill? Each letter represents which Federal Reserve Bank printed it! “D” is for Cleveland

    Useless Pronunciation: D, as in Djinn

    When my dad shouts at a sport on TV, he/s showing his passion for the sport. When I shout at a video game, I’m an ‘angry nerd’.

    Cole’s Law: Thinly sliced cabbage.

    Richard Dawson (original host of Family Feud) was asked by producers to quit kissing women. He asked the audience to mail in what they wanted, 704 were against the kissing, and 14,600 wanted him to continue.

    Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

    2000 pounds of Chinese soup: Won ton

    The word “alphabet” comes from the first two letters, alpha and beta.

    GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is where the clocks start from, kept accurate by UT (Universal Time)

    Insurance must be crazy expensive in Metropolis and Gotham City. #SupertownProblems

    Blackberries and strawberries are not berries, but tomatoes and avocados are.

    In Star Wars, if Luke turned off his targeting computer and then missed the Death Star’s exhaust port he would have looked like the biggest fool ever.

    The Capital of Rwanda is Kigali

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 21 in Pop Culture History

    January 21 in Pop Culture History

    January 21st History, Facts and Trivia

    January 21st History Highlights

    • 1972 – The first convention of Star Trek fans was held at the Statler-Hilton Hotel in New York City.
    • 1793 – After being found guilty of treason by the French National Convention, Louis XVI of France was executed by guillotine.
    • 1954 – The first atomic submarine, the U.S.S. Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Connecticut. It was officially commissioned later that year.
    • 1976 – The supersonic Concorde had its first commercial flights (London to Bahrain & Paris to Rio de Janeiro ). The use of the plane ended on October 24, 2003.
    • If you were born on January 21st,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 30th (prior year)

    The USS Nautilus

    The first atomic submarine was commissioned on January 21, 1954. The U.S.S. Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered vessel, was constructed under the direction of Captain Hyman G Rickover, a brilliant Russian-born engineer who joined the U.S. atomic program in 1946 and then became director of naval reactor development at General Electric (GE) in Schenectady, New York before rejoining the navy as head of its nuclear propulsion program in 1947.

    Following his success with designing one for GE that could be used to power submarines and surface ships alike; he continued work on an atomic submarine during this time and also supervised the construction of two experimental reactors for use by GE at Shippingport Atomic Power Station, part of the U.S. government-sponsored effort to develop nuclear power for commercial use.

    Rickover then took charge of that project after his own was finished and oversaw the construction of four more experimental reactors at the plant before shifting focus again in 1954 to work on the atomic submarine.

    Christened by Mamie Eisenhower, the wife of then-U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower; the sub made its maiden voyage from Groton, Connecticut to New York City on January 21, 1954, with Captain Edward L. Beach Jr., son of the famous writer of the same name, at the helm; during its shakedown cruise in January and February, it became the first submarine to travel one thousand miles (1609 km) under power from its reactor and also made history as the world’s first nuclear-powered vessel to enter polar waters when it reached Point Barrow, Alaska on March 16 after covering approximately two-thirds of the distance to Hawaii.

    The U.S. Navy hoped that nuclear propulsion would allow it to keep fleets at sea for months rather than weeks, but technical difficulties including radiation leakage led them to scrap their first five atomic submarines after only a few years in service and convert four others back into diesel-powered vessels; however, the Nautilus proved far more durable and in October 1958 became the first vessel to transit beneath the North Pole during a historic trip across the Arctic by way of the Bering Strait; it was decommissioned on September 30, 1980, after 25 years of service (including nearly ten at-sea deployments) before being designated an international landmark by President Jimmy Carter in 1982.

    Captain Hyman G. Rickover, who directed the construction of the Nautilus and is widely regarded as the father of the nuclear navy, died on July 27, 1986 at the age of 93 after a long and distinguished career that included overseeing the development and production of 77 submarines (including the first atomic one). In his honor, the U.S. Navy christened a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the USS Hyman G. Rickover in 1994, and his legacy continues to this day with more than 400 nuclear-powered vessels in operation worldwide (including 14 submarines).

    January 21st is…

    International Playdate Day
    New England Clam Chowder Day
    National Granola Bar Day
    National Hugging Day
    One-Liners Day (from films)
    Squirrel Appreciation Day

    January 21st Birthday Quotes

    If the general government should persist in the measures now threatened, there must be war. It is painful enough to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. They do not know its horrors. I have seen enough of it to make me look upon it as the sum of all evils.
    – Stonewall Jackson

    The more hours of television a girl watches, the fewer options she thinks she has in life.
    – Geena Davis

    When the bell tolls three times, it will announce that I have been killed. If I am killed by common men, you and your children will rule Russia for centuries to come; if I am killed by one of your stock, you and your family will be killed by the Russian people!
    – Rasputin

    If you risk nothing, then you risk everything.
    – Geena Davis

    I cannot consistently, with self respect, do other than I have, namely, to deliberately violate an act which seems to me to be a denial of everything which ideally and in practice I hold sacred. The smallest deed is better than the grandest intention.
    – Roger Nash Baldwin

    Focus on remedies, not faults.
    – Jack Nicklaus

    That which is above comprehension we cannot perceive to be contradictory, nor on the other hand can we perceive its rationality or consistency.
    – Ethan Allen

    We are put on this earth to have a good time. This makes other people feel good. And the cycle continues.
    – Wolfman Jack

    January 21st Birthdays

    1738 – Ethan Allen, American general (died in 1789)
    1815 – Horace Wells, American dentist (died in 1848)
    1824 – Stonewall Jackson (Thomas Jonathan Jackson), American (Confederate) general (died in 1863)
    1869 – Grigori Rasputin, Russian Mystic (died in 1916)
    1884 – Roger Nash Baldwin, American founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (died in 1981)
    1905 – Christian Dior, French fashion designer, founded Christian Dior S.A. (died in 1957)
    1905 – Karl Wallenda, German-American acrobat and tightrope walker, founded The Flying Wallendas (died in 1978)
    1922 – Telly Savalas, American actor (died in 1994)
    1924 – Benny Hill, English comedic actor (died in 1992)
    1938 – Wolfman Jack (Robert Weston Smith), American DJ and radio host (died in 1995)
    1940 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer and sportscaster
    1941 – Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 2013)
    1942 – Mac Davis, American singer-songwriter
    1942 – Edwin Starr, American singer-songwriter (died in 2003)
    1947 – Jill Eikenberry, American actress
    1950 – Billy Ocean, Trinidadian-English singer-songwriter
    1953 – Paul Allen, American businessman, co-founded Microsoft (died in 2018)
    1955 – Jeff Koons, American painter and sculptor
    1956 – Robby Benson, American actor
    1956 – Geena Davis, American actress
    1965 – Jam Master Jay, American DJ, rapper, and producer (died in 2002)
    1968 – Charlotte Ross, American actress
    1977 – Jerry Trainor, American actor,
    1985 – Nick Gehlfuss, American actor
    1997 – Jeremy Shada, American actor, musician and singer

    January 21st History

    1472 – The great daylight comet of 1472 was visible in daylight for 8 days.

    1790 – Dr Joseph-Ignace Guillotin proposed the guillotine to the newly formed National Assembly of Paris as a “humane” method of execution.

    1799 – Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccination was introduced.

    1807 – The London Institution for the Advancement of Literature and The Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (The London Institution) received a royal charter signed by King George III, to “promote the diffusion of Science, Literature, and the Arts, by means of Lectures and Experiments, and by easy access to an extensive collection of books, both ancient and modern, in all languages.”

    1861 – Jefferson Davis resigned from the United States Senate.

    1911 – The first Monte Carlo Rally took place, with 23 cars.

    1915 – Kiwanis International was founded in Detroit.

    1970 – The Boeing 747, made its 1st commercial flight, between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Heathrow Airport in London, England.

    1977 – President Jimmy Carter pardoned most Vietnam War draft evaders.

    1979 – Neptune became the outermost planet as Pluto moved on its highly elliptical, tilted orbit closer to the sun than Neptune. This eventually led to Pluto being downgraded from planetary status.

    1981 – Production of the iconic DeLorean sports car began.

    1984 – #1 Hit January 21, 1984 – February 3, 1984: YesOwner of a Lonely Heart

    1985 – President Regan’s first inauguration (Jan 20, 1981) was the warmest on record at 55°F, while his second inauguration (Jan 21, 1985) was the coldest on record at 7°F.

    1989 – #1 Hit January 21, 1989 – February 3, 1989: Phil CollinsTwo Hearts

    1990 – MTV Unplugged premiered on MTV (The featured artist was Squeeze)

    1998 – News of the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton affair was published, President Clinton said he “did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

    2000 – The Boondock Saints & Down to You debuted in theaters.

    2005 – Are We There Yet? debuted in theaters.

    2006 – #1 Hit January 21, 2006 – February 3, 2006: Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali and GippGrillz

    #1 Hit January 21, 2017 – January 26, 2017: Migos featuring Lil Uzi Vert – Bad and Boujee

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “I don’t think anyone can give you advice when you’ve got a broken heart.” – Britney Spears

    TV Quotes… “Bam!” (Emeril Lagasse) on “Emeril Live”

    Biggest film of 2002: Spider-Man (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $404,000,000

    Dippin’ Dots are not widely avaliable because they require storage at -40 F, which is too cold for the average freezer.

    Biggest film of 1942: Bambi (Drama) earned ~ $103,000,000

    US President #42 William Jefferson (Clinton 1993-2001) Impeached to little effect, had a best selling book after leaving office.

    Instructions for runway modeling are: (1) Be a woman, (2) Be very tall, (3)Be very thin, (4) Stand up very straight, (5) Look angry, (6) Walk in a straight line, (7) Turn 540 degrees before walking off the edge of the runway. (8) Bonus points for a good strut.

    George Lucas’ dog was named Indiana.

    “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) in Godfather, The Godfather, 1972

    Elsa from Frozen is the oldest Disney Princess, aged 23 in ‘Frozen.’

    I wonder if KFC employees know the 11 herbs and spices. if so, how do they keep it a secret when these employees quit/get fired? Do they get memory wiped, MIB style?

    David Patrick Kelly’s “Warriors, come out to play” line in The Warriors (1979) was completely improvised.

    TIP is the acronym for “To Insure Promptness.”

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 20 in Pop Culture History

    January 20 in Pop Culture History

    January 20th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 20th History Highlights

    • 1887 – The United States Senate permitted the American Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base.
    • 1929 – The first full-length talking motion picture filmed outdoors, In Old Arizona, was released.
    • January 20, 1933 Birthday (fictional) Hannibal Lecter, Movies
    • 1981 – 52 American hostages were released after 444 days in captivity in Iran.
    • If you were born on January 20th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 29th (prior year)

    January 20th is…

    Camcorder Day
    International Day of Acceptance
    National Buttercrunch Day
    National Cheese Lovers Day
    National Disc Jockey Day
    Penguin Awareness Day
    Take A Walk Outdoors Day

    National Disc Jockey Day

    National Disc Jockey (DJ)  Day to celebrate the music careers of DJs and their contributions in shaping the music industry today. As we all know, there are many types of DJ these days but one of the earliest was Alan “Moondog” Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965), and the day was selected in honor of his passing. Moondog was an influential disc jockey during the 1950s with his innovative style of playing rock ‘n’ roll records before releasing them to mainstream audiences along with editing tape recordings for radio broadcast use. He actually coined the term “rock and roll”.

    In 1959, Alan Freed was caught up in a broadcasting “payola” scandal. The scandal led to his dismissal from his television and radio jobs. Payola is a form of bribery in which someone pays another person money or goods for influencing them to do something they wouldn’t otherwise have done.

    January 20th Birthday Quotes

    The financial reward is great and I love the life I have, but all money makes possible is for you to stop worrying about money.
    – Paul Stanley

    I don’t understand politics. I don’t understand the concept of two sides. And I think that probably there’s good on both sides, bad on both sides, and there’s a middle ground. But it never seems to come to the middle ground. And it’s very frustrating watching it, and seemingly we’re not moving forward.
    – David Lynch

    Smiling just to see the smile upon your face. These are the moments I thank God that I’m alive.
    – Edwin McCain

    What is an artist? A provincial who finds himself somewhere between a physical reality and a metaphysical one… It’s this in-between that I’m calling a province, this frontier country between the tangible world and the intangible one- which is really the realm of the artist.
    – Federico Fellini

    We need more people speaking out. This country is not overrun with rebels and free thinkers. It’s overrun with sheep and conformists.
    – Bill Mahar

    I love child things because there’s so much mystery when you’re a child. When you’re a child, something as simple as a tree doesn’t make sense. You see it in the distance and it looks small, but as you go closer, it seems to grow- you haven’t got a handle on the rules when you’re a child. We think we understand the rules when we become adults but what we really experience is a narrowing of the imagination.
    – David Lynch

    All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.
    – Federico Fellini

    The only mofos in my circle are people that I can learn from.
    – Questlove

    Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. I am the first man to piss his pants on the moon.
    – Buzz Aldrin

    January 20th Birthdays

    1732 – Richard Henry Lee, American lawyer and politician, 12th President of the Continental Congress (died in 1794)
    1889 – Huddie ‘Leadbelly’ Ledbetter, American musician (died in 1949)
    1894 – Harold Gray, creator of Little Orphan Annie (died in 1968)
    1896 – George Burns, American actor and comedian (died in 1996)
    1900 – Colin Clive, English actor (died in 1937)
    1906 – Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate (died in 1975)
    1920 – Federico Fellini, Italian director and screenwriter (died in 1993)
    1920 – DeForest Kelley, American actor (died in 1999)
    1922 – Ray Anthony, American trumpet player, composer, bandleader, and actor
    1929 – Arte Johnson, American actor and comedian (died in 2019)
    1930 – Buzz Aldrin (Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr), American astronaut
    1934 – Tom Baker, English actor
    1946 – David Lynch, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    1952 – Paul Stanley, American singer-songwriter, guitarist
    1953 – Jeffrey Epstein, American financier and convicted sex offender (died in 2019)
    1956 – Bill Maher, American comedian, political commentator, media critic and television host
    1958 – Lorenzo Lamas, American actor
    1964 – Fareed Zakaria, Indian-American journalist and author
    1965 – John Michael Montgomery, American singer-songwriter
    1966 – Rainn Wilson, American actor
    1967 – Stacey Dash, American actress
    1967 – Kellyanne Conway, American political strategist and pundit
    1970 – Edwin McCain, American singer-songwriter
    1970 – Skeet Ulrich, American actor
    1971 – Questlove, American drummer, DJ, and producer
    1972 – Nikki Haley, American politician
    1989 – Nick Foles, American football player

    January 20th History

    January 20, 1992 was a Good Day for rapper Ice Cube.

    1295 – King Edward I called the first English Parliament into session. The Earl of Leicester, Simon De Montfort, was an English nobleman who played a significant role in the political history of England in the 13th century. He is best known for his role in the development of the English Parliament, which he helped to shape and reform. The first English Parliament, called the Model Parliament, was called into session by King Edward I in 1295. It was a significant moment in the history of England, as it marked the beginning of the parliamentary system that would evolve over the following centuries.

    1835 (Volcano Eruption) Cosigüina

    1920 – American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded.

    1929 – The first full-length talking motion picture filmed outdoors in Old Arizona was released.

    1930 – The first radio broadcast of The Lone Ranger took place in Detroit (WXYZ)

    January 20, 1933 Birthday (fictional) Hannibal Lecter, cannibal, Books/Movies

    1965 – The Beatles appeared on ABC’s Shindig.

    1968 – #1 Hit January 20, 1968 – February 2, 1968: John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)

    1981 – Twenty minutes after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, Iran released 52 American hostages.

    1981 – President Regan’s first inauguration (Jan 20, 1981) was the warmest on record at 55°F, while his second inauguration (Jan 21, 1985) was the coldest on record at 7°F

    1989 – Ronald Reagan became the 1st President elected in a ‘0’ year (1980) since 1840, to leave office as President while still alive.

    1990 – #1 Hit January 20, 1990 – February 9, 1990: Michael Bolton – How Am I Supposed to Live Without You

    1998- Dawson’s Creek premiered on The WB

    2000 – SoapNet debuted

    January 20, 2006 – High School Musical aired on The Disney Channel

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Most of us don’t like the buzzing sound that wasps and the like make, and even react with fear. But imagine if they were silent…

    Did the Spice Girls ever get to zigga-zig-ahh?

    “An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have.” – Andy Warhol

    Cute animals probably think all humans have high-pitched voices.

    TV Quotes… “Here’s Johnny!” (Ed McMahon) on “The Tonight Show”

    Phillip J. Fry from Futurama was named for comedian Phil Hartman, who at the time of his death was preparing to voice Zapp Brannigan, a character written specifically for him.

    “La-dee-da, la-dee-da.” – Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) in Annie Hall, 1977

    An inch of rain water is equivalent to 15 inches of dry, powdery snow.

    “You must passionately pursue all your dreams.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

    Alice B. Toklas – a 77-year-old woman who was a “bestie” of Picasso published the first recipe for pot brownies.

    It’s impossible to hum while holding your nose. #tryit

    Twitter has to be the greenest app because 99% of it is recycled content. #isawthispostbefore

    Chico Marx – Real Name: Leonard Marx

    Mister Six danced to Vengaboys’ “We Like to Party” for the Six Parks’ amusement parks.

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  • January 19 in Pop Culture History

    January 19 in Pop Culture History

    January 19th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 19th History Highlights

    • 1883 – The first electric lighting system using overhead wires, built by Thomas Edison, began in Roselle, New Jersey.1915 –
    • 1915 – Georges Claude patented the neon tube.
    • 1920 – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded.
    • January 19, 1981 Birthday (fictional) Buffy Summers, TV
    • January 19, 2254 (fictional) Babylon 4 disappeared shortly after construction, Babylon 5, TV.
    • If you were born on January 19th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 28th (prior year)

    January 19th is…

    Artist as Outlaw Day
    Good Memory Day
    National Popcorn Day
    Tenderness Towards Existence Day
    Tin Can Day

    January 19th Birthday Quotes

    I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.
    – Edgar Allen Poe

    You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.
    – George Burns

    There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.
    – Frederico Fellini

    The truth is this: The march of Providence is so slow, and our desires so impatient; the work of progress is so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged. It is history that teaches us to hope.
    – Robert E. Lee

    Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.
    – Janis Joplin

    Find out who you are and do it on purpose.
    – Dolly Parton

    Painting from nature is not copying the object; it is realizing one’s sensations.
    – Paul Cézanne

    Being an intellectual creates a lot of questions and no answers.
    – Janis Joplin

    January 19th Birthdays

    1736 – James Watt, Scottish-English chemist and engineer (died in 1819)
    1807 – Robert E. Lee, American general and academic (died in 1870)
    1809 – Edgar Allan Poe, American short-story writer, poet, and critic (died in 1849)
    1839 – Paul Cézanne, French painter (died in 1906)
    1866 – Harry Davenport, American stage and film actor (died in 1949)
    1887 – Alexander Woollcott, American actor, and playwright (died in 1943)
    1896 – George Burns, American comedian (died in 1996 age 99)
    1908 – Ish Kabibble (Merwyn Bogue), American comedian and cornet player (died in 1994)
    1920 – Frederico Fellini, Italian film director (died in 1993)
    1926 – Fritz Weaver, American actor (died in 2016)
    1930 – Tippi Hedren, American model, and actress
    1934 – Tom Baker, English Actor
    1939 – Phil Everly, American singer-songwriter, The Everly Brothers (died in 2014)
    1943 – Janis Joplin, American singer-songwriter (died in 1970) #27club
    1944 – Shelley Fabares, American actress and singer
    1946 – Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter and actress
    1947 – Paula Deen, American chef, and author
    1949 – Robert Palmer, English singer-songwriter (died in 2003)
    1951 – Martha Davis, American singer, The Motels
    1953 – Desi Arnaz, Jr., American actor and singer
    1954 – Katey Sagal, American actress
    1955 – Paul Rodriguez, Mexican-American comedian, and actor
    1969 – Junior Seau, American football player (died in 2012)
    1971 – Shawn Wayans, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
    1974 – Frank Caliendo, American comedian, and actor
    1992 – Shawn Johnson, American gymnast
    1992 – Logan Lerman, American actor
    1992 – Mac Miller, American rapper

    January 19th History

    1825 – The US patent (#X004009) for food storage in cans to “preserve animal substances in tin” was issued to Ezra Daggett and his nephew Thomas Kensett of New York City.

    1839 – The British East India Company ‘claimed’ Aden, Yemen. The British East India Company was a trading company chartered by the British government in the early 17th century. It was given a monopoly on trade with the East Indies and other parts of Asia and significantly expanded British influence in the region. However, the British East India Company did not ‘invade’ Aden, Yemen, as many websites claim. Aden is a port city located on the coast of Yemen, and it was never under the control of the British East India Company. Aden has a long and complicated history, and it has been controlled by a number of different powers over the centuries.

    Aden was, however, a significant trading port for the British East India Company, and the company did have a presence in the city. The company used Aden as a base for its regional operations, and it played a role in developing Aden as a major trading hub.

    1883 – Thomas Edison, using overhead wires, began serving electricity to Roselle, New Jersey residents.

    1915 – A US patent (#1125476) was issued to George Claude of Paris titled a “System of Illuminating by Luminescent Tubes” an early neon sign.

    1920 – The United States Senate voted against joining the League of Nations.

    1937 – Howard Hughes set a record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in seven hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds.

    January 19, 1953 – On I Love Lucy, Little Ricky appeared on the show, just twelve hours after he was born. Over 70% of every TV in the country watched the episode.

    1959 – #1 Hit February 9, 1959 – March 8, 1959: Lloyd PriceStagger Lee

    1974 – #1 Hit January 19, 1974 – January 25, 1974: Al WilsonShow and Tell

    1977 – President Ford pardoned WWII siren Tokyo Rose (Iva Toguri D’Aquino)

    1977 – Snow fell in Miami and The Bahamas. Scientists believed it was the only time in recorded history that it happened, and it was a sure sign of a coming ice age (global cooling).

    1978 – Volkswagen Beetles stopped being produced in Germany.

    1980 – #1 Hit January 19, 1980 – February 15, 1980: Michael JacksonRock with You

    January 19, 1981 Birthday (fictional) Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, TV

    1988 – CBS’s 48 Hours debuted.

    1989 – President Ronald Reagan pardoned George Steinbrenner for illegal campaign contributions for Richard Nixon.

    January 19, 1989 – The Apple Macintosh SE/30 was released.

    1990 – Tremors was released in theaters.

    1991 – #1 Hit January 19, 1991 – January 25, 1991: Janet JacksonLove Will Never Do (Without You)

    1993 – FOX expanded their prime-time line-up to seven days a week.

    1996 – From Dusk Till Dawn was released in theaters.

    2007 – The Hitcher debuted in theaters.

    2012 – The Hong Kong-based file-sharing website Megaupload was shut down by the FBI.

    #1 Hit January 19, 2019 – February 1, 2019: Post Malone and Swae Lee – Sunflower

    January 19, 2254 (fictional) Babylon 4 disappeared shortly after construction, Babylon 5, TV

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, so call me, maybe!” #songlyrics

    ‘Lived’ and ‘Died’ mean the same thing.

    Cromulent – the Simpsons – meaning totally acceptable. “It is perfectly cromulent to use embiggens in a sentence”.

    A group of Lice is called a Flock.

    Chester Gould’s friend, Al Gross invented the walkie-talkie, and that was the inspiration for Dick Tracey’s wrist radio in January 1946.

    “Maybe the poets are right. Maybe love is the only answer.” – Mickey in Hannah and Her Sisters  #moviequotes

    The car wash in “Car Wash” was named The Dee Luxe Car Wash.

    There are 6 American Flags Planted on the Moon. They are probably all white now, bleached by the Sun’s rays.

    Never erase items on your To-Do List. Always strike-through, so at the end of the day, you can see all that you accomplished. #LifeProTip

    Sade – Real Name: Helen Adu

    TV Quotes… “Aaay!” (Fonzie) on “Happy Days”

    A group of Gnus is called an Implausibility.

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  • January 18 in Pop Culture History

    January 18 in Pop Culture History

    January 18th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 18th History Highlights

    • 1788 – The first elements of the First Fleet carrying 736 convicts from Great Britain to Australia arrived at Botany Bay.
    • 1967 – Albert DeSalvo, the “Boston Strangler”, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
    • January 18, 1975 Birthday (fictional) Leslie Knope, Parks & Recreation, TV
    • 1993 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially observed for the first time in all 50 states.
    • If you were born on January 18th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 27th (prior year)

    January 18th is…

    Gourmet Coffee Day
    Maintenance Day
    National Peking Duck Day
    Thesaurus Day
    Winnie The Pooh Day

    January 18th Birthday Quotes

    The deterioration of a government begins almost always by the decay of its principles.
    – Charles de Secondat

    Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
    – A.A. Milne

    In this year one James Everell, a sober, discreet man, and two others, saw a great light in the night at Muddy River. When it stood still, it flamed up, and was about three yards square; when it ran, it was contracted into the figure of a swine: it ran as swift as an arrow towards Charlton, and so up and down about two or three hours. They were come down in their lighter about a mile, and, when it was over, they found themselves carried quite back against the tide to the place they came from. Divers[e] other credible persons saw the same light, after, about the same place.
    – John Winthrop (1588-1649) in 1644. John was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. *some reports say it was 1638

    There is absolutely nothing that can be taken for granted in this world.
    – Robert Anton Wilson

    I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be until finally, I became that person. Or he became me.
    – Cary Grant

    Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.
    – A.A. Milne

    If you must make a noise, make it quietly.
    – Oliver Hardy

    Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.
    – Danny Kaye

    January 18th Birthdays

    1689 – Charles de Secondat, French Philosopher (died in 17555)
    1782 – Daniel Webster, American lawyer, and politician (died in 1852)
    1854 – Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell (died in 1934)
    1882 – A.A. Milne, English author, poet, and playwright (died in 1956)
    1892 – Oliver Hardy, American actor, and comedian, partner of Stan Laurel (died in 1957)
    1904 – Cary Grant, English-American actor (died in 1986)
    1911 – Danny Kaye, American actor, singer, and dancer (died in 1987)
    1932 – Robert Anton Wilson, American writer (died in 2007)
    1933 – Ray Dolby, American engineer, and businessman, founded Dolby Laboratories (died in 2013
    1941 – Bobby Goldsboro, American singer-songwriter
    1941 – David Ruffin, American singer (The Temptations) (died in 1991)
    1955 – Kevin Costner, American actor, director, and producer
    1969 – Dave Bautista, American wrestler, mixed martial artist, and actor
    1969 – Jesse L. Martin, American actor, and singer
    1980 – Jason Segal, American actor

    January 18th History

    1778 – James Cook ‘discovered’ Hawaii. During his voyage, Cook and his crew aboard the HMS Resolution became the first Europeans to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Cook named the islands the “Sandwich Islands” after the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time. Cook’s visit to Hawaii was an important moment in the islands’ history, as it marked the beginning of significant European influence in the region. Cook’s voyage also helped to increase European knowledge about the Pacific and its peoples and paved the way for further exploration and colonization of the region.

    1896 – The X-Ray Machine was shown to the public. Not really. The Cabaret du Neant charged people to see an ‘illusion’ of the effect.

    1911 – The first landing of an aircraft on a ship took place as pilot Lt. Eugene B. Ely landed on the USS Pennsylvania.

    1944 – Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge, and Jack Teagarden performed at the Metropolitan Opera House, in NYC.

    1960 – #1 Hit January 18, 1960 – February 7, 1960: Johnny Preston – Running Bear

    1971 – Ivan Koloff beat Bruno Sammartino in New York, to become WWWF champion.

    1975 – #1 Hit January 18, 1975 – January 24, 1975: Barry Manilow – Mandy

    1975 – The Jeffersons premiered on CBS.

    January 18, 1975 Birthday (fictional) Leslie Knope, Parks & Recreation, TV

    1980 – Gold reached $1,000 an ounce for the first time.

    1985 – Blood Simple was released in theaters.

    1986 – #1 Hit January 18, 1986 – February 14, 1986: Dionne Warwick – That’s What Friends Are For

    1990 – Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry arrested in a drug enforcement sting. He claimed that the “bitch set me up” when he was caught with crack cocaine.

    1991 – White Fang & Flight of the Intruder were released in theaters.

    1993 – Martin Luther King Day became official in all 50 United States.

    2002 – Snow Dogs debuted in theaters.

    2004 – The L Word premiered on Showtime.

    2008 – Cloverfield, 27 Dresses, Blonde and Blonder and Teeth debuted in theaters.

    2014 – #1 Hit January 18, 2014 – February 7, 2014: Pitbull featuring Kesha – Timber

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “I’m not an actor, I’m a movie star.” #moviequotes

    ‘Naturally & Artificially Flavored’ is a long way to say Flavored.

    We’re closer to the year The Jetsons is set in (2062) than we are to when it first aired (1962).

    The names for the spacecraft from the ALIEN movie series (the Nostromo, Narcissus, and Sulaco) are derived from a 1904 Joseph Conrad novel.

    Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?

    Microscopic algae, not trees, produce the majority of the oxygen we breathe.

    The spider I killed in my room has spent his entire life thinking he was my roommate and that suddenly I had some sort of psychotic break.

    Hakuna Matata = YOLO

    Contrary to popular ideas given to us by movies/games, Thermal Vision does not work through a thin pane of glass.

    The Capital of Venezuela is Caracas

    No matter how large a number is, it is always closer to zero than infinity.

    A group of Doves is called a Dule or Bevy or Cote or Dole or Paddling.

    Kiefer Sutherland’s full name is Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland.

    The word “laser” is an acronym. It’s short for Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation.

    I have an EpiPen. My friend gave it to me as he was dying. It seemed very important to him that I have it.

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  • January 17 in Pop Culture History

    January 17 in Pop Culture History

    January 17th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 17th History Highlights

    • January 17, 1929 – Popeye the Sailor first appeared in Thimble Theatre Cartoon
    • 1916 – The Professional Golfer’s Association of America was founded.
    • 1955 – The first nuclear-powered submarine, the Nautilus, was launched
    • 1966 – The Palomares (Spain) Hydrogen accident took place, involving two US airplanes and four hydrogen bombs took place.
    • If you were born on January 17th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 26th (prior year)

    January 17th is…

    Customer Service Day
    Ditch Your New Year’s Resolutions Day
    Hot Buttered Rum Day
    Hot Heads Chili Day
    Kid Inventors’ Day
    National Bootlegger’s Day

    January 17th Birthday Quotes

    The business of the American people is bussiness.
    – President Calvin Coolidge, in a 1925 speech

    If you want to be successful you have to jump, there’s no way around it. If you’re safe, you’ll never soar.
    – Steve Harvey

    Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
    – Benjamin Franklin

    We have this window of opportunity; we have a chance to make something real happen. Something possible happen, to live beyond our fear – think about that, and help us. Help lift us up, help us fight this fight to change – transform – this country in a fundamental way.
    This chance won’t come around again.
    – Michelle Obama

    My goal as an actor is always to be as truthful as possible, and to find the truth in the material I am representing. So I think that it’s the same with performing music. But in a way, performing your own music, it’s easier to find the truth in it, because it’s coming from yourself. There’s no translation needed.
    – Zooey Deschanel

    Self esteem comes from doing something and accomplishing something.
    – Shari Lewis

    As we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of Others, we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.
    – Benjamin Franklin

    You are never too old to reinvent yourself.
    – Steve Harvey

    Vote early and vote often.
    – Al Capone

    The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
    – Vidal Sassoon

    A good scapegoat is nearly as welcome as a solution to the problem.
    – Found online

    January 17th Birthdays

    1706 – Benjamin Franklin, American publisher, businessman, inventor and politician (died in 1790)
    1867 – Cal Laemmle, German/American movie pioneer (died in1939)
    1899 – Al Capone, American mob boss (died in 1947)
    1922 – Betty White, American actress, game show panelist and television personality
    1928 – Vidal Sassoon, English-American hairdresser and businessman (died in 2012)
    1931 – James Earl Jones, American actor
    1933 – Shari Lewis, American actress, puppeteer/ventriloquist, and television host (died in 1998)
    1939 – Maury Povich, American talk show host and producer
    1942 – Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.), American boxer (died in 2016)
    1943 – Chris Montez, American singer-songwriter
    1949 – Andy Kaufman, American actor and comedian (died in 1984)
    1949 – Mick Taylor, English singer-songwriter
    1954 – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., American lawyer and radio host
    1956 – Paul Young, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
    1957 – Steve Harvey, American comedian, television personality and game show host
    1957 – Ann Nocenti, American comic book writer
    1959 – Susanna Hoffs, American singer-songwriter
    1962 – Jim Carrey, Canadian-American actor
    1964 – Michelle Obama, American lawyer, 46th First Lady of the United States
    1969 – Tiësto (Tijs Michiel Verwest), Dutch DJ and producer
    1971 – Kid Rock, American singer-songwriter
    1980 – Zooey Deschanel, American actress
    1984 – Calvin Harris, Scottish singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer
    1989 – Kelly Marie Tran, American actress

    January 17th History

    1706 – Ben Franklin ‘The First American’ was born.

    1773 – Captain James Cook and his crew became the first Europeans to sail below the Antarctic Circle. During this voyage, Cook and his crew aboard the HMS Resolution encountered many challenges, including icy conditions, storms, and scurvy. Despite these challenges, they made several important discoveries, including the first known European sighting of the eastern coast of Australia and several islands in the Pacific. Cook’s voyage below the Antarctic Circle was an important milestone in the history of exploration. It helped to increase European knowledge about the Southern Ocean and the lands and peoples that it contained.

    1871 – Andrew Hallikie was granted a patent (US #110,971) for San Francisco’s cable car system.

    1929 – From the Mount Wilson Observatory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Edwin Hubble showed that the universe was expanding.

    January 17, 19** Birthday (fictional) Kent ‘Doctor Fate’ Nelson, DC Comics

    1946 – The United Nations Security Council held its 1st meeting

    1949 – The Goldbergs, formerly a radio show, debuted on CBS

    1950 – During the Great Brink’s Robbery, eleven thieves stole more than $2 million from an armored car company’s offices in Boston. They were all caught later.

    1954 – Jacques Cousteau’s 1st network telecast aired on CBS’s Omnibus

    1966 – There was an accident involving a mid-air refueling operation off the coast of Spain. 4 thermonuclear weapons were dropped in the process each with a yield of 70 kilotons or more (equal to 70 thousand tons of TNT) but none of them exploded.

    1976 – #1 Hit January 17, 1976 – January 23, 1976: Barry Manilow – I Write the Songs

    1983 – Frontline debuted on PBS.

    1984 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that private use of home VCRs to tape TV programs for later viewing does not violate federal copyright laws, in a 5-4 decision.

    1986 – Iron Eagle, The Caln of the Cave Bear, Troll and Heathcliff: The Movie were released in theaters

    1987 – #1 Hit January 17, 1987 – January 23, 1987: Gregory Abbott – Shake You Down

    1994 (Earthquake) A magnitude 6.7 earthquake hit Northridge, California.

    1997 – Metro, Beverly Hills Ninja, Kolya and Albino Alligator were released in theaters.

    1998 – #1 Hit January 17, 1998 – January 30, 1998: Savage Garden – Truly Madly Deeply

    1998 – Matt Drudge broke the story of the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky affair on his website, The Drudge Report.

    2003 – Kangaroo Jack debuted in theaters.

    2009 – #1 Hit January 17, 2009 – February 6, 2009: Lady Gaga featuring Colby O’Donis – Just Dance

    2011 – Piers Morgan Tonight, replacing Larry King Live, debuted on CNN.

    2012 – Food Network personality Paula Deen revealed that she has Diabetes type 2.

    January 17, 2014 – Cloud 9 aired on The Disney Channel

    2015 – #1 Hit January 17, 2015 – April 24, 2015: Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    On the scale from absolute zero to absolute hot we are actually closer to zero. On a universal scale we are cold.

    Bender from Futurama was named after John Bender from “The Breakfast Club”.

    There was a knock on the the door. “Who’s that?” I asked.” “Open up, it’s me.” I opened the door. You know what? It WAS me.

    The Capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis is Basseterre

    “I am Spartacus.” – The extras in Spartacus #moviequotes

    The Soviet Union national ice hockey team participated nine times in the Winter Olympics and won seven gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal.

    Biggest film of 1984: Ghostbusters (Comedy) earned ~ $242,000,000

    Ray Charles – Real Name: Ray Charles Robinson

    We invented the wheel, built the pyramids, discovered electricity and landed on the moon, but still haven’t found a way to stop accidentally biting the inside of your mouth when you least expect it.

    All characters on The Simpsons have 4 fingers except for God, who has 5.

    Adamantium is the strongest metal in the Marvel Universe. Vibranium is more versatile.

    The older I get, the more I relate to Squidward.

    A girl and her boyfriend went to a costume party as a barcode. They were an item.

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  • January 16 in Pop Culture History

    January 16 in Pop Culture History

    January 16th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 16th History Highlights

    • The first ‘Modern Novel’ was published in 1605; The first edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes, in Madrid, Spain. About 500 million copies have been printed.
    • 1920 – The League of Nations held its first council meeting in Paris, France.
    • 1944 – Dwight Eisenhower assumed command of SHAEF (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe).
    • 1991 – The Gulf War began.
    • If you were born on January 16th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 25th (prior year)

    January 16th is…

    Appreciate A Dragon Day
    Book Publishers Day
    Fig Newton Day
    Get to Know Your Customers Day
    National Good Teen Day
    National Nothing Day
    International Hot and Spicy Food Day
    Without a Scalpel Day

    January 16th Birthday Quotes

    Nothing in this life worth achieving is easy, nor is it impossible.
    – James May

    I can never remember being afraid of an audience. If the audience could do better, they’d be up here on stage and I’d be out there watching them.
    – Ethel Merman

    It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up.
    – Dizzy Dean

    To me, literature is a calling, even a kind of salvation. It connects me with an enterprise that is over 2,000 years old. What do we have from the past? Art and thought. That’s what lasts. That’s what continues to feed people and give them an idea of something better. A better state of one’s feelings or simply the idea of a silence in one’s self that allows one to think or to feel. Which to me is the same.
    – Susan Sontag

    There are all sorts of things embodied in the Lego brick – geometry and mathematics and truth and proportion and shape and colour… It is a faintly spiritual activity that everybody connects with.
    – James May

    We live in a culture in which intelligence is denied relevance altogether, in a search for radical innocence, or is defended as an instrument of authority and repression. In my view, the only intelligence worth defending is critical, dialectical, skeptical, desimplifying.
    – Susan Sontag

    I ain’t what I used to be, but who the hell is?
    – Dizzy Dean

    What people say isn’t going to stop me. I have to do things for myself.
    – Kate Moss

    Social order at the expense of liberty is hardly a bargain.
    – Sade

    January 16th Birthdays

    1477 – Johannes Schöner, German astronomer and cartographer (died in 1547)
    1853 – Andre Michwlin, French industrialist, founder of Michelin Tire Company (dies in 1931)
    1878 – Harry Carey, American actor (died in 1947)
    1908 – Ethel Merman, American actress and singer (died in 1984)
    1910 – Dizzy Dean (Jay Hanna Dean), American baseball player and sportscaster (died in 1974)
    1932 – Dian Fossey, Gorilla advocate (died in 1985)
    1933 – Susan Sontag, American novelist, essayist, and critic (died in 2004)
    1935 – A.J. Foyt, American race car driver
    1942 – Barbara Lynn, American singer-songwriter
    1943 – Ronnie Milsap, American singer
    1944 – Jim Stafford, American singer-songwriter
    1948 – John Carpenter, American director
    1959 – Sade (Helen Folasade Adu), Nigerian-English singer-songwriter
    1963 – James May, British journalist/co-host of Top Gear
    1974 – Kate Moss, English model
    1979 – Aaliyah, American singer and actress (died in 2001)
    1985 – Joe Flacco, American football player
    1987 – Jake Epstein, Canadian actor

    January 16th History

    1219 & 1362 – St. Marcellus Floods or Grote Mandrenke (Great Drowning of Men), Netherlands. Over 25,000 people drowned in 1362 and 25,000 in 1219.

    1547 – Ivan the Terrible crowned himself 1st Tsar of Moscow.

    1581 – England’s  Act of Persuasions passed in 1581 raised the fine that recusants, who refused to submit to established authority had to pay a fine/tax and allowed recusants to be imprisoned. The English Parliament passed several laws that restricted Roman Catholicism practice in England, but it did not outlaw it entirely. During the reign of Elizabeth I, England was a Protestant country, and the English Parliament passed several laws that sought to suppress the practice of Catholicism. These laws included the Act of Supremacy of 1558, which declared Elizabeth the supreme governor of the Church of England, and the Act of Uniformity of 1559, which required all clergy to use the Book of Common Prayer in their services. The English Parliament also passed a number of laws that imposed fines and other penalties on Catholics who practiced their religion openly, or who assisted priests in their ministry. Despite these laws, many Catholics continued to practice their religion secretly in England, and there were periodic persecutions of Catholics throughout Elizabeth’s reign.

    However, the Catholic Church was not outlawed in England, and Catholics were not prevented from practicing their religion altogether.

    1605 – The first edition of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (Book One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes was published in Madrid, Spain.

    1776 – The U.S. Continental Congress approved the enlistment of free men for the rebellion.

    1894 – Theodore Witte of Chilliwack, British Columbia, was issued a U.S. patent (#512930) for a “Puttying-Tool” (the first caulking gun)

    1920 – The 18th Amendment, Prohibition began, and alcoholic beverages were made illegal in the United States. (Effective one year later)

    1936 – The first photo finish camera was installed at a US racetrack at Hialeah, Florida.

    1939 – The Superman newspaper comic strip debuted.

    1941 – War Department forms 1st Army Air Corps squadron, The Tuskegee Airmen, for black cadets.

    1964 – Broadway Show – Hello, Dolly! (Musical) January 16, 1964, starring Carol Channing

    1976 – The Donny and Marie musical variety show premiered on ABC.

    1984 – Paul and Linda McCartney were arrested in Barbados for possession of marijuana.

    January 16, 1986 – The Apple Macintosh Plus was released.

    1988 – #1 Hit January 16, 1988 – January 22, 1988: George HarrisonGot My Mind Set On You

    January 16, 19** Birthday (fictional) Wally West, Flash, DC Comics

    1991 – All major television networks were pre-empted with Gulf War coverage right after evening news broadcasts.

    1995 – Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which starred Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst premiered.

    1998 – Star Kid, Fallen, Hard Rain, Half Baked and Pretty Village, Pretty Flame were released in theaters.

    1999 – #1 Hit January 16, 1999 – January 29, 1999: BrandyHave You Ever

    2004 – Along Came Polly debuted in theaters.

    2009 – Paul Blart: Mall Cop debuted in theaters.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Obi-Wan Kenobi probably stank like a desert hobo when Luke first met him living on Tatooine.

    I don’t think I’m a robot, but maybe that’s just part of my programming.

    A diamond is just a lump of carbon that a South African mining cartel has convinced us is valuable.

    US President #17 Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) impeached to little effect.

    Don’t get your ambitions mixed up with your capabilities. #LifeProTip

    Woody Allen – Real Name: Allen Konigsberg

    If you shout, “I’m totally crazy,” people will think you’re crazy. If you shout, “I’m totally sane,” people will also think you’re crazy.

    Because 1800 was not a leap year, John Adams served one fewer day as president than all other one-termers.

    Lord Acton’s famous quote ‘Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ is immediately followed by ‘Great men are almost always bad men’.

    A group of Asteroids is called a Belt.

    Just for the giggles: Move every old person in the US to Ohio and rename Ohio as Ol’hio.

    Bae – “before anyone else”

    If there had been a fire going in the fireplace when the House was flooded with letters, Harry Potter would have ended very differently.

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  • January 15 in Pop Culture History

    January 15 in Pop Culture History

    January 15th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 15th History Highlights

    • 1559 – Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London
    • 1947 – The body of Elizabeth Short was found in Los Angeles. The killer was never found. #BlackDahliaMystery
    • 1967 – The inaugural Super Bowl was simulcast on CBS and NBC.
    • 1943 – The construction of The Pentagon in Washington DC was completed.
    • 2001 – Wikipedia went online.
    • If you were born on January 15th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 24th (prior year)

    January 15th is…

    National Bagel Day
    National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day
    National Hat Day
    Strawberry Ice Cream Day

    National Hat Day

    This January 15th, tip your cap to National Hat Day! Grab a Fez, Sombrero, Derby, or Cloche and celebrate! Perhaps it’s more your style to don a Deerstalker and solve a mystery or hit the links in an Irish wool Flat Cap. If you’re laid back, you can always slap on that trusty ball cap and go your merry way.

    History

    Hats first made their documented appearance right around the time documents made their first documented appearance. Since there is no documented evidence of pre-documented things, there is really no way to determine when hats first arose. Everyone seems to think it was around 5,200 years ago. They seem to have caught on pretty well because nowadays, there is a hat for everything. Football players, police officers, train conductors, and chefs, to name a few, can be identified just by their hats. They are used as both a fashion piece and for general practicality.

    Hats became elaborate during the Edwardian Period and were worn primarily as a status symbol. The decorations included bows, ribbons, feathers, and even stuffed birds. These went out of favor as concern grew over the welfare of certain birds.

    Hatters made hats for men, and milliners made them for women. Men’s hats were often made of felt which contained high levels of mercury. The mercury causes cognitive impairment in the hatters, hence the phrase, “as mad as a hatter.” Hats today can serve as a symbol of status, take a look at the Pope. Chefs wear a Toque Blanche (white hat in French). It is supposed to sport 100 pleats to symbolize the 100 ways to cook an egg.  Hats of all shapes and styles have been worn for every conceivable purpose throughout the ages. Regardless of the reason, be it status, fashion, or general practicality, hats do serve one common purpose, they keep the rain and sun off your head.

    How To Celebrate

    Pick out your favorite hat and wear it with pride! If asked why you look like Carmen Miranda, tell the inquisitive fellow that you’re celebrating hat day! Going for the pirate look? Don a Tricorne and repeat the phrase, “Shiver me timbers!” Going on a safari? Try out a Pith Helmet! Whatever you do, have fun! Perhaps you’d rather make a new hat to celebrate. Grab a how-to book or look it up on the trusty web! There are a lot of different styles to choose from but if you’re going to be a hatter for the day, don’t drive yourself mad deciding what to make.

    Maybe you can throw a good, old-fashioned hat party. That’s where you have a party, but with a hat on! Any direction you choose, make sure you have a ball with it.

    January 15th Birthday Quotes

    The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
    – Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Those whose conduct gives room for talk
    Are always the first to attack their neighbors.
    ~ Molière

    In any country when you throw something in somebody’s face, it’s disrespectful.
    – Pitbull

    All parties without exception, when they seek for power, are varieties of absolutism.
    – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

    Two paradoxes are better than one; they may even suggest a solution.
    – Edward Teller

    I don’t like to cry in public, unless I’m getting paid for it.
    – Andrea Martin

    Don’t be afraid to lose. Listen. And always invest in yourself.
    – Pitbull

    January 15th Birthdays

    1622 (baptized) – Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin), French actor and playwright (died in 1673)
    1809 – Pierre Joseph Proudhon, French anarchist (died in 1865)
    1882 – Henry Burr, Canadian singer, early radio performer (died in 1941)
    1908 – Edward Teller, Hangarian-American physicist (died in 2003)
    1909 – Gene Krupa, American drummer, composer, and actor (died in 1973)
    1920 – John O’Connor, American cardinal (died in 2000)
    1927 – Phyllis Coates, American actress
    1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (died in 1968)
    1945 – Vince Foster, American lawyer and political figure (died in 1993)
    1947 – Andrea Martin, American-Canadian actress
    1957 – Mario Van Peebles, America actor
    1966 – Lisa Lisa, American R&B singer
    1968 – Chad Lowe, America actor
    1979 – Drew Brees, American football player
    1981 – Pitbull (Armando Christian Pérez), American rapper and producer
    1984 – Ben Shapiro, American author and commentator
    1988 – Skrillex (Sonny John Moore), American DJ and producer
    2004 – Grace VanderWaal, American singer-songwriter

    January 15th History

    It’s National Hat Day, because in 1797, the 1st top hat was worn, by John Etherington in London.

    1759 – The British Museum in Bloomsbury, London, opened. It houses a collection of art and artifacts from around the world. It is one of the oldest museums in the world and has a collection of more than 8 million objects. The museum was founded in 1753 and was originally located in Montagu House, a mansion in Bloomsbury. It has been located in its current building on Great Russell Street in London since 1759. The British Museum is home to a wide range of artifacts and artworks from different cultures and periods, including ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art and artifacts, as well as collections of art and artifacts from other parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The museum is free to enter and is a popular tourist attraction in London, attracting millions of visitors each year.

    1861 – Elisha Otis patented the Steam elevator.

    1863 – Woodpulp paper was first used in the US for a printed newspaper by the Boston Morning Herald of Boston.

    1870 – The Donkey was 1st used as a symbol of the Democratic Party, in Harper’s Weekly, drawn by Thomas Nast.

    1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, was incorporated in Atlanta.

    1895 – Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” premiered in St. Petersburg.

    1919 – The Boston Molasses Disaster – a huge vat of molasses broke open at the Purity Distilling Company and flooded a Boston neighborhood. 21 were killed.

    1936 – The first building to be covered entirely in glass, two stories built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, was completed in Toledo, Ohio.

    1951 – The US Supreme Court ruled that “clear and present danger” of incitement to riot is not protected speech and can be a cause for arrest.

    1955 – The Benny Hill Show debuted on the BBC

    1967 – The inaugural Super Bowl was simulcast on CBS and NBC. The National Football League (NFL) champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League (AFL) champion Kansas City Chiefs 35 – 10.

    1967 – The Rolling Stones appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and did not sing “Let’s Spend Some time Together” as planned.

    1969 – The first docking of two manned spacecraft took place between the Soviet Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5.

    1972 – #1 Hit January 15, 1972 – February 11, 1972: Don McLeanAmerican Pie

    1974 – Happy Days debuted on ABC.

    1975 – Space Mountain opened at Disney World (Florida)

    1977 – #1 Hit January 15, 1977 – January 21, 1977: Leo SayerYou Make Me Feel Like Dancing

    1977 – The Coneheads debuted on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Also, Bill Murray joined the cast of SNL, replacing Chevy Chase

    1978 – Super Bowl XII aired on CBS, the first night-time Super Bowl

    1981 – Hill Street Blues premiered on NBC.

    1983 – #1 Hit January 15, 1983 – February 4, 1983: Men at WorkDown Under

    1983 – Thom Syles kept a life saver intact in his mouth for over 7 hours.

    1988 – Jimmy ‘The Greek’ Snyder made a racist remark about black athletes – He said that the black athlete was “bred to be the better athlete because, this goes all the way to the Civil War when … the slave owner would breed his big woman so that he would have a big black kid.”

    1993 – Body of Evidence, Alive, Man Bites Dog and Nowhere to Run were released in theaters.

    1999 – Varsity Blues, At First Sight, Virus and In Dreams were released in theaters.

    2000 – #1 Hit January 15, 2000 – January 28, 2000: Christina AguileraWhat a Girl Wants

    2001 – Bob The Builder premiered on Nick Jr.

    2001- Wikipedia debuted online.

    2009 – US Airways flight 1549 landed safely in the Hudson River, NY, thanks to Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger.

    2010 – The Book of Eli & The Spy Next Door debuted in theaters.

    #1 Hit January 15, 2022 – February 4, 2022: Easy on MeAdele

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Considering how there’s no traces of humans in the film, the Lion King could be set in any era. It could be the bronze age, 21st century or a cyborg future where humanity has gone extinct.

    Whenever Aladdin lies, you’ll notice the feather on his turban falls in his face.

    Buddy Holly – Real Name: Charles Hardin

    A group of Larks is called a Exaltation or Ascension.

    You know that your game of monopoly starts to escalate when someone asks for the game instructions.

    Joe Francis, founder and CEO of Girls Gone Wild, filed bankruptcy and fled the US to Mexico in order to avoid paying an outstanding gambling debt to Steve Wynn and the subsequent arrest warrant for failure to pay.

    TV Quotes… “Yada, yada, yada” (various) on “Seinfeld”

    Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues #10 – Cleanliness.

    We had a quiet dinner, except for the celery of course.

    “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” – Jennifer Cavilleri Barrett – (Ali MacGraw) #moviequotes

    In the year 4567 AD we will have the 12/3/4567 day.

    “The best advice I’ve ever received is, ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either.’” – Ricky Gervais

    The first 11 digits of pi’s decimal places are the international phone number of someone in San Francisco.

    “One through nine, no maybes, no supposes, no fractions. You can’t travel in space, you can’t go out into space, you know, without, like, you know, uh, with fractions—what are you going to land on—one-quarter, three-eighths? What are you going to do when you go from here to Venus or something? That’s dialectic physics.” – Photojournalist in Apocalypse Now #moviequotes

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  • January 14 in Pop Culture History

    January 14 in Pop Culture History

    January 14th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 14th History Highlights

    • 1539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
    • 1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica killed more than 1,000 people.
    • NBC’s Today Show premiered in 1952, hosted by Dave Garroway.
    • 1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.
    • 1967 – The Human Be-In began in San Francisco, at California’s Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.
    • If you were born on January 14th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 23rd (prior year)

    There Are 3 Kinds of People

    1. The ones who learn by reading.
    2. The ones who learn by observation.
    3. The ones who have to touch the fire to learn it’s hot.

    Which are you?

    January 14th is…

    International Kite Day
    National Dress Up Your Pet Day
    National Gluten-Free Day
    National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
    Organize Your Home Day

    January 14th Birthday Quotes

    Not one of us knows what effect his life produces, and what he gives to others; that is hidden from us and must remain so, though we are often allowed to see some little fraction of it, so that we may not lose courage.
    – Albert Schweitzer

    Dreams don’t have deadlines. I’m thinking of doing beggir and better things and having more fun with it.
    – LL Cool J

    Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears.
    – Mark Antony

    Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do. It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head].
    – Dave Grohl

    Dolphins : Animals that are so intelligent that, within a few weeks of captivity, they can train a man to stand on the edge of their pool and throw them food three times a day.
    – Hal Roach

    The only way out of today’s misery is for people to become worthy of each other’s trust.
    – Albert Schweitzer

    The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.”
    – Julian Bond

    I’m not allergic to fashion. I’m just one of those people who when they put on a suit look like they’re going to a funeral or to court.
    – Dave Grohl

    January 14th Birthdays

    83 BC – Mark Antony, Roman general and politician (died in 30 BCE)
    1741 – Benedict Arnold, American-British general (died in 1801)
    1861 – Mehmed VI, Ottoman sultan (died in 1926)
    1863 – Richard Felton Outcault, First American comic strip creator (The Yellow Kid, Hogan’s Alley) (died in 1928)
    *word balloons weren’t invented yet.
    1875 – Albert Schweitzer, French-Gabonese physician and philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate (died in 1965)
    1892 – Hal Roach, American director, and producer (died in 1992)
    1915 – Mark Goodson, American game show producer, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (died in 1992)
    1919 – Andy Rooney, American journalist, critic, and television personality (died in 2011)
    1925 – Yukio Mishima, Japanese Author and poet (died in 1970)
    1937 – Billie Jo Spears, American country singer (died in 2011)
    1938 – Jack Jones, American singer and actor
    1940 – Julian Bond, American academic and politician (died in 2015)
    1941 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
    1948 – Carl Weathers, American football player and actor
    1949 – Lawrence Kasdan, American director and producer
    1952 – Maureen Dowd, American journalist and author
    1964 – Shepard Smith, American television journalist
    1965 – Slick Rick (Richard Martin Lloyd Walters), English-American rapper
    1958 – LL Cool J (James Todd Smith), American rapper and actor
    1969 – Kristin Cavallari, American actress
    1969 – Dave Grohl, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer
    1990 – Grant Gustin, American actor

    January 14th History

    1690 – The Clarinet was invented in Nurnberg, Germany. The clarinet is a musical instrument that belongs to the woodwind family. It is a single-reed instrument, producing sound when a single reed vibrates against the player’s lips. The clarinet is a popular instrument in various musical genres, including classical, jazz, and folk music. But there is some debate about the exact origins of the clarinet, but it is generally believed to have originated in Nuremberg, Germany. It is thought to have evolved from earlier single-reed instruments, such as the chalumeau, which was popular in the Baroque period. The clarinet as we know it today was developed in the late 18th and early 19th centuries and has undergone several minor design changes.

    1794 – Elizabeth Hog Bennett became the first woman in the US to successfully give birth to a child by a Cesarean section. Her husband, Dr. Jesse Bennett operated.

    1878 – U.S. Supreme Court rules that race separation on trains is unconstitutional

    1914 – Henry Ford opened his assembly-line Model-T factory

    1950 – #1 Hit January 14, 1950 – February 10, 1950: The Andrews Sisters – I Can Dream, Can’t I

    1952 – NBC’s Today Show debuted.

    1954 – NY Yankee Joe DiMaggio married actress Marilyn Monroe.

    1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.

    1956 – #1 Hit January 14, 1956 – February 17, 1956: Dean Martin – Memories Are Made Of This

    1967 – The Summer of Love took place, starting at San Francisco’s ‘The Human Be-In.’

    January 14, 1972 (fiction) Liberty 1 went through a Hasslein Curve, Planet of the Apes, Film

    1972 – NBC’s Sanford and Son debuted on NBC.

    1973 – The Miami Dolphins complete the first undefeated season by winning Super Bowl VII.

    1973 – Elvis Presley’s Aloha From Hawaii Special, was seen by over 1 billion viewers. Since it was on the same day as Super Bowl VII, it was shown later (April 3, 1973) in the US.

    1978 – #1 Hit January 14, 1978 – February 3, 1978: Player – Baby Come Back

    1978 – Fantasy Island premiered on CBS

    January 14, 1981 Birthday (fictional) Cordelia Chase, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, TV

    1981 – FCC ended limitation on TV commercials.

    1989 – #1 Hit January 14, 1989 – January 20, 1989: Bobby Brown – My Prerogative

    1990 – The Simpsons premiered on Fox.

    1999 – Broadway Show – Fosse (Dance Musical) January 14, 1999

    2000 – My Dog Skip debuted in theaters.

    2005 – Coach Carter & Elektra debuted in theaters.

    2006 – #1 Hit January 14, 2006 – January 20, 2006: D4L – Laffy Taffy

    2011 – The Green Hornet debuted in theaters.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    The “/” when you write and/or also stands for and/or.

    The modern version of the Hippocratic Oath was written in 1964 by a man named Louis Lasagna.

    The original drawings of Snoopy were based on Charles Schulz’s childhood dogs, Snooky and Spike.

    Using the word ‘eloquent’ indicates that you are eloquent. #eloquent

    “All you’ve got is lifetime… go!” #songlyrics

    The stars of “Rebel Without a Cause” all met an untimely death. James Dean died in a car crash, Natalie Wood drowned, and Sal Mineo was stabbed.

    “Why don’t you come up sometime and see me?” Lady Lou (Mae West) #moviequotes

    “I was tuning in the shine on the light night dial doing anything my radio advised.” #songlyrics

    Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

    In an alternate universe, this is the most popular post of all time!

    Statistically, the chance of something statistically unlikely occurring at some point, is very high.

    The only state that doesn’t contain any of the letters in the word “mackerel” is Ohio.

    Sundance Kid – Real Name: Henry Longbaugh

    Butch Cassidy – Real Name: Robert Leroy Parker

    “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.” – George Carlin

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  • January 13 in Pop Culture History

    January 13 in Pop Culture History

    January 13th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 13th History Highlights

    • 1910 – Lee De Forest performed the fitsrt public radio broadcast in New York City.
    • 1966 – Robert C. Weaver was appointed United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, becoming the first African American Cabinet member.
    • 1968 – Johnny Cash performed at Folsom Prison in Folsom, California.
    • If you were born on January 13th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 22nd (prior year)

    January 13th is…

    Make Your Dreams Come True Day
    National Sticker Day
    Rubber Ducky Day

    January 13th Birthday Quotes

    The explorers of the past were great men and we should honor them. But let us not forget that their spirit lives on. It is still not hard to find a man who will adventure for the sake of a dream or one who will search, for the pleasure of searching, not for what he may find.
    – Sir Edmund Hillary

    It’s not what you are in Hollywood – it’s what people think you are.
    – Robert Stack

    If you feel rooted in your home and family, if you’re active in your community, there’s nothing more empowering. The best way to make a difference in the world is to start by making a difference in your own life.
    – Julia Louis-Dreyfus

    I still feel that sincerity and realism are avant-garde, or can be, just as I did when I started out.
    – Edmund White

    I learned early on, having known the most handsome, successful… Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Robert Taylor, don’t ever spend too much time looking in the mirror.
    – Robert Stack

    The signal is the truth. The noise is what distracts us from the truth.
    – Nate Silver

    National Rubber Ducky Day

    Why, you may ask yourself, is January 13 National Rubber Ducky Day? The answer is… because that’s what Ernie says! While scrubbing himself clean at bath time and singing that song we all know from Sesame Street, Ernie said January 13th is his favorite bath time toy’s birthday.

    History

    The actual origin of rubber duckies is shrouded in mystery, like that whole chicken or egg thing. What we do know for certain is that “they make bath time so much fun!” All silliness aside, the rubber ducky was first patented in 1928 by Landon Smart Lawrence. They are most often used to make toddlers feel more at ease when taking a bath. Having a friendly, yellow toy makes the water less scary to the little ones and gives them something to play with while a parent scrubs them clean.

    With Ernie’s help, we have chosen January 13 to commemorate this delightful reminder of a simpler, more playful time in our lives. Even now, humming that iconic, grammy-nominated tune can bring a smile to your face. In 1992, 28,000 of them went overboard during a storm and have been bobbing around, lost at sea like “Wilson” ever since. So, keep your eyes open on your next cruise for one of these lost little guys!

    How To Celebrate

    Float alongside an enormous replica! Dutch artist, Florentijn Hofman created a flock of massive ducks that can be seen in various cities all over the world. Made from PVC, the largest is 85’ wide, 65’ long, and 105’ tall. That’s beggir than anything you might find at the top of a beanstalk!

    You can go to a rubber ducky race. Thousands are released on the Big Walnut Creek in Columbus, OH each year. Every duck released has a sponsor and the top three winners get a prize. The biggest prize goes to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital which uses the proceeds to fund life-saving research. If you can’t do those things, you can always do what Ernie did and take a bath while singing to your very own rubber ducky!

    January 13th Birthdays

    1596 – Jan van Goyen, Dutch painter and illustrator (died in 1656)
    1808 – Salmon P. Chase, American senator and abolitionist (died in 1873)
    1834 – Horatio Alger, Jr, American author (died in 1899)
    1885 – Alfred Fuller – American businessman (died in 1973)
    1887 – Sophie Tucker, Russian-born American singer and actress (died in 1966)
    1893 – Clark Ashton Smith, American poet, sculptor, painter, and author (died in 1961)
    1919 – Robert Stack, American actor (died in 2003)
    1926 – Michael Bond, English soldier and author, created Paddington Bear (died in 2017)
    1931 – Charles Nelson Reilly, American comedic actor (died in 2007)
    1935 – Rip Taylor, American comedic actor (died in 2019)
    1940 – Edmund White, American writer
    1943 – Richard Moll, American actor
    1949 – Brandon Tartikoff, American screenwriter and producer (died in 1997)
    1961 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress
    1962 – Trace Atkins, American singer/songwiter
    1964 – Penelope Ann Miller, American actress
    1972 – Nicole Eggert, American actress
    1977 – Orlando Bloom, English actor
    1978 – Nate Silver, American journalist and statistician
    1982 – Ruth Wilson, English actress
    1990 – Liam Hemsworth, Australian actor

    January 13th History

    1854 – US patent (#11062) for an accordion was issued to Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, Pa.

    1863 – Thomas Crapper “invented” the portable toilet. Crapper is often credited with inventing the toilet because he was a successful and well-known businessman who significantly improved the design of toilets and other plumbing fixtures. However, he did not invent the toilet itself. The history of the toilet dates back thousands of years, and many innovations and improvements have been made to the basic design over time. The modern toilet, with a separate water tank and flushing mechanism, was actually developed in the late 19th century by Thomas Twyford, who is considered the true inventor of the modern toilet.

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

    1930 – Disney’s ‘Mickey Mouse’ newspaper strip first appeared.

    1906 – The 1st radio set advertised (Telimco for $7.50 in Scientific American)

    1959 – Motown Records is formed in Detroit.

    1962 – #1 Hit January 13, 1962 – January 26, 1962: Chubby CheckerThe Twist

    1962 – Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 73 points against Chicago

    1966 – Tabitha was born on ABC’s Bewitched. The episode titled, “And Then There Were Three.”

    1967 – US patent (#3359678) was issued to the Wham-O Mfg. Company for their improvement of the Frisbee.

    1969 – Dick York collapsed on the set of Bewitched and is rushed to the hospital. He resigned from the show due to his persistent back injury (started in 1959) and was replaced by Dick Sargent.

    1978 – United States Food and Drug Administration began requiring all blood donations to be labeled “paid” or “volunteer” donors.

    1986 – Johnny Cash performed his famous Folsom County Jail show.

    1995 – Far From Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog, Higher Learning and Demon Knight were released in theaters.

    2005 – US Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona, issued a national health advisory to warn the public about the risks of breathing indoor radon.

    2010 – Beauty and the Beast (3D) was released in theaters.

    January 13, 2012 – Frenemies aired on The Disney Channel

    #1 Hit January 23, 2021 – March 19, 2021: Drivers LicenseOlivia Rodrigo

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Shakespeare made up the name “Jessica” for his play Merchant of Venice.

    Barry Manilow wrote McDonald’s “You Deserve a Break Today” jingle.

    “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” – Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) #moviequotes

    Characters in the Star Wars universe are completely unaware of the amazing soundtrack that accompanies the most important moments in their lives.

    Bugs Bunny’s accent is an equal blend of the Bronx and Brooklyn dialects.

    “I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!” – Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) in Wizard of Oz, The Wizard of Oz, 1939

    “My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” – Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)

    The Scary Statistic: Accidental Injury odds: 1-in-36

    What to do: Don’t do anything, ever. Sit in a non-folding chair.

    “Tell me I’m clever, Tell me I’m kind, Tell me I’m talented, Tell me I’m cute, Tell me I’m sensitive, Graceful and wise, Tell me I’m perfect… But tell me the truth.” – Shel Silverstein

    Biggest film of 1985: Back to the Future (Action/Adventure) earned ~ $212,000,000

    Billy The Kid – Real Name: Henry McCarty

    Useless Pronunciation: P as in phishing

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  • January 12 in Pop Culture History

    January 12 in Pop Culture History

    January 12th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 12th History Highlights

    • 1991 – Congress authorized the use of military force against Iraq.
    • 1932 – Hattie W. Caraway (D, Arkansas) was the first female United States Senator.
    • 2004 – The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, made its maiden voyage.
    • If you were born on January 12th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 21st (prior year)

    Happy Birthday Hal 9000

    January 12, 1997: Activated (fictional) HAL 9000 computer. But in the film, HAL said that he was activated on January 12, 1992. #mandelaeffect?

    January 12th is…

    Curried Chicken Day
    National Hot Tea Day
    National Kiss a Ginger Day
    National Marzipan Day
    Pharmacist Day

    January 12th Birthday Quotes

    Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe. ~
    – Edmund Burke

    I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it I can sing it for you.
    -Hal 5000, in 2001: A Space Odyssey

    To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. “I will drink the ocean”, says the persevering soul; “at my will mountains will crumble up”. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.
    – Swami Vivekananda

    Through history, people look for something spiritual. The greatest scientists in the world were men of religion and faith, too.
    – Kirstie Alley

    They say that Virginia is the mother of Texas. We never knew who the father was, but we kinda suspected Tennessee.
    – Tex Ritter

    How could I feel like a hero when only five men in my platoon of 45 survived, when only 27 men in my company of 250 managed to escape death or injury?
    Ira Hayes

    I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
    – Jack London

    Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom; and a great empire and little minds go ill together.
    – Edmund Burke

    January 12th Birthdays

    1577 – Jan Baptist van Helmont, Flemish chemist and physician (died in 1644)
    1588 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (died in 1649)
    1628 – Charles Perrault, French author and academic (died in 1703)
    1729 – Edmund Burke, Irish philosopher, academic, and politician (died in 1797)
    1856 – John Singer Sargent, American/Italian artist (died in 1925)
    1863 – Swami Vivekananda, Indian philosopher (died in 1902)
    1876 – Jack London, American novelist and journalist (died in 1916)
    1905 – Tex Ritter, American actor and singer (died in 1974)
    1920 – James Farmer, America civil rights activist (died in 1999)
    1922 – Ira Hayes, American soldier (died in 1955)
    1926 – Ray Price, American singer-songwriter (died in 2013)
    1930 – Tim Horton, Canadian ice hockey player and businessman, founded Tim Hortons (died in 1974)
    1935 – Kreskin (George Joseph Kresge), American mentalist
    1944 – Joe Frazier, American boxer (died in 2011)
    1946 – George Duke, American keyboard player and composer (died in 2013)
    1950 – Sheila Jackson Lee, American politician
    1951 – Kirstie Alley, American actress
    1951 – Rush Limbaugh, American talk show host
    1952 – Ricky Van Shelton, American country singer-songwriter
    1962 – Joe Quesada, Americancomic book author and illustrator
    1964 – Jeff Bezos, American businessman, founded Amazon.com
    1965 – Rob Zombie (Robert Bartleh Cummings), American singer-songwriter
    1974 – Melanie C (Melanie Jayne Chisholm), English singer-songwriter, Spice Girls
    1981 – Amerie, American singer-songwriter
    1985 – Issa Rae, American actress
    1993 – Zayn Malik, English singer-songwriter, One Direction

    January 12th History

    1866 – The Royal Aeronautical Society was formed in London. It is one of the oldest aerospace professional societies in the world. Its membership includes a wide range of professionals working in the aerospace industry, including engineers, pilots, designers, and researchers. The society is headquartered in London and has branches around the world. The Royal Aeronautical Society’s mission is to promote the study and practice of aeronautics and to encourage the exchange of information and ideas among its members and the broader aerospace community. To achieve this, the society organizes various events, including conferences, lectures, and workshops, and publishes various technical journals and magazines. The society also provides a range of professional development and networking opportunities for its members.

    1888 – Schoolhouse Blizzard, USA

    1906 – Dow Jones closed over 100 for the 1st time.

    1926 – Original Sam ‘n’ Henry premiered on WGN (Chicago) radio and was later renamed Amos ‘n’ Andy in 1928.

    January 12, 1957 Birthday (fictional) Tow Mater, Cars, Pixar/Disney, Film

    1959 – Motown Records was formed in Detroit.

    1963 – #1 Hit January 12, 1963 – January 25, 1963: Steve LawrenceGo Away Little Girl

    1965 – Hullabaloo premiered on NBC.

    1966 – ABC’s Batman television series premiered.

    1967 – Dr. James Bedford was the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation. He is still frozen at the Alcor Life Extension Foundation.

    1971 – All In The Family aired for the first time on CBS

    1974 – #1 Hit January 12, 1974 – January 18, 1974: Steve Miller BandThe Joker

    1981 – Dynasty debuted on ABC

    1990 – Internal Affairs was released in theaters.

    1996 – Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Bio-Dome, Two if By Sea and Dunston Checks In were released in theaters.

    January 12, 1997 Activated (fictional) HAL 9000 computer was activated on January 12, 1997. But in the film, HAL said that he was activated on January 12, 1992. #mandelaeffect? 2001: A Space Odyssey, Film

    1997 – King Of The Hill made its premiere on FOX.

    1998 – The game SuperBall! was played for the last time on The Price Is Right

    2001 – Save the Last Dance debuted in theaters.

    2001 – National Geographic Channel debuted American cable

    2001 – Lizzie McGuire premiered on The Disney Channel

    2001 – Downtown Disney opened to the public as part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

    2006 – A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day of the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, killed at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.

    January 12, 2007 – Jump In! aired on The Disney Channel

    2007 – Stomp the Yard, Alpha Dog & Primeval debuted in theaters.

    2010 (Earthquake) Port-au-Prince, Haiti, killed over 200,000 people.

    2014 – Broadway Show – Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Musical) January 12, 2014

    #1 Hit January 12, 2019 – January 18, 2019: Halsey – Without Me

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Joan Rivers – Real Name: Joan Molinsky

    Eyelashes are supposed to prevent things from getting into your eyes but when I do have something in my eye, its always an eyelash. Pretty ‘eye’ronic.

    More retailers should adopt the “leave a penny / take a penny” system. It is literally common cents.

    Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

    “I have to return some videotapes.” – Patrick Bateman, American Psycho #moviequotes

    [This post was deleted because Neil’s bedroom was on fire]

    When Jack Kirby left his prolific career at Marvel Comics to work at DC, he insisted on being assigned to “Jimmy Olsen,” their least popular series, so he wouldn’t take anyone’s job

    The Capital of Vietnam is Hanoi

    Putting socks to the washer is like sending soldiers to war. You know beforehand that not all of them are going to make it back.

    “Hands Down” originated when a jockey, having secured the outcome, could afford to loosen the reigns and lower his hands before crossing the finish line.

    Charlton Heston – Real Name: Charlton Carter

    “Dreaming about being an actress, is more exciting then being one.” – Marilyn Monroe

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  • January 11 in Pop Culture History

    January 11 in Pop Culture History

    January 11th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 11th History Highlights

    • 1759 – First American life insurance company incorporated, founded by the Presbyterian Synod of Philadelphia.
    • 1908 – Grand Canyon National Monument was created. It became a National park in 1919.
    • 1964 – Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., publishes the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti-smoking efforts.
    • If you were born on January 11th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 20th (prior year)

    January 11th is…

    National Hot Toddy Day
    National Milk Day
    Secret Pal Day
    Stomp in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day (weather permitting)

    January 11th Birthday Quotes

    The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.
    – Alexander Hamilton

    I don’t care about the gold records and all of that stuff. I care about what we do on stage and the joy that we bring to people.
    – Clarence Clemons

    I’m not going to take this defeatist attitude and listen to all this crap anymore from all these people who have nothing except doomsday to predict.
    – Carroll Shelby

    Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.
    – William James

    There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern.
    – Abraham Joshua Heschel

    I learned my lesson after seeing what guys like TJ Lavin, Ty Pinney, Stephen Murray and Mikey went through. And honestly, I feel like I’m disrespecting them by not wearing a helmet while riding at this level. I wish kids would start appreciating life and realize how everything can change in that one split second just because you’re not going to wear a helmet.
    – Scotty Cranmer

    January 11th Birthdays

    1755 – Alexander Hamilton, Nevisian-American, American politician, 1st United States Secretary of the Treasury (died in 1804)
    1814 – James Paget, English surgeon and pathologist (died in 1899)
    1842 – William James, American psychologist (died in 1910)
    1906 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic, discoverer of LSD (died in 2008)
    1907 – Abraham Joshua Heschel, Jewish theologians (died in 1972)
    1923 – Carroll Shelby, American race car driver, engineer, and businessman, founded Carroll Shelby International (died in 2012)
    1924 – Slim Harpo, American blues singer-songwriter (died in 1970)
    1928 – David L. Wolper, American director and producer (died in 2010)
    1942 – Clarence Clemons, American saxophonist (died in 2011)
    1946 – Naomi Judd, American singer-songwriter and actress
    1952 – Lee Ritenour, American guitarist
    1957 – Darryl Dawkins, American basketball player and coach (died in 2015)
    1971 – Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter
    1984 – Matt Mullenweg, American web developer, co-created WordPress
    1986 – Rachel Riley, British gameshow hostess, math whiz
    1987 – Scotty Cranmer, American Professional BMX rider

    January 11th History

    1693 (Earthquake) Sicily, Italy

    1908 – The Grand Canyon National Monument was dedicated. It is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the United States and is visited by millions yearly. The Grand Canyon is a massive, steep-sided canyon carved over millions of years by the Colorado River. It is over 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, and more than a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters) deep. The Grand Canyon National Monument was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt to protect the area and its unique geological and ecological features. It was later designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Grand Canyon is home to various plant and animal life and is a popular destination for hikers, backpackers, and sightseers.

    1922 – Leonard Thompson (1908-35) was the first person to receive an insulin injection as a treatment for diabetes.

    1927 – Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), announced the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, at a banquet in Los Angeles, California.

    1935 – Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.

    1949 – It snowed in Los Angeles for the first time (that we know of)

    1958 – #1 Hit January 11, 1958 – February 14, 1958: Danny & the JuniorsAt The Hop

    1964 – US Surgeon General Dr. Luther Leonidas Terry, M.D., published the first governmental report saying that smoking may be hazardous to health.

    1973 – Major League Baseball owners voted to approve of the American League adopting the designated hitter position.

    January 11, 1991 Birthday (fictional) Claire Bennet, Heroes, TV

    1995 – The WB Television Network was launched.

    January 11, 2005 – The iPod Shuffle (1st generation) was released.

    #1 Hit January 11, 2020 – January 17, 2020: CirclesPost Malone

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    The United States has never lost a war in which mules were used.

    Billie Holiday – Real Name: Eleanora Fagan

    “No one ever takes a photograph of something they want to forget.” – Sy Parrish in One Hour Photo #moviequotes

    Buy artwork from students at colleges near you. You can get great stuff for cheap from new artists that are ecstatic to be acknowledged and make even a little money. Win-win!

    “You got my homework finished, McFly? ” – Biff #moviequotes

    The Seven Deadly Sins #2- Envy is wanting what others have, be it status, abilities, or possessions.

    We are all just one hit away from being one hit wonders.

    “And though I’ll think of you, I guess, until the day I die.. I think I miss you less and less as every day goes by.” #songlyrics

    When the “a” in “a part” is a part of the word “apart” it means the opposite of “a part.”

    The word “regnartsneve” is strange, but backwards it’s even stranger.

    Iin Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, written around 1599, Caesar describes himself as being “as constant as the northern star”, though in Caesar’s time there was no constant northern star.

    Biggest film of 1986: Top Gun (Action) earned ~ $180,000,000

    The guitar solo in Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ was played by Eddie Van Halen.

    It’s the 21st century… you can buy a jet on eBay, video chat with someone in China and sit in a self-driving car for hours, but you still can’t upgrade your cable package to include HBO unless you call to upgrade over the phone.

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  • January 10 in Pop Culture History

    January 10 in Pop Culture History

    January 10th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 10th History Highlights

    • 1776 – “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine was published.
    • 1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.
    • 1878 – The first (Susan B. Anthony Woman) Woman’s Suffrage Amendment was offerd to congress by Senator Arlen A. Sargent of California.
    • 1927 – Fritz Lang’s futuristic film Metropolis was released in Germany.
    • 1946 – The United Nations’ General Assembly (51 countries) met for the first time in London.
    • If you were born on January 10th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 19th (prior year)

    January 10th is…

    Houseplant Appreciation Day
    National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
    Oysters Rockefeller Day
    Peculiar People Day
    Save The Eagles Day

    January 10th Birthday Quotes

    Corruption never has been compulsory; when the cities lie at the monster’s feet there are left the mountains.
    – Robinson Jeffers

    I was brought up on the books of The Wizard of Oz and my mother told me that these were great philosophies. It was a very simple philosophy, that everybody had a heart, that everybody had a brain, that everybody had courage. These were the gifts that are given to you when you come on this earth, and if you use them properly, you reach the pot at the end of the rainbow. And that pot of gold was a home. And home isn’t just a house or an abode, its people, people who love you and that you love. That’s a home.
    – Ray Bolger

    You can’t change the past so don’t let it haunt you. You can change the future but first you’ve got to want to.
    – Pat Benatar

    It’s great to know that our old stuff still sounds good to our fans, just as it’s wonderful to think that we’ve turned a few people on to jazz over the years.
    – Donald Fagen

    I have been hunted for twenty-one years. I have literally lived in the saddle. I have never known a day of perfect peace.
    – Frank James

    It’s not hard to make decisions once you know what your values are.
    – Roy E. Disney

    January 10th Birthdays

    1936 – Charles Phillip Ingalls, the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder (died in 1902)
    1843 – Frank James, American criminal (died in 1915)
    1864 – Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (died in 1931)
    1887 – (John) Robinson Jeffers, American poet (died in 1962)
    1904 – Ray Bolger, American actor (died in 1987)
    1917 – Jerry Wexler, American music producer (died in 2008)
    1924 – Max Roach, American drummer and composer (died in 2007)
    1927 – Johnnie Ray, American singer-songwriter and pianist (died in 1990)
    1928 – Philip Levine, American poet (died in 2015)
    1930 – Roy E. Disney, American businessman (died in 2009)
    1936 – Al Goldstein, American publisher (died in 2013)
    1939 – David Horowitz, American activist and author
    1939 – Scott McKenzie, American singer-songwriter (died in 2012)
    1939 – Sal Mineo, American actor (died in 1976)
    1944 – Jeffrey Catherine (Jeff) Jones, American comics and fantasy artist (died in 2011)
    1944 – Frank Sinatra, Jr., American singer and actor (died in 2016)
    1945 – Rod Stewart, English singer-songwriter
    1948 – Donald Fagen, American singer-songwriter and musician
    1949 – Linda Lovelace, American actress (died in 2002)
    1950 – Roy Blunt, American politician
    1953 – Pat Benatar, American singer-songwriter
    1956 – Shawn Colvin, American singer-songwriter
    1961 – Janet Jones, American actress
    1973 – Félix Trinidad, Puerto Rican-American boxer
    1981 – Jared Kushner, American businessman and political figure
    1989 – Emily Meade, American actress

    January 10th History

    On January 10, 1793 – Jean Pierre Blanchard made the first successful balloon flight in the United States, from Philadelphia, PA to Woodbury, NJ. When he took off, his witnesses included President George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Ben Franklin passed away 2 years earlier, I’m sure he would have wanted to be there too.
    Jean Pierre was a daredevil of his time.
    Another Frenchman had invented The Parachute, basically French for “AVERT THE FALL”, and Jean Pierre demonstrated that you could safely get out of a hot air balloon by using a dog with a parachute. Also in 1793, he may have been the first human to actually need a parachute when his balloon broke. He said it happened, but there were no witnesses.

    1863 – London’s Metropolitan, the world’s first underground passenger railway, opened.

    1870 – John D. Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil. It is now part of ExxonMobil.

    1899 – The US patent (#617592) was issued for an “Electric Device,” invented by David Misell, which was manufactured as the first tubular “Flash Light” by Conrad Hubert at his American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company.

    1901 – The first major discovery of oil in Texas was made at Spindletop, near Beaumont.

    1920 – The League of Nations was established.

    1927 – Fritz Lang’s Metropolis premiered in Germany.

    1941 – Broadway Show – Arsenic and Old Lace (Play) January 10, 1941

    1946 – The United Nations General Assembly met for the 1st time in London.

    1949 – The 7-inch ’45’ PRM record was introduced, by RCA. The blue-colored vinyl played a promo in English on one side and Spanish on the other.

    1953 – #1 Hit January 10, 1953 – February 13, 1953: Perry Como – Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes

    1955 – Inherit the Wind opened on Broadway at the National Theater

    1976 – #1 Hit January 10, 1976 – January 16, 1976: C. W. McCall – Convoy

    1983 – Fraggle Rock premiered on HBO

    1990 – Time Warner was formed by the merger of Time Inc. and Warner Communications.

    1992 – The Hand That Rocks the Cradle was released in theaters.

    1997 – Jackie Chan’s First Strike, Turbulence and The Relic were released in theaters.

    1999 – The Sopranos debuted on HBO

    Janury 10, 2006 – The Apple iMac was released.

    2010 – FOX announced that Simon Cowell would depart from American Idol in May in order to launch a US version of X Factor in Fall 2011, also on FOX

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody.” – Terry Molloy (Marlon Brando) #moviequotes

    I want hang a map of the world in my house. Then I’m gonna put pins into all the locations that I’ve traveled to. But first, I’m gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won’t fall down.

    A group of Hyenas is called a Cackle or Clan.

    “We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery.” – Charlie Chaplin #moviequotes

    The Capital of Saint Lucia is Castries

    Shrek was originally a children’s book – and it came out in 1990.

    You should go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

    Biggest film of 1987: 3 Men and a Baby (Comedy) earned ~ $168,000,000

    Sushi was originally a preservation method for the fish. Only later did people begin to eat the rice.

    Domestic cats kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 and 20.7 billion mammals each year in the United States

    My dog is always following me into the bathroom or poking his head in. He must think watching each other go to the bathroom is a bonding thing.

    Any stone in your boot always migrates against the pressure gradient to exactly the point of most pressure.

    Until 1954, STOP signs featured black writing on a yellow background, but the invention of a red finish that resisted fading allowed for the standardization of the idea that “red means stop” across both traffic lights and signs.

    I still have no idea where Cotton Eye Joe came from or where he is going.

    Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.

    You could pretty much learn all there is to know about America by watching the entire run of The Simpsons.

    “Three Men and a Baby” was actually a remake of a 1985 French film, 3 hommes et un couffin (Three Men and a Cradle).

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  • January 9 in Pop Culture History

    January 9 in Pop Culture History

    January 9th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 9th History Highlights

    • 1839 – The French Academy of Sciences announced the Daguerreotype photography process.
    • January 9, 1960 Birthday (fictional) Severus Snape, Harry Potter
    • 1861 – The American Civil War began when the steamer, Star of the West, was fired upon by the Confederates as it attempted to enter Charleston Harbor.
    • 1768 – Philip Astley opened the world’s first modern circus, with the center ring.
    • If you were born on January 9th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 18th (prior year)

    January 9th is…

    Aviation in America Day
    International Choreographers Day
    Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
    National Apricot Day
    National Nerd Word Day
    Poetry at Work Day
    Static Electricity Day

    National Balloon Ascension Day

    Does the idea of floating along, suspended in the sky by nothing but a bit of material and a bunch of hot air inspire awe? If it does, you’re in good company as thousands of rides are taken per year on the roughly 3,000 balloons. In fact, George Washington himself was witness to the first manned balloon flight in the United States on January 9, 1793.

    History

    Jean-Paul Blanchard was the pilot that day. The French-born aeronaut is widely regarded as the inventor of ballooning, although, at the time, he used hydrogen instead of the heated air modern balloonists use.

    The President and a rather large crown watched as he climbed aboard and launched his balloon into the Philadelphia sky. That day he floated around some 1,200 feet above the Walnut Street Prison. He had no way to steer the balloon so, for 46 minutes, he was carried along by the wind until he came to rest on a local farm. With the assistance of some area farmers, he was able to get himself and his balloon back into the city.

    This momentous occasion was not only the United States’ first voyage into the sky but also helped solidify America’s reputation as a beacon of innovation and technological advancement. The flight wasn’t celebrated annually until 2011, marking the first year National Balloon Ascension Day was officially observed.

    How To Celebrate

    The best way to celebrate this day is to overcome your fear if you have it, and take to the skies. Don’t let this opportunity for a full 360-degree view sit idly on your bucket list. Climb in the basket and soar up, up, and away, camera in hand, ready to be amazed. There is no shame in keeping your feet firmly on the ground. After all, that’s just what Washington himself did. It’s still an amazing sight to watch these massive balloons slowly expand and reach toward the clouds. If there is no hot air balloon event near you, you could always tie a bunch of helium balloons to your house, or carry them around the neighborhood! However you do it, it’s a fascinating piece of American History to read up on or get involved in, and January 9 is the perfect day for an adventure.

    January 9th Birthday Quotes

    I would have made a good Pope.
    – Richard M. Nixon

    I am incapable of conceiving infinity, and yet I do not accept infinity. I want this adventure that is the context of my life to go on without end.
    – Simone de Beauvoir

    If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you’ll beat him though he has more talent than you.
    – Bart Starr

    You can’t decide how you’re going to die. Or when. What you can decide is how you’re going to live now.
    – Joan Baez

    Nah, the Smithsonian doesn’t ask for anything back from Gilligan, … They haven’t dropped that low yet.
    – Bob Denver

    The individual is defined only by his relationship to the world and to other individuals; he exists only by transcending himself, and his freedom can be achieved only through the freedom of others.
    – Simone de Beauvoir

    January 9th Birthdays

    1859 – Carrie Lane Chapman, American Suffragette (died in 1947)
    1901 – Chic Young, American cartoonist, Blondie comic strip (died in 1973)
    1908 – Simone de Beauvoir, French author, and philosopher (died in 1986)
    1913 – Richard Nixon, American politician, 37th President of the United States (died in 1994)
    1916 – Vic Mizzy, American composer (died in 2009)
    1925 – Lee Van Cleef, American actor (died in 1989)
    1928 – Judith Krantz, American novelist
    1934 – Bart Starr, American football player (died in 2019)
    1935 – Bob Denver, American actor (died in 2005)
    1939 – Susannah York, English actress (died in 2011)
    1941 – Joan Baez, American singer-songwriter
    1944 – Jimmy Page, English guitarist
    1951 – Crystal Gayle, American singer-songwriter
    1955 – J.K. Simmons, American actor
    1965 – Joely Richardson, English actress
    1967 – Matt Bevin, American politician, 62nd Governor of Kentucky
    1967 – Dave Matthews, South African-American singer-songwriter
    1968 – Joey Lauren Adams, American actress
    1973 – Sean Paul, Jamaican rapper
    1978 – AJ McLean, American singer, Backstreet Boys
    1982 – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton)
    1989 – Nina Dobrev, Bulgarian-Canadian actress

    January 9th History

    1693 (Earthquake) Sicily, Italy

    1788 – Connecticut became the 5th state

    1793 – Jean Pierre Blanchard made the first successful balloon flight in the United States, from Philadelphia, PA to Woodbury, NJ.

    1857 (Earthquake) Fort Tejon, California

    1905 – The Saint Petersburg Massacre. Palace Guards fired at some 150,000 unarmed protestors. Over 200 people were killed.

    1927 – A fire at the Laurier Palace movie theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, killed 78 children.

    1947 – Elizabeth “Betty” Short, AKA the Black Dahlia, was last seen alive.

    1951 – Life After Tomorrow, 1st film to receive an “X” rating, premiered in London… ‘X’ ratings at that time were not the same as today – through 1951-1970 – it meant the film was for viewers over 16.

    1956 – Abigail Van Buren’s “Dear Abby” column first appeared in newspaper syndication.

    1959 – Rawhide premiered on CBS.

    1961 – #1 Hit January 9, 1961 – January 29, 1961: Bert KaempfertWonderland by Night

    1968 – It Tales a Thief, starring Robert Wagner, debuted on ABC

    1984 – Wendy’s “Where’s The Beef” commercials with Clara Peller began

    1988 – #1 Hit January 9, 1988 – January 15, 1988: Whitney HoustonSo Emotional

    1996- 3rd Rock From The Sun debuted on NBC

    1997 – Antiques Roadshow debuted on PBS

    2000 – Malcolm in the Middle premiered on FOX

    2007 – Apple’s iPhone was unveiled.

    2009 – Bride Wars debuted in theaters.

    2011 – Bob’s Burgers premiered on FOX

    #1 Hit January 9, 2021 – January 22, 2021: Mood24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and all the less important ones just never go away.

    The word criminal does not mean ‘evil.’ It simply means ‘any person who does any illegal thing.’ Remember that next time you watch the news.

    Useless Pronunciation: P as in pee

    “Mylar balloon” is an accepted geometric term, despite the trademark in it.

    Axl Rose – Real Name: William Bailey

    “Based on a true story” means “we made up all the best bits.”

    Vinyl records don’t have grooves. They have one groove that spirals inward. They have a groove.

    The price of a Model T went from $829 in 1909 to $260 in 1925. Henry Ford continually reduced its price as production efficiency increased. #capitalism

    “It is sad to grow old but nice to ripen.” – Brigitte Bardot

    Minus 40 degrees Celsius is the same as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

    In 1986, a volcanic lake in Cameroon, Africa burped a C02 gas cloud that killed 1,746 people in minutes.

    TV Quotes… “Yeah, that’s the ticket” (Jon Lovitz as the pathological liar) on “Saturday Night Live”

    It takes over eighteen hours to watch the entire Harry Potter series in one sitting.

    Don’t use a song you like as your alarm in the morning. Eventually, you will come to hate it.

    In Star Wars, Emperor Palpatine’s first name is Sheev.

    Keanu Reeves’s first name means “cool breeze over the mountains” in Hawaiian.

    “Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids” – Trix cereal ad

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 8 in Pop Culture History

    January 8 in Pop Culture History

    January 8th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 8th History Highlights

    • 1851 – Jean Foucault proved that Earth rotated on its axis.
    • January 8, 2016 Birthday (fictional) Replicant Roy Batty, Blade Runner, Film
    • 1982 – AT&T was broken up into 22 smaller companies, nicknamed ‘Baby Bells’.
    • 1918 – President Woodrow Wilson proposed the ‘Fourteen Points for a Just Peace’.
    • 1964 – President Lyndon Johnson announced the ‘War on Poverty’ during his State of the Union Address.
    • If you were born on January 8th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 17th (prior year)

    Wilson’s Fourteen Points For a Just Peace

    I. Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view.

    II. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas, outside territorial waters, alike in peace and in war, except as the seas may be closed in whole or in part by international action for the enforcement of international covenants.

    III. The removal, so far as possible, of all economic barriers and the establishment of an equality of trade conditions among all the nations consenting to the peace and associating themselves for its maintenance.

    IV. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety.

    V. A free, open-minded, and absolutely impartial adjustment of all colonial claims, based upon a strict observance of the principle that in determining all such questions of sovereignty the interests of the populations concerned must have equal weight with the equitable government whose title is to be determined.

    VI. The evacuation of all Russian territory and such a settlement of all questions affecting Russia as will secure the best and freest cooperation of the other nations of the world in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed opportunity for the independent determination of her own political development and national policy and assure her of a sincere welcome into the society of free nations under institutions of her own choosing; and, more than a welcome, assistance also of every kind that she may need and may herself desire. The treatment accorded Russia by her sister nations in the months to come will be the acid test of their goodwill, of their comprehension of her needs as distinguished from their own interests, and of their intelligent and unselfish sympathy.

    VII. Belgium, the whole world will agree, must be evacuated and restored, without any attempt to limit the sovereignty which she enjoys in common with all other free nations. No other single act will serve as this will serve to restore confidence among the nations in the laws which they have themselves set and determined for the government of their relations with one another. Without this healing act, the whole structure and validity of international law is forever impaired.

    VIII. All French territory should be freed and the invaded portions restored, and the wrong done to France by Prussia in 1871 in the matter of Alsace-Lorraine, which has unsettled the peace of the world for nearly fifty years, should be righted, in order that peace may once more be made secure in the interest of all.

    IX. A readjustment of the frontiers of Italy should be effected along clearly recognizable lines of nationality.

    X. The people of Austria-Hungary, whose place among the nations we wish to see safeguarded and assured, should be accorded the freest opportunity to autonomous development.

    XI. Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro should be evacuated; occupied territories restored; Serbia accorded free and secure access to the sea, and the relations of the several Balkan states to one another determined by friendly counsel along historically established lines of allegiance and nationality; and international guarantees of the political and economic independence and territorial integrity of the several Balkan states should be entered into.

    XII. The Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development, and the Dardanelles should be permanently opened as a free passage to the ships and commerce of all nations under international guarantees.

    XIII. An independent Polish state should be erected which should include the territories inhabited by indisputably Polish populations, which should be assured a free and secure access to the sea, and whose political and economic independence and territorial integrity should be guaranteed by international covenant.

    XIV. A general association of nations must be formed under specific covenants for the purpose of affording mutual guarantees of political independence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike.

    January 8th is…

    Argyle Day
    Bubble Bath Day
    National Winter Skin Day
    War on Poverty Day

    January 8th Birthday Quotes

    I’m so nervous. I’ve always been nervous, ever since I was a kid.
    – Elvis Presley

    For millions of years, mankind lived just like the animals. Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination. We learned to talk. – Stephen Hawking

    Nothing but widespread suffering will produce any effect on Congress.
    – Nicholas Biddle

    Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.
    – Elvis Presley

    You don’t have to be naked to look naked.
    – Gypsy Rose Lee

    The colored folks have been singing it and playing it just like I’m doin’ now, man, for more years than I know. I got it from them.
    – Elvis Presley

    An ancient Chinese curse runs, “May you live in interesting times.” Since the fall of the Roman Empire, there has rarely been more interesting times than these. Whenever history becomes unstable and destinies hang in the balance, then magicians and messiahs appear everywhere. Our own civilization has moved into an epoch of permanent crisis and upheaval, and we are beset with a plague of wizards. They serve a historic purpose, for whenever a society undergoes radical change, alternative spiritualities proliferate, and from among these, a culture will select a new world view.
    – Peter J. Carroll

    January 8th Birthdays

    1786 – Nicholas Biddle, American banker, and financier (died in 1844)
    1908 – William Hartnell, English actor (died in 1975)
    1911 – Gypsy Rose Lee, American actress, and dancer (died in 1970)
    1912 – José Ferrer, Puerto Rican-American actor (died in 1992)
    1923 – Larry Storch, American comedic actor
    1926 – Soupy Sales, American comedian, and actor (died in 2009)
    1931 – Bill Graham, German-American businessman, concert promoter (died in 1991)
    1933 – Charles Osgood, American journalist
    1935 – Elvis Presley, American singer, The King
    1937 – Shirley Bassey, Welsh singer
    1941 – Graham Chapman, English actor, Monty Python member (died in 1989)
    1942 – Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author (died in 2018)
    1942 – Yvette Mimieux, American actress
    1947 – David Bowie, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (died in 2016)
    1955 – Mike Reno, Canadian singer, and drummer, Loverboy singer
    1958 – Betsy DeVos, American businesswoman, and politician
    1958 – Rey Misterio, Sr., Mexican wrestler
    1967 – R. (Robert Sylvester) Kelly, American singer-songwriter
    1977 – Amber Benson, American actress
    2000 – Noah Cyrus, American actress, and singer

    January 8th History

    January 8, **** Birthday (fictional) Queen Hippolyta, Wonder Woman, DC Comics

    1780 (Earthquake) Tabriz, Iran

    1790 – George Washington gave the first ‘State of the Union’ message, urging the opening of the US Patent Office.

    1815 – Andrew Jackson won the “Battle of New Orleans”

    1828 – The Democratic Party of the United States was organized.

    1835 – The United States’ official debt was $0.00.

    1889 – Dr. Herman Hollerith received the 1st U.S. patent for a tabulating machine, technically this was the first computer patent!

    1918 – Mississippi was the 1st state to ratify the 18th amendment (prohibition)

    1963 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was exhibited in the United States for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

    1964 – US President Lyndon Johnson declared ‘War on Poverty’

    1966 – #1 Hit January 8, 1966 – February 4, 1966: The Beatles – We Can Work It Out

    1977 – #1 Hit January 8, 1977 – January 14, 1977: Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. – You Don’t Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)

    1987 – Dow Jones closed above 2,000 for 1st time (2,002.25)

    1996 – Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso was accidentally rammed by a barge and sank in Singapore Harbour. It was raised, and is now a museum in France.

    2002 – President George W. Bush signed into law the bi-partisan No Child Left Behind Act.

    2001 – #1 Hit January 8, 2011 – January 28, 2011: Bruno Mars – Grenade

    January 8, 2016 Birthday (fictional) Replicant Roy Batty, Blade Runner, Film

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Biggest film of 1988: Rain Man (Comedy) earned ~ $173,000,000

    “I think the universe is on my side. Heaven and Earth have finally aligned. Days are good and that’s the way it should be.” #songlyrics

    You just don’t see criminals on TV with pantyhose over their heads anymore.

    Brass doorknob germs will be self-disinfected within 7 hours due to the anti-microbial property of brass.

    Actors are “on” a TV show but “in” a movie.

    I’ve used it for 16 years and, despite its crazy technological advances, never once have I dared to hit the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button on Google Search. All this time and I still don’t feel lucky.

    The song, “Old Time Rock n Roll” by Bob Seger, has become that old time rock n roll.

    If something lucky happens to you, you shouldn’t buy a lottery ticket. The chances of both happening on the same day is lower than winning the lottery itself.

    Doc Brown named his dog “Einstein” because Doc broke all of Einstein’s rules and thought Einstein was an idiot.

    The metal part on a pencil is called a “ferrule.”

    If you got your mouth stuck in a mousetrap, it would then be pronounced “mouth trap.”

    The Capital of Yemen is Sanaa

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 7 in Pop Culture History

    January 7 in Pop Culture History

    January 7th History, Facts and Trivia

    January 7th History Highlights

    • January 7, 1934 – Flash Gordon, a Comic Strip, debuted
    • 1927 -The first transatlantic telephone service was established between New York City and London.
    • January 7, 1929 – Tarzan the Ape Man, a Comic Strip, debuted
    • 1999 – The Senate trial in the impeachment of U.S. President Bill Clinton began.
    • If you were born on January 7th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 16th (prior year)

    January 7th is…

    Harlem Globetrotter’s Day
    I’m Not Going to Take it Anymore Day
    International Programmers’ Day
    National Bobblehead Day
    National Old Rock Day
    National Pass Gas Day
    Orthodox Christmas Day

    January 7th Birthday Quotes

    “Courage is always rewarded.”
    – Kenny Loggins

    “The whole country is full of enterprise. Our common schools are diffusing intelligence among the people and our industry is fast accumulating the comforts and luxuries of life. … It is not strange, however much it may be regretted, that such an exuberance of enterprise should cause some individuals to mistake change for progress and the invasion of the rights of others for national prowess and glory.”
    – Millard Fillmore

    “The public is never wrong.”
    – Adolph Zukor

    “I am learning to forgive my inner geek, and even value him as a free man.”
    – Kenny Loggins

    “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”
    – Charles Addams

    “A boat is always safe in the harbor, but that’s not what boats are built for.”
    – Katie Couric

    January 7th Birthdays

    1800 – Millard Fillmore, American politician, 13th President of the United States (died in 1874)
    1834 – Johann Philipp Reis, German physicist and academic, invented the Reis telephone (died in 1874)
    1873 – Adolph Zukor, Hungarian-American film producer, co-founded Paramount Pictures (died in 1976)
    1903 – Alan Napier, English actor (died in 1988)
    1911 – Butterfly McQueen, American actress and dancer (died in 1995)
    1912 – Charles Addams, American cartoonist, created The Addams Family (died in 1988)
    1929 – Terry Moore, American actress
    1948 – Kenny Loggins, American singer-songwriter
    1956 – David Caruso, American actor
    1957 – Katie Couric, American television journalist
    1963 – Rand Paul, American ophthalmologist and politician
    1964 – Nicolas Cage, American actor
    1970 – Doug E. Doug, American actor and comedian
    1971 – Jeremy Renner, American actor
    1979 – Aloe Blacc, American musician
    1987 – Lyndsy Fonseca, American actress

    January 7th History

    1608 – Fire destroyed the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia

    1610 – Galileo Galilei made his first observation of the four Galilean moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa,

    1714 – The world’s first patent (#395) for a “Machine for Transcribing Letters” was granted in England by Queen Anne to Henry Mill. This first planned typewriter was never actually produced.

    1830 – The 1st U.S. Railroad Station opened in Baltimore, MD

    1927 – Commercial telephone service via radio began between New York and London.

    1929 – Drawn by Hal Foster, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan comic strip 1st appeared

    1929 – Buck Rogers, illustrated by Dick Calkins, appeared in newspaper comics.

    1927 – The Harlem Globetrotters played their first game in Hinkley, Ill.

    1948 – Thomas Mantell reported seeing a UFO over Kentucky.

    1950 – #1 Hit January 7, 1950 – January 13, 1950: Gene Autry – Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer

    1962 – The Avengers premiered in ITV, in the UK

    1966 – Gene Kiniski defeated long-time wrestling champ Lou Thesz to become NWA champion.

    1975 – Broadway Show – Shenandoah (Musical) January 7, 1975

    1980 – President Jimmy Carter authorized legislation giving $1.5 billion in loans to bail out the Chrysler Corporation.

    January 7, 1983 Birthday (fictional) Grant Ward, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., TV

    1990 – The Leaning Tower of Piza was closed, citing safety concerns, and after some repairs, reopened on June 16, 2001.

    1994 – Cabin Boy was released in theaters.

    January 7, 2002 – The Apple iBook was released.

    2004 – The Apprentice premiered on NBC

    2012 – #1 Hit January 7, 2012 – February 3, 2012: LMFAOSexy and I Know It

    January 7, 2092 Birthday (fictional) Ellen Ripley, Alien/s, Film

    2015 – Two terroists attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo Magazine in Paris, killing twelve people, and wounding eleven others.

    #1 Hit January 7, 2017 – January 20, 2017: The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk – Starboy

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.

    What’s the definition of a will? It’s a dead giveaway.

    The term “blueprint” is from the 19th century technique for copying technical drawings using a blue dye.

    “Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.” – Mel Brooks

    The palace of the parliament in Bucharest is the heaviest building in the world.

    “No one knows what its like to feel these feelings, like I do… and I blame you!” #songlyrics

    Thanks to Ghostbusters if some god asked me to think of a monster to destroy the world, I would immediately think of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

    “Truth” is an anti-smoking campaign and “D.A.R.E.” is an antidrug campaign. #truthordare

    “I swear, if I hadn’t promised Mother on her deathbed that I wouldn’t kill you, I would kill you!” #moviequotes

    26 year old Kyle MacDonald was able to trade a single red paperclip all the way up to a house, using the “Beggir and Better” game strategy.

    PJ Proby – Real Name: James Marcus Smith

    With her marriage she got a new name and a dress. It was an emotional wedding. Even the cake was in tiers.

    Romeo and Juliet is proof that communication is key in relationships.

    If you tried your best to make the most ugly, unattractive and most ridiculous looking mash-up between a french maid and a velociraptor, it would probably look a lot like an ostrich.

    The Capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is Kingstown

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 6 in Pop Culture History

    January 6 in Pop Culture History

    January 6th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 6th History Highlights

    • January 6, 1854 Birthday (fictional) Sherlock Holmes, Literature
    • 1536 – The first European school of higher learning in the Americas, Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, was founded in Mexico City.
    • 1941 – US President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address:
      Freedom of speech
      Freedom of worship
      Freedom from want
      Freedom from fear
    • 1952 – The Hallmark Hall of Fame (Hallmark Television Playhouse) television anthology series premiered.
    • If you were born on January 6th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 15th (prior year)

    The Epiphany

    January 6th is the Epiphany, when the Magi (the three wise men – Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) officially arrived and it dawned on everyone that Jesus was, in fact, the Son of God. It is often credited as the day of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.

    January 6th is…

    Apple Tree Day
    Bean Day
    Cuddle Up Day
    Epiphany
    National Shortbread Day
    National Smith Day
    Take a Poet To Lunch Day

    January 6th Birthday Quotes

    In the future days which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression — everywhere in the world. The second is the freedom of every person to worship God in his own way — everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want… everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear… anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation.
    – Franklin Delano Roosevelt

    Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.
    – Danny Thomas

    Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be.
    – Khalil Gibran

    All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why.
    – Danny Thomas

    Nothing happens unless first, we dream.
    – Carl Sandburg

    If I’d stayed at college I would have become a teacher.
    – Syd Barrett

    I am not afraid… I was born to do this.
    – Joan of Arc

    The clear problem of the outlawing of insult is that too many things can be interpreted as such. Criticism, ridicule, sarcasm, merely stating an alternative point of view to the orthodoxy, can be interpreted as an insult.
    – Rowan Atkinson

    January 6th Birthdays

    1256 – Gertrude the Great (Saint Gertrude of Helfta), German saint (died ~ 1302)
    1412 – Joan of Arc, French martyr and saint (died in 1431)
    1878 – Carl Sandburg, American poet, and historian (died in 1967)
    1880 – Tom Mix, American cowboy, and actor (died in 1940)
    1883 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (died in 1931)
    1910 – Kid Chocolate, Cuban boxer (died in 1988)
    1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor and humanitarian; founded St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (died in 1991)
    1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (died in 2000)
    1924 – Earl Scruggs, American banjo player, wrote Foggy Mountain Breakdown (died in 2012)
    1925 – John DeLorean, American engineer, and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (died in 2005)
    1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-American actor, and bodybuilder (died in 2006)
    1937 – Doris Troy, American singer-songwriter (died in 2004)
    1938 – Adriano Celentano, Italian singer-songwriter, actor, and director, wrote Prisencolinensinainciusol
    1940 – Van McCoy, American singer-songwriter and producer (died in 1979)
    1944 – Bonnie Franklin, American actress (died in 2013)
    1946 – Syd Barrett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died in 2006)
    1947 – Sandy Denny, English folk-rock singer-songwriter (d 1978)
    1950 – Louis Freeh, American civil servant, 10th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
    1953 – Malcolm Young, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter, AC/DC (died in 2017)
    1955 – Rowan Atkinson, English comedic actor, Mr. Bean
    1960 – Nigella Lawson, English chef, and author
    1969 – Norman Reedus, American actor
    1970 – Julie Chen, American television journalist
    1984 – Kate McKinnon, American comedic actress
    1987 – Arin Hanson, American YouTube Celebrity

    January 6th History

    1540 – King Henry VIII of England married Anne of Cleves.

    1838 – Samuel Morse made the 1st public demonstration of the telegraph in New Jersey.

    1839 – The Night of the Big Wind swept across Ireland, damaging or destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.

    January 6, 1854 Birthday (fictional) Sherlock Holmes, Literature

    1912 – New Mexico became the 47th state.

    1930 – The first diesel-powered automobile trip is completed, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York, New York

    1941 – FDR gave his “4 Freedoms” speech (speech, worship, from want and from fear)

    1957 – Elvis Presley made his 7th (and final) appearance on Ed Sullivan Show

    January 6, 19** Birthday (fictional) Commissioner James Gordon, Batman, DC Comics

    1973 – #1 Hit January 6, 1973 – January 26, 1973: Carly Simon – You’re So Vain

    1973 – ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock debuted with Multiplication Rock

    1974 – In response to the 1973 oil crisis, daylight saving time began nearly four months early in the United States.

    1979 – #1 Hit January 6, 1979 – February 9, 1979: Bee Gees – Too Much Heaven

    1994 – Olympic Ice skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked when Tonya Harding’s husband and bodyguard hired Shane Stant to break her legs. Kerrigan finished in second place, Harding in 8th for the event.

    1995 – Houseguest was released in theaters.

    1996 – US Northeast Blizzard of 1996

    January 6, 2004 – The Apple iPod mini (1st generation) was released.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus” = “Never tickle a sleeping dragon”

    A group of Bloodhounds is called a Sute.

    “Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.” – James Bond (Sean Connery) #moviequotes

    “This is the city …” – Sgt. Joe Friday (Dragnet)

    TV Quotes… “Yabba dabba do!” (Fred Flintstone) on “The Flintstones”

    “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” #songlyrics

    Dress well even for the small things- If you look good, you’ll feel good. Feel good, you’ll do well. Do well, you’ll succeed.

    Audrey Hepburn – Real Name: Edda Hepburn Van Heemstra Ruston

    In movies, they usually play the sound of thunder along with lightning – with no delay, regardless of how far away it is.

    Hello Kitty has an identical twin sister named Mimmy.

    A person carrying a personal memento of a loved one, such as a jewelry or photo, has no chance of returning alive. #moviecliches

    If a pair of common housefly began reproduction in the month of April under optimal conditions, they could be progenitors of up to 191,010,000,000,000,000,000 flies by August.

    “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” – Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) in Casablanca, 1942

    Biggest film of 1989: Batman (Action) earned ~ $251,000,000

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 5 in Pop Culture History

    January 5 in Pop Culture History

    January 5th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 5th History Highlights

    • 1914 – The Ford Motor Company announced an eight-hour workday and a “living wage” of at least $5 per day’s labor.
    • 1957 – In a speech to the United States Congress, United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced the establishment of the Eisenhower Doctrine, an anti-communist agenda.
    • If you were born on January 5th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 14th (prior year)

    January 5th is…

    National Bird Day
    National Screenwriters Day
    Twelfth Night (Twelfth Day Eve)

    January 5th Birthday Quotes

    We must realize our own talents and, having realized, accept them; and play on them like a symphony in which all other instruments are harmonized to make a better universe.
    – Jeane Dixon

    When all of your wishes are granted, many of your dreams will be destroyed.
    – Marilyn Manson

    We’re all travelers in this world. From the sweet grass to the packing house. Birth ’til death. We travel between the eternities.
    – Robert Duvall

    I think that people who are famous tend to be underdeveloped in their humanity skills.
    – Diane Keaton

    If I lose, I lose. I’ll do it on my terms.
    – Ed Rendell

    You don’t have to give up to let go.
    – Deadmau5

    Never use money to measure wealth, son.
    – Robert Duvall

    Being in ‘Us Weekly’ does not make you famous.
    – Bradley Cooper

    January 5th Birthdays

    1855 – King Camp Gillette, American businessman, founded the Gillette Company (died in 1932)
    1904 – Jeane Dixon, American astrologer and psychic (died in 1997)
    1914 – George Reeves, American actor, and director (died in 1959)
    1917 – Jane Wyman, American actress (died in 2007)
    1928 – Walter Mondale, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Vice President of the United States
    1931 – Robert Duvall, American actor
    1934 – Phil Ramone, South African-American songwriter, and producer, co-founded A & R Recording (died in 2013)
    1942 – Charlie Rose, American journalist, and talk show host
    1944 – Ed Rendell, American politician
    1946 – Diane Keaton, American actress
    1950 – Chris Stein, American guitarist, and songwriter
    1953 – Pamela Sue Martin, American actress
    1953 – George Tenet, American civil servant
    1968 – Carrie Ann Inaba, American actress, and dancer
    1969 – Marilyn Manson, American singer-songwriter, AKA Brian Hugh Warner
    1975 – Bradley Cooper, American actor
    1978 – January Jones, American actress
    1981 – Deadmau5 (Joel Thomas Zimmerman), Canadian musician

    January 5th History

    1889 – The word hamburger first appeared in print in the Walla Walla Union, a Walla Walla, Washington, newspaper.

    1905 – The National Association of Audubon Society incorporated.

    1911 – Kappa Alpha Psi, the world’s third oldest and largest black fraternity, was founded at Indiana University

    1933 – San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge construction began

    1945 – Pepe LePew debuted in Warner Brother’s Odor-able Kitty

    1949 – President Harry S Truman labeled his administration the “Fair Deal”

    1957 – Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson retired rather than be traded to New York Giants

    1971 – Former boxing heavyweight champion “Sonny” Liston’s (36) corpse found (he probably died Dec 30, 1970)

    1991 – #1 Hit January 5, 1991 – January 18, 1991: Madonna – Justify My Love

    1998 – Vandals decapitated Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid

    1970 – All My Children premiered on ABC

    1975 – Broadway Show – The Wiz (Musical) January 5, 1975

    1980 – #1 Hit January 5, 1980 – January 18, 1980: KC and the Sunshine Band – Please Don’t Go

    1991 – Blossom debuted on NBC

    1995 – Daytime soap opera All My Children celebrated its 25th anniversary.

    2008 – #1 Hit January 5, 2008 – March 14, 2008: Flo Rida featuring T-Pain – Low

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    Hating your partner’s ex’s or past experiences has a name- Retroactive Jealousy

    “Now go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.” – Neil Gaiman

    “Secret Asian Man” #misunderstoodlyrics

    When converting numbers to words, the commas stay in the same position e.g. 1,234,567 = one million, two hundred and thirty-four thousand, five hundred and sixty-seven.

    The Capital of Zambia is Lusaka

    After Saving Private Ryan, Interstellar, and The Martian, “We need to go pick up Matt Damon” has become a movie genre.

    Wal-Mart loses about $3 billion every year from theft or 1% of its $300 billion in revenue.

    Stressed is Desserts spelled backwards.

    Desserts is Stressed spelled backward.

    Pirate walks into a bar, bartender says, “Hey, did you know there’s a bounty on your head?” Pirate replies, “No, that’s just a napkin.”

    There was a 1700s politician named John Strange, and his epitaph reads, “Here lies an honest lawyer, and that is Strange.”

    The necktie evolved from a type of scarf worn by Croatian soldiers in the early 17th century.

    VW has more syllables than Volkswagen.

    “Would you believe…?” – Maxwell Smart (Get Smart) #tvquotes

    When films refer to “The dawn of time” that literally means when time was invented by humans, so it probably wasn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 4 in Pop Culture History

    January 4 in Pop Culture History

    January 4th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 4th History Highlights

    • 1865 – The New York Stock Exchange opened its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street in New York City.
    • 1903 – Thomas Edison’s team filmed the electrocution of a murdering elephant, Topsy, to show the dangers of Alternating Current electricity.
    • 1959 – The USSR’s Luna 1 became the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
    • If you were born on January 4th,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 13th (prior year)

    Topsy The Elephant

    Topsy (circa 1875 – January 4, 1903) was a female Asian elephant who was electrocuted at Coney Island, New York, in January 1903. Born in Southeast Asia around 1875, Topsy was secretly brought into the United States soon thereafter and added to the herd of performing elephants at the Forepaugh Circus, who fraudulently advertised her as the first elephant born in America. During her 25 years at Forepaugh, Topsy gained a reputation as a “bad” elephant and, after killing a spectator in 1902, was sold to Coney Island’s Sea Lion Park.

    In 1903, Topsy was brought to Coney Island’s Luna Park and placed in a specially built elephant pen. There she was electrocuted on January 04, 1903, after having been fed cyanide-laced carrots by her trainer. The execution was captured on film by Thomas Edison’s team, although he was probably not present.

    Traditional Business Rules and Laws:

    PETER PRINCIPLE: In a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
    ROTHBARD’S LAW: everyone specializes in his own area of weakness
    STURGEON’S REVELATION: 90 percent of everything is crud. (not crap as is often misquoted)

    January 4th is…

    National Spaghetti Day
    National Trivia Day
    Tom Thumb Day
    World Braille Day
    World Hypnotism Day

    January 4th Birthday Quotes

    So, when you divide the world into music lovers, music fans, and then those people who are just very casual about their music, it’s wallpaper to them, it’s elevator music, it’s just the thing that’s playing in the background that helps them through their day.
    -Michael Stipe

    I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.
    – Isaac Newton

    Godliness consists in the knowledge love & worship of God, Humanity in love, righteousness & good offices towards man.
    – Isaac Newton

    I think my basic viewpoint is that everything the left and right say about each other is true. And the reason it’s true is because they have so much in common.
    – Bob Black

    January 4th Birthdays

    1643 – Isaac Newton, English mathematician, and physicist (died in 1727)
    1746 – Benjamin Rush, American doctor, and patriot (died in 1813)
    1875 – Jacob Grimm, German writer, Grimm’s Fairy Tales (with brother Wilhelm) (died in 1863)
    1809 – Louis Braille, French educator, invented Braille (died in 1852)
    1838 – General Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), American circus performer (died in 1883)
    1878 – A.E. Coppard, English poet and short story writer (died in 1957)
    1905 – Sterling Holloway, American actor (died in 1992)
    1927 – Barbara Rush, American actress
    1935 – Floyd Patterson, American boxer (died in 2006)
    1946 – Arthur Conley, American singer-songwriter (died in 2003)
    1951 – Bob Black, American anarchist
    1957 – Patty Loveless, American singer-songwriter
    1958 – Matt Frewer, American-Canadian actor
    1960 – Michael Stipe, American singer-songwriter
    1963 – Dave Foley, Canadian comedian, actor,
    1965 – Julia Ormond, English actress, and producer
    1966 – Deana Carter, American singer-songwriter

    January 4th History

    1790 – President Washington delivered the 1st State of the Union address

    1896 – Utah became the 45th State

    1902 – The Carnegie Institute of Washington was founded.

    1936 – Billboard magazine published its 1st music hit parade

    1940 – Edwin H. Armstrong demonstrated the first “network” relay of an FM radio broadcast through several stations from Yonkers, NY, to Alpine, NJ, to Meriden, CT, and Paxton, MA to Mount Washington.

    January 4, 1946 Birthday (fictional) Magnum, P.I., Magnum P.I., TV

    1958 – Sea Hunt premiered, in syndication

    1958 – Russian Sputnik I, the first man-made object to orbit the earth, fell back into the atmosphere and disintegrated, after 92 days in space.

    1960 – #1 Hit January 4, 1960 – January 17, 1960: Marty Robbins – El Paso

    1964 – #1 Hit January 4, 1964 – January 31, 1964: Bobby Vinton – There! I’ve Said It Again

    1965 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaims his “Great Society” during his State of the Union address.

    1971 – Congressional Black Caucus was founded

    1975 – #1 Hit January 4, 1975 – January 17, 1975: Elton John – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

    1975 – Elizabeth Ann Seton became the first US-born saint.

    1980 – The United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics

    1986 – Phil Lynott, frontman for Brit rockers Thin Lizzy, died from heart failure from pneumonia complications.

    1988 – Nick Jr. programming started on Nickelodeon

    1995 – Newt Gingrich became Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

    1999 – Former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura was sworn in as governor of Minnesota.

    2007 – Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    When Disneyland opened in 1955, it included a lingerie store with an exhibit on the history of the bra. It was hosted by an animatronic figure called “The Wizard of Bras”

    Sometimes I wonder if my life is in shambles because of all the chain letters that I never forwarded to ten of my closest friends.

    In the year 774, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded a “red crucifix” in the sky. Tree rings dated from that year all over the world show a spike in Carbon-14 levels. It is believed that the event was caused by a very strong solar flare, perhaps the strongest ever known.

    China owns every panda in the world.

    “Could you describe the ruckus, sir?” – Brian Johnson in The Breakfast Club #moviequotes

    “Oh yeah. Lots of girls. Mick Jagger and I had a running tally going. Last I checked I was way ahead.” – Stan Lee #moviequotes

    The housefly hums in the middle octave key of F.

    Fraudulently using the 4-H club logo or name is a federal crime punishable by up to 6 months in prison.

    Ben Franklin’s 13 Virtues #1 – Temperance.
    Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

    “I repeat: this is not a drill. This is the Apocalypse. Please exit the hospital in an orderly fashion.” #moviequotes

    Mickey Mouse has two nephews named Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse.

    A group of Keys is called a ring.

    There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone, or forbid your kids to do it.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 3 in Pop Culture History

    January 3 in Pop Culture History

    January 3rd History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 3rd History Highlights

    • 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
    • 1957 – The Hamilton Watch Company introduced the first electric watch.
    • 1938 – The March of Dimes is established as a foundation to combat infant polio by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
    • 1993 – George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
    • 2009 – The first block of the blockchain of the decentralized payment system Bitcoin, called the Genesis block, was established by the creator of the system, Satoshi Nakamoto.
    • If you were born on January 3rd,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 12th (prior year)

    January 3rd is…

    Festival of Sleep Day
    J.R.R. Tolkien Day
    National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
    National Drinking Straw Day
    Women Rock! Day

    January 3rd Birthday Quotes

    He who looks on a true friend looks, as it were, upon a kind of image of himself: wherefore friends, though absent, are still present; though in poverty, they are rich; though weak, yet in the enjoyment of health; and, what is still more difficult to assert, though dead, they are alive.
    – Cicero

    Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.
    – Victor Borge

    The world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air.
    – J.R.R. Tolkien, in The Return of the King

    Once you decide that it is the art that is important and not how popular and well received you are, you no longer have an albatross.
    – Stephen Stills

    Fear is the lock and laughter the key to your heart.
    – Stephen Stills

    If anyone tells you it’s impossible to be fabulous and smart and make a ton of money using math, well, they can just get in line behind you – and kiss your math.
    – Danica McKeller

    January 3rd Birthdays

    106 BC – Cicero, Roman philosopher, lawyer, and politician (died in 43 BC)
    1793 – Lucretia Mott/Coffin, American woman’s rights advocate (died in 1880)
    1892 – J.R.R. Tolkien, English writer, poet, and philologist (died in 1973)
    1905 – Anna May Wong, American actress (died in 1961)[75]
    1907 – Ray Milland, Welsh-American actor, and director (died in 1986)
    1909 – Victor Borge, Danish-American pianist, and conductor (died in 2000)
    1911 – John Sturges, American director, and producer (died in 1982)
    1926 – W. Michael Blumenthal, American economist, and politician
    1926 – George Martin, English composer, conductor, and producer (died in 2016)
    1929 – Sergio Leone, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter (died in 1989)
    1932 – Dabney Coleman, American actor
    1937 – Glen A. Larson, American director, producer, and screenwriter, created Battlestar Galactica (died in 2014)
    1939 – Bobby Hull, Canadian ice hockey player
    1945 – Stephen Stills, American singer-songwriter
    1946 – John Paul Jones, English bass player
    1950 – Victoria Principal, American actress
    1952 – Jim Ross, American professional wrestling commentator
    1956 – Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    1962 – Darren Daulton, American baseball player (died in 2017)
    1973 – Dan Harmon, American screenwriter, and producer
    1975 – Danica McKellar, American actress
    1981 – Eli Manning, American football player
    1985 – Nicole Beharie, American actress
    2003 – Greta Thunberg, Swedish environmental activist

    January 3rd History

    1521 – Martin Luther was excommunicated by Roman Catholic Church

    1777 – Washington defeated the British at the Battle of Princeton, NJ

    1847 – Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco

    1870 – Construction work began on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, New York, United States

    1871 – Oleomargarine was patented (#110626) by Henry Bradley in Binghamton, NY

    1888 – The Drinking Straw, invented by Marvin C. Sone, was patented (#US375962)

    January 3, 1900 Birthday (fictional) Jim Corrigan, The Spectre, DC Comics

    1919 – Professor Ernest Rutherford succeeded in splitting the atom. He split nitrogen atoms into oxygen atoms.

    1920 – New York Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from Red Sox for $125,000

    1924 – British Egyptologist Howard Carter found the sarcophagus of Tutankhamen (King Tut)

    1938 – March of Dimes was established

    1951 – Dragnet premiered on NBC

    1959 – Alaska was admitted as 49th U.S. state

    1970 – #1 Hit January 3, 1970 – January 30, 1970: B. J. Thomas – Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head

    1970 – Jon Pertwee made his first appearance as the Third Doctor in the Doctor Who episode Spearhead from Space. It also marks the first time that the series was broadcast in color. (colour in the UK)

    1973 – George Steinbrenner III bought the Yankees from CBS for $12 million

    1976 – #1 Hit January 3, 1976 – January 9, 1976: Bay City Rollers – Saturday Night

    1977 – Apple Computers incorporated

    1977 – Holly Hallstrom joined Janice Pennington and Dian Parkinson as a showcase model on The Price is Right

    1979 – The USA cable network was founded

    1983 – Plinko was added as a Pricing Game for the series The Price Is Right

    1987 – Unsolved Mysteries premiered (as a special) on NBC

    1987 – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted the 1st female artist, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin

    1991 – First television sets to feature closed-caption display are introduced in the U.S.

    1993 – ABC and CBS simultaneously broadcast their own movies based on the Amy Fisher story with ABC’s starring Drew Barrymore and CBS’s starring Alyssa Milano. NBC had already beaten the other networks airing their own version about six days prior.

    1997 – Bryant Gumbel anchored his last episode of the Today Show.

    2000 – Final daily edition of the Peanuts comic strip.

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    “Err on the side of awesome.” – Brandon Sanderson

    Worrying works! 90% of the things I worry about never happen…

    I wonder who The Simpsons’ other next-door neighbor is…

    One of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World: Colossus of Rhodes, built in 280 BC, destroyed in the earthquake of 226 BC

    Useless Pronunciation: B as in bee

    “It is useless to hold a person to anything he says while he’s in love, drunk, or running for office.” – Shirley MacLaine

    During the filming of “The Shining”, Stanley Kubrick would reportedly call Stephen King at 3 AM to ask him questions like “Do you believe in God?”

    US President #8 Martin Van Buren (1837-1841) Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, making him the first President born a U.S. citizen. All the presidents prior were originally British Subjects.

    The biggest film of 1990: Home Alone (Comedy) earned ~ $286,000,000

    Until 1971, the Postmaster General was a cabinet position and included in the presidential line of succession.

    The term dead ringer comes from the practice of substituting a thoroughbred horse with a look-a-like to trick bookies.

    Spongebob is a dish sponge, but his parents are actual sea sponges. Spongebob is adopted!

    All mammals, from mice to whales, have roughly the same number of heartbeats in a lifetime: 1 billion.

    “Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.” – Steve Jobs

    The Chinese population census margin of error (26 million) is beggir than the population of 180 countries.

    If it weren’t for Google’s Autocomplete function, I probably wouldn’t have ever heard of the French town of Pornichet.

    You can’t pump your own gas in New Jersey because of the Retail Gasoline Act of 1949.

    More Pop Culture History Resources

  • January 2 in Pop Culture History

    January 2 in Pop Culture History

    January 2nd History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

    January 2nd History Highlights

    • 1959 – Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, was launched by the Soviet Union.
    • 1974 – 55 MPH speed limit was imposed by the Richard Nixon administration.
    • 2008 – Oil reached $100 per barrel for the first time.
    • If you were born on January 2nd,
      You were likely conceived the week of… April 11th (prior year)

    January 2nd is…

    Happy Mew Year (for cats) Day
    National Buffet Day
    National Cream Puff Day
    National Motivation and Inspiration Day
    National Personal Trainer Awareness Day

    National Creme Puff Day

    January 2nd is National Creme Puff Day, aka National Cremepuff Day! It’s a day to celebrate these unusual pastries and eat as many of them as you can. Cream puffs originated in the 1540s when Catherine de Medici’s pastry chef created the baked puffed shells for her husband, Henry II of France. Although both the pastry and its name profiterole initially came from France, they are now considered one of Gibraltar’s main national dishes. In America, they have been found in menus since 1851.

    There are all sorts of ways to make cream puffs. You can fill them with whipped cream, custard, or ice cream. Or you could eat them plain! No matter how you choose to enjoy them, National Creme Puff Day is the perfect excuse to indulge in these delicious pastries.

    National Science Fiction Day

    If you can quote the Three Laws of Robotics or have dutifully practiced the Vulcan salute, you probably also know what January 2nd is. No, this isn’t National Taye Diggs Day or the beginning of Tia Carerrakah… It is a day to celebrate Science Fiction in honor of the birth of famed Sci-Fi writer and father of Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov.

    History

    The Epic of Gilgamesh, written in… well, a long time ago, is thought to be the beginning of science fiction for some, but most think sci-fi started along with modern science, around the 16th and 17th centuries. Fast forward to today and Science Fiction has become a huge part of popular culture. Books, movies and television shows abound, filled with every advancement in technology or species of life the human mind can conceive.

    This infectious genre has taken us to the flying island of Laputa with Gulliver, into the electrifying laboratory of Victor Frankenstein, and 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea on the Nautilus with the daring Captain Nemo. There seems to be no end to the imagination when applied to science. Utopian worlds have been created and explored along with dystopian worlds. Gene Roddenberry gave us Star Trek and George Lucas gave us Star Wars.

    It hasn’t been a one-way street, science led to science fiction but more than once, science fiction has led to science. Cell phones and drones, are just to name two examples.

    How To Celebrate

    Use your imagination just like the authors you are honoring. You can get together with friends and reenact a favorite scene. Do you happen to own a lightsaber? Maybe you can fuel up the DeLorean and travel back a long, long, time ago.

    Perhaps you can while the day away in a nice, cozy chair and crack open a classic favorite or explore a brand new adventure you’ve been meaning to get to. Either way, enjoy this gift we’ve been given and, of course, live long and prosper.

    January 2nd Quotes

    How often do people speak of art and science as though they were two entirely different things, with no interconnection…That is all wrong. The true artist is quite rational as well as imaginative and knows what he is doing; if he does not, his art suffers. The true scientist is quite imaginative as well as rational, and sometimes leaps to solutions where reason can follow only slowly; if he does not, his science suffers.
    – Isaac Asimov

    The world is the true classroom. The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, seeing something with our own eyes.
    – Jack Hanna

    Obviously (positive) results are what we’re looking for. To me, the process is what’s more important. I think if we take care of the process then the results will come.
    – Brian Boucher

    It is better to go to defeat with free will than to live in a meaningless security as a cog in a machine.
    – Isaac Asimov

    Beauty lasts five minutes. Maybe longer if you have a good plastic surgeon.
    – Tia Carrere

    It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is but the world as it will be.
    – Isaac Asimov

    Don’t let people disrespect you. My mom says don’t open the door to the devil. Surround yourself with positive people.
    – Cuba Gooding, Jr.

    January 2nd Birthdays

    1857 – Martha Carey Thomas, American suffragette, and educator (died in 1935)
    1909 – Barry Goldwater, American politician, businessman, and author (died in 1998)
    1920 – Isaac Asimov, American Science Fiction writer (died in 1992)
    1928 – Dan Rostenkowski, American politician (died in 2010)
    1936 – Roger Miller, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor (died in 1992)
    1940 – Jim Bakker, American televangelist
    1947 – Jack Hanna, American zoologist, and author
    1967 – Tia Carrere, American actress
    1968 – Cuba Gooding, Jr., American actor and producer
    1969 – Christy Turlington, American model
    1975 – Dax Shepard. American actor
    1977 – Brian Boucher, American ice hockey player, and sportscaster
    1983 – Kate Bosworth, American actress

    January 2nd History

    1788 – Georgia became the 4th state to ratify the US Constitution.

    1818 – The British Institution of Civil Engineers was founded.

    1839 – First known picture of the moon was taken by Louis Daguerre.

    1834 – Pennsylvania opened its state liquor stores.

    1870 – Construction began on the Brooklyn Bridge to cross the East River, in New York City.

    1938 – Book publisher Simon and Schuster was founded.

    January 2, 1940 Birthday (fictional) Lenny Brisco, Law & Order, TV

    1947 – Mahatma Gandhi’s March for Peace in East Bengali.

    1954 – #1 Hit January 2, 1954 – February 26, 1954: Eddie FisherOh! My Pa-pa (O Mein Papa)

    1959 – U.S.S.R. launched Mechta, Luna 1, for first lunar fly-by and first solar orbit.

    1960 – John Reynolds set the age of the solar system at 4,950,000,000 years (so in 2025, it becomes 4,950,000,065 years old)

    1967 – Ronald Reagan, movie actor and future President of the United States, was sworn in as Governor of California.

    1970 – Official US population was 203,302,031 people.

    2010 – #1 Hit January 2, 2010 – March 5, 2010: KeshaTik Tok

    #1 Hit January 2, 2021 – January 8, 2021: All I Want for Christmas Is YouMariah Carey

    Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

    There are less than 30 estimated people in the United States bearing the first name “Milhouse”.

    TV Quotes… “Holy crap!” (Frank Barone) on “Everybody Loves Raymond”

    If people listened to themselves more often, they’d talk less.

    Geoffrey the giraffe stood tall for Toy’R’Us.

    “In the end only kindness matters.” – Jewel

    The final explosion from Krakatoa measured 310 dB, loud enough to be heard perfectly clearly 3,100 miles away.

    The biggest film of 1991: Beauty and the Beast (Musical) earned ~ $219,000,000

    That one kid who always yelled out “present” instead of “here” during roll call… I wonder how he’s doing.

    Stan Lee’s use of alliterative names in his comics (e.g., Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, Matt Murdock, etc.) was due to his poor memory. He thought that using names that started with the same letter would help him remember the character’s whole name.

    In 1980, Detroit presented Saddam Hussein with a key to the city.

    “Work here is done. I’m needed elsewhere now. I’m needed wherever outlaws rule the West, wherever innocent women and children are afraid to walk the streets, wherever a man cannot live in simple dignity, wherever a people cry out for justice.” -Bart

    Zeppo Marx – Real Name: Herbert Marx

    My wife recommended I do some light reading to relax at the end of the day…
    Not really relaxing, as my eyes are in pain, but I managed to make out, “60 Watts – Made in China.”

    The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise restaurant was opened in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1952.