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January 12
On this day in 1915, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected
a proposal to grant women the right to vote. However, it did
pass a measure reaffirming their right to "get in the
kitchen and make some noise with the pots and pans."
On this day in 1964, leftist rebels brandishing left-handed
automatic weapons and leftover hand grenades revolted against
the government in Zanzibar.
On this day in 1971, the ground-breaking TV comedy "All
in the Family" made its debut on CBS, becoming the first
show to use the words "meathead" and "dingbat"
in prime time.
Today's Birthdays:
John Hancock (1737-1793): Revolutionary War-era insurance
man who invented the signature.
Jack London (1876-1916): author, best known for his classic
novel "The Call of the Wild Party."
Rush Limbaugh, 53: noted hypocrite and drug-addicted talk
show host, best known for crusading against drug users while
hopped up on OxyContin.
January 13
On this day in 1953, Michael Jackson's brother, Tito, was
named president of Yugoslavia.
On this day in 1898, a tree fell in the forest in Jackman,
Maine. But nobody heard it.
Today's Birthdays:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 43: actress, starred in some show about
nothing.
Penelope Ann Miller, 40: actress, starred in "Adventures
in Breast-Feeding" and "The Bazooka in Betty Lou's
Handbag."
January 14
On this day in 1784, the U.S. ratified a peace treaty with
England agreeing to split all the profits made from the sale
of Revolutionary War action figures.
On this day in 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first
president to fly in an airplane while in office, and afterward
spoke favorably about air travel and the so-called "mile-high
club."
On this day in 1954, Marilyn Monroe married baseball great
Joe DiMaggio shortly after appearing in the movie "How
to Marry a Millionaire Ballplayer."
Today's Birthdays:
Benedict Arnold (1741-1801): famous traitor, inventor of
Eggs Benedict.
William Whipple (1730-1785): signer of the Declaration of
Independence, inventor of Charmin "squeezably soft"
bathroom tissue.
Andy Rooney, 85: news columnist, noted user of Charmin "squeezably
soft" bathroom tissue.
Faye Dunaway, 63: actress, nominated for Oscar as beer-swilling,
horseback-riding bank robber in "Bonnie and Clydesdale."
Lawrence Kasdan, 55: filmmaker, explored man's reaction to
extreme temperatures in "The Big Chill" and "Body
Heat."
Steven Soderbergh, 41: filmmaker, best known for "sex,
lies and duct tape."
January 15
On this day in 1892, the rules of basketball were published
for the first time in Springfield, Mass. The 360-degree "monster
dunk" was allowed, but frowned upon.
On this day in 1943, work was completed on the Pentagon.
Originally called the Octagon, the Dept. of Defense headquarters
ended up with only five sides due to a defense contractor's
error.
On this day in 1967, Ed Sullivan forced the Rolling Stones
to change the lyrics of the song "Let's Spend the Night
Together" to "Let's Grind Our Pelvises Together"
for an appearance on his show.
Today's Birthdays:
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968): civil rights leader,
best known for his famous "I Had a Nightmare..."
speech.
Edward Teller, 96: nuclear physicist, known as "father
of the hydrogen bomb," and also "grandfather of
the stink bomb."
Charo, 52: actress-singer, received honorary Doctor of Hoochie
Coochie degree from the University of Whoopie.
January 16
On this day in 1547, Ivan the Terrible was crowned Czar of
Russia, giving his subjects a ray of hope after the brutal
reign of Hank the Hideous.
On this day in 1920, Prohibition went into effect under the
18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, also known as the
Moonshine Expansion Act.
On this day in 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower took command
of Allied Forces and immediately outfitted all personnel in
his trademark "Be Like Ike" Air Eisenhower sneakers.
Today's Birthdays:
Dizzy Dean (1911-1974): baseball pitcher, portrayed by James
Dean in the film "Cardinal Without a Cause."
A.J. Foyt, 69: auto racer, four-time winner of the Moonshine
500.
Sade, 45: singer, best known for her hit song "Smooth
Oakland Raider."
January 17
On this day in 1893, Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown by a
little cartoon fruit-drink guy in the Hawaiian Punch Rebellion.
On this day in 1910, flush toilet inventor Thomas Crapper
died while taking a massive ... uh, never mind.
On this day in 1946, the United Nations Security Council
held its first meeting, but had to call security three times
to throw out unwelcome encyclopedia salesmen.
Today's Birthdays:
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790): inventor of the Franklin stove
and the frankfurter; also started an exercise craze when he
published "Poor Richard Simmons' Almanack."
Al Capone (1899-1947): infamous Chicago gangster known as
"Cigarface."
James Earl Jones, 73: actor, best known for portraying Darth
Vader in all those telephone commercials.
Muhammad Ali, 62: heavyweight boxing champ, used to float
like a butterfly sting like a B-52.
Jim Carrey, 42: actor-comedian, starred in the Lewis Carroll
classic "Tweedledum & Dumber"
January 18
On this day in 1912, English explorer Robert F. Scott and
his expedition reached the South Pole, only to discover that
they had forgotten their mittens.
On this day in 1996, Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson filed for
divorce from Michael Jackson on the grounds that she no longer
wanted to sleep in the same bed with the Elephant Man's bones.
Today's Birthdays:
A.A. Milne (1882-1956): author, potty-trained millions of
children with his classic book "The Outhouse at Pooh
Corner."
Cary Grant (1904-1986): legendary Hollywood leading man,
starred in the ghetto dramas "Bringing Up Crack Baby"
and Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious B.I.G."
Kevin Costner, 49: actor-director, won Oscars for his epic
Native American baseball film "Dances With Cleveland
Indians."
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