AUGUST 31ST
- TODAY IS NATIONAL TRAIL MIX DAY
- TODAY IS SOUTH CAROLINA APPRECIATION DAY
- TODAY IS NATIONAL MATCHMAKER DAY
BIRTHDAYS:
- CALIGULA (12-41)
- COMMODUS (161-192)
- BUDDY HACKETT (1924-2003)
- JAMES COBURN (1928-2002)
- VAN MORRISON (1945, 73)
- RICHARD GERE (1949, 69)
- MARCIA CLARK (1953, 65)
- ANDREW CUNANAN (1969-1997)
- DEBBIE GIBSON (1970, 48)
- CHRIS TUCKER (1972, 46)
ON THIS DAY:
- IN 1798, TWO MEN ROB $162,821 FROM THE BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA AT CARPENTER’S HALL IN THE FIRST EVER AMERICAN BANK ROBBERY
- IN 1842, THE U.S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY IS ESTABLISHED BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS
- IN 1881, THE FIRST U.S. MEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP IS PLAYED IN NEWPORT, RI
- IN 1886, 110 PEOPLE DIE IN AN EARTHQUAKE IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. IT IS THE FIRST EARTHQUAKE IN RECORDED HISTORY OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES
- IN 1888, POLLY NICHOLS IS FOUND DEAD IN THE EAST END OF LONDON. SHE IS THE FIRST OF JACK THE RIPPER’S VICTIMS TO BE FOUND.
- IN 1895, THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GAME IS PLAYED. JOHN BRALLIER, THE QUARTERBACK FOR THE WINNING TEAM, IS PAID $10
- IN 1897, THOMAS EDISON PATENTS THE KINETOSCOPE, THE FIRST DEVICE CAPABLE OF SHOWING MOVING PICTURES
- IN 1902, MRS. ADOLPH LANDEBURG, A HORSEBACK RIDER, WEARS A SPLIT SKIRT AND BEGINS A NEW TREND
- IN 1909, A.J. REACH PATENTS THE CORK CENTERED BASEBALL
- IN 1910, PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT MAKES A SPEECH IN KANSAS WHERE HE FIRST USES THE CONCEPT OF “A SQUARE DEAL”
- IN 1911, NEW YORK STATE PASSES THE “SULLIVAN ACT” WHICH IS THE FIRST LAW REQUIRING A PERMIT TO CARRY SMALL CONCEALED FIREARMS
- IN 1918, THE RED SOX WIN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNENT
- IN 1920, A LOCAL DETROIT RADIO STATION IS THE FIRST TO BROADCAST THE NEWS
- IN 1934, THE FIRST NFL ALL STAR GAME IS PLAYED. THE CHICAGO BEARS TAKE ON THE REST OF THE LEAGUE AND PLAY TO A 0-0 TIE
- IN 1935, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT PROHIBIT ANY U.S. COMPANY FROM SELLING ARMS TO “BELLIGERENTS”
- IN 1940, GERMAN OCCUPIERS BEGIN RATIONING SOAP IN OCCUPIED NATIONS
- IN 1940, LAURENCE OLIVIER MARRIES VIVIAN LEIGH
- IN 1946, WARNER BROTHERS DEBUTS FOGHORN LEGHORN IN THE CARTOON “WALKY TALKY HAWKY”
- IN 1954, HURRICANE CAROL KILLS 70 PEOPLE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. CAROL BECOMES THE FIRST HURRICANE NAME TO BE RETIRED
- IN 1957, MALAYSIA GAINS INDEPENDENCE FROM THE BRITISH EMPIRE
- IN 1963, THE ANGELS HIT #1 WITH “MY BOYFRIEND’S BACK”
- IN 1963, THE RONETTES MAKE THEIR CHART DEBUT WITH “BE MY BABY”
- IN 1965, CONGRESS ESTABLISHES THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
- IN 1968, A 7.8 EARTHQUAKE KILLS 12,000 PEOPLE IN IRAN
- IN 1968, THE ROLLING STONES RELEASE “STREET FIGHTING MAN”
- IN 1969, ROCKY MARCIANO DIES IN A PLANE CRASH AT 45
- IN 1973, DIRECTOR JOHN FORD DIES AT 78
- IN 1978, EMILY AND WILLIAM HARRIS PLEAD GUILTY TO KIDNAPPING PATTY HEARST
- IN 1984, PRINCE RELEASES HIS MOVIE “PURPLE RAIN”
- IN 1985, THE “NIGHT STALKER” IS CAPTURED IN LOS ANGELES
- IN 1985, DIRE STRAITS TIPS THE ALBUM CHART WITH “BROTHER IN ARMS”
- IN 1985, THE U.S. MILITARY BANS RECRUITS WITH THE AIDS VIRUS
- IN 1985, APOLLO CREED IS KILLED BY IVAN DRAGO IN THE “ROCKY” SERIES OF MOVIES
- IN 1987, MICHAEL JACKSON PREMIERES THE MUSIC VIDEO FOR “BAD” ON CBS
- IN 1990, EAST AND WEST GERMANY AGREE ON TERMS TO UNIFY THEIR LEGAL AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS
- IN 1991, METALLICA HAS THE #1 ALBUM WITH THEIR SELF TITLED DEBUT
- IN 1993, BARNEY THE PURPLE DINOSAUR RELEASES “BARNEY’S FAVORITES VOLUME 1”
- IN 1994, WORLD CHESS CHAMPION GARRY KASPAROV IS DEFEATED BY A COMPUTER
- IN 1994, THE PROVISIONAL IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY DECLARES A CEASE FIRE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
- IN 1997, PRINCESS DIANA DIES IN A CAR CRASH IN A TUNNEL IN PARIS
- IN 1999, THE DIXIE CHICKS RELEASE “FLY”
- IN 2001, PBS AIRS THE FINAL EPISODE OF “MR. ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD”
- IN 2006, EDVARD MUNCH’S “THE SCREAM” IS RECOVERED BY NORWEGIAN POLICE AFTER BEING STOLEN FROM THE MUNCH MUSEUM TWO YEARS EARLIER
- IN 2012, APPLE LOSES ITS PATENT DISPUTE WITH SAMSUNG
- IN 2012, BEN AFFLECK RELEASES “ARGO”
- IN 2014, DONNY WAHLBERG MARRIES JENNY MCCARTHY
- IN 2015, PRESIDENT OBAMA CHANGES THE NAME OF MT. MCKINLEY TO DENALI, WHILE ON A THREE DAY TOUR OF CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS IN ALASKA
- IN 2016, THE BRAZILIAN SENATE IMPEACHES PRESIDENT DILMA ROUSSEFF
TRIVIA:
WHAT IS RICHARD GERE’S MIDDLE NAME?