Through The Rear Window: TODAY IS ... 12 DECEMBER

Saturday, December 12, 2009

TODAY IS ... 12 DECEMBER

BIRTHDAYS: 1970 - Jennifer Connelly - an American film actress and former child model. Although starring as early as a teenager in films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Labyrinth and Career Opportunities, she gained critical acclaim following her work in the 2000 drama Requiem for a Dream, and the 2001 biopic A Beautiful Mind, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the BAFTA and Golden Globe awards.

1959 - Sheila E. - singer and percussionist discovered by Prince, she had the 1985 US & UK Top 20 single ‘The Belle Of St Mark’. Also worked with Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston & Celine Dion.

1949 - Bill Nighy - an English actor and comedian. He worked in theatre and television before his first cinema role in 1981, and made his name in television with The Men's Room in 1991, in which he played the womanizer, Prof Mark Carleton, whose extra-marital affairs kept him "vital."He became known around the world in 2003 as Bill Mack, the aging pop star in Love Actually—"Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free!"—and in the same year played James Mortmain, the eccentric husband struggling to keep his family afloat in a decaying English castle, in I Capture the Castle.

1943 - Grover Washington Jr - an African-American saxophonist who played tenor, alto, soprano, and baritone; he also played the clarinet, electric bass, and piano; and he was a composer. (1981 UK No.34 single 'Just The Two Of Us').

1940 - Dionne Warwick - an American singer, actress, activist, United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, former United States Ambassador of Health, and humanitarian. She is best known for her partnership with songwriters and producers Burt Bacharach and Hal David. According to Billboard magazine and Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2009 book, Dionne Warwick ranks as the 30th most popular hit maker of the entire the rock era based upon the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts. She also ranks as one of the 10 all-time biggest Easy Listening/Adult Contemporary hit makers of all time.

1938 - Connie Francis - an American pop singer best known for several international hit songs including "Who's Sorry Now?," "Lipstick on Your Collar," "Where the Boys Are", and "Stupid Cupid." She topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on three occasions with "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" and "Don't Break the Heart That Loves You." She was the top-charting female artist of the 1950s and 1960s.

1927 - Honor Blackman actress: Conspirator, Jason and the Argonauts, Goldfinger, Twinky, To the Devil a Daughter

1915 - Frank Sinatra, US singer, actor, made his first record in 1939. First singer to encounter 'pop hysteria', 'My Way' holds the UK longevity record of 136 weeks on the charts, 1966 UK & US No.1 single 'Strangers In The Night'.

OTHER EVENTS: 2007 - A copy of John Lennon's book, A Spaniard in the Works, which contained a lock of Lennon's hair, sold at Gorringes Auction House for £24,000, ($48,000). Lennon gave the book and the hair to Betty Glasow, the Fab Four's hairdresser during their heyday. He wrote in the book, "To Betty, Lots of Love and Hair, John Lennon xx." The strands of hair and book had been expected to sell for between £2,000 and £4,000. 2006 - Peugeot produces its last car at the Ryton Plant signalling the end of mass car production in Coventry, formerly a major centre of the British motor industry.

2005 - It is reported that The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe topped the British box office with the biggest-ever opening weekend receipts for a Disney film.

2003 - Mick Jagger became a Sir after being knighted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. 2002 - Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry and Judi Dench star in Die Another Day which started screening in Australia. James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul who is funding the development of an international space weapon.

2002 - Iraq War: CIA Director George Tenet is said to have assured Pres. Bush that the evidence against Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction was a slam dunk. Pres. Bush would later declare "George Tenet did a superb job for America." 2000 – Tony Bennett is on hand at the Friar’s Club in New York to commemorate the Birthdays of his late friend and fellow entertainer Frank Sinatra by announcing the September 2001 opening of the Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts. The New York public high school will offer gifted artistic students an education in drama, instrument and vocal music, dance, fine arts, filmmaking, technical theater, and musical theater. 1992 - Whitney Houston started a twenty-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'The Bodyguard'.

1991 – Truly Madly Deeply starring Juliet Stevenson and Bill Paterson starts screening in Australia. Once upon a time there were two people in love, their names were Nina and Jamie. They were even happy enough to be able to live happily ever after …

1987 - George Michael started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Faith'.

1985 - Michael J. Fox, James Hampton and Susan Ursitti star in Teen Wolf which started screening in Australia. A highschooler discovers that he is a werewolf.

1985 - Dionne Warwick received a star on 'Hollywood's Walk Of Fame'. 1981 - The Human League had their only UK No.1 single with 'Don't You Want Me.' The Christmas hit of 81, the biggest seller of 1981 and Virgin Records first No.1 UK single.

1980 - The U.S. Congress amended the Copyright Act in 1980 to explicitly recognize that computer programs were protected as literary works. 1980 - Oil tycoon Armand Hammer bought a notebook of writings by Leonardo da Vinci for $5.28 million at auction in London. It was the highest price ever paid for a manuscript. It was 36 pages long and dated back to 1508. 1971 - Filming began on the Diana Ross movie, "Lady Sings the Blues." 1970 - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Tears Of A Clown'. It was the group's 26th Top 40 hit and first No.1, also a No.1 hit in the UK.

1964 - Bobby Vinton went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Mr Lonely', his second No.1 of the year.

1964 - The Righteous Brothers "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is released.

1959 - At 22 years and 104 days of age, Bruce McLaren became the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix race as he earned first place at Sebring, Florida.

1957 - Al Priddy a DJ on US radio station KEX in Portland was fired after playing Elvis Presley's version of 'White Christmas' The station management said, 'it's not in the spirit we associate with Christmas'. 1955 - The largest philanthropic act in the world was announced by the Ford Foundation which gave $500,000,000 to private hospitals, colleges and medical schools. 1955 - Bill Haley records "See You Later, Alligator"

1955 - British engineer Christopher Cockerell patented the first hovercraft.

1952 -Disney's Goofy short How to be a Detective is released.

1951 - The U.S. Navy Department announced that the world's first nuclear powered submarine would become the sixth ship to bear the name Nautilus.

1941- Disney's animated commercial Seven Wise Dwarfs is released. The short is made for the National Film Board of Canada to promote the purchase of Canadian war bonds.

1927 - Disney's Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit short Empty Socks is released. This silent black & white animated piece is the first ever Disney Christmas themed short.

1925 - The "Motel Inn," the first motel in the world, opened in San Luis Obispo, CA. 1915 - The first all-metal aircraft, the German Junkers J1, made its first flight.

1912 - The Mother's Day International Association was incorporated with the purpose of furthering meaningful observations of Mother's Day. 1911 – (UK) King George V crowned Emperor of India and founds New Dehli to replace Calcutta as the capital.