TODAY IS ... 16 DECEMBER
BIRTHDAYS:
1988 - Anna Popplewell - an English actress. She is best known for her role as Susan Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia film series.
1987 - Hallee Hirsh – an American actress known for her roles as Daley in the children's series Flight 29 Down and as the second (and final) actress to portray Rachel Greene on ER.
1967 - Miranda Otto - an Australian actress. Her first major film appearance was in the 1986 film Emma's War, in which she played a teenager who moves to Australia's bush country during World War II. After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian films, she gained Hollywood's attention after appearing in supporting roles in The Thin Red Line (1998) and What Lies Beneath (2000). Her breakthrough role came in 2002, when she portrayed Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
1964 – Georgie Parker - an Australian television and film actress. She was first seen on Australian TV through her role as nurse Lucy Gardiner in A Country Practice from 1989 to 1992. She also appeared as Despina, Memo's love interest, in the 90's sitcom, Acropolis Now and young firefighter "Mad Dog" Cartwright in the first season of Fire (TV series).
1963 - Benjamin Bratt - an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Traffic, and Piñero. He currently stars on the A&E Network drama The Cleaner
1961 - Sam Robards - actor: Artificial Intelligence: AI, Fandango, Spin City, American Beauty, Life as a House; son of actors Jason Robards and Lauren Bacall
1947 - Ben Cross - actor: First Knight, The Criminal Mind, The Unholy, The Far Pavilions, Chariots of Fire, Dark Shadows
1946 - Benny Anderson, keyboards, vocals, Abba, (first UK hit 1974 No.1 single 'Waterloo', followed by 8 other UK No.1 singles and 9 UK No.1 albums, 1977 US No.1 single 'Dancing Queen').
1938 - Liv Ullmann - a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the muses of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. A winner of the Golden Globe, Ullmann has also been nominated for both the Palme d'Or and twice for the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award.
1917 - Arthur C. Clarke - science fiction writer: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Islands in the Sky
1899 - Sir Noel Coward - actor: The Italian Job, Paris When It Sizzles, Hearts of the World; actor, director, composer, playwright: In Which We Serve; playwright: Brief Encounter, Bitter Sweet, Private Lives
OTHER EVENTS:
2007 - Katie Melua & Eva Cassidy went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of 'What A Wonderful World' the version was released to raise money for the Red Cross.
2007 - Sir Paul McCartney said he left EMI, his record label of 45 years, as it had become "boring" and he had "dreaded going to see" its executives. McCartney told The Times that the company's handling of his music had become "symbolic of the treadmill". The ex-Beatle went on to sign a deal with Starbucks' label, Hear Music
2004 - Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Billy Connolly and Meryl Streep star in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events which starts screening in Australia. Three wealthy children's parents are killed in a fire. When they are sent to a distant relative, they find out that he is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune.
2001 - Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Frank and Nancy Sinatra 1967 No.1 hit 'Somethin' Stupid'.
2001 - Cuba received the first commercial food shipment from the United States in nearly 40 years. The shipment was sent to help Cuba after Hurricane Michelle hit Cuba on November 4, 2001.
2000 - U.S. President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to be the first African-American secretary of state. Powell was sworn in January 20, 2001.
2000 - Researchers announced that information from NASA's Galileo spacecraft indicated that Ganymede appeared to have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath a surface of solid ice. Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is the solar system's largest moon. The discovery is considered important since water is a key ingredient for life.
1999 - Sigourney Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1999 – It’s announced that Celine Dion has sold more than a 100 million albums around the world. Her albums Let’s Talk About Love and Falling Into You have also shipped more than 10 million copies each.
1993 – Mrs Doubtfire starts screening in Australia starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan and Harvey Fierstein. After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend secret time with his children held in custody by his Ex.
1992 - Abraham Lincoln: The earliest known draft of President's "house divided" speech (c1857) is auctioned for $1,500,000.
1989 - Billy Joel went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Storm Front'.
1987 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Faith,” George Michael. Chart Toppers ranks the song as the No. 1 single of 1987.
1986 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Walk Like an Egyptian,” Bangles.
1984 - Gorbachev visit to Britain a 'success' - Mikhail Gorbachev, the man widely tipped as the next leader of the Soviet Union, has spent five hours in "very friendly" talks with the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, according to British Government officials.
1983 - Disney's 25-minute Mickey Mouse short Mickey's Christmas Carol is released. A Disney version of the Charles Dickens tale, it is Mickey's first appearance since The Simple Things in 1953.
1982 – Conan The Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones and Max von Sydow commences screening in Australia. The epic tale of child sold into slavery who grows into a man who seeks revenge against the warlord who massacred his tribe
1981 - Ray Charles receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1978 - Eagles' 'Please Come Home for Christmas' hits UK chart
1978 - Elton John's 'Song for Guy' hits UK chart
1978 – Bob Dylan plays the last show of his massive Street Legal world tour at the Hollywood Miami Sportatorium and gives “Do Right to Me Baby” a rare airing.
1978 - Disney's animated short The Small One, directed by Don Bluth, is released. Set in the town of Bethlehem on the eve of the first Christmas, it is based on the children's book by Charles Tazewell.
1977 - Queen Elizabeth opens 'tube' link to Heathrow -The Queen has formally unveiled a £71m underground link from central London to Heathrow's terminals - the first of its kind in the world from a capital to its major airport.
1977 - The Bee Gees receive a gold record for "How Deep is Your Love," the fourth of their seven Number One singles. The song will become the subject of a copyright infringement suit five years later, when an amateur songwriter claims the brothers Gibb lifted the melody from a composition he'd written.
1975 - The Bay City Rollers earn their first U.S. gold record for their first U.S. hit single, "Saturday Night." It will make it to Number one on the pop chart early next year. On the 31st of this month, the album "Bay City Rollers" goes gold. They will go on to have five more Top Forty hits in the U.S.
1972 - Billy Paul started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Me and Mrs Jones', a No.12 hit in the UK.
1971 - Don McLean’s eight-minute-plus (8:32) version of American Pie was released. It became one of the longest songs with some of the most confusing (pick your favorite interpretation) lyrics to ever hit the pop charts. It was a disc jockey favorite since there were few songs long enough for potty breaks at the time. American Pie hit #1 on January 15, 1972.
1971 - Melanie (Safka) received a gold record for the single, Brand New Key, about roller skates and love and stuff like that. This one made it to #1 on Christmas Day, 1971.
1970 - Five singles and five albums by Credence Clearwater Revival were certified gold in the US. The singles were: ‘Down on the Corner’, ‘Lookin out My Back Door’, ‘Travelin' Band’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’ and ‘Up around the Bend’. The LPs were ‘Cosmo's Factory’, ‘Willy and the Poor Boys’, ‘Green River’, ‘Bayou Country’ and ‘Credence Clearwater Revival’.
1969 - "War is Over! If You Want It, Happy Christmas from John & Yoko" posters begin appearing
1965 - Released as a double A side The Beatles 'Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out', became their ninth UK No.1 and their third Christmas chart topper in a row. The single was a US No.1 in January 1966.
1964 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Come See About Me,” The Supremes. The song is the third consecutive No. 1 single from the album “Where Did Our Love Go,” making the group the first to accomplish that feat.
1960 - George Harrison deported from Germany during a Beatles tour. He is too young to have a work permit
1960 - Lucille Ball took a respite from her weekly TV series to star in the Broadway production of Wildcat, which opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York City. The show ran for 171 performances.
1957 - "April Love" by Pat Boone topped the US charts and stayed there for 6 weeks.
1950 - "The Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page topped the US charts and stayed there for 13 weeks.
1944 - The Battle of the Bulge, the final major German counteroffensive of World War II, began. Initially, the Nazi commanders were able to thrust deep into Allied territory in North and East Belgium, a 75-mile front, choosing a time when foggy, rainy weather prevailed. The Allies were taken by surprise, but recovered and repulsed the Nazi offensive by January 1945.
1940 - Bob Crosby and his Bobcats backed up brother Bing as New San Antonio Rose was recorded on Decca Records.
1929 - The Walt Disney directed Silly Symphony cartoon The Merry Dwarfs is released.
1905 - Sime Silverman published the first issue of Variety, the weekly show biz magazine. The first issue was 16 pages in length and sold for a nickel. Variety and Daily Variety are still going strong.
1901 - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time.
1773 - The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboard to protest tea taxes.
1631 - Mount Vesuvius erupts, destroying six villages and killing up to 4,000 people.
1987 - Hallee Hirsh – an American actress known for her roles as Daley in the children's series Flight 29 Down and as the second (and final) actress to portray Rachel Greene on ER.
1967 - Miranda Otto - an Australian actress. Her first major film appearance was in the 1986 film Emma's War, in which she played a teenager who moves to Australia's bush country during World War II. After a decade of critically acclaimed roles in Australian films, she gained Hollywood's attention after appearing in supporting roles in The Thin Red Line (1998) and What Lies Beneath (2000). Her breakthrough role came in 2002, when she portrayed Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
1964 – Georgie Parker - an Australian television and film actress. She was first seen on Australian TV through her role as nurse Lucy Gardiner in A Country Practice from 1989 to 1992. She also appeared as Despina, Memo's love interest, in the 90's sitcom, Acropolis Now and young firefighter "Mad Dog" Cartwright in the first season of Fire (TV series).
1963 - Benjamin Bratt - an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Traffic, and Piñero. He currently stars on the A&E Network drama The Cleaner
1961 - Sam Robards - actor: Artificial Intelligence: AI, Fandango, Spin City, American Beauty, Life as a House; son of actors Jason Robards and Lauren Bacall
1947 - Ben Cross - actor: First Knight, The Criminal Mind, The Unholy, The Far Pavilions, Chariots of Fire, Dark Shadows
1946 - Benny Anderson, keyboards, vocals, Abba, (first UK hit 1974 No.1 single 'Waterloo', followed by 8 other UK No.1 singles and 9 UK No.1 albums, 1977 US No.1 single 'Dancing Queen').
1938 - Liv Ullmann - a Norwegian actress and film director, as well as one of the muses of the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. A winner of the Golden Globe, Ullmann has also been nominated for both the Palme d'Or and twice for the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award.
1917 - Arthur C. Clarke - science fiction writer: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Islands in the Sky
1899 - Sir Noel Coward - actor: The Italian Job, Paris When It Sizzles, Hearts of the World; actor, director, composer, playwright: In Which We Serve; playwright: Brief Encounter, Bitter Sweet, Private Lives
OTHER EVENTS:
2007 - Katie Melua & Eva Cassidy went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of 'What A Wonderful World' the version was released to raise money for the Red Cross.
2007 - Sir Paul McCartney said he left EMI, his record label of 45 years, as it had become "boring" and he had "dreaded going to see" its executives. McCartney told The Times that the company's handling of his music had become "symbolic of the treadmill". The ex-Beatle went on to sign a deal with Starbucks' label, Hear Music
2004 - Jim Carrey, Liam Aiken, Billy Connolly and Meryl Streep star in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events which starts screening in Australia. Three wealthy children's parents are killed in a fire. When they are sent to a distant relative, they find out that he is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune.
2001 - Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their version of the Frank and Nancy Sinatra 1967 No.1 hit 'Somethin' Stupid'.
2001 - Cuba received the first commercial food shipment from the United States in nearly 40 years. The shipment was sent to help Cuba after Hurricane Michelle hit Cuba on November 4, 2001.
2000 - U.S. President-elect George W. Bush selected Colin Powell to be the first African-American secretary of state. Powell was sworn in January 20, 2001.
2000 - Researchers announced that information from NASA's Galileo spacecraft indicated that Ganymede appeared to have a liquid saltwater ocean beneath a surface of solid ice. Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter, is the solar system's largest moon. The discovery is considered important since water is a key ingredient for life.
1999 - Sigourney Weaver received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1999 – It’s announced that Celine Dion has sold more than a 100 million albums around the world. Her albums Let’s Talk About Love and Falling Into You have also shipped more than 10 million copies each.
1993 – Mrs Doubtfire starts screening in Australia starring Robin Williams, Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan and Harvey Fierstein. After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper to spend secret time with his children held in custody by his Ex.
1992 - Abraham Lincoln: The earliest known draft of President's "house divided" speech (c1857) is auctioned for $1,500,000.
1989 - Billy Joel went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Storm Front'.
1987 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Faith,” George Michael. Chart Toppers ranks the song as the No. 1 single of 1987.
1986 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Walk Like an Egyptian,” Bangles.
1984 - Gorbachev visit to Britain a 'success' - Mikhail Gorbachev, the man widely tipped as the next leader of the Soviet Union, has spent five hours in "very friendly" talks with the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, according to British Government officials.
1983 - Disney's 25-minute Mickey Mouse short Mickey's Christmas Carol is released. A Disney version of the Charles Dickens tale, it is Mickey's first appearance since The Simple Things in 1953.
1982 – Conan The Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Earl Jones and Max von Sydow commences screening in Australia. The epic tale of child sold into slavery who grows into a man who seeks revenge against the warlord who massacred his tribe
1981 - Ray Charles receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1978 - Eagles' 'Please Come Home for Christmas' hits UK chart
1978 - Elton John's 'Song for Guy' hits UK chart
1978 – Bob Dylan plays the last show of his massive Street Legal world tour at the Hollywood Miami Sportatorium and gives “Do Right to Me Baby” a rare airing.
1978 - Disney's animated short The Small One, directed by Don Bluth, is released. Set in the town of Bethlehem on the eve of the first Christmas, it is based on the children's book by Charles Tazewell.
1977 - Queen Elizabeth opens 'tube' link to Heathrow -The Queen has formally unveiled a £71m underground link from central London to Heathrow's terminals - the first of its kind in the world from a capital to its major airport.
1977 - The Bee Gees receive a gold record for "How Deep is Your Love," the fourth of their seven Number One singles. The song will become the subject of a copyright infringement suit five years later, when an amateur songwriter claims the brothers Gibb lifted the melody from a composition he'd written.
1975 - The Bay City Rollers earn their first U.S. gold record for their first U.S. hit single, "Saturday Night." It will make it to Number one on the pop chart early next year. On the 31st of this month, the album "Bay City Rollers" goes gold. They will go on to have five more Top Forty hits in the U.S.
1972 - Billy Paul started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Me and Mrs Jones', a No.12 hit in the UK.
1971 - Don McLean’s eight-minute-plus (8:32) version of American Pie was released. It became one of the longest songs with some of the most confusing (pick your favorite interpretation) lyrics to ever hit the pop charts. It was a disc jockey favorite since there were few songs long enough for potty breaks at the time. American Pie hit #1 on January 15, 1972.
1971 - Melanie (Safka) received a gold record for the single, Brand New Key, about roller skates and love and stuff like that. This one made it to #1 on Christmas Day, 1971.
1970 - Five singles and five albums by Credence Clearwater Revival were certified gold in the US. The singles were: ‘Down on the Corner’, ‘Lookin out My Back Door’, ‘Travelin' Band’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’ and ‘Up around the Bend’. The LPs were ‘Cosmo's Factory’, ‘Willy and the Poor Boys’, ‘Green River’, ‘Bayou Country’ and ‘Credence Clearwater Revival’.
1969 - "War is Over! If You Want It, Happy Christmas from John & Yoko" posters begin appearing
1965 - Released as a double A side The Beatles 'Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out', became their ninth UK No.1 and their third Christmas chart topper in a row. The single was a US No.1 in January 1966.
1964 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Come See About Me,” The Supremes. The song is the third consecutive No. 1 single from the album “Where Did Our Love Go,” making the group the first to accomplish that feat.
1960 - George Harrison deported from Germany during a Beatles tour. He is too young to have a work permit
1960 - Lucille Ball took a respite from her weekly TV series to star in the Broadway production of Wildcat, which opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York City. The show ran for 171 performances.
1957 - "April Love" by Pat Boone topped the US charts and stayed there for 6 weeks.
1950 - "The Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page topped the US charts and stayed there for 13 weeks.
1944 - The Battle of the Bulge, the final major German counteroffensive of World War II, began. Initially, the Nazi commanders were able to thrust deep into Allied territory in North and East Belgium, a 75-mile front, choosing a time when foggy, rainy weather prevailed. The Allies were taken by surprise, but recovered and repulsed the Nazi offensive by January 1945.
1940 - Bob Crosby and his Bobcats backed up brother Bing as New San Antonio Rose was recorded on Decca Records.
1929 - The Walt Disney directed Silly Symphony cartoon The Merry Dwarfs is released.
1905 - Sime Silverman published the first issue of Variety, the weekly show biz magazine. The first issue was 16 pages in length and sold for a nickel. Variety and Daily Variety are still going strong.
1901 - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit," by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time.
1773 - The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded a British ship and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboard to protest tea taxes.
1631 - Mount Vesuvius erupts, destroying six villages and killing up to 4,000 people.
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