Tuesday, December 22, 2009

TODAY IS ... 22 DECEMBER

TODAY IS ... 22 DECEMBER
BIRTHDAYS: 1983 - Jennifer Hawkins - an Australian beauty queen, model and television presenter best known as Miss Universe 2004 and the face of Australian department store Myer. 1962 - Ralph Fiennes - has been the very image of the trim, intense, heroically repressed Englishman in films like The English Patient (1996) and The Constant Gardener (2005). Played Heathcliff (opposite Juliette Binoche's Catherine) in Wuthering Heights (1992) and seemed primed to be typecast in great British roles. However, he took a sharp turn in 1993, winning an Oscar nomination as the nasty Nazi commandant Amon Goeth in Schindler's List (directed by Stephen Spielberg) and then playing American game show fraud Charles Van Doren in Quiz Show (1994). Ralph played a popular literary villain, Lord Voldemort, in the films Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).
1949 - Robin and Maurice Gibb, The Bee Gees, singers, songwriters, producers, Robin was the eldest by 1 hour. (1967 UK No.1 single 'Massachusetts', 1978 UK & US No.1 single 'Night Fever', over 30 UK Top 40 hits and 9 US No.1's over 4 decades). Maurice died on 12th January 2003 of a heart attack.
ROBIN, BARRY AND MAURICE GIBB
1936 - Hector Elizondo - actor: Chicago Hope, Popi, Freebie and the Bean, Foley Square, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Casablanca, Perfect Alibi, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Frankie and Johnny, Pretty Woman, The Flamingo Kid, Young Doctors in Love, The Fan, Cuba, American Gigolo, The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three, Pocket Money, Born to Win 1922 - Ruth Roman - one of her most memorable roles, Roman costarred with Farley Granger and Robert Walker in the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train (1951). actress: The Killing Kind, Love has Many Faces, Since You Went Away, The Window, Knots Landing. 1922 - Barbara Billingsley - an American film, television, voice and character actress of stage, who in her five decades of television came to prominence in the 1950s in the big screen in The Careless Years opposite Natalie Trundy, followed by her best-known role, that of June Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver and its sequel Still the Beaver (also known as The New Leave It to Beaver). 1907 - Dame Peggy Ashcroft - Although her impressive range allowed her to appear in plays from Sheridan to Shaw to Beckett to Pinter, Ashcroft was most loved for her portrayals of Shakespearean ingenues, roles she played well into her 40s. Among her many television and film appearances were The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), The Jewel in the Crown (1982), and A Passage to India (1984) for which she won an Academy Award. OTHER EVENTS: 2006 - The NASA space shuttle Discovery lands at the Kennedy Space Center, concluding a two-week mission to the International Space Station. 2005 – Starring David Strathairn and Jeff Daniels , Good Night, and Good Luck. directed by George Clooney starts screening in Australia. Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy. 2005 – Cheaper by the Dozen 2 starring Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt and Carmen Electra starts screening in Australia. 2005 - Janet Jackson was the most-searched name during 2005 according to Google, the singer topped a list of searches with people looking for pictures from her infamous ‘wardrobe malfunction’ at the 2004 Super Bowl when she exposed her right breast. 2003 – The record industry suffers a blow in its efforts to clampdown on illegal downloads when a US Court rules that Internet service providers cannot be forced to identify file-sharers. 2002 - Pop Stars: The Rivals winners Girls Aloud started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with their debut release 'Sound Of The Underground.' The song was originally recorded in 2001 by London girl group Orchid, who disbanded before gaining a record deal. 2001 - Cloning: The first cloned pet, Cc the cat is born. 2000 - Three armed men overpower the guards at the National Museum in Stockholm. They steal three paintings: a self-portrait by Rembrandt from 1630, and two paintings by Auguste Renoir. 1999 - Two astronauts from the U.S. space shuttle Discovery started three days of spacewalks to repair the crippled Hubble Space Telescope so it could focus correctly on stars, galaxies and other celestial objects. 1994 – Baby’s Day Out starring Joe Mantegna and Lara Flynn Boyle starts screening in Australia. Baby Bink couldn't ask for more; he has adoring parents, he lives in a huge mansion, and he's just about to appear in the social pages of the paper. 1993 – At the Stockholm Opera House, ABBA’s Frida Lyngstad sings an a cappella version of “Dancing Queen” for the Queen of Sweden on her 50th birthday. 1989 - The Brandenburg Gate between East and West Berlin is opened for the first time in nearly thirty years. 1984 - Madonna started a six-week run at No.1 in the US charts with 'Like A Virgin', her first US No.1. 1984 - George Michael hits the US Hot 100 at No. 37 with 'Careless Whisper', on the way to No. 1 1983 - In Guinea, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurs. At least 443 people killed, 200 missing, 150 seriously injured and extensive damage in the Gaoual-Koumbia area, Guinea. 1981 - A Sotheby's auction in London features an enameled Abbey Road street sign ($600), an autographed program from the Beatles' Royal Command Performance ($2,000), a letter of introduction from Buddy Holly to Decca Records (also $2,000), the marriage certificate of John Lennon and first wife Cynthia ($850), an autographed program from the world premiere of the Beatles' movie Help! ($2,100) and a jacket once worn by Tom Jones ($12). 1980 - Maldives issues ten postage stamps depicting scenes from Alice in Wonderland. 1980 - Stiff Records released an album in the UK called ‘The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan.’ The entire disc contained 40 minutes of silence. 1979 - Rupert Holmes started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Escape, (The Pina Colada Song). His only US No.1 solo hit, a No.23 hit in the UK. 1978 - The stage version of Harry Nilsson's "The Point" opens in London with Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees in the cast 1976 - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band's Live Bullet album is certified gold 1975 – A suitcase filled with ticket receipts is stolen following an Ike and Tina Turner concert, leaving the couple down $86,000. 1973 - Elton John started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', it also had a eight week run at No.1 on the US chart. 1972 - Folk singer Joni Mitchell received a gold record for the album, For the Roses. The album included the song, You Turn Me on, I’m a Radio. 1972 - Survivors found 10 weeks after plane crash - The Chilean Air force has found 14 survivors from a plane that crashed in the Argentine Andes over two months ago. 1969 – During their stay in Canada, John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and discuss drug abuse with John Munro, the Minister of Health. Please note video clip is silent at start. 1968 - The crew of the USS Pueblo is released by the North Koreans. They had been captured in January. 1963 - The Dave Clark Five scored their only US No.1 single with 'Over And Over', a No.5 in the UK. 1962 - The Tornadoes' "Telstar" becomes the first record by a British group to top the American pop chart. The song was inspired by the launching of the Telstar commu-satellite in July. 1956 - Elvis Presley had the most charting records this year with 17. Billboard reports Pat Boone was next with five, followed by Fats Domino, Little Richard and the Platters with three each. 1955 – 2000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre started screening in Australia. A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo. 1944 - During the Battle of the Bulge, General Anthony McAuliffe responded to a German surrender request with a one word answer: "Nuts!" 1941 - British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Washington for a wartime conference with U.S. President Roosevelt. 1941 - Jimmie Lunceford and his orchestra recorded Blues in the Night on Decca. The song became one of Lunceford’s biggest hits. Between 1934 and 1946 Jimmy Lunceford had more hits (22) than any other black jazz band (except Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway). 1939 - Gloria Jacobs became the first girl to hold a world pistol record when she shot 299 out of a possible 300 points. She was 17 years old at the time. 1938 – Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney starred in Boys Town which started screening in Australia. Against all odds Father Flanagan starts "Boys' Town" after hearing a convict's story. 1895 - German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen made the first X-ray, of his wife's hand. 1882 - First string of Christmas tree lights created by Thomas Edison.

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