Wednesday, January 6, 2010

TODAY IS ... 06 JANUARY

TODAY IS ... 06 JANUARY
BIRTHDAYS - 1968 - Joey Lauren Adams - an American actress who has appeared in more than thirty films. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the films of Kevin Smith, particularly Chasing Amy and her distinctive, high-pitched voice. 1956 - Rowan Atkinson - an English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his work on sitcoms such as Mr. Bean, Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line and his voiceover work in Walt Disney's The Lion King. He has been listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy, and amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever in a 2005 poll of fellow comedians 1939 - Murray Rose - took up swimming as a boy and was an Olympic Games champion at age seventeen. He became an Olympian for the first time at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne where he won the 400 metre and 1500 metre freestyle races and was a member of the winning team in the 4x200 metre relay. He was the youngest Olympian to be awarded three gold medals in one Olympic Games.. At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Rose again won an Olympic gold medal. OTHER EVENTS – 2005 – Ladder 49 starring Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta and Jacinda Barrett srarts screening in Australia. Under the watchful eye of his mentor Captain Mike Kennedy, probationary firefighter Jack Morrison matures into a seasoned veteran at a Baltimore fire station. 2005 – RB lover man-child Mario tops the Billboard Hot 100 for a third week with “Let Me Love You.” 2004 – Celine Dion gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Canadian songbird breaks into tears during her acceptance speech when she thanks her late father for his support and always being her “Number One Fan.” 2004 – Apple launch their new fun-sized iPod mini player at the Macworld Expo industry fair in San Francisco. 2003 - Astronomers in Seattle, Washington, announce the discovery of planet OGLE-TR-56b. The planet, about 5000 light-years from Earth, has a surface temperature of 1600 degrees C, and an orbit of 29 hours around its parent star. 2002 - Daniel Bedingfield went back to No.1 on the UK singles chart for the second time with 'Gotta Get Thru This'. 2000 – Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Ashley Judd, Double Jeopardy commences screening in Australia. A woman framed for her husband's murder suspects he is still alive; as she has already been tried for the crime, she can't be re-prosecuted if she finds and kills him. 1999 - Bob Newhart received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1999 - The 106th U.S. Congress opened. The first item on the agenda was the impeachment proceedings of U.S. President Bill Clinton. The trial was set to begin January 7, 1999. 1994 - Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding: Kerrigan, the 1993 U.S. figure skating champion and Olympic bronze medalist, is attacked after a practice by a man who hit her on the knee with a club. 1994 – Robin Hood : Men in Tights starring Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis and Amy Yasbeck starts screening in Australia. A spoof of Robin Hood in general, and 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' in particular 1993 - Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman announces his upcoming departure from the group after thirty years. 1991 - "Gypsy" closes at St. James Theater New York City after 477 performances 1990 - "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks. 1990 - Phil Collins started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with '...But Seriously'. 1987 – Eric Clapton started what became an annual event by playing six shows at the Royal Albert Hall, London. 1987 - After recent throat surgery, Elton John decides to cancel all live performances for the next year. 1987 - After a 29-year lapse, the Ford Thunderbird was again presented with the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. This was the first repeat winner of the award. 1984 - Getty Oil announced a bid to take over Texaco Oil for an estimated $9.9 billion. The offer topped the previous record takeover bid by the DuPont Company for Conoco Oil in 1981 ($7.8 billion). 440 International recently turned down a $16.2 billion takeover bid by Acme Banana. 1983 – Starring Dudley Moore and Mary Tyler Moore, Six Weeks starts screening in Australia. A wealthy cosmetic tycoon and her 12-year-old daughter who's dying from leukemia, strike up a sentimental friendship with a California politician. 1979 - The Village People scored their only UK No.1 single with 'Y.M.C.A.' At its peak the single was selling over 150,000 copies a day. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot. 1979 - The Bee Gees started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Too Much Heaven' the group's 7th US No.1. 1979 - Barbra Streisand’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2 was the #1 album in the U.S. The album was at the top of the charts for three weeks with these greatest hits: Love Theme From 'A Star Is Born' (Evergreen}, Love Theme From 'Eyes of Laura Mars' (Prisoner}, My Heart Belongs to Me, Songbird, You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, The Way We Were, Sweet Inspiration/Where You Lead, All in Love is Fair, Superman, and Stoney End. 1978 – The Crown of St. Stephen (also known as the Holy Crown of Hungary) is returned to Hungary from the United States, where it was held after World War II. 1977 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “You Don’t Have to Be a Star (to Be in My Show),Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. 1977 - KISS' Rock And Roll Over album is certified platinum 1975 - Boston Mayor Kevin White cancels Led Zeppelin's upcoming show at Boston Garden when approximately a thousand Zep fans riot while waiting for tickets to go on sale. Total damage to the facility - $30,000. 1974 - CBS radio returned to dramatic programming at night with the first broadcast of Radio Mystery Theatre, hosted by E.G. Marshall. The program debuted on 218 CBS network stations and remains a mainstay (even in syndication) for some stations today. 1973 - Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain', (with Mick Jagger on backing vocals), started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart. 1969 - Elvis Presley decides to record at Chips Moman's American Studio in Memphis. He would eventually record many of his "comeback" hits there.
Elvis and Chips Moman
1968 - The Beatles 'Magical Mystery Tour' started an eight week run at No.1 on the US album chart, the group's 11th US chart topper. 1968 - Irish singer Val Doonican was at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently'. 1968 - Gibson patents their "Flying V" electric guitar. 1968 - Dr. Norman E. Shumway performed the first heart transplant on an adult patient in the U.S. at Stanford University Hospital. Shumway’s historic first heart transplant came four weeks after the first such operation in the world, by Dr. Christian Barnard, in South Africa. Barnard used techniques developed by Shumway at Stanford. 1968 - Dick Clark's rock show Happening '68 premieres on ABC. 1966 - The Beatles' "Day Tripper" b/w "We Can Work It Out" is certified gold 1966 - Duke Ellington’s concert of sacred music, recorded at 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, was broadcast on CBS-TV.
Lena Horne and Duke Ellington perform his first Concert of Sacred Music
1966 - First black American-born Catholic bishop: Harold Robert Perry is named auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. 1964 - The Rolling Stones begin their first headlining UK tour. Opening act - The Ronettes. 1963 - "Oliver!" opens at Imperial Theatre New York City for 774 performances 1962 - Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 album with 'Blue Hawaii'; it spent a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts. 1958 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: ``At the Hop,'' Danny & the Juniors. The four members of the group all grew up in Philadelphia and started singing together in high school as the Juvenairs. 1958 - The film The Case Against Brooklyn, featuring Bobby Helms, begins photography. 1957 - Elvis Presley makes his third, final, and most famous appearance on CBS' Ed Sullivan Show. After numerous "Elvis The Pelvis" complaints during his first two appearances, Sullivan decides that Presley is to be filmed from the waist up only. Elvis sings seven numbers - "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Peace in the Valley" (at the request of the network), "Too Much," and "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again." After the performances, Ed Sullivan attempts to fend off controversy yet again by declaring -"I just wanted to say that this is a real decent, fine boy. We want to say that we've never had a pleasanter experience with a big name than we've had with you." 1956- Prince Rainier of Monaco announced his engagement to movie star Grace Kelly. 1956 - Lonnie Donegan's cover of "Rock Island Line" enters the UK charts, eventually selling over three million copies and kicking off the national skiffle craze. 1952 - A regular feature of Sunday funny papers debuted. Peanuts was seen above the fold in newspapers across the U.S. The Charles Schulz creation became the most successful syndicated comic strip in history. 1950 - The Pluto film Pluto's Heart Throb is released. Butch and Dinah also appear. 1950 - Ronald Coleman starred as the president of Ivy College in the radio presentation, The Halls of Ivy. 1949- Composer Leonard Bernstein noted in his diary that “JR (Jerome Robbins) called today with a novel idea- a modern version of Romeo and Juliet set in the slums.” At first the musical was going to be called East Side Story, then GangWay, finally West Side Story. 1948 - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: The Oscar-winning Humphrey Bogart classic movie is released. "Badges!? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" 1945- First Pepe Le Pew cartoon, "Odorable Kitty". When the Warners producer who replaced Leon Schlesinger, Eddie Selzer, heard the plans to do a short about a skunk he thundered: "Absolutely Not! Nobody will like a cartoon skunk!" Chuck Jones recalled: "As soon as he said no, I knew we just had to do it." The short won an Oscar. Selzer later went on into network T.V. 1942 - The first commercial around-the-world airline flight took place today. Pan American World Airways was the company credited with the historic feat. 1941 - A young actor appeared for the first time in a new program on CBS radio titled, Home of the Brave. Along with others in the cast, this was Richard Widmark’s debut. 1941 - World War II: President F.D. Roosevelt defines the "Four Freedoms" - freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from fear, and freedom from want. 1938 – One Hundred Men and a Girl starring Deanna Durbin, Leopold Stokowski and Adolphe Menjou starts screening in Australia. The daughter of a struggling musician forms a symphony orchestra made up of his unemployed friends and through persistence, charm and a few misunderstandings, is able to get Leopold Stokowski to lead them in a concert that leads to a radio contract. 1938 - Trummy Young played trombone and sang with the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra in New York City as Margie became Decca record number 1617. 1930 - Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon Summer is released. Directed by animator Ub Iwerks, it is the second of the 4 seasons Symphony. The idea for Symphonies had been suggested by Carl Stalling, a theatre organist from Kansas City who became Walt's first musical director. 1930 - The first diesel-engine automobile trip was completed this day. It ran 792 miles -- from Indianapolis, IN to New York City. This was a pretty long trip, right? It would cost quite a bit just in fuel and oil for the car, right? Wrong. The total cost of the run was $1.38. 1929 – Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin a her work amongst India's poorest and diseased people. 1912- Scientist Alfred Wegener presented his paper to the German Geological Society in Frankfurt. In it he theorized that the Earth’s continents are not fixed in place but moving. He named it Continental Drift. This was dismissed as nonsense until after WWII when submarines charting the ocean floor discovered tectonic plates. Today it is accepted that the continents move at the speed with which you grow a fingernail. About 6 feet a century. 1896 - The first American women’s six-day bicycle race was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Bicycle Show 1896
1838 - The telegraph was demonstrated for the first time in public at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The person demonstrating the new invention, the telegraph’s inventor was, of course, Samuel F.B. Morse.

1 comment:

  1. It will be great to watch Memphis - The Musical,i have bought tickets from http://ticketfront.com/event/Memphis_The_Musical-tickets looking forward to it.

    ReplyDelete