Monday, January 11, 2010

TODAY IS ... 11 JANUARY

TODAY IS ... 11 JANUARY
BIRTHDAYS - 1993 - Flora Cross - an American/French actress who played the lead role of Eliza in the 2005 film Bee Season, opposite Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche and Max Minghella. 1981 - Jamelia - a British singer-songwriter and model, most famous for her use of a capella and prolific work in the R&B genre. 1973 - Rockmond Dunbar - an American actor best known for his roles as Kenny Chadway on the Showtime television drama series Soul Food, and as Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin on the FOX television drama series Prison Break. 1972 - Amanda Peet - actress: The Whole Nine Yards, Ellen Foster, Playing by Heart, Origin of the Species, Saving Silverman, Changing Lanes 1971 - Mary Jane Blige - American R&B soul singer, songwriter, actress. (1997 US No.1 album, 'Share My World', 1999 UK No.4 single' As', 2001 US No.1 single,' Family Affair', 2006 US No.1 album 'The Breakthrough’). Sold over 60 million records world-wide known as the "Queen of hip-hop soul." 1963 - Jason Connery - actor: The Boy Who Had Everything, Casablanca Express, The Secret Life of Ian Fleming, Midnight in St. Petersburg, Macbeth, Merlin, Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell; son of actors Sean Connery and Diane Cilento 1962 - Kim Coles - an American actress and comedian - including Frasier (where she became known for playing "Dr." Mary Thomas), Six Feet Under, Celebrity Mole and The Geena Davis Show. 1949 – Daryl Braithwaite, Australian rock singer - best known as the lead vocalist of Sherbet, Braithwaite has also sustained a successful solo career, placing 15 singles in the Australian top 40, including the #1 hits "You're My World" and "The Horses". 1946 - Naomi Judd - Grammy Award-winning singer: duo: The Judds: Why Not Me, Have Mercy, LP: Heartland; mother of singers, Wynonna, Ashley 1945 - Christine Kaufmann - actress: Bagdad Cafe, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Taras Bulba, The Last Days of Pompeii 1930 - Rod Taylor - actor: The Birds, Masquerade, The Time Machine even appears in a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone. 1924 - Don Cherry - singer, (1955 US & 1956 UK Top 10 single 'Band Of Gold'). OTHER EVENTS – 2009 - The Teartai Prima ferry sinks in high waves off central Indonesia, with the loss of about 225 people. 2009 - Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Just Dance', taken from her album The Fame. 2008 - Ringo Starr helped launch the celebrations for Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture. He was joined by acrobats who dangled on wires from cranes as the opening party kicked off a year-long programme of more than 350 events. Organisers hoped the Capital of Culture tag would attract an extra two million visitors to Liverpool and boost the economy by £100m. 2007 – Mel Gibson directed Apocalypto starring Rudy Youngblood, Dalia Hernández and Jonathan Brewer which started screening in Australia. As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw, a young man captured for sacrifice, flees to avoid his fate 2007 – JK Rowling completes the 7th novel in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 2007 - China successfully tests a ground-based ballistic missile capable of destroying satellites in orbit, drawing criticisms from other countries. 2006 – Pop singer Jay Chou wins five statuettes at the 12th Chinese Music Awards, including best male singer and most popular music video in Hong Kong and Taiwan. 2006 – Jamie Foxx continues to top the U.S. albums chart with Unpredictable. The highest new entry comes from The Strokes, whose First Impressions of the Earth debuts at No. 4. 2004 - The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A Swedish Volvo car swerves to avoid a cat, hits a tree and bursts into flames, then explodes, twice, a reference to the safety aspect of the Volvo car. 2003 - Britain’s oldest rockers came out winners in The Pollstar listing of the Top 10 grossing US tours of 2002: Paul McCartney $68m (£40m), The Rolling Stones $58m (£34m), Elton John $47m (£27.6m), The Who $20m (£11.8m), Ozzy Osbourne $18m (£10.6m), Peter Gabriel $10m (£5.88m), Yes $6m (£3.5m), Elvis Costello $5m (£2.94m), The Moody Blues $4m (£2.35m) and Jethro Tull $3m (£1.76m). 1999 – U.K. pop star Robbie Williams scoops a record six nominations for the Brit Awards, the United Kingdom’s equivalent of the Grammys. Williams dominates the shortlist with nominations for best single, best British video and best British album. 1999 – Lena Horne, 81, renews her recording contract with Blue Note Records. Blue Note president Bruce Lundvall announces the renewal at a 60th anniversary celebration for the label at the Blue Note club in New York. 1999 - At the American Music Awards, Billy Joel is given the Special Award of Merit for his "inspired songwriting skills" and "exciting showmanship." Also at the show, Blondie (with four of the original members: Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri, and Clem Burke) perform on stage with rapper Coolio singing the band's "No Exit." 1999 - *NSYNC won the Favourite Pop / Rock new artist award at the 26th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles. 1998 - Rolling Stone magazine readers poll picked 'Be Here Now' by Oasis as album of the year. 1995- Warner Bros purchased a dozen metromedia television stations around the US and this day started them off as the WB Network. 1994 - Diana Ross makes Mr. Blackwell's Worst-Dressed List. Blackwell refers to her as "a Martian meter maid." 1992 - Paul Simon becomes the first international performer to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa since the lifting of the UN boycott. Simon had violated the UN ban by working with South African musicians years earlier. 1992 - Nirvana appeared on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live. Also on this day 'Nevermind' went to No.1 on the US album chart. 1990 - Paul McCartney played the first of 11 sold out nights at Wembley Arena, London, England. 1989 – Starring Meryl Streep and Roseanne, She Devil commenced screening in Australia. An awkward and fat woman lives in the suburbs with her husband. She becomes a a monster who wants to revenge that her husband was seduced by an authoress who writes trash fiction. 1988 - Iran-Contra Affair: Vice-Pres. George Bush gives a sworn deposition to prosecutors, including testimony indicating his involvement. This information was not made public until five days before he left office as president 1986 - The Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, Australia, is officially commissioned 1986 - The Pet Shop Boys scored their first UK No.1 single with 'West End Girls.' The first version of the song was released in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States, after the duo signed with EMI, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague. 1986 - Author James Clavell signed a deal with Morrow/Avon Publishing for $5 million as an advance for the book Whirlwind. The book is a 2,000 page novel that comes to... $2,500 a page! 1985 - Brazilian rock Festival held in Rio, claimed to be the biggest ever staged. The festival featured featuring; Queen, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Whitesnake, Yes and Iron Maiden. 1984 - Thriller, the album by Michael Jackson, became the all-time best-selling LP. Thriller, with ten-million copies sold, surpassed the previous bestseller, the soundtrack from Saturday Night Fever. Among its precedent-shattering achievements, Thriller spent 37 weeks at number one on the Billboard album chart (longer than any contemporary rock or pop album -- only the cast album of South Pacific at 69 weeks and the West Side Story soundtrack at 54 weeks had longer runs at the top). And Thriller produced seven top-10 singles, ahead of Fleetwood Mac, Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen, who have each taken four top-10 singles off one LP. As of early 2002, Thriller was still the biggest-selling record ever, having sold more than 40-million copies. 1981 - Advertised in this weeks NME, the Top Ten Badges; 1, CND, 2, Echo and The Bunnymen, 3, Ant Music, 4, Jam pop art, 5, Ants no. 3, 6, Jam Start, 7, Dead Kennedy's, 8, Siouxsie, 9, Ants no.2, 10, The Beat stand down Margaret. All Badges cost 20p 1981, Blancmange appeared at the Hope & Anchor, London. Depeche Mode were the support, tickets cost £1 ($1.7). 1980 - Rupert Holmes was at the top of the pop music charts, with Escape (The Pina Colada Song). 1980 - Nigel Short, age 14, from Bolton in Britain, became the youngest International Master in the history of chess. 1978 - Soyuz 27 links with Salyut 6 and Soyuz 26 (first time three spacecraft link). 1977 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” Leo Sayer. 1973 - Monopoly: Atlantic City Public Works holds a hearing to change the names of Baltic and Mediterranean Avenues. The idea is vetoed due to a national outcry from Monopoly fans. 1972 - East-Pakistan becomes independent state of Bangladesh. 1969 – The Rolling Stones go to No. 5 in the American album charts with their new release Beggars Banquet. 1969 – Jethro Tull’s debut album, “This Was,” is released. 1968 - London's Daily Mirror reports that Jimi Hendrix has moved into the London townhouse where Handel is believed to have composed his famous "Water Music" and "Messiah" works. Jimi, for his part, says he "will not let the tradition down" and will also compose in the house. 1967 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded 'Purple Haze'. Jimi also signed to the new record label Track Records on this day. 1967 – Pink Floyd begin two days of recording with producer Joe Boyd, working on the tracks “Interstellar Overdrive,” “Arnold Layne,” “Let’s Roll Another One” and “Nick’s Boogie.” 1966 - Herman's Hermits' album The Best of Herman's Hermits is certified gold 1965, The Righteous Brothers arrived in Britain for a promotional visit appearing on three TV shows, Ready Steady Go! Scene At 6.30. and Discs A Go-Go. 1964 – US Surgeon General Luther Terry released a report that said that smoking cigarettes is a definite health hazard. 1964 - Billboard magazine publishes its first country and western album chart. At Number One - Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire album. 1964 - "She Loves Me" closes at Eugene O'Neill Theater New York City after 302 performances 1963 - The legendary rock club Whisky-a-Go-Go -- America's first real discotheque -- opens on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, CA. Johnny Rivers would record some of his biggest hits at "the Whiskey," while numerous acts, including the Doors, would get their start here. 1963 - The Beatles recorded their first national TV show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'. They mimed to their new single 'Please Please Me' which was released on this day. 1962 - Cliff Richard was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Young Ones'. It stayed at the top of the charts for six weeks and made Cliff the first UK artist to enter the chart at No.1. 1958 - Lloyd Bridges starred as Mike Nelson, an ex-Navy frogman who became an underwater trouble shooter, in Sea Hunt on CBS-TV. The show remained on the network for four years. The underwater sequences, for those wondering, were filmed in Silver Springs, Florida. The above-water sequences were filmed at Marineland of the Pacific. 1958 - The release date for the Elvis Presley single 'Jailhouse Rock' was put back a week after Decca Records pressing plant in the UK were unable to meet the advance orders of 250,000 copies. 1956 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Memories Are Made of This,” Dean Martin. 1949- The first recorded snowfall in Los Angeles. 1948- President Harry Truman called for the creation of free, two year community colleges for all those who desired a college education. 1940 - Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., became the United States Army's first black general. 1937 - The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation releases the film The Woman Alone to theaters. An excerpt from the Silly Symphony Who Killed Cock Robin? is shown. 1935 - Amelia Earhart Putnam became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California. She had also been the first woman to solo across the Atlantic three years earlier. 1928 - Ol’ Man River was recorded on Victor Records this day by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra. Bing Crosby crooned as the song’s featured vocalist. The tune came from the Broadway musical, Showboat. 1913 - The first sedan-type car was unveiled at the National Automobile Show in New York City. The car was manufactured by the Hudson Motor Company. 1908- President Teddy Roosevelt declared the entire Grand Canyon a National Monument. “The Ages have been at work at it and Man can only mar it.” 1902 - Popular Mechanics magazine was published for the first time. Initially, there were only five paying subscribers and a few hundred others who paid a nickel at newsstands. In September, 1903, the magazine became a monthly. 1864 - Charing Cross Station opens in London

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