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February 22nd
1732 - Born this day, George Washington, 1st US president. 1797 - When 1,100 Frenchmen landed at Fishguard on this day, the last attempted invasion of Britain, they were soon captured, some by a local cobbler's wife armed with a pitchfork. 1819 - On this date in 1819, spanish minister Do Luis de Onis and US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams signed the Florida Purchase Treaty, in which Spain agreed to cede the remainder of its old province of Florida to the United States. Spanish colonization of the Florida peninsula was initiated at St. Augustine in 1565. Although the Spanish colonists enjoyed a brief period of relative stability, by the seventeenth century Spanish Florida was under frequent attack from resentful Native Americans and ambitious English colonists to the north. Spain's last-minute entry into the French and Indian War on the side of France cost it Florida, which the British acquired through the first Treaty of Paris in 1763. However, after twenty years of British rule, Florida was returned to Spain as part of the second Treaty of Paris ending the American Revolution in 1783. Spain's hold over Florida, however, was tenuous in this period, and numerous boundary disputes developed with the United States. In 1819, after years of negotiations, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams won a diplomatic coup with the signing of the Florida Purchase Treaty, which officially put Florida into US hands at no cost beyond the US assumption of some five million dollars of claims by US citizens against Spain. Formal US occupation began in 1821 and General Andrew Jackson was appointed military governor. Florida was organised as a US territory in 1822, and was admitted into the Union as a slave state in 1845. 1857 - Born this day, Lord Baden-Powell, English hero of the seige of Mafeking during the Boer War and founder of the Boy Scout movement in 1908, was born in London. 1879 - Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first 'five and ten cent' store in Utica, New York. 1888 - John Ried and Robert Lockhart of Dunfermline first demontrated golf to bemused Americans at Yonkers, in New York State. 1909 - Born this day, Sir John Mills, actor. 1911 - The Canadian Parliament voted to preserve the union with the British Empire. 1924 - In 1924 in Washington, DC, US President Calvin Coolidge became the first president to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House. Coolidge's speech, commemorating the 192nd anniversary of George Washington's birth, was broadcast from his White House study and heard live on forty-two radio stations from coast to coast. In 1921, Coolidge's predecessor, Warren G. Harding, was the first president to ever have a speech broadcast on the radio. On 5 November 1921, a presidential message from Harding was broadcast in code from Washington, DC, to twenty-eight countries. The message was related to the imminent Washington Conference for Limitation of Armament, which opened in the nation's capital six days later. 1928 - Born this day, Bruce Forsyth, UK actor, entertainer. 1933 - Born this day, Duchess of Kent. 1936 - Born this day, Ernie K-Doe, 1961 US No.1 single Mother-in-Law, written by Allen Toussaint. 1938 - Born this day, Bobby Hendricks, The Drifters, 1960 US No.1 and UK No.2 single Save The Last Dance For Me. 1943 - Born this day, Louise Lopez, Odyssey, 1980 UK No.1 single Use It Up And Wear It Out. 1943 - Born this day, Mick Green, guitar, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, 1962-1964, Billy J. Kramer 1964. 1945 - Born this day, William Oliver Swofford [Oliver], 1969 US No.3 and UK No.6 single Good Morning Starshine. 1950 - Born this day, Julie Walters, English actress, (Dinnerladies, Personal Service, Billy Elliot, Educating Rita (1983), Mrs Weasley in Harry Potter films). 1984 Golden Globe Best Actress for Educating Rita, 1984 BAFTA Best Actress for Educating Rita, 2001 London Film Critics' Circle Best Actress for Billy Elliot, 2001 BAFTA Best Supporting Actress for Billy Elliot. Awarded the OBE for services to drama in December 1999. Studied drama at Manchester Polytechnic and had stage debut in Liverpool in a production of The Taming of the Shrew. 1953 - Born this day, Nigel Planer, writer, actor, Neil in The Young Ones, 1984 UK No.2 single with his version of the 1967 hit for Traffic, Hole In My Shoe. 1953 - Born this day, Graham Lewis, bass, Wire, 1989 UK No.68 single Eardrum Buzz. 1953 - Born this day, John Sparks, Dr Feelgood, 1979 UK No.9 single Milk And Alcohol. 1955 - Teenage tennis ace Maureen 'Little Mo' Connolly, who burst on the international championship circuit in 1952 as the 17 year old winner of the Wimbledon tournament, shocked the sports world by announcing that she was retiring from competitive tennis. She became the darling of the fans after winning the title in 1952, when she beat Louise Brough in straight sets to become the youngest champion this century. 1956 - In the first football match to be played under floodlighting in Britain, Portsmouth lost 0-2 to Newcastle United. 
1956 - Heartbreak Hotel is the first Elvis song to hit the charts. 1957 - Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was formally granted the title Prince of the United Kingdom by the Queen. 1960 - The UK government announced plans to build a supersonic airliner. 1962 - Elvis Presley had his 10th UK No.1 with Rock-A-Hula Baby/ Can't Help Falling In Love. 1962 - Born this day, Michael Wilton, Queensryche, 1992 UK No.18 single Silent Lucidity. 1962 - Died this day, John Lewis, founder of the retail store chain. 1962 - Northern Music Publishing was formed by The Beatles. 1965 - The Beatles began filming Help, their second movie, in the Bahamas. 1968 - Victoria Vetri (as Angela Dorian) appeared on Batman. 1969 - Born this day, Shaka Hislop, footballer. 1973 - Born this day, Scott Phillips, Creed, 2001 US No.1 and UK No.13 single With Arms Wide Open, 2002 US No.1 album Weathered. 1974 - The first of two nights at London's Rainbow with Mick Ronson. 1975 - Scottish group The Average White Band went to No.1 on the US singles chart with Pick Up The Pieces, it made No.6 in the UK. 1975 - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel had their only UK No.1 single with Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me). 1975 - Born this day, Drew Barrymore, US film actress. 1977 - The Sex Pistols won 'Turkey Of The Year' in this years New Musical Express (NME) readers poll. 1978 - The Police appeared in a Wrigley's Chewing Gum commercial for US TV, the band dyed their hair blonde for the appearance. 1980 - British ice skater Robin Cousins, won the gold medal for figure skating at the Lake Placid Olympics. 1980 - Appearing at The Royal Highland Exhibition Hall, Edinburgh, were Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, featuring Roger Glover, Graham Bonnet and Cozy Powell. 1985 - Appearing on Channel 4's The Tube, were Marc Almond, Monochrome Set and film of Killing Joke. 1986 - MTV dedicated a full 22 hours broadcast to The Monkees, showing all 45 episodes of the original Monkees TV series. 1987 - Died this day, Andy Warhol, pop artist, died after a gall bladder operation. 1989 - Appearing at London's Town & Country Club, were The Shamen supported by Jesus Jones, tickets were £5. 1992 - Music paper the New Musical Express (NME) printed their writers all time best debut albums, at No.1 was Patti Smith, Horses, No.2 was Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures, MC5, Kick Out The Jams came in at No.3, and in at No.4, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Psychocandy and No.5, Television, Marquee Moon. 1992 - Shakespears Sister started an eight week run as the UK No.1 with the single Stay. The duo were made up of ex-Bananarama member Siobhan and singer Marcella Detroit who co-wrote Lay Down Sally with Eric Clapton. 1997 - Blur went to No.1 on the UK album chart with their album Blur. 1997 - Jennifer Lopez married Ojani Noa, they separated a year later. 1997 - No Doubt went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Don't Speak. 1997 - The Spice Girls started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Wannabe, the first UK act to score a No.1 for over 18 months. 2000 - The engagement ring Sex Pistol, Sid Vicious gave to his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon, went on sale for auction at £1,500. Sid bought the ring from Camden market in 1977. Also on sale was a pair of John Lennon's Jeans for £2,250. 2001 - Winners at the 43rd Grammy Awards included U2, record of the year and song of the year with Beautiful Day, Steely Dan won album of the year for Two Against Nature, Macy Gray, Female pop vocal for I Try and Shelby Lynne won best new artist. 2002 - Died this day, drummer Ronnie Verrell, aged 77. Worked with Tom Jones, The Strawbs, Phil Everly and provided the drum licks for Animal in The Muppet Show. 2002 - Two middle-aged women spent the first of eight nights sleeping in a car outside Bournemouth International Centre to make sure they were first in the queue for when tickets to Cliff Richard's forthcoming concert went on sale. 2002 - US President George W. Bush led tributes to Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was murdered by kidnappers in Pakistan. 2003 - Cricketer Shane Warne was been handed a 12-month ban after failing a drug test. The spin-bowler, aged 33, was found to have traces of a banned diuretic in his sytem and could have been barred from the game for up to two years. The diuretic, which aids weight loss, was given to him by his mother in order to look good for TV cameras. He has said he would appeal against the ban. 2003 - Tony Blair was urged by Pope John Paul II, to avoid creating 'new divisions in the world' as he sought a solution to the Iraq crisis. After the audience, the Vatican called for the stand-off over Saddam's weapons of mass destruction to be guided by the United Nations (UN) to avert the 'tragedy of war'. The Pope recently met Iraqi Deputy PM Tariq Aziz and UN head Kofi Annan. 2003 - Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy welcomed the UDA's 12-month ceasefire but urged them to work towards ending all paramilitary activity. After the UDA said it was re-engaging with the international decommissioning body, Mr. Murphy called the statement 'a positive move in the right direction'. UUP leader David Trimble called it "a positive and welcome development". 2003 - At least 96 people died when a blaze erupted during an indoor fireworks display at a US nightclub rock concert. More than 200 others suffered burns and smoke inhalation in the inferno which took less than three minutes to rip through the club in Rhode Island, New York. The huge fire was the second disaster to hit a US nightclub in a week and has raised major safety concerns. 2004 - Died this day, Mary Bryant, aged 71, press agent, who handled publicity for many of Broadway's biggest hits associated with legendary directors George Abbott and Harold Prince, of a brain hemorrhage in Hillsdale, New York. She died at her home, said Wayne Wolfe, a longtime associate. She had been battling lung cancer since 1999. It was Abbott who first hired Bryant as an assistant press agent for the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Fiorello! in 1959. She later opened her own office, doing publicity for the 1962 Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, produced by Prince and directed by Abbott. Bryant went on to work with Prince, handling many of the shows the producer-director created with Sondheim, including Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd and Merrily We Roll Along. |
Trivia
Trivia - petty details or considerations, matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
Trivial - of very little importance or value; insignificant: "Don't bother me with trivial matters." Trivially - unimportant, nugatory, slight, immaterial, inconsequential, frivolous, trifling.