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January 9th
1285 - Died this day, St. Thorfinn, Norwegian Bishop. 1684 - Puppet shows performed and shopping stalls were set up out on the Thames in London during a deep freeze. 1768 - The first modern circus was staged in London. 1788 - Beside a long tidal river or in American Indian-speak, Quinnehtukqut, is Connecticut, the state that entered the United States of America this day, becoming the fifth Member State. Hartford, the capital of Connecticut boasts having the oldest newspaper, Hartford Courant, which has been publishing since 1764. 1792 - The Treaty of Jassy ended the Russo-Turkish War. The Russian frontier was extended and the Ottomans also gained territory. 1793 - Jean-Pierre Blanchard made the first successful balloon flight in the United States. Blanchard’s balloon, filled with hydrogen, took off from Philadelphia, PA, soared to 5,800 feet and eventually wound up some 15 miles away, in Woodbury, New Jersey. 1799 - British Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger, introduced income tax at two shillings (10p) in the pound to help raise funds for the Napolianic Wars. 1806 - On this date in 1806, Lord Horatio Nelson, the British naval hero credited with saving Britain from an invasion by France, was buried at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Napoleon, who led France to preeminence on the European mainland, was consistently thwarted by Nelson and his Royal Navy at sea. On 21 October 1805, Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain, and Napoleon Bonaparte was forced to abandon his invasion plans for England. Nelson, however, was mortally wounded at the height of the engagement while pacing the quarter-deck of the HMS Victory. He died that day, and his body was solemnly brought back to England. In London, a column was erected to his memory in the newly named Trafalgar Square. They packed his body in a cask of rum to preserve it during the long voyage back to England - hence the name Lord Nelson's Blood for rum. 1811 - The first women's golf tournament took place in Scotland between locals in the fishing town of Musselburgh. 1859 - Born this day, Carrie Chapman Catt, women's suffrage and peace movement leader. 1861 - Mississippi seceded from the Union. 1875 - Alfonso XII landed at Barcelona after being proclaimed king of Spain. 1878 - Victor Emmanuel died and was succeeded as king of Italy by Umberto I. 1878 - Born this day, John Watson, pioneer psychologist. 1894 - The New England Telephone and Telegraph Company placed the first battery-operated switchboard into operation in Lexington, Massachusetts. 1898 - Born this day, Gracie Fields (Grace Stansfield), in Rochdale, Lancashire, singer, actress, comedienne, (Walter, Walter, I Took My Harp to A Party, The Biggest Aspidistra in the World; singer: Sally, Now is the Hour, Around the World). Was made a Dame in 1979. Died 27 September 1979. 1898 - Born this day, Vilma Banky (Lonchit), actress, (Son of the Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle). Died 18 March 1991. 1901 - Born this day, [Murat Bernard] Chic Young, cartoonist, (creator of the Blondie comic strip, introduced the Dagwood Sandwich to America). Died 14 Mar 1973. 1901 - Born this day, Ishman Bracey [Ishmon Bracey], in Byram, Mississippi, blues singer. He sang Suitcase Full Of Blues and Bust Up Blues. Worked with Tommy Johnson and Charlie McCoy. Died 12 February 1970. 1902 - Born this day, Sir Rudolf Bing, manager, (Metropolitan Opera House [1950-1972]). Died 2 September 1997. 1902 - New York State introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public. 1904 - Born this day, George Balanchine, choreographer. 1908 - Born this day, Simone de Beauvoir, French novelist. 1913 - Born this day, Richard Milhous Nixon, 36th US Vice President [1953-1961], 37th US President [1969-1974], only President to resign from office [9 August 1974 over charges stemming from Watergate scandal]. Died 22 April 1994. 1914 - Born this day, Gypsy Rose Lee [Rose Hovick], actress, dancer, stripper. Died in 1970. 1915 - Born this day, Fernando Lamas, actor, (The Cheap Detective, Murder on Flight 502, Rose Marie, The Merry Widow, Rich, Young and Pretty). Died 8 October 1982. 1915 - Born this day, Les Paul, guitarist, inventor of the Gibson Les Paul guitar, 1953 UK No.7 single with Vaya Con Dios and US hit How High The Moon featuring his multi-layered recording techniques. 1915 - Born this day, Anita Louise (Fremault), actress, (Retreat, Hell!, Wagons Westward, The Little Princess, Marie Antoinette, That Certain Woman, Judge Priest). Died 25 April 1970. 1917 - Born this day, Herbert Lom (Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchacevich Schluderpacheru), actor, (Son of the Pink Panther and others in Pink Panther series, Ten Little Indians, King Solomon’s Mines, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Dorian Gray, Spartacus, War and Peace, The Seventh Veil, Secret Mission). 1920 - Born this day, Clive Dunn, UK comic actor, (Dad's Army), singer, 1970 UK No.1 single Grandad. 1923 - Don Juan de la Cierva, Spanish flier and inventor, made the first successful flight of an autogyro, forerunner of the helicopter. 1925 - Born this day, Lee Van Cleef, actor. 1927 - Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, who were real-life lovers, shocked cinemagoers in New York with their kiss in the silent film Flesh And The Devil. 1928 - Born this day, Domenico Modugno, in Italy, singer, actor, songwriter. Died 6 August 1994 aged 66. (Volare 'Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu'). 1929 - The Seeing Eye was incorporated in Nashville, Tennessee. Its purpose was to train dogs to guide the blind. 1933 - 20,000 Years in Sing Sing starring Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis, and directed by Michael Curtiz, opened in US theatres. 1935 - Born this day, Dick Enberg, sportscaster. 1935 - Born this day, Bob Denver, actor, (The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Gilligan’s Island, Back to the Beach, Wackiest Wagon Train in the West). 1936 - The United States Army adopted the semi-automatic rifle. In 1967 they adopted the AR-15 or M16 rifle. 1937 - The first issue of the periodical LOOK went on sale. The initial issue sold 700,000 copies and within a month, LOOK had become a bi-weekly magazine. 1937 - Born this day, Judith Krantz [Tarcher], author, (Scruples). 1940 - For the first time, television was used to present a sales meeting to convention delegates in New York City. 1941 - Born this day, Susannah York [Susannah Yolande Fletcher], actress, in London, England. She later starred in classic 1960s films Tom Jones (1963), A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Killing of Sister George (1968), and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). Also Devices and Desires, Superman 2, The Awakening, Superman: The Movie, Tunes of Glory. 1941 - Sammy Kaye and his orchestra recorded Until Tomorrow on Victor Records. This song became the sign-off melody for Kaye and other big bands. 1941 - The first demonstration of small screen, colour television was given by the Columbia Broadcasting System. The TV failed miserably, since RCA had pretty much wrapped up the patent process on colour TV at the time. 1941 - Joe Louis knocked out Buddy Baer. Buddy rested comfortably on the canvas sometime in the first round. Louis defended his world heavyweight boxing title, marking the 20th title defense for ‘The Brown Bomber’. 1941 - Born this day, Joan Baez, on Staten Island in New York, US singer, songwriter, political activist, 1971 UK No.6 single The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, also one time girlfriend of Bob Dylan. 1943 - Born this day, Rod Curl, golfer. 1943 - Born this day, Roy Head, singer (Treat Her Right). 1943 - Born this day, Kenneth Kelley, vocals, The Manhattans, 1976 US No.1 and UK No.4 single Kiss And Say Goodbye. 1944 - Born this day, (Noel) Scott Engel, singer, The Walker Brothers, My Ship is Coming In, Take It Easy on Yourself, 1966 UK No.1 single The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore, LP: Take It Easy; solo as Scott Walker: Joanna. 1944 - Born this day, Jimmy Page, guitarist, Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin, their 4th album released in 1971 features Stairway To Heaven, also as a session guitarist played on Here Comes The Night by Them, Shout by Lulu and also The Who's Can't Explain. 1944 - Born this day, Freddie Starr, English comedian. 1945 - In World War II (WWII), American troops invaded the Philippine island of Luzon and went on to liberate Manila. As he vowed, General Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines. 1948 - Born this day, Bill Cowsill, singer, musician. (The Cowsills). 1948 - Born this day, Tim Hart, Steeleye Span, UK folk group, 1975 UK No.5 single All Around My Hat. 1950 - Born this day, David Johansen [Buster Poindexter], singer, The New York Dolls, solo and actor. 1951 - A French film, Life Begins Tomorrow, was the first film to receive an X rating in Britain. It was opened in London. 1951 - Australia defeated England in Sydney, Australia, retaining the Ashes, the trophy which symbolized the cricket title, held by Australia since 1932. 1951 - The United Nations headquarters officially opened in New York City. 1951 - Born this day, Crystal Gayle (Brenda Gail Webb), in Kentucky, singer, 1977 US No.2 and UK No.5 single Don't It Make Your Brown Eyes Blue, Half the Way. Loretta Lynn’s sister. 1953 - Born this day, Bill Graves, Governor of Kansas. 1953 - Starring Alan Young, Victor Mature, Jean Simmons, Maurice Evans, and Elsa Lanchester, the film Androcles and the Lion opened in US theatres. Based on George Bernard Shaw's satirical comedy, it was the story of a Christian in ancient Rome who befriends a lion. 
1957 - Anthony Eden resigned as British prime minister just months after the Suez Canal crisis. 1960 - Eddie Cochran arrived in England to begin a tour (he later died there on April 17 in a car crash). 1960 - Construction work started on the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. 1961 - The play, Rhinoceros, opened on Broadway, starring two of the theatre’s true stars - Eli Wallach and Zero Mostel. 1961 - Bert Kaempfert started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Wonderland By Night. He also produced the Beatles first recording session when they were in Hamburg. 1961 - Bob Newhart went to No.1 on the US album chart with The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!. 1962 - Japan and the United States signed an agreement for Japan to pay $290 million in settlement of its debt for postwar US aid. 1962 - The DeHavilland Trident made its maiden flight. 1963 - Charlie Watts joined The Rolling Stones after leaving Blues Incorporated. 1963 - Born this day, Eric Erlandson, Hole, 1995 UK No.16 single Doll Parts. 1964 - Twenty-Two Panamanian students died during riots that began after US residents of the Panama Canal zone prevented them from hoisting their flag there. 1964 - Born this day, Phil Hartnoll, Orbital, 1996 UK No.11 single The Box. 1965 - Annette Funicello married Jack Gilardi - her first husband. 1965 - Born this day, Joely Richardson, actress. 1965 - Born this day, Haddaway, singer, 1993 UK No.2 What Is Love. 1965 - The Beatles started a nine week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Beatles 65, the groups fourth No.1. 1965 - Born this day, Tyrone Curtis 'Muggsy' Bogues, basketball player. 1967 - Born this day, Dave Matthews, guitarist, vocals, Dave Matthews Band, 1998 US No.1 album Before These Crowded Streets, 2001 US No.1 album Everyday, 2001 UK No.35 single The Space Between. 1967 - Born this day, Steve Harwell, Smash Mouth, 1997 UK No.19 single Walkin' On The Sun. 1969 - The British-French supersonic Concorde jetliner made its first test flight at Bristol, England. 1969 - The last original episode of Star Trek aired on NBC; the episode was Turnabout Intruder. 1971 - Led Zeppelin played at London's Royal Albert Hall. 1971 - TV's Dads Army star Clive Dunn was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with Grandad. 1972 - Fire destroyed the liner Queen Elizabeth as she lay in waters off Hong Kong. 1973 - Rhodesia closed its Zambesi river border with Zambia due to guerrilla attacks. 1973 - Lou Reed married a cocktail waitress called Betty, in New York. 1973 - Mick Jagger was refused a Japanese visa on an account of a 1969 drug conviction causing the band to cancel a tour. 1977 - Country singer Emmylou Harris married record producer Brian Ahern. 1978 - Born this day, Alex Mclean, Backstreet Boys, 1996 UK No.3 single We've Got It Going On, 1997 US No.2 single Quit Playing Games With My Heart, 1999 UK No.1 single I Want It That Way. 1979 - The 'Galaxy Of Stars' music for UNICEF concert took place in New York featuring Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees, Earth Wind and Fire, Abba, Donna Summer, Olivia Newton-John and others. 1980 - In Saudi Arabia, 63 Muslim fanatics were beheaded for their part in the siege of the Great Mosque in Mecca in November 1979. 1981 - Terry Hall and Jerry Dammers from The Specials were both fined £400 after being found guilty of using threatening words during a gig in Cambridge, England. 1982 - A 5.9 earthquake occured in New England/Canada; the last one was in 1855. 1982 - The Human League went back to No.1 on the UK album chart for three weeks with Dare. 1984 - The Jordanian parliament was reconvened for the first time in ten years. 1984 - The Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) index exceeded 800 for the first time. 1985 - Motley Crue's album, Shout At the Devil, was certified double-platinum. 1986 - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), for the first time, announced it would withhold income tax refunds coming to 750,000 government loan defaulters, most of them former students. 1986 - Kodak got out of the instant camera business after 10 years. A nasty court battle didn’t go their way. The court claimed that Kodak copied Polaroid patents. Sixteen million camera owners were offered free stock, coupons or a replacement camera. 1988 - Whitney Houston scored her sixth consecutive No.1 in the US with So Emotional. 1989 - Playing at London's Dingwalls, were The Happy Mondays. 1991 - Two New York City teenagers were sentenced for the 1989 rape and beating of a jogger in Central Park. 1992 - A judge ordered Meshulam Riklis and his wife, actress Pia Zadora, to pay Donald Trump $751,000 in back rent at Trump Tower. They still owed Trump the remainder of a $9 million lease, after vacating the property the previous year. 1993 - Seven people were found shot to death at a fast-food chicken restaurant in Palatine, Illinois, northwest of Chicago. 1995 - House Speaker Newt Gingrich asked for the resignation of House historian Christina Jeffrey after it was revealed she'd once criticised a school program on the Holocaust for not including the 'Nazi point of view' or that of the Ku Klux Klan. 1996 - A US federal appeals panel ruled that a sexual harassment suit filed against President Clinton by an ex-state worker of Arkansas could proceed. 1996 - Rebels in the Russian republic of Chechnya overran the town of Kizlyar and took 2,000 hostages at a hospital and in nearby homes and threatened to kill them if their demands were not met. 1996 - International donors pledged a total of $1.37 billion in aid to the new Palestinian Authority. 1999 - French NATO forces killed a suspected war criminal in Bosnia while trying to arrest him. Dragan Gagovic had been charged in the rape and torture of Muslim women during a Serb offensive in eastern Bosnia in 1992-1993. 2000 - The chauffeur who drove Puff Daddy and his girlfriend Jennifer Lopez from a night-club after a shooting was reported to be co-operating with prosecutors. Puff Daddy faced up to 15 years in jail for allegedly pulling a gun in a New York club. 2001 - Winners at the 28th annual American Music Awards, included, Favourite Album, Creed, Human Clay, Male Artist, Kid Rock, Favourite Female Artist, Faith Hill, Favourite Group, Backstreet Boys, Favourite New Artist, 3 Doors Down. 2001 - Linda Chavez, President-elect Bush's nominee for secretary of labor, withdrew from consideration after it was revealed that she'd sheltered an illegal alien from Guatemala. 2002 - Died this day, David McWilliams, singer, songwriter. Wrote The Days Of Pearly Spencer, 1992 UK No.4 for Marc Almond. 2002 - A 120-strong squad of Gurkhas was on standby to go to Afghanistan as part of Britain's role in the international security force, defence officials said. |
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.