|
January 13th
1733 - British MP James Edward Oglethorpe arrived at Charleston with 130 settlers to found a colony; he said he intended to call it Georgia in honour of King George II. 1788 - Connecticut became the 5th state. 1832 - Born this day, Horatio Alger, Unitarian minister and author born in Revere, Massachusetts. Educated at Harvard. Writer of children's books. He wrote over 100 didactic moral tales in which the heroes rise from poverty to riches through hard work and good deeds, including the series Luck and Pluck (date?), Ragged Dick 1867 and Tattered Tom 1871 and From Canal Boy To President 1881. It is estimated that his books sold more than 20 million copies. In US usage an 'Horatio Alger tale' has now come to mean any rags-to-riches story, often an implausible one. Died 18 July 1899. 1838 - William Lyon Mackenzie, after a failed rebellion against the British in Upper Canada, was arrested in the US for violating neutrality laws. 1842 - On this day, a British army doctor reached the British sentry post at Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the lone survivor of a 16,000-strong Anglo-Indian expeditionary force that was massacred in its retreat from Kabul. He told of a terrible massacre in the Khyber Pass, in which the Afghans gave the defeated Anglo-Indian force and their camp followers no quarter. In the 19th century, Britain, with a goal of protecting its Indian colonial holdings from Russia, tried to establish authority in neighbouring Afghanistan by replacing Emir Dost Mohammad with a former emir known to be sympathetic to the British. This blatant British interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs triggered the outbreak of the first Anglo-Afghan War in 1838. In 1839, the Anglo-Indian army captured Kabul and deposed Dost Mohammad. However, after an Afghan revolt in Kabul in 1840, he was restored, and the British had no choice but to withdraw. The withdrawal began on 6 January, but bad weather delayed the army's progress. The column was attacked by swarms of Afghans led by Mohammad's son, and those who were not killed outright in the attack were later massacred by the Afghan soldiers. A total of 4,500 soldiers and 12,000 camp followers were killed. Only one man, who called himself Dr. Bryden, escaped to recount the details of the military disaster. In retaliation, another British force invaded Kabul, burning a portion of the city. In the same year, the war came to an end, and in 1857 Emir Dost Muhammad signed an alliance with the British. In 1878, the Second Anglo-Afghan War began, which ended two years later with Britain winning control of Afghanistan's foreign affairs. 1849 - British forces under Lord Gough defeated the Sikhs at the Battle of Chillianwallah, India. 1854 - Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, patented the accordion. 1864 - Composer Stephen Foster was found critically ill in his hotel room three days earlier, and on this date, died in Bellevue Hospital, New York, at age 37. He only had 35 cents in his pocket, along with a little slip of paper on which he had written, Dear friends and gentle hearts. While never a great composer, Foster wrote many of the popular songs of the era which remained a part of Americana for more than a century, including Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair, Oh! Susanna, My Old Kentucky Home, and Old Folks at Home, also known as Swanee River. He became a heavy drinker, suffered from tuberculosis, and lapsed into obscurity. His last song, Beautiful Dreamer, which he penned just a few days before his death, joined his earlier classics. 1864 - The Zemstvo, or provincial assembly, was introduced throughout Russia. 1884 - Born this day, Sophie Tucker (Abuza), singer, vaudeville, (‘Last of the Red Hot Mamas’; “I’ve been poor, I’ve been rich. Believe me, rich is better.”). Died 9 February 1966. 1885 - Born this day, Alfred Fuller, US company founder, Fuller Brushes. Died 4 December 1973. 1886 - The Gold Coast in Africa was separated into the two colonies of Lagos and the Gold Coast. 1893 - The British Independent Labour Party was founded with Keir Hardie as its leader. 1898 - French author Emile Zola published his "J'Accuse" letter, accusing the French government of a cover-up in the Alfred Dreyfus treason case. 1906 - Hugh Gernsback, of the Electro Importing Company, advertised radio receivers for sale for the low, low price of just $7.50 in "Scientific American" magazine. The first advert selling the radios guaranteed reception of about one mile. 1907 - Born this day, (Irving) Jeff Morrow, actor, (The Robe; The Creature Walks Among Us, The Giant Claw; The Story of Ruth, Octaman). Died 26 December 1993. 1908 - Born this day, Earle Wheeler, World War II (WWII) US Army General, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff [1964-1970]. Namesake for Hawaii’s Wheeler Army Air Force Base. Died in Dec 1975. 1909 - Born this day, Quentin ‘Butter’ Jackson, musician, trombone, (played with Duke Ellington). Died 2 October 1976. 1910 - Enrico Caruso and Emmy Destinn were heard via a telephone transmitter; rigged by DeForest Radio-Telephone Company to broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. 1913 - Born this day, Vido Musso, musician, saxophonist, clarinetist. Died in 1982. 1913 - Born this day, Jeff Morrow, actor. Died in 1993. 1913 - Born this day, Richard Nixon, 37th president of the USA. 1915 - South African troops under Louis Botha occupied Swakopmund in German South West Africa. 1915 - The town of Avezzano in central Italy was struck by a huge earthquake in which 30,000 people died. 1919 - Born this day, Robert Stack [Modini], Emmy Award-winning actor, (The Untouchables [1959-1960]; Written on the Wind, Strike Force, Airplane, Unsolved Mysteries). 1922 - Born this day, [Armand] Army Archerd, show business columnist, author. 1924 - Bantam-weight boxer Frankie Jerome died three days after being knocked out in New York. 1925 - Born this day, Gwen Verdon (Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon), dancer, Tony Award-winning Actress, (Damn Yankees [1956], Can-Can [1954]; High Button Shoes; films: Damn Yankees!, The Cotton Club, Cocoon). Died 18 October 2000. 1926 - Died this day, Wyatt Earp, legendary US lawman, who fought the Clanton Gang at the OK Coral, died aged 81 in Los Angeles. 1926 - On this day the serum to combat tetanus was discovered by the Pasteur Institute. 1926 - Born this day, Michael Bond, Paddington Bear creator. 1930 - The comic strip Mickey Mouse debuted in American newspapers, with Floyd Gottfredson as its ghost writer. 1930 - Born this day, Liz Anderson, singer, songwriter. 1930 - Born this day, Robert ‘Squirrel’ Lester, singer, The Chi-Lites. 1930 - Born this day, Frances Sternhagen, actress, (Raising Cain, Doc Hollywood, Bright Lights, Big City, Outland, Starting Over, Driving Miss Daisy). 1931 - Born this day, Charles Nelson Reilly, US comedian, actor, (The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Cannonball Run). 1933 - Born this day, Frank Gallo, artist, sculptor. 1935 - Born this day, Nick Clooney, actor. 1935 - In a plebiscite (a direct vote by the electorate of a state or region on some question, usually of national importance. Ie a referendum), the Saar region voted for incorporation into Germany. 1938 - Singer Allan Jones recorded The Donkey Serenade for Victor Records. The song became the one most often associated with the singer. Allan sang and acted in several Marx Brothers films: A Night at the Opera, A Day at the Races; but the film that catapulted him to stardom was the operetta, Firefly with Jeanette MacDonald. Singer Jack Jones is the son of Allan and wife, actress, Irene Hervey (The Count of Monte Cristo, Play Misty for Me). 1938 - Born this day, Billy Gray, actor, (On Moonlight Bay, Two for the Seesaw) 1941 - The four Modernaires joined to sing with the Glenn Miller Band on a permanent basis. They had a ‘solo’ hit in 1946 with To Each His Own. 1941 - Born this day, Sharon Miller, golfer, (Women’s Trans National Amateur Champion: 1965). 1942 - Born this day, Richard Moll, actor, (Night Court, Storybook, The Flintstones, Sidekicks, Sword and the Sorcerer, Hard Country). 1942 - Henry Ford patented the plastic automobile, which allowed for a 30% decrease in a car's weight. 1948 - Born this day, John Lees, Barclay James Harvest, eight UK top 40 albums from 1974-1987. 1949 - Born this day, Brandon Tartikoff, TV executive. Died in 1997. 1953 - The so-called 'Doctors' Plot' surfaced in the Soviet Union. Tass said nine 'terrorist doctors' had been arrested for hastening the deaths of politburo members by falsifying diagnoses and prescribing harmful treatments. 1955 - American and world banking gained a new giant player on this day, when two major US banks announced they would merge. The two banks, Chase National Bank and The Bank of Manhattan. The new bank became known as The Chase Manhattan Bank. 1955 - Born this day, Trevor Rabin, UK rock musician (Yes). 1955 - Born this day, Jay McInerney, writer. 1955 - Born this day, Fred White, drums, Earth Wind and Fire, 1975 US No.1 single Shining Star, 1981 UK No.3 single Let's Groove. 1957 - Born this day, Jim Paris, bass, Carmel, 1983 UK No.15 single Bad Day. 1957 - Elvis Presley recorded All Shook Up and That’s When Your Heartaches Begin for Victor Records in Hollywood. The former tune became Elvis’ ninth consecutive gold record. 1957 - Born this day, Mark O' Meara, golfer. 1957 - Born this day, Don Snow, keyboards, Squeeze, 1979 UK No.2 single Up The Junction. 1958 - Wearing a pink lace gown and a ten-carat ring, Jayne Mansfield married 'Mr. Universe' Mickey Hargitay in Palos Verdes, California. They would live in their famed 'pink palace' on Sunset Boulevard and stayed married until 1964. 1960 - Born this day, Kevin Anderson, actor, (Rising Sun, Hoffa, Sleeping with the Enemy, Risky Business). 1961 - Golfing great Arnold Palmer scored an embarrassing 12 strokes on one hole in the first round of the Los Angeles Open golf tournament. 1961 - Born this day, [Graham] Suggs McPherson, singer, TV presenter, Madness, 1982 UK No.1 single House Of Fun and over 20 other UK top 40 singles. As solo, 1995 UK No.7 single with cover of The Beatles I'm Only Sleeping). 1961 - Born this day, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, actress, (Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live, Hannah and Her Sisters, North, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation). 1962 - Cliff Richard scored his second UK No.1 album with The Young Ones, it spent six weeks at the top of the charts. 1962 - Ike and Tina Turner's Poor Fool entered the Billboard charts, eventually reaching No.38. 1962 - Singer Chubby Checker set a record, literally, with the hit, The Twist. The song reached the number one position in the US for an unprecedented second time in two years. The Twist was also number one on 26 September 1960. It became the only record in American chart history to top the charts on two separate occasions. 1964 - Capitol released in the US The Beatles' single I Want to Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There - 'to see how it goes'. 1964 - British designer Mary Quant launched a stinging attack on Paris fashion, which she described as 'out of date'. 1964 - Born this day, David McClusky, drums, The Bluebells, 1993 UK No.1 single with the re-issued Young At Heart). 1964 - Born this day, Penelope Ann Miller, actress, (Witch Hunt, Carlito’s Way, Kindergarten Cop, Awakenings, Biloxi Blues, Big Top Pee Wee). 1966 - Born this day, Patrick Dempsey, actor, (Fast Times, The Right to Remain Silent, Loverboy, Meatballs). 1966 - Elizabeth Montgomery’s character, Samantha, on Bewitched, had a baby. Tabitha was the name given to the witch’s daughter. She could wriggle her nose and cause all kinds of problems for daddy, just like her mother. 1967 - The Rolling Stones appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show singing Let's spend the night together. They were forced to change the words to Let's spend some time together. 1969 - Born this day, Stephen Hendry, snooker player. 1969 - Apple released the Beatles Yellow Submarine LP in America . It and reached the No.2 position on the British and American charts, No.1 was held by the White Album. 1969 - Elvis Presley began recording his 'Memphis Sessions'. 1969 - Catch-22 directed by Mike Nichols, began production for Paramount Pictures. 1970 - John Lennon and Yoko Ono cut their hair and donated it to a charity auction. 1970 - Born this day, Keith Coogan, actor. 1970 - Born this day, Zach de la Rocha, Rage Against The Machine, 1996 US No.1 album Evil Empire, 1993 UK No.16 single Bullet In The Head. 1972 - Born this day, Nicole Eggert, actress. 1972 - In Ghana, a military coup by Colonel I. K. Acheampong deposed civilian prime minister K. A. Busia, who was in London for medical treatment. 1973 - Carly Simon started a five week run at No.1 on the US album chart with No Secrets. 1973 - Eric Clapton made his stage comeback at the Rainbow Theatre, London, with Pete Townsend and friends. 1973 - Slade scored their first UK No.1 album with Slayed. 1976 - Britain applied for credit of almost 1 billion pounds from the International Monetary Fund. 1977 - Born this day, Orlando Bloom, actor. 1978 - The Police started recording their first album at Surrey Sound Studios, Surrey, with producer Nigel Gray. 1979 - Died this day, soul singer Donny Hathaway, after falling from the 15th floor of a New York hotel room (ruled a suicide though evidence suggests it was accidental). 1980 - Appearing live the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, at the Birmingham Odeon, tickets were £2. 1981 - Appearing at The Venue, London, were Bow Wow Wow, tickets were £3.00. 1981 - A United Nations (UN) sponsored Conference on Namibia in Geneva failed to agree on implementation of a plan for Namibia's independence. 1982 - 77 people died in an air crash in the Potomac River, in Washington, D.C. 1984 - BBC Radio 1 announced a ban on Relax, by Frankie Goes To Hollywood after DJ Mike read called it 'obscene', a BBC-TV ban also followed. The song went on become a No.1 and spent a total of 48 weeks on the UK chart. 1986 - John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and the mother of Sid Vicious sued former Sex Pistols manager Malcom McClaren for £1 million, (they settled out of court). 1986 - For the first time in about 10 years, The Wall Street Journal broke with tradition and printed a real, picture on its front page. The story was about an artist, a one O. Winston Link and featured one of his works. 1989 - Computers across Britain were hit by the 'Friday the 13th' virus. 1989 - Subway vigilante Bernhard H. Goetz was sentenced to one year in jail and fined $5,000 for illegal gun possession. 1990 - New Kids On The Block had their second No.1 UK single with Hangin' Tough. 1992 - American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer pleaded guilty but insane to the murders of 15 young men and boys. 1993 - Former East German leader Erich Honecker, under whom the Berlin Wall was built, left a Berlin prison to fly to Chile after a court freed him because he was dying. 1999 - Steps had the UK No.1 single with Heartbeat / Tragedy. 2000 - Christina Aguilera had the US No.1 single with What A Girl Wants. 2000 - The Duke of Edinburgh withdrew his Royal Warrant from Harrods. 2001 - Died this day, computer pioneer William Hewlett died in his sleep in the US at the age of 87. He founded the Hewlett-Packard company, which made the first pocket calculator, with his friend David Packard in 1939. 2001 - Died this day, Michael Williams, actor, husband of Dame Judi Dench, at the age of 65. He had fought a long battle against cancer. 2002 - Prince Harry was sent to a drugs rehabilitation clinic after he admitted regularly smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol. 2003 - Diana Ross appeared in a US court charged with driving while twice over the drink driving limit. Police in Tucson reported that Miss Ross could not walk in a straight line, touch her nose or count to 30 after she had been stopped for swerving across the road. 2003 - Pete Townshend was arrested on suspicion of child porn offences. Police officers impounded seven computers from his £15m home in Richmond, South West London. |
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.