Jan 17

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Jan 17, 2019 Week: 02  \ Day: 17

86004 Today: H 39° \ L 23° \ Average Sky Cover: 40% 

Wind:   4mph\Gusts:  9mph Visibility: 9 mi

Record High: 62°[1971]   Record Low: -13°[1987]

Jan Averages: 43°\11°

Today’s Quote

A happy life is one spent

in learning, earning, and yearning.

Lillian Gish

Random Tidbits

The first person to use an elevator: King Louis XV, whose "flying chair" went between floors at Versailles in 1743.

***

Mark Twain invented a Trivial Pursuit-like game called Mark Twain's Memory-Builder.

Observances This Week

11-17

Cuckoo Dancing Week

13-19

National Mocktail Week

17-23

National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week

Observances for Today

Benjamin Franklin Day

Cable Car Day

Get to Know Your Customers Day

Hot Heads Chili Days

International Mentoring Day 

Judgment Day

Kid Inventors' Day

National Bootleggers Day

National Hot Buttered Rum Day

Popeye Day

My Rambling Thoughts

Our expected storm was a big bust. None of those big flakes actually stayed on the ground. Another storm is ‘on-the-way’. I did fill my vehicle with gas, just in case and since the arrow was close to E, but no light yet, I really needed to…storm or not. AND…after 5 days of overcast sky, sunshine has returned!!!

Few Americans, including me, do not understand Brexit. I do know that traveling in continental Europe has been a breeze. Nice to travel across country borders just like we do in the US at state borders. Now the news is talking about the bad side of Brexit, including the negative effects on the world economy. Time is short for an agreement that doesn’t have great negative effects on many. Of interest is that the House of Commons defeated May’s plan with a record NO vote, then the next day defeated a ‘no confidence’ vote allowing May to remain in power. Hmmm. Sounds like no one wants her job.

Today’s Significant Historical Events

1800’s

1873 A group of Modoc warriors defeats the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold, a part of the Modoc War

1900’s

1904 Anton Chekhov's play "Cherry Orchard" opens at Moscow Art Theater

1920 First day Prohibition comes into effect in the US as a result of the 18th amendment

1946 United Nations Security Council holds its 1st meeting

1950 The Great Brinks Robbery - 11 men rob $1.2M cash & $1.5M securities from armored car company Brink's offices in Boston, Massachusetts

1955 US Submarine Nautilus begins 1st nuclear-powered test voyage

1961 President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers a televised farewell address to the nation three days before leaving office, in which he warns against the accumulation of power by the "military-industrial complex".

1983 Alabama Governor George Wallace, becomes governor for a record 4th time

1987 US President Reagan signs secret order permitting covert sale of arms to Iran

2000’s

2007 Doomsday Clock set to five minutes to midnight in response to North Korea's 1st nuclear test

2017 US President Barack Obama commutes WikiLeaks discloser Chelsea Manning's prison sentence from 35 to 7 years

Birthdays Today

1706 Benjamin Franklin,

US Founding Father, inventor, ambassador and

writer (Poor Richards Almanac), born in

Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1790)@84

1820 Anne Brontë,

English novelist/poet (Tenant of Wildfell Hall),

born in Thornton, West Yorkshire

(d. 1849)@29-TB

1927 Dr.Tom Dooley,

American humanitarian (d. 1961)@34-cancer

1928 Vidal Sassoon,

hair stylist/CEO (Vidal Sasson), born in London,

England (d. 2012)@84

1927 Eartha Kitt,

American singer (Santa Baby), dancer,

comedian, actress and activist (Catwoman-

Batman), born in North, South Carolina

(d. 2008)@81

1934 Shari Lewis,

ventriloquist/puppeteer (Lamb Chop), born in

The Bronx, (d. 1998)@65-breast cancer

1942 Muhammed Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.),

champion boxer and activist (d. 2016)@74-

septic shock

1949 Andy Kaufman,

American comedian and actor (Latka Gravas-

Taxi), born in NYC, (d. 1984)@35-cancer

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97- Betty White [Ludden],

American actress and comedian with the

longest TV career of a female entertainer (The

Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls), born in

Oak Park Illinois

88- James Earl Jones,

actor

80- Maury Povich,

TV host (Current Affair, Maury)/Mr Connie

Chung

67- Jim Carrey,

Canadian-American actor (Eternal Sunshine of

the Spotless Mind, Dumb & Dumber, The Mask),

born in Ontario Canada

62- Steve Harvey, American actor, comedian and

          radio personality

55- Michelle Obama, 1st African-American US First

          Lady (2009-16), born in DeYoung, Illinois

48- Kid Rock [Robert James Ritchie], American

          rapper, songwriter, musician and actor (Devil

          Without a Cause), born in Romeo, Michigan

39- Zooey Deschanel, American actress (Almost

          Famous, New Girl), born in Los Angeles  

Historical Obits Today

@90-2012 Johnny Otis [Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes],

US R&B musician, producer, and talent scout

("godfather of rhythm and blues")

@90-1891 George Bancroft,

American historian and father of U.S. History

@81-2007 Art Buchwald,

American humorist

@76-2011 Donald "Don" Kirshner,

American rock & roll producer known as "The

Man With the Golden Ear" (invented bubblegum

music), dies of heart failure

@76-2003 Richard Crenna,

American actor (Rambo, Summer Rental, Sand

Pebbles), dies of pancreatic cancer

@70-1893 Rutherford B. Hayes,

19th US President (Republican: 1877-81), dies

of a heart attack

@66-1927 Juliette Gordon Low,

American founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA,

dies of breast cancer

@64-2008 Bobby Fischer,

American chess player (world champion (1972-

75), dies of renal failure

@62-1874 Chang & Eng Bunker, Chinese/Thai

          Siamese twins