Today's Highlight in History:
In 1823, the poem "Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas" was published anonymously in the Troy (New York) Sentinel; the verse, more popularly known as "`Twas the Night Before Christmas," was later widely attributed to Clement C. Moore.
On this date:
In 1783, George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia.
In 1805, Joseph Smith Junior, principal founder of the Mormon religious movement, was born in Sharon, Vermont.
In 1941, during World War II, American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese.
In 1947, scientists at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey demonstrated their just-invented point-contact transistor, which paved the way to a new era of miniaturized electronics.
In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese war leaders were executed in Tokyo.
In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson, on his way home from a visit to Southeast Asia, held an unprecedented meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican.
In 1968, 82 crew members of the US intelligence ship Pueblo were released by North Korea, 11 months after they had been captured.
In 1986, the experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the first non-stop, non-refueled round-the-world flight as it landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
In 1987, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, serving a life sentence for the attempted assassination of President Ford in 1975, escaped from the Alderson Federal Prison for Women in West Virginia. (She was recaptured two days later.)
Ten years ago: A jury in Denver convicted Terry Nichols of involuntary manslaughter and conspiracy for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing, declining to find him guilty of murder. Woody Allen married Soon-Yi Previn in a small ceremony in Venice, Italy.
Five years ago: Senate Republicans unanimously elected Bill Frist to succeed Trent Lott as their leader in the next Congress. A passenger plane crashed in central Iran during a flight from Turkey, killing 45 people, mostly from Ukraine.
One year ago: The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment; Iran immediately rejected the resolution. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in 22 months. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger broke his leg while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Gerald S. O'Loughlin is 86. Actor Ronnie Schell is 76. Emperor Akihito of Japan is 74. Actor Frederic Forrest is 71. Actor James Stacy is 71. Rock musician Jorma Kaukonen is 67. Rock musician Ron Bushy is 66. Actor-comedian Harry Shearer is 64. Actress Susan Lucci is 61. Singer-musician Adrian Belew is 58. Rock musician Dave Murray (Iron Maiden) is 51. Actress Joan Severance is 49. Rock singer Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) is 43. Actor Corey Haim is 36.
World of Show Biz:
In 1964, The Beach Boys made their first appearance on "Shindig!"
In 1967, the Rolling Stones album "Their Satanic Majesties Request" was released.
In 1969, Diana Ross began her final engagement with The Supremes in Las Vegas. The last show was a few weeks later. Ross was replaced with Jean Terrell.
In 1972, Grand Funk Railroad's rehearsal for a live album in New York was interrupted by former manager Terry Knight, two deputy sheriffs and an attorney. Knight had a court order giving him the right to seize one million dollars or equivalent assets, and he took the band's equipment after the show.
In 1982, actor Jack Webb died in West Hollywood, California. He was 62. He's probably best known for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in TV's "Dragnet."
In 1985, two fans of Judas Priest shot themselves after listening to the band's "Stained Class" album. Raymond Belknap died instantly and James Vance died in 1988 after lapsing into a coma. In 1990, a judge decided Judas Priest did not place subliminal messages on the album. [If we ever had to listen to an entire Judas Priest album, suicide might be a viable option for us as well. — Ed.]
In 1997, Woody Allen married Soon-Yi Previn in a secret wedding in Venice, Italy.
In 2003, New York Governor George Pataki issued a pardon to comedian Lenny Bruce, 37 years after Bruce's death. Bruce was convicted of obscenity for using more than 100 words considered dirty during a concert in 1964.
2 comments:
The post about Grand Funk Railroad is partially correct.It wasn't a live album rehearsal,it was a drug-benefit show for Phoenix House that was broadcast nationwide on IN CONCERT.
The Editor Replies:
Awright, Grand Funk in da house!! Thanks for the full dope on this sad affair. It's obvious the Mainstream Media (Associated Press, in this case) doesn't want the full story to come out, and are biased on the side of management.
And as we used to say back in the day: "Merry Crystal & A Hippie New Year!"
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