1456 - Earthquake strikes Naples; about 35,000 die

1700 - Severe influenza epidemic hits the people of Montreal

1766 - London auctioneers Christie's hold their first sale

1830 - Hector Berlioz' "Symphonique fantastique" premieres in Paris

1837 - William Lyon Mackenzie leads 800 rebels 8 km down Yonge Street from Montgomery's Tavern to Toronto where they are met by Dr. John Rolph and Robert Baldwin, and the rebels flee in disorder; two days later they are routed by the militia

1893 �?First electric car, built by Dickson Cartage Works, appeared on Toronto streets, could go 15 miles between charges

1902 - Italian engineer Guglielmo Marconi transmits the first readable wireless radio signals 3,200 km across the Atlantic from his station at Glace Bay, Cape Breton to Poldhu in Cornwall, England

1912 - The New York Hat opens. The first movie written by Anita Loos, the film was directed by D.W. Griffith and starred Mary Pickford

1924 - Red Green of the NHL Hamilton Tigers scores 5 goals as his hockey team beats the Toronto Maple Leafs 10-5

1925 �?The Ottawa Senators won the Grey Cup for the first time, defeating the Winnipeg Tigers 42-1

1932 - German physicist Albert Einstein granted a US visa

1933 - The 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and bringing an end to the era of national prohibition of alcohol in America

1940 - Torpedoed Canadian destroyer 'Saguenay' limps into British port after taking a hit from a German torpedo; first Canadian warship torpedoed

1941 - Football Writers Association of America organized

1941 - John Steinbeck's nonfiction book The Sea of Cortez is published

1945 - Five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo-bombers take off from the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida on a routine three-hour training mission. Two hours after the flight began, the leader of the squadron reported that his compass and back-up compass had failed and that his position was unknown. After two more hours of confused messages from the fliers, a distorted radio transmission from the squadron leader was heard at 6:20 p.m., apparently calling for his men to prepare to ditch their aircraft simultaneously because of lack of fuel. At 7:27 p.m. a search and rescue Mariner aircraft took off with a 13-man crew. The Mariner was never heard from again. Later, there was a report from a tanker cruising off the coast of Florida of a visible explosion seen at 7:50 p.m. No trace of the bodies or aircraft were ever found. The story of the "Lost Squadron" helped cement the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, an area of the Atlantic Ocean where ships and aircraft are said to disappear without a trace.

1948 - New York Giant Charley Conerly sets NFL record of 36 pass completions

1952 - Comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello launch their TV show

1955 - The Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott begins. Planned in part by Martin Luther King, Jr., the boycott is a protest against the city's segregation laws, following the arrest of NAACP secretary Rosa Parks

1957 - William Inge's "Dark at the Top of the Stairs" premieres in NY City

1964 - The first Medal of Honor awarded to a U.S. serviceman for action in Vietnam is presented to Capt. Roger Donlon of Saugerties, New York

1967 - Beatles clothing store "Apple" on 94 Baker Street, London, opens

1968 - Rolling Stones release "Beggar's Banquet" LP

1970 - Los Angeles Rams Willie Ellison sets NFL record of 247 yards rushing

1970 - The Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy and Bill Masterson Trophy are all stolen from the NHL Hall of Fame; later recovered

1973 - Cubs' Ron Santo became first baseball player to veto his trade

1973 - Paul McCartney releases "Band on the Run" album

1973 - Official opening of Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal

1974 - First Washington Capitals penalty shot, Tom Williams unsuccessful vs Buffalo Sabres

1974 - First World Football League Bowl, Birmingham Americans beat Florida

1974 - "Monty Python's Flying Circus" final episode airs on BBC

1974 - NFL's Seattle Seahawks form

1978 - Pioneer Venus 1 begins orbiting Venus

1978 - European Union establishes EMS, European Monetary System

1978 - In an effort to prop up an unpopular pro-Soviet regime in Afghanistan, the Soviet Union signs a "friendship treaty" with the Afghan government agreeing to provide economic and military assistance

1980 - Bank of Canada's Canadian Currency Museum opens

1985 - Dow Jones Industrial Average rises above the 1,500 level for first time

1988 - Televangelist Jim Bakker was charged by a federal grand jury with mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the public through the sale of thousands of lifetime memberships to PTL theme park, Heritage U.S.A.

1989 - France's TGV train reaches world record speed of 482.4 kph

1997 - First Game at Washington Capitals' MCI Center vs Florida Panthers

Birthdays

1782 - Martin Van Buren, Kinderhook NY - 8th US President (1837-41)
1830 - Christina Rossetti, London - poet: Winter Rain, Passing Away
1839 - George Armstrong Custer, Harrison County Ohio - Major General: Union volunteers, battle of the Little Big Horn
1871 - Bill Pickett, Austin Texas - rodeo star: introduced bulldogging, now better known as steer wrestling; He grabbed the steer's head and bit its upper lip-an unorthodox but effective means of forcing the steer to follow Pickett's commands. Since bulldogs were known to control cattle by biting onto their lower lips and ferociously hanging on, Pickett's steer wrestling method became known as "bulldogging."
1875 - Arthur Currie, Napperton Ontario - businessman/soldier: first Canadian commander of Canada's overseas forces in World War I, and was Canada's first General
1885 - Ernest Cormier, Montreal - architect: Palais de Justice, Montréal, l'Université de Montréal, Supreme Court building in Ottawa, St Michael's College in Toronto
1890 - Fritz Lang, Germany - director: M, Metropolis
1892 - Cyril Ring, Massachusetts - actor: Body & Soul
1901 - Walter Elias Disney, Chicago IL - animator: Mickey Mouse
1904 �?Desmond Burke, Ottawa �?youngest marksman to win the King’s prize at Bisley, England
1906 - Otto Preminger, Vienna Austria - director/producer: Laura, Exodus
1914 - Frank Thurston, Chicago Illinois - aeronautical engineer: chaired NATO's Advisory Group for Aerospace R&D; organized development of the Canadarm used by NASA's Space Shuttle
1915 - Margaret Hayes, Baltimore MD - actress: Robert Montgomery Presents
1921 - Peter Hansen, Oakland CA - actor: Mr Parkson-Mr Novak, General Hospital
1921 - Alvy Moore - actor: Mr Kimball-Green Acres
1932 - Little Richard [Wayne Penniman], Macon GA - singer: Tutti Frutti, Lucille
1934 - Joan Didion, Sacramento California - author: Run River, Play It as It Lays
1938 - [John] J J Cale, Oklahoma City OK - guitarist: After Midnight
1942 - Randy Kirby, Chicago IL - actor: Randy-Girl From UNCLE
1944 - Jeroen Krabbé, Amsterdam Netherlands - actor: Fugitive
1946 - Andy Kim [Andrew Joachim], Montreal - singer: Baby I Love You
1946 - José Carreras, Barcelona Spain - opera tenor: I Lombardi, Three Tenors
1947 - Jim Messina - singer: Loggins & Messina-Your Mamma Don't Dance
1947 - Jim Plunkett, San Jose CA - NFL player: New England, Oakland
1947 - Jugderdemidiin Gurragcha - first Mongolian space traveler on Soyuz 39
1949 - Pamela Blair - actress: Loving
1949 - Lanny [Jerry Lanston] Wadkins, Richmond VA - PGA golfer
1949 - Lewis Arlt, Kingston NY - actor: Littlest Victims, Ken-Another World
1951 - Morgan Brittany [Suzanne Cupito], Hollywood CA - actress: Katherine-Dallas
1960 - Darryl James, Kamloops BC - Canadian Tour golfer
1962 - Connie Needham Newton, Anaheim CA - actress: Elizabeth-8 is Enough
1963 - Carrie Hamilton - actress: (Carol Burnett's daughter) Fame
1966 - Joseph Barbara, New Symrna FL - actor: Joe Carlino-Another World
1968 - Lisa Marie [Sliwa], New Brunswick NJ - actress: Mars Attacks
1968 - Margaret Cho - actress: Face/Off
1968 - Rhett Hall - NFL player: Philadelphia Eagles
1970 - Kevin Haller, Trochu Alberta - NHL player: Philadelphia Flyers
1970 - Susan Sloane, Lexington KY - pro tennis player
1970 - Thomas Smith - NFL player: Buffalo Bills)
1971 - Bryan Schwartz - NFL player: Jacksonville Jaguars
1971 - Joe Fleming - CFL player: British Columbia Lions
1971 - Marrio Grier - NFL player: New England Patriots
1972 - Cliff Floyd, Chicago IL - baseball player: Montréal Expos
1972 - Roderick Mullen - NFL player: Green Bay Packers
1973 - Shalom Harlow, Toronto - model: House of Style, Harper's Bazaar
1979 - Niklas Hagman, Esposo Finland - NHL player: Toronto Maple Leafs
1989 - Ross Bagley - actor: Nicky-Fresh Prince Of Bel Air

 

 

 

WHO SAYS MEN DON'T REMEMBER ANNIVERSARIES?

 

A woman awakes during the night to find that her husband was not in their bed.  She puts on her robe and goes downstairs to look for him.  She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a hot cup of coffee in front of him. He appears to be in deep thought, just staring at the wall. She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and takes a sip of his coffee.

 

"What's the matter, dear?" she whispers as she steps into the room, "Why are you down here at this time of night?"

 

The husband looks up from his coffee, "I am just remembering when we first met 20 years ago and started dating. You were only 16. Do you remember back then?" he says solemnly.

 

The wife is touched to tears thinking that her husband is so caring, so sensitive. "Yes, I do" she replies.

 

The husband pauses. The words were not coming easily. "Do you remember when your father caught us in the back seat of my car?"

 

"Yes, I remember," said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside him.

 

The husband continues. "Do you remember when he shoved the shotgun in my face and said, "Either you marry my daughter, or I will send you to jail for 20 years!!!"

 

"I remember that too" she replies softly.

 

He wipes another tear from his cheek and says...."I would have gotten out today."