1620 - 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock

1844 - Nitrous oxide was used for the first time in dentistry

1881 �?Rev. Robert Fowlie delivered the first sermon in the new Burns�?Presbyterian Church of Erin

1911 - Alberta brings in first Motor Vehicles Act; sets speed limit in towns and cities at 15 mph, and at 20 mph in less settled areas

1928 - National League President John Heydler proposes designated hitter for pitchers

1931 - British Statute of Westminster gives complete legislative independence to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and Newfoundland

1934 - Charlie Conacher is unsuccessful against the New York Rangers when he takes the first Toronto Maple Leaf penalty shot

1936 - After ruling for less than one year King Edward VIII abdicates throne to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson; Duke of York becomes King George VI

1944 - A severe storm paralyzed southern Ontario for days with a 48.3 cm snowfall recorded in Toronto

1945 �?Hydro power installed in Awrey School on #22 sideroad

1946 - The General Assembly of the United Nations votes to establish the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), an organization to help provide relief and support to children living in countries devastated by the war

1948 - Joey Smallwood signs Confederation agreement for Newfoundland to enter Confederation as Canada's 10th province

1961 - Adolf Eichmann is found guilty of war crimes, in Israel

1961 - "Please, Mr. Postman" by Marvelettes, released

1962 - Ronald Turpin and Arthur Lucas hanged in Toronto’s Don Jail; Canada's last judicial hanging

1964 - Sam Cooke, singer (You Send Me, Sad Moon), slain at a motel at 33

1967 - Beatles' Apple Music signs its first group �?Grapefruit

1967 - SST prototype "Concorde" is first shown in France

1972 - The first U.S. Genesis concert is at Brandeis University in Massachusetts

1972 - Jet's Don Maynard becomes all time pro reception leader (632)

1981 - Muhammad Ali's 61st & last fight, losing to Trevor Berbick

1985 - NHL Record 62 points scored, Edmonton beats Chicago 12-9 & ties record of 21 goals

1994 - In the largest Russian military offensive since the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks pour into the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya

1997 - Delegates at the Kyoto, Japan conference on global warming agree to cut emission of greenhouse gases by 5.2% of 1990 levels during the years 2008 to 2012.

 

Birthdays

1781 - Sir David Brewster, Scotland - physicist, inventor of the kaleidoscope
1792 - Joseph Mohr, the Austrian Roman Catholic vicar who, along with the Oberndorf Church organist Franz Gruber, on Christmas Eve of 1818, authored the enduring Christmas hymn, "Stille Nacht" - "Silent Night"
1803 - (Louis) Hector Berlioz, La Côte-Saint-André France - composer: Symphonie fantastique, Te Deum
1882 - Fiorello La Guardia - Mayor-R-NY City (1933-45)
1892 - John A. Larson, Shelburne, NS - inventor of the lie detector, which he called the 'polygraph'
1911 - Naguib Mahfouz, Cairo Egypt - author: The Cairo Trilogy; considered the father of the Arab novel
1913 - Jean Marais, Cherbourgh France - actor: Eternal Return, Beauty & the Beast, The Storm Within, Donkey Skin, Orpheus
1913 - Carlo Ponti, Milan Italy - director: 2 Women; married to Sophia Loren
1918 - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russia - author: Cancer Ward, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, The Gulag Archipelago
1920 - Eddy Firestone, San Francisco - actor: Eddy-Mixed Doubles
1922 - Pauline Jewett, St Catharines, Ontario - professor, politician; first woman to head a large Canadian university, Simon Fraser
1926 - Big Mama Thornton - blues singer: Ball & Chain, Stronger than Dirt
1930 - Jean-Louis Trintignant, France - actor/director: Man & a Woman, Z
1931 - Rita Moreno [Rosa Dolores Alverio] Humacao Puerto Rico - actress: West Side Story
1931 - Pierre Pilote, Kenogami, Quebec - NHL defenseman: Chicago Black Hawks (Norris Trophy winner 1964, 1965, 1966), Toronto Maple Leafs
1931 - Richard Devon, Glendale CA - actor: Battle of Blood Island
1932 - Wynn Irwin, NY City - actor: Lotsa Luck, Sugar Time
1932 - Anne Heywood [Violet Pretty], Handsworth England - actress: Midas Run, I Want What I Want, Good Luck Miss Wyckoff
1934 - Ron Carey Newark NJ - actor: Barney Miller, Montefuscos, High Anxiety
1936 - Tom Fuccello, Newark NJ - actor: Dave-Dallas
1940 - Patrick Tovatt, Garrett Ridge CO - actor: Cal-As the World Turns
1940 - David Gates, Tulsa OK - musician: Bread-If, Everything I Own
1943 - Donna Mills, Chicago Illinois - actress: Knots Landing, Incident
1944 - Lynda Day George, San Marcos Texas - actress: Casey - Mission Impossible
1944 - Booker T Jones, US - musician: Booker T & MGs - Green Onions
1944 - Brenda Lee [Brenda Mae Tarpley] Lithonia Georgia - singer: I'm Sorry
1948 - Tony Gabriel - football player: CFL Hamilton Tiger Cats; 8 time all star, Gabriel won the Schenley Trophy 4 times as the Outstanding Canadian and once as the league's Outstanding player
1948 - Elizabeth Baur, Los Angeles - actress: Fran-Ironside, Teresa-Lancer
1949 - Teri Garr, Lakewood Ohio - actress: Mr Mom, Young Frankenstein
1952 - Susan Seidelman - director: Desperately Seeking Susan
1953 - Bess Armstrong, Baltimore MD - actress: Julia-On Our Own, 4 Seasons, Jaws
1953 - Ken Wahl - actor: Wanderers, Wise Guys
1953 - Peter Isacksen, Dover NH - actor: CPO Sharkey, Jessie
1954 - Jermaine Jackson, Gary IN - singer: Jackson 5-ABC
1955 - Stu Jackson Reading PA - NBA coach: New York Knicks (1989-90)
1958 - Nicki Sixx, San Jose CA - musician: Mötley Crüe-Girls Girls Girls
1959 - Jean-Louis Lamarre, La Prairie Que - golfer
1964 - Carolyn Waldo, Montreal Quebec - synchronized swimmer: first Canadian woman to win 2 gold medals at one Olympiad
1964 - Thomas Howard, Middletown OH - baseball player: Cincinnati Reds
1965 - Jay Bell, Eglin AFB FL - baseball player: Pittsburgh Pirates
1968 - Derek Bell, Tampa FL - baseball player: Houston Astros
1972 - Daniel Alfredsson, Grums Sweden - NHL right wing: Ottawa Senators
1972 - Francisco Rodriguez, Brooklyn NY - baseball player: Minnesota Twins
1972 - Robert Robinson - CFL player: Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1973 - Ralph Intranuovo, East York - NHL player: Edmonton Oilers
1974 - Kevin Devine - NFL player: Jacksonville Jaguars
1976 - Shareef AbdurRahim - NBA player: Vancouver Grizzlies
1980 - Rider Strong, San Francisco - actor: Shawn Hunter-Boy Meets World

 

 

Grandma’s Present

 

When my three-year-old son opened the birthday gift from his grandmother, he discovered a water pistol. He squealed with delight and headed for the nearest sink. I was not so pleased.
 
I turned to Mom and said, "I'm surprised at you. Don't you remember how we used to drive you crazy with water guns?"
 
Mom smiled and then replied....."I remember."