1817 - First coffee planted in Hawaii (Kona)

1834 - Fire destroys Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada at York

1870 - Manitoba holds its first provincial election

1880 - The Transvaal province declares itself an independent Boer republic in British South Africa, instigating an armed conflict with Britain and setting the scene for the Boer War

1911 - Sun Yat-sen was elected the first president of the Republic of China

1922 - The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics was established through the confederation of Russia, Byelorussia, Ukraine, and Transcaucasian Federation

1923 - Canadian National Railways sets up the first radio network in Canada by hooking up Montreal station CHYC with CNRO Ottawa over telephone lines to broadcast the CNR anniversary program

1924 - Edwin Hubble announced the existence of other galactic systems

1954 - First use of 24-second shot clock in pro basketball (Rochester vs Boston)

1963 - "Let's Make A Deal", with Winnipeg's Monty Hall as host, debuts on NBC-TV

1965 - Former Philippines Senate president Ferdinand Marcos is inaugurated president of the Southeast Asian archipelago nation. Marcos' regime would span 20 years and become increasingly authoritarian and corrupt

1979 - Richard Rodgers, composer (Rogers & Hammerstein), dies at 77

1980 - "Wonderful World of Disney" last performance on NBC-TV

1981 - Wayne Gretzky scores five goals, including his 50th of the season into an empty net, leading the Oilers to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Scoring in only his 39th game of the season, Gretzky becomes the first player to reach the mark in fewer than 50 games, shattering Maurice Richard's NHL record

1993 - Israel and the Vatican signed an agreement of mutual recognition to put an end to Jewish-Christian hostilities

 

Birthdays

0039 - Titus - 10th Roman emperor (79-81); conqueror of Jerusalem
1865 - Rudyard Kipling, Bombay India - author: Jungle Book, Gunga Din
1869 - Stephen [Butler] Leacock, Swanmore, England - economist/humorist/professor: Literary Lapses, Nonsense Novels, Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich
1883 - Lester Patrick,Drummondville, Quebec - NHL player, coach, owner; in 1926 he managed the New York Rangers and led them to three Stanley Cups, while setting up hockey's first major farm team system
1914 - Bert Parks [Jacobson] Atlanta Georgia - TV host: Miss America
1928 - Bo Diddley [Ellas Bates] Mississippi - rock 'n' roll pioneer
1928 - Jack Lord, NY City - actor: Steve McGarrett -Hawaii 5-0, God's Little Acre
1929 - Barbara Nichols, Jamaica NY - actress: Dear Heart, Disorderly Orderly
1931 - Skeeter Davis [Mary Penick] Dry Ridge Kentucky - singer: End of the World
1932 - John Hillerman, Denison Texas - actor: Magnum PI, Blazing Saddles, Audrey Rose
1934 - Nicolas Coster, London - actor: Our Private World, Lobo, Ryan's Four
1934 - Del Shannon [Charles Westover] Coopersville Michigan - singer: Runaway
1934 - Russ Tamblyn, Los Angeles California - actor: Twin Peaks, Tom Thumb, Win Place or Steal
1935 - Sandy Koufax, NY City - baseball player: Brooklyn/LA Dodgers
1937 - [Noel] Paul Stookey, Baltimore Maryland - singer: Peter, Paul, & Mary
1938 - Joseph Bologna, Brooklyn NY - actor: Citizen Cohn, My Favorite Year
1939 - Del Shannon [Charles Westover] Coopersville Michigan - singer: Runaway
1942 - Michael Nesmith, Houston Texas - singer/actor: Monkees -Last Train to Clarksville
1942 - Fred Ward, San Diego California - actor: Chain Reaction, Thunderheart, Equinox
1943 - Linda Thom - pistol shooting champion; took the Gold Medal in the Sport Pistol event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, first individual gold medal for Canada since 1956 and the first gold for a Canadian woman since 1928
1945 - [David] Davy Jones, Manchester England - singer/actor: Monkees -Last Train to Clarksville
1947 - Jeff Lynne - singer: ELO -Telephone Line, Travelling Wilburys
1947 - Michael Burns, Mineola Long Island NY - actor: Barnaby West -Wagon Train
1959 - Tracey Ullman, Slough England - singer/actress: Tracey Ullman Show
1961 - Ben Johnson, Jamaica - 100 meter runner; won the 100m at 1988 Olympics in Seoul, but failed his drug test and forfeited the Gold medal
1975 - Tiger Woods, Orlando, Florida - golfer; in 2001 he became the first player in history to win four consecutive major tournaments

 

 

Penance

 

Henry goes to confession and says, "Bless me Father, for I have sinned. Last night I was with seven different women."
 
The priest says, "Take seven lemons, squeeze them into a glass and drink the juice without pausing."
 
"Will that cleanse me of my sins, Father?"
 
"No," replies the priest. "But it'll wipe that silly grin off your face."