Today in History for the 8th January video produced by Associated Press

1780 – An earthquake of an estimated 7.7 magnitude caused major damage to the city of Tabriz, Iran, on the 8th January 1780, killing about 80,000 people.

1790 – George Washington delivered the 1st State of the Union address in New York on the 8th January 1790.

1867 – African American men were granted the right to vote in Washington, D.C on the 8th January 1867.

1885 – John Curtin the 14th Prime Minister of Australia was born on the 8th January 1885 (died 1945).

1889 – Herman Hollerith was issued US patent #395,791 for the ‘Art of Applying Statistics’ on the 8th January 1889, known as his punched card calculator.

1935 ~ ELViS PRESLEY the American singer, guitarist, and actor was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on the 8th January 1935. (died 16th August 1977 aged 42). Official website: www.Elvis.com | YouTube video: Elvis Presley ~ Always On My Mind (1972)…

1937 – Shirley Bassey the Welsh singer was born on the 8th January 1937.

1941 ~ Graham Chapman the English comedian, writer, actor, and member of Monty Python was born on the 8th January 1941 (died 4th October 1989).

1942 – Stephen Hawking the English physicist and author was born on the 8th January 1942.

1942 ~ Yvette Mimieux the American movie and television actress was born on the 8th January 1942.

1947 – David Bowie the English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor was born on the 8th January 1947.

1955 – Mike Reno the Canadian lead singer of Loverboy was born on the 8th January 1955.

1959 – Paul Hester the Australian drummer from Crowded House, Split Enz & Deckchairs Overboard was born on the 8th January 1959 (died 2005).

1963 – Leonardo da Vinci‘s Mona Lisa was exhibited in the United States for the first time, on the 8th January 1963, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

1964 ~ Marc Quinn the British artist from the e Young British Artists group was born on the 8th January 1964. Marc Quinn is known for the Alison Lapper Pregnant sculpture at Trafalgar Square, and Self (sculpture of his head made with his own frozen blood) and other sculptures made from blood, ice and faeces, referring to scientific developments. Marc Quinn has a preoccupation with the mutability of the body and the dualisms that define human life: spiritual and physical, surface and depth, cerebral and sexual. Marc Quinn’s official website: www.MarcQuinn.com

1966 – Andrew Wood the American singer-songwriter from Mother Love Bone was born on the 8th January 1966 (died 1990).

1967 – R. Kelly the American singer-songwriter was born on the 8th January 1967.

1970 – Rachel Friend the Australian actress was born on the 8th January 1970.

1973 – Soviet space mission Luna 21 was launched on the 8th January 1973.

1981 – A local farmer reported a UFO sighting in Trans-en-Provence, France, on the 8th January 1981, claimed to be “perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time”.

1982 – Gaby Hoffmann the American actress was born on the 8th January 1982.

1994 – Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on Soyuz TM-18 left for Mir on the 8th January 1994. He stayed on the space station until the 22nd March 1995, for a record of 437 days in space.

2000 – Noah Cyrus the American actress and singer was born on the 8th January 2000.

2004 – The RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, was christened by her namesake’s granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II on the 8th January 2004.

 

1412 – Joan of Arc was born on the 6th January 1412 (died 1431).

1745 – Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier the French inventor and co-inventor of the hot air balloon was born on the 6th January 1745 (died 1799).

1819 – Baldassare Verazzi the Italian painter was born on the 6th January 1819 (died 1886).

1832 – Gustave Doré the French painter and sculptor was born on the 6th January 1832 (died 1883).

1839 – The most damaging storm in 300 years swept across Ireland on the 6th January 1839, damaging and destroying more than 20% of the houses in Dublin.

1857 – Hugh Mahon the Irish-Australian politician was born on the 6th January 1857 (died 1931).

1859 – Samuel Alexander the Australian-English philosopher was born on the 6th January 1859 (died 1938).

1861 – Victor, Baron Horta the Belgian Art Nouveau architect was born on the 6th January 1861 (died 1947).

1868 – Stefan Luchian the Romanian painter was born on the 6th January 1868 (died 1917).

1870 – The Musikverein in Vienna, Austria was inaugurated on the 6th January 1870.

1882 – Aleksandra Ekster the Russian painter was born on the 6th January 1882 (died 1949).

1883 – Kahlil Gibran the Lebanese-American poet was born on the 6th January 1883 (died 1931).

1898 – Charles E. Pont the American minister and painter was born on the 6th January 1898 (died 1971).

1907 – Maria Montessori opened her first school and daycare center for working class children on the 6th January 1907, in Rome, Italy.

1907 – David Fleay the Australian naturalist was born on the 6th January 1907 (died 1993).

1910 – Wright Morris the American author and photographer was born on the 6th January 1910 (died 1998).

1912 – New Mexico was admitted as the 47th U.S. state on the 6th January 1912.

1912 – German geophysicist Alfred Wegener first presented his theory of continental drift on the 6th January 1912.

1916 – Vincent Serventy the Australian author, ornithologist, and conservationist was born on the 6th January 1916 (died 2007).

1925 – John DeLorean the American engineer, businessman and founder of the DeLorean Motor Company was born on the 6th January 1925 (died 2005).

1926 – Günter Rössler the German photographer and journalist was born on the 6th January 1926 (died 2012).

1929 – Mother Teresa arrived in Calcutta, India on the 6th January 1929, to begin her work among India‘s poorest and sick people.

1930 – The first diesel-engined automobile trip was completed on the 6th January 1930, from Indianapolis, Indiana, to New York.

1931 – Thomas Edison submitted his last patent application on the 6th January 1931.

1933 – Oleg Grigoryevich Makarov the Russian astronaut was born on the 6th January 1933 (died 2003).

1934 – Harry M. Miller the Australian publicist was born on the 6th January 1934.

1939 – Murray Rose the Australian swimmer was born on the 6th January 1939 (died 2012).

1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his Four Freedoms speech in the State of the Union address on the 6th January 1941.

1946 – Syd Barrett the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Pink Floyd was born on the 6th January 1946 (died 2006).

1947 – Pan American Airlines became the first commercial airline to schedule a flight around the world on the 6th January 1947.

1953 – Malcolm Young the Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from AC/DC was born on the 6th January 1953.

1954 – Yuji Horii the Japanese video game designer and creator of Dragon Quest was born on the 6th January 1954.

1955 – Rowan Atkinson the English comedian and actor was born on the 6th January 1955.

1957 – Michael Foale the English-American astrophysicist and astronaut was born on the 6th January 1957.

1959 – Kathy Sledge the American singer from Sister Sledge was born on the 6th January 1959.

1960 – National Airlines Flight 2511 was destroyed in mid-air by a bomb on the 6th January 1960, while en route from New York City to Miami, Florida.

1964 – Mark O’Toole the English bass player from Frankie Goes to Hollywood was born on the 6th January 1964.

1971 – Irwin Thomas the Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Southern Sons and Electric Mary was born on the 6th January 1971.

1971 – Gary Wiseman the American drummer from Bowling for Soup was born on the 6th January 1971.

1986 – Alex Turner the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Arctic Monkeys was born on the 6th January 1986.

1990 ~ Steve Kardynal the Canadian comedian and YouTube celebrity was born Stephen Kardynal on the 6th January 1990. Steve Kardynal is known for his Chatroulette videos. Youtube.com/user/SteveKardynal | Facebook.com/SteveKardynalFans | Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You (Chatroulette Version)…

1992 ~ Steve Gilpin the New Zealand born vocalist from the rock band Mi-SEX died on the 6th January 1992 at the age of 42 (born 28th April 1949).

Today in History for the 6th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

1808 ~ Anton Füster the Austrian priest and activist was born on the 5th January 1808 (died 12th March 1881 aged 73). Anton Füster was an active member of the Association against the Torture of Animals, one of the 1st animal rights movements in Central Europe. See the Anton Füster bibliography & portrait 

1896 – An Austrian newspaper reported that Wilhelm Röntgen had discovered a type of radiation on the 5th January 1896, later to be known as X-rays.

1914 – The Ford Motor Company announced an 8 hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day’s labor on the 5th January 1914.

1919 – The German Workers’ Party, which would become the Nazi Party, was founded on the 5th January 1919.

1925 – Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming becme the first female governor in the United States on the 5th January 1925

1931 ~ Robert Duvall the American actor and director was born on the 5th January 1931. Robert Duvall has won an Academy Award, 2 Emmy Awards, 4 Golden Globe Awards and a BAFTA. Robert Duvall has starred in The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, To Kill a Mockingbird, THX 1138, Joe Kidd, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II,MASH, Network, The Apostle, True Grit, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, Falling Down, Tender Mercies, The Natural and Lonesome Dove.

1933 – Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge began in San Francisco Bay on the 5th January 1933.

1940 – FM radio was demonstrated to the Federal Communications Commission for the first time on the 5th January 1940.

1940 – Athol Guy the Australian bassist from The Seekers was born on the 5th January 1940.

1944 – The Daily Mail became the first transoceanic newspaper on the 5th January 1944.

1950 – Chris Stein the American guitarist and songwriter from the band Blondie was born on the 5th January 1950.

1969 – Marilyn Manson the American singer-songwriter was born on the 5th January 1969.

1971 – The first One Day International cricket match was held between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the 5th January 1971.

1972 – U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered the development of a Space Shuttle program on the 5th January 1972.

1974 – The warmest reliably measured temperature in Antarctica of +59°F (+15°C) was recorded at Vanda Station on the 5th January 1974.

1975 – The Tasman Bridge in Tasmania, Australia, was struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, on the 5th January 1975, killing twelve people.

1975 ~ Bradley Cooper the American actor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 5th January 1975. Bradley Cooper first gained recognition on the television shows Alias and Jack & Bobby. Bradley Cooper is also known for his roles in Wedding Crashers (2005), Yes Man (2008), He’s Just Not That Into You (2009), The Hangover trilogy (2009~2013), The A-Team (2010), Limitless (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), and The Place Beyond the Pines (2013). Bradley Cooper was named the Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. YouTube video: Silver Linings Playbook Trailer (#2) Bradley Cooper plays  Pat Solitano Jr., just released from a mental health facility into the care of his mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) and father Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro), after 8 months of treatment for bipolar disorder. Pat learns that his wife Nikki, has moved away, his father is out of work and into illegal bookmaking to start a restaurant. Pat is determined to get his life back on track and reconcile with Nikki who who sent him away…

1975 – Kylie Bax the New Zealand-American model and actress was born on the 5th January 1975.

2005 – Eris, the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system, was discovered by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz on the 5th January 2005, using images originally taken on the 21st October 2003, at the Palomar Observatory.

Today in History for the 5th January video produced by Associated Press

 Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

45BC – The Julian calendar took effect for the first time on the 1st January 45BC.

42BC – The Roman Senate posthumously deified Julius Caesar on the 1st January 42BC.

1431 – Pope Alexander VI was born on the 1st January 1431 (died 1503).

1502 – The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was 1st explored by the Portuguese on the 1st January 1502.

1522 ~ Republic of Venice began its numbered year on January 1st 1522.

1544 ~ Holy Roman Empire (Germany) began its numbered year on January 1st 1544.

1556 ~ Spain, Portugal began its numbered year on January 1st 1556.

1559 ~ Prussia, Sweden began its numbered year on January 1st 1559.

1564 ~ France began its numbered year on January 1st 1564.

1576 ~ Southern Netherlands began its numbered year on January 1st 1576.

1579 ~ Lorraine began its numbered year on January 1st 1579.

1583 ~ United Provinces of the Netherlands (northern) began its numbered year on January 1st 1583.

1600 – Scotland began its numbered year on January 1st instead of March 25th, on the 1st  January 1600.

1618 – Bartolomé Esteban Murillo the Spanish painter was born on the 1st January 1618 (died 1682).

1700 ~ Russia began its numbered year on January 1st 1700.

1721 ~ Tuscany began its numbered year on January 1st 1721.

1752 ~ Great Britain (excluding Scotland) and its colonies began its numbered year on January 1st 1752.

1772 – The first traveler’s cheques  went on sale in London, England on the 1st January 1772, which could be used in 90 European cities.

1773 – The Amazing Grace hymn, then titled “1 Chronicles 17:16–17” was first used to accompany a sermon led by John Newton in the town of Olney in England on the 1st January 1773.

1779 – William Clowes the English printer was born on the 1st January 1779 (died 1847).

1788 – The 1st edition of The Times of London, previously The Daily Universal Register, was published on the 1st January 1788.

1801 – The legislative union of Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland was completed to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on the 1st January 1801.

1801 – The dwarf planet Ceres was discovered by Giuseppe Piazzi on the 1st January 1801.

1804 – French rule ended in Haiti on the 1st January 1804, becoming the first black republic and second independent country in North America after the United States.

1808 – The importation of slaves into the United States was banned on the 1st January 1808.

1833 – The United Kingdom claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands on the 1st January 1833.

1833 – Robert Lawson the New Zealand architect and designer of the Otago Boys’ High School and Knox Church was born on the 1st January 1833 (died 1902).

1845 – The Cobble Hill Tunnel in Brooklyn was completed on the 1st January 1845.

1847 – The world’s first “Mercy” Hospital was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by the Sisters of Mercy on the 1st January 1847. The name went on to grace over 30 major hospitals throughout the world.

1860 – First Polish stamp was issued on the 1st January 1860.

1860 – John Cassidy the Irish sculptor and painter was born on the 1st January 1860 (died 1939).

1860 – Jan Vilímek the Czech illustrator and painter was born on the 1st January 1860 (died 1938).

1864 – Qi Baishi the Chinese painter was born on the 1st January 1864 (died 1957).

1864 – Alfred Stieglitz the American photographer was born on the 1st January 1864 (died 1946).

1873 – Japan began using the Gregorian calendar on the 1st January 1873.

1879 – William Fox the Hungarian-American film producer and founder of the Fox Film Corporation and Fox Theatres was born on the 1st January 1879 (died 1952).

1879 – E. M. Forster the English author was born on the 1st January 1879 (died 1970).

1890 – Anton Melik the Slovenian geographer was born on the 1st January 1890 (died 1966).

1894 – The Manchester Ship Canal in England was officially opened to traffic on the 1st January 1894.

1898 – New York annexed land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York on the 1st January 1898. The four initial boroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx, were joined on the 25th January by Staten Island to create the modern city of 5 boroughs.

1899 – Spanish rule ended in Cuba on the 1st January 1899.

1901 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia federated as the Commonwealth of Australia on the 1st January 1901.

1901 ~ Edmund Barton was appointed the 1st Prime Minister of Australia on the 1st January 1901.

1908 – A ball was dropped in New York’s Times Square for the first time on the 1st January 1908, to signify the start of the New Year at midnight.

1908 ~ Eileen Alannah Joyce the Australian pianist was born on the 1st January 1908 (died 1991). A 1950 biography of Eileen Joyce’s early life became a best-seller book, and a feature film Wherever She Goes in 1951.

1908 – Bill Tapia the American singer and guitarist was born on the 1st January 1908 (died 2011).

1911 – Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and transferred to Commonwealth control on the 1st January 1911.

1912 – The Republic of China was established on the 1st January 1912.

1913 – The British Board of Censors was established on the 1st January 1913.

1917 – Jule Gregory Charney the American meteorologist was born on the 1st January 1917 (died 1981).

1920 – Osvaldo Cavandoli the Italian cartoonist was born on the 1st January 1920 (died 2007).

1921 – César Baldaccini the French sculptor was born on the 1st January 1921 (died 1998).

1922 – Jerry Robinson the American illustrator was born on the 1st January 1922 (died 2011).

1923 – Milt Jackson the American vibraphonist and composer from the Modern Jazz Quartet was born on the 1st January 1923 (died 1999).

1930 – Jean-Pierre Duprey the French poet and sculptor was born on the 1st January 1930 (died 1959).

1933 – Norman Yemm the Australian actor was born on the 1st January 1933.

1934 – Alcatraz Island became a United States federal prison on the 1st January 1934.

1935 – B. Kliban the American cartoonist was born on the 1st January 1935 (died 1990).

1936 – James Sinegal the American businessman and co-founder of Costco was born on the 1st January 1936.

1937 – Safety glass in vehicle windscreens became mandatory in the United Kingdom on the 1st January 1937.

1939 – Sydney, Australia, sweltered in 45 ˚C (113 ˚F) heat on the 1st January 1939, a record for Sydney city.

1942 – Judy Stone the Australian singer was born on the 1st January 1942.

1942 – Gennadi Sarafanov the Russian astronaut was born on the 1st January 1942 (died 2005).

1946 – Alain Voss the Brazilian-French illustrator was born on the 1st January 1946 (died 2011).

1948 – Joe Petagno the American illustrator was born on the 1st January 1948.

1950 – Morgan Fisher the English keyboard player and songwriter from Mott the Hoople was born on the 1st January 1950.

1953 – Hank Williams the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from the Drifting Cowboys died on the 1st January 1953 (born 1923).

1954 – NBC made the first coast-to-coast NTSC color broadcast on the 1st January 1954, when it telecast the Tournament of Roses Parade, with public demonstrations given across the United States on prototype color receivers.

1954 – Richard Edson the American drummer from Sonic Youth was born on the 1st January 1954.

1956 ~ Martin Plaza (Martin Murphy) the Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist, also known as a member of Mental As Anything, was born on the 1st January 1956. 

1956 – Sergei Avdeyev the Russian astronaut was born on the 1st January 1956.

1956 – Mark R. Hughes the American businessman and founder of Herbalife was born on the 1st January 1956 (died 2000).

1956 – A new year event caused panic and stampedes at Yahiko Shrine, Yahiko, Niigata, Japan on the 1st January 1956, killing at least 124 people.

1958 ~ Grandmaster Flash the Barbadian rapper from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five was born Joseph Saddler on the 1st January 1958. Official website: www.GrandMasterFlash.com | YouTube video: Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five ~ The Message (1982)…

1960 – Cameroon achieved independence from France and the United Kingdom on the 1st January 1960.

1962 – United States Navy SEALs was established on the 1st January 1962.

1962 – Anton Muscatelli the Italian conomist was born on the 1st January 1962.

1963 – Camila Batmanghelidjh the British businesswoman was born on the 1st January 1963.

1967 ~ Spencer Tunick the American photographer was born in  Middletown, Orange County, New York on the 1st January 1967.  Spencer Tunick is best known for photographing large-scale nude groups of people. Since 1994 Spencer has photographed over 75 human installations around the world. Spencer Tunick online: www.SpencerTunick.com | Facebook.com/Tunick.Updates | NakedPavement.Tumblr.com | YouTube video: Spencer Tunick-2010 Sydney Opera House Video: Over 5000 people gathered in front of the Sydney Opera House to be photographed nude in the name of art and diversity…

1969 ~ Verne Troyer the American actor was born in Sturgis, Michigan on the 1st January 1969.  Verne Troyer is known as one of the shortest men in the world, with a height of 2 ft 8 in (0.81 m), due to cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism. Verne Troyer is best known for the role of Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series of comedy movies. Verne Troyer online: Facebook.com/VerneJTroyer verified | Twitter.com/VerneTroyer | YouTube video: Austin Powers: Goldmember: Jail Scene Dr. Evil featuring Mini-Me ~ Hard Knock Life…

1969 – Nicolle Dickson the Australian actress was born on the 1st January 1969.

1970 – Unix time began at 00:00:00 UTC/GMT on the 1st January 1970.

1971 – Cigarette advertisements were banned on American television on the 1st January 1971.

1975 – Eiichiro Oda the Japanese illustrator was born on the 1st January 1975.

1979 – Brody Dalle the Australian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist was born on the 1st January 1979.

1980 – Richie Faulkner the British guitarist from Judas Priest was born on the 1st January 1980.

1980 – Victoria was crowned princess of Sweden on the 1st January 1980.

1981 – Greece was admitted into the European Community on the 1st January 1981.

1983 – The ARPANET officially changed to using the Internet Protocol on the 1st January 1983, creating the Internet.

1985 – The Internet’s Domain Name System was created on the 1st January 1985.

1985 – The first British mobile phone call was made by Ernie Wise to Vodafone on the 1st January 1985.

1985 ~ Naughty Boy the British songwriter, record producer and musician was born Shahid Khan on the 1st January 1985. YouTube video: La La La – Naughty Boy song (2013)..

1990 – David Dinkins was sworn in as New York City’s first black mayor on the 1st January 1990.

1992 – Russia was officially formed on the 1st January 1992.

1993 – Czechoslovakia was divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic on the 1st January 1993, in the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

1995 – The World Trade Organization went into effect on the 1st January 1995.

1995 – Sweden, Austria, and Finland were admitted into the European Union on the 1st January 1995.

1995 – The Draupner wave in the North Sea in Norway was detected on the 1st January 1995, confirming the existence of freak waves.

1998 – Russia began to circulate new rubles to stem inflation and promote confidence on the 1st January 1998.

1998 – The European Central Bank was established on the 1st January 1998.

1999 – The Euro currency was introduced in 11 countries on the 1st January 1999, to members of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden).

2002 – Euro banknotes and coins became legal tender in 12 of the European Union’s member states on the 1st January 2002.

2008 – Cyprus and Malta join the Eurozone on the 1st January 2008.

2009 – Slovakia joined the Eurozone on the 1st January 2009.

2009 – 66 died in the Santika Nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand on the 1st January 2009.

2011 ~ Oprah Winfrey launched the OWN cable TV network on the 1st January 2011. Official website: www.Oprah.com/own

2011 – Estonia joined the Eurozone on the 1st January 2011.

2012 – Kim Jong-un was officially declared the new Supreme Leader of North Korea on the 1st January 2012.

2013 ~ Happy New Year ~ “All us living creatures all want the same thing, HAPPiNESS!!.. so let’s all spread some more happiness like sunshine around the world this year, among ALL people and animals of Earth, life is too short to not be happy.” ~ Anton K. (1st January 2013)

2014 ~ Latvia joined the Eurozone on the 1st January 2014.

Today in History for the 1st January video produced by Associated Press  Associated Press official website: www.AP.org

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