This day in history
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85137)
Shingle Springs, California
December 17, 2010 3:05pm CST
You've all seen them, in the newspaper, in birthday cards, etc. Famous events that happened today or this month, famous books, songs from your birth month, etc.
Today's famous event, from 1903 - At 10:35 AM, 1st sustained motorized aircraft flight (Orville Wright)
Today's famous birthday, from 1953 - Barry Livingston, LA Calif, actor (Ernie-My 3 Sons)
Today's famous death, from 2009 - Jennifer Jones, American actress (b. 1919)
Coolest birthday present ever - from my dad to my daughter Dearra - a replica of the plane that the Wright brothers used in that 1903 flight.
So, do you read the "this day in history", "today's birthdays", etc. parts in the paper, or go looking for special connections on your birthday, family birthdays, etc.?
I bet you did not know that in 1751 Kilian I von Dientzenhofer, Czech master builder, died at 62. Or cared...
It just occurred to me that if I were a teacher I would assign my students something like this. Depending on their age, they could just find one fact about their birthday, or write an entire paper on the subject. Could be pretty interesting.
You are all my students. What interesting facts are there about your birth date (not necessarily the same year)?
Ready, set, go...
2 people like this
18 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
17 Dec 10
12/17/2010 4:10pm I learned today that I was not paying attention during history class but still graduated with honors. Sort of not paying attention now. 
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Dec 10
Hey, that's impossible, it's only 1:12 PM now....
Dawn sits back and waits for geography lesson. :d
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Dec 10
I'm sure that sounds perfectly normal to you, but it sounds backasswards to me!
@blue65packer (11826)
• United States
18 Dec 10
I know I share a birthday,I was born on May 20th,with NASCAR car Driver Tony Stewart,the late actor Jimmy Stewart,singer Joe Crocker and the no-aging Cher! Don't know anything that nhappen on that day besides the birthdays!
1 person likes this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
18 Dec 10
Hi dawn,
Not all but I do have a look at the "today in History" that is usually placed in the bottom of the first page of the news paper I read.
However, this sometime gets skipped and very important ones pass unnoticed. Thanks for reminding this daily affair.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Dec 10
I like to look at it too. My current newspaper only has the birthdays though.
@vandana7 (102698)
• India
18 Dec 10
Sometimes I do... we have this day 50 years ago... and I keep wondering when I grow 60 will they write this day 60 years ago.. anyway, I learnt that my birthday coincides with Ringo Starr's, and also with London Subway bombing... :( Not a nice thing to remember on birthday... is it?
Incidentally, my birthday also coincides with Mahindra Singh Dhoni's birthday (Mahi), the Indian Cricket Team captain, the most successful one so far, and the richest as well... :) So I guess, I may have those leadership qualities hidden somewhere... and all that prosperity as well.. he he
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Dec 10
Nice list of people to share a birthday with!
@ElicBxn (64176)
• United States
17 Dec 10
Billy the Kid was born on the same day. Actually Henry McCarty was born 94 years before I was.
and...
10 years AFTER I was born, Doctor Who first showed on BBC.
1804 – Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States (d. 1869)
1887 – Boris Karloff, British actor (d. 1969)
1888 – Harpo Marx, American comedian (d. 1964)
1951 – David Rappaport, English actor (d. 1990)
Trust me, I could write a LOT about Doctor Who, and I belong to a yahoo fan group for a show that David Rappaport starred in.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
21 Dec 10
Okay...My birthdate aired ‘Here’s Hollywood' for the first time; I have never seen it but it’s an event! Michael Ramsey is enthroned as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury; again I don’t know him but it sounds interesting...
1 person likes this
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
17 Dec 10
Interesting! I would love to do a report like that, if I were a student.
I thought that my b-day was the same day as James Brown, but I mistook his b-day. My dad said he was going to keep the newspaper published on our b-days... but another one of his intentions that never really happened. But if I have kids, I plan to do this.
1 person likes this
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
21 Dec 10
Well, I guess I really don't have any really interesting facts about the day that I was born. However, I can tell you that on April 12, 1998 it was Easter Sunday. This happened again on April 12, 2009 and will happen once again on April 12, 2020. I think it is kind of interesting that those are the only three times in my conceivable lifespan that Easter and my birthday will coincide. Even more interesting than that to me is the fact that all three of those are pretty much landmark birthdays for me being my 18th, 29th and 40th birthdays.
1 person likes this
@webearn99 (1742)
• India
18 Dec 10
Yes Marm! April 16, Aries. We "butt" into things without a reason.
President Lincoln abolished slavery on this day in 1862. That is the best thing that ever happened in American History.
1789 George Washington heads for 1st presidential inauguration.
1924 1st radio-transmission of wireless: Matthaus Passion.
1939 Stalin requests British, French and Russian anti-nazi pact.
1945 Red Army begins Battle of Berlin.
1972 Apollo 16 launched; 5th manned lunar landing.
1993 Jury reaches guilty verdict in Federal case against cop who beat Rodney King, but the verdict is not read until April 17th
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 Dec 10
April 16 is also my mother-in-law's birthday too!
@commonground (367)
• United States
18 Dec 10
On this day in history, June 21...
1879... 1st Woolworth's opened and failed immediately
1893... 1st Ferris Wheel premiers at the Chicago Columbian Expedition
1898... Guam becomes a US territory
1950... Joe DiMaggio gets his 2000th hit
1982... Prince William born
Just a few, there were so many things to choose from.
Also, June 21 is the first day of summer.
1 person likes this
@commonground (367)
• United States
18 Dec 10
No, but we do bear an uncanny resemblance :)
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169568)
• United States
18 Dec 10
Babe Ruth becomes 1st to hit 500 homers off Willis Hudlin of Cleveland on my birthday, but many many years before. I notice that all the over achievers here are posting entire history books.
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
17 Dec 10
uuuummm. thats it. ive always been a lousy student my problem is, yes i often look up such things and marvel at it. but then, its soon gone from my mind. 
i dont retain it. id have to have a few days to get it looked up. you know, once in 5th grade,we had to pick a book to read, then report on that book the next week. i just drew one up from my mind and reported it in front of the class, it was a verbal report and id forgotten to do it. i was always reading something but for some reason i wasnt through a book at that time. so i came up with a book id read a year or so before. lol. @dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Dec 10
Ah well the idea is that since it's related to your date of birth you might have more interest and retain what you learn better...
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
18 Dec 10
October 13, 1949 - Adm. Louis E. Denfeld, chief of naval operations, told house armed services committee that U.S. navy is being dangerously weakened by uniformed high-command decisions. (source: The Britannica Archive).
Also there were some other people born, but I didn't know any of them. So besides my birthday and Adm. Denfeld's warning, I guess not much happened.
1 person likes this
@saimrajput (426)
• Pakistan
17 Dec 10
i was never intersted in history class. and i also dont know any thing else then my birthday. but you say it is intersting.
1 person likes this
