Mornin' Bombers! Notice I left off the "good" part of the salutation? That's because I have to work today. Sorry to take it out on you. ;-)
Seems like the most interesting thing in the news cycle tonight is Starbucks writing a message on their cups in Washington DC to get Congress to act on the fiscal cliff. Now why didn't WE think of that?
Your daily Twitter sampler:
Now on to the history lesson!
On This Day
in 1871, the world's first official cat show was held at the Crystal Palace in London.
In 1927, Show Boat, by Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern, premiered on Broadway.
In 1978, after 40 years of dictatorship, Spain became a democracy.
In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, opening a few cans o'worms.
In 2001, China was granted normal trade relations with the U.S.
In 2007, Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.
Born on This Day
1571 – Johannes Kepler, German astronomer (d. 1630)
1654 – Jacob Bernoulli, Swiss mathematician (d. 1705)
1802 - Thomas Fearnley, Norwegian landscape painter (d. 1842)
1822 – Louis Pasteur, French scientist (d. 1895)
1864 – René Georges Hermann-Paul, French illustrator (d. 1940)
1879 – Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (d. 1954)
1901 – Marlene Dietrich, German actress and singer (d. 1992)
1915 – Mary Kornman, American actress (d. 1973)
1923 – Bruno Bobak, Polish-Canadian painter (d. 2012)
1931 – Scotty Moore, American guitarist
1941 – Michael Pinder, British musician (Moody Blues)
1943 – Cokie Roberts, American "journalist"
1946 – Lenny Kaye, American guitarist
1947 – Tracy Nelson, American blues singer
1948 – Gérard Depardieu, French actor
1952 – David Knopfler, British musician (co-founder of Dire Straits)
1969 – Sarah Vowell, American author and journalist
Died on This Day
1631 - Jan Pynas, Dutch painter (b. ca. 1583)
1743 – Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter (b. 1659)
1950 – Max Beckmann, German painter (b. 1884)
1978 – Chris Bell American musician (b. 1951)
1987 - Priscilla Dean, actress (b. 1896)
2003 – Alan Bates, English actor (b. 1934)
2008 – Delaney Bramlett, American musician (b. 1939)
Today is
National Fruit Cake Day
Make Cut out Snowflakes Day (?)