Interrogatories
Are you right or left handed?
Steak - rare, medium rare, medium, well done, or not at all?
Who would you like to blame to celebrate Blame Someone Else Day?
What is the highest land elevation you have ever attained?
Do you deliberately try to tan, or do you slather on the sunblock?
The Twitter Emitter
On This Day
In 1521, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan fell to Cortez. It later become known as Mexico City.
In 1907, Harry N. Allen put the first gas-powered taxis on the streets of New York.
In 1918, Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
In 1942, Disney's animated film, Bambi, was released in theaters. The film did not make back its initial costs during its first run. This was due more to the timing of the release (during WW2) than to the film itself. In addition, hunters spoke out against the movie, calling it an insult to sportsmen. Just think if the NRA had been the organization they are today…
In 1961, East Germany began construction of the Berlin Wall.
In 1966, KLUE-AM in Longville, Texas threw a bonfire party for anyone offended by Beatle John Lennon's Jesus comment to burn their records. The next morning their radio tower was struck by lightning. Coincidence?
In 2011, Michele Bachmann paid good money to win the Iowa straw poll, which of course vastly increased her chances of winning the Presidency.
Born on This Day
1576 – David Vinckboons, Flemish painter (d. 1629)
1818 – Lucy Stone, American women's rights activist - the unnatural woman who decided to (gasp!) keep her maiden name after marrying (among other things). (d. 1893)
1834 – Ludwik Kurella, Polish genre painter (d. 1902)
1852 – Christian Krogh, Norwegian painter (d. 1925)
1860 – Annie Oakley, American target shooter (d. 1926)
1867 – George Benjamin Luks, American painter of the Ashcan School (d. 1933)
1879 – Felice Carena, Italian painter (d. 1966)
1889 – Christopher R. W. Nevinson, English painter (d. 1946)
1895 – Bert Lahr, American actor (d. 1967)
1899 – Alfred Hitchcock, English director and producer (d. 1980)
1904 – Charles "Buddy" Rogers, American actor (d. 1999)
1908 – Gene Raymond, American actor (d. 1998)
1913 – June Brewster, American actress (d. 1995) (See Tipple Jar)
1917 – Gloria Dickson, American actress (d. 1945)
1919 – George Shearing, English-American pianist (d. 2011)
1926 – Fidel Castro, Cuban lawyer and politician, 15th President of Cuba
1933 – Joycelyn Elders, American physician, 15th Surgeon General of the United States
1939 – Alphonse Osbert, French symbolist painter (b. 1857)
1948 – Kathleen Battle, American soprano
1952 – Dave Carter, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer) (d. 2002)
1952 – Herb Ritts, American photographer (d. 2002)
1958 – Feargal Sharkey, Irish singer (The Undertones)
1959 – Danny Bonaduce, American actor
1963 – Valerie Plame, American C.I.A. agent and author
1964 – Debi Mazar, American actress
Died on This Day
1523 – Gerard David, Flemish painter (b. 1460)
1816 – Pehr Hillestrom, Swedish painter (b. 1732)
1863 – Eugène Delacroix, French painter (b. 1798)
1873 – Fritz Bamberger, German painter (b. 1814)
1894 – Remigius Adrianus van Haanen, Dutch landscape painter (b. 1812)
1910 – Florence Nightingale, English nurse and writer (b. 1820)
1946 – H. G. Wells, English writer (b. 1866)
1948 – Elaine Hammerstein, American actress (b. 1897)
1961 – Mario Sironi, Italian painter (b. 1885)
1982 – Joe Tex, American singer-songwriter (b. 1933)
1986 – Helen Mack, American actress (b. 1913)
1995 – Mickey Mantle, American baseball player (b. 1931)
1997 – Carel Weight, English painter (b. 1908)
2004 – Julia Child, American chef (b. 1912)
2009 – Les Paul, American guitarist and songwriter, created the Gibson Les Paul (b. 1915)
2012 – Helen Gurley Brown, American author, publisher, and editor (b. 1922)
2012 – Joan Roberts, American actress (b. 1918)
Today is
International Left Handers Day
National Fillet Mignon Day
National Garage Sale Day
Blame Someone Else Day