oddities

Andrews McMeel Almanac for December 28, 2015

Andrews McMeel Almanac by by the Editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
by the Editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Andrews McMeel Almanac | December 28th, 2015

Today is the 362nd day of 2015 and the seventh day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1832, John C. Calhoun became the first U.S. vice president to resign his office.

In 1846, Iowa was admitted as the 29th U.S. state.

In 1912, San Francisco's first municipally owned streetcars began service.

In 1942, Congress formally recognized the Pledge of Allegiance.

In 1981, the first American "test-tube baby" was born in Norfolk, Virginia.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), 28th U.S. president; Stan Lee (1922- ), comic book creator/publisher; Maggie Smith (1934- ), actress; Gayle King (1954- ), magazine editor; Denzel Washington (1954- ), actor; Chris Ware (1967- ), artist; Linus Torvalds (1969- ), software engineer; Seth Meyers (1973- ), comedian/actor; John Legend (1978- ), singer-songwriter; Noomi Rapace (1979- ), actress; Sienna Miller (1981- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: "Marvel Comics" was the first pulp fantasy comic book series published by Timely Comics, debuting in October 1939. Timely Comics editor Stan Lee reincorporated the name in 1961, publishing all of the company's comic books under the brand name "Marvel Comics."

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1958, the Baltimore Colts came from behind in the final seconds to force the first sudden death overtime in a championship game. The Colts went on to win "The Greatest Game Ever Played," defeating the New York Giants 23-17 to win the NFL championship.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "It is true that in order to learn men must for a little while withdraw from action, must seek some quiet place of remove from the bustle of affairs, where their thoughts may run clear and tranquil, and the heats of business be for the time put off; but that cloistered refuge is no place to dream in." -- Woodrow Wilson

TODAY'S NUMBER: $12,400 -- average cost per cycle of in vitro fertilization in the United States. Most couples have to go through more than one cycle to achieve a successful pregnancy.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Dec. 25) and last quarter moon (Jan. 1).

oddities

Andrews McMeel Almanac for December 27, 2015

Andrews McMeel Almanac by by the Editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
by the Editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Andrews McMeel Almanac | December 27th, 2015

Today is the 361st day of 2015 and the sixth day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1831, the HMS Beagle, with naturalist Charles Darwin aboard, set sail from Great Britain.

In 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened in New York City.

In 2002, North Korea announced it would resume developing nuclear-grade plutonium and ordered International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to leave the country.

In 2007, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated after a campaign rally in Rawalpindi.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), astronomer; Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), biologist/chemist; Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992), actress/singer; John Amos (1939- ), actor; Cokie Roberts (1943- ), journalist; Gerard Depardieu (1948- ), actor; Bill Self (1962- ), basketball coach; Sarah Vowell (1969- ), social commentator; Masi Oka (1974- ), actor; Carson Palmer (1979- ), football player.

TODAY'S FACT: France is far more reliant on nuclear power than any other nation in the world. More than 75 percent of the country's electricity is nuclear-generated.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1892, Biddle College (later named Johnson C. Smith University) defeated Livingstone College in the first football game between historically black colleges.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Behind every bad law, a deep fear." -- Sarah Vowell, "The Wordy Shipmates"

TODAY'S NUMBER: 3,300 -- approximate number of people buried at Westminster Abbey, many of them in unmarked graves. Charles Darwin is among the famous scientists buried there.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Dec. 25) and last quarter moon (Jan. 1).

oddities

Andrews McMeel Almanac for December 26, 2015

Andrews McMeel Almanac by by the Editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
by the Editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Andrews McMeel Almanac | December 26th, 2015

Today is the 360th day of 2015 and the fifth day of winter.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1776, after staging a surprise attack, George Washington and the Continental Army scored a major upset victory over the British in the Battle of Trenton.

In 1908, boxer Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns, becoming the first African-American heavyweight champion.

In 1966, the pan-African holiday Kwanzaa, founded by UCLA professor Maulana Karenga, was celebrated for the first time.

In 2004, a powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered a massive tsunami that claimed the lives of at least 226,000 in Southeast Asia and east Africa.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Thomas Gray (1716-1771), poet; Charles Babbage (1791-1871), mathematician/inventor; Mao Zedong (1893-1976), Chinese leader; Richard Widmark (1914-2008), actor; Steve Allen (1921-2000), entertainer; Alan King (1927-2004), actor/comedian; John Walsh (1945- ), TV personality/activist; Ozzie Smith (1954- ), baseball player; David Sedaris (1956- ), writer; Lars Ulrich (1963- ), musician; Jared Leto (1971- ), actor/musician; Chris Daughtry (1979- ), singer-songwriter.

TODAY'S FACT: Despite its impact in the Colonies, the Battle of Trenton was fought by relatively small numbers on both sides -- an estimated 2,400 Continental Army soldiers defeated the 1,500-strong British/Hessian garrison.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1919, Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth's contract to the New York Yankees.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "High school taught me a valuable lesson about glasses: Don't wear them. Contacts have always seemed like too much work, so instead I just squint, figuring that if something is more than 10 feet away, I'll just deal with it when I get there." -- David Sedaris, "When You Are Engulfed in Flames"

TODAY'S NUMBER: $700 million -- estimated amount Americans donated, privately or via corporations, to the 2004 tsunami relief efforts.

TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Dec. 25) and last quarter moon (Jan. 1).

Next up: More trusted advice from...

  • Do Just One Thing for January 31, 2023
  • Do Just One Thing for January 30, 2023
  • Do Just One Thing for January 29, 2023
  • Freezing Eggs One Way To Preserve Fertility After Cancer
  • Study Links Stress to Onset of IBS
  • Different Ages Get Different Flu Shots
  • Astro Advice Weekly for January 29, 2023
  • Astro Advice Weekly for January 22, 2023
  • Astro Advice Weekly for January 15, 2023
UExpressLifeParentingHomePetsHealthAstrologyOdditiesA-Z
AboutContactSubmissionsTerms of ServicePrivacy Policy
©2023 Andrews McMeel Universal