ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC
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Today is the 31st day of 2021 and the 42nd day of winter.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1606, Guy Fawkes was executed for his role in the Gunpowder Plot in Britain.
In 1958, Explorer 1 was launched, marking the first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit.
In 1968, the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive began in South Vietnam.
In 2010, James Cameron's "Avatar" became the first film to reach a worldwide gross of $2 billion.
In 2020, The United Kingdom's membership in the European Union ended.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Franz Schubert (1797-1828), composer; John O'Hara (1905-1970), author; Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), baseball player; Carol Channing (1921-2019), actress; Norman Mailer (1923-2007), author/journalist; Ernie Banks (1931-2015), baseball player; Jonathan Banks (1947- ), actor; Nolan Ryan (1947- ), baseball player; Minnie Driver (1970- ), actress; Portia de Rossi (1973- ), actress; Kerry Washington (1977- ), actress; Justin Timberlake (1981- ), singer-songwriter; Marcus Mumford (1987- ), singer-songwriter.
TODAY'S FACT: The Toyota Corolla is the bestselling car of all time, with 45 million units sold since its debut in 1966.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1999, Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway won his second consecutive Super Bowl and the final game of his NFL playing career, leading the Denver Broncos to a 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. Elway was also selected as the game's MVP.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Writing books is the closest men ever come to childbearing." -- Norman Mailer
TODAY'S NUMBER: $22.54 – amount of the first Social Security check, issued on this day in 1940 to Ida May Fuller, who lived on a Vermont farm. Having worked less than three years under Social Security, she paid only $24.75 into the system, but she had collected $22,888.92 by the time of her death in 1975.
TODAY'S MOON: Between full moon (Jan. 28) and last quarter moon (Feb. 4).