Benjamin Franklin, born on January 17, 1706, not only was a world-renowned statesman, inventor, and scientist, but also was fascinated by agriculture. To demonstrate the value of gypsum as fertilizer, he applied it to a field in a pattern that spelled out, “This land has been plastered.” Sure enough, clover in the fertilized area exhibited more vigorous growth.
Born
Benjamin Franklin(U.S. statesman
)–
James Madison Randolph(grandson of Thomas Jefferson; first baby born in the White House)–
Anne Brontë(novelist)–
Al Capone(gangster)–
Betty White(actress)–
Eartha Kitt(American singer
)–
James Earl Jones(actor)–
Shari Lewis(actress and puppeteer, best know for Lamb Chop)–
Maury Povich(talk show host)–
Muhammad Ali(boxer)–
Mick Taylor(musician)–
Andy Kaufman(comedian & actor)–
Steve Harvey(actor and television host)–
Jim Carrey(actor)–
Michelle Obama(U.S. First Lady)–
Died
Thomas Lincoln(father of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln)–
John Baker(Canada’s last ex-slave)–
Chang and Eng Bunker(Siamese twins)–
Rutherford B. Hayes(19th U.S. president)–
Camilo Jose Cela(won the 1989 Nobel Prize in Literature for works such as The Family of Pascual Duarte)–
Harvey Matusow(former aide to Sen. McCarthy who was imprisoned for lying before the House of Un-American Activities)–
Norman Kay(dubbed the Babe Ruth of bridge”“)–
Gertrude Janeway(the last widow of a Union veteran from the Civil War)–
Noble Willingham(actor)–
Virginia Mayo(actress)–
Art Buchwald(humorist)–
Bobby Fischer(champion chess player)–
Johnny Otis(musician; known as the godfather of R&B)–
Events
Andrew S. Hallidie received a patent for a cable car system –
Meeting held to form the Professional Golfers Association –
The first Volkswagen Beetle arrived in the United States from Germany –
President Dwight Eisenhower delivered his farewell address on television –
Simon and Garfunkel released their album, Sounds of Silence –
Gary Gilmore was the first person legally executed in the U.S. after the death penalty was reinstated –
British Telecom announced the retirement of Britain’s red telephone boxes –
6.7 earthquake occurred in Northridge, California –
Weather
St. Elmo’s fire occurred in the Connecticut River Valley –
Seventeen degrees below zero F, Millsboro, Delaware –
Washington, D.C., had a temperature of -5 degrees F –
Chicago, Illinois, had a temperature of -23 degrees F –
Boulder, Colorado, had wind gusts up to 135 mph –
Snow and hail fell in Los Angeles and Malibu, California –
St. John’s, Newfoundland, recorded new record for most snow in one day with 30 inches (76.2 centimeter)
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