Janet Guthrie(first woman to race in the Indy 500)β
Daniel J. Travanti(actor)β
Peter Wolf(musician)β
Franco Harris(football player)β
Bryan Cranston(actor)β
Ivan Lendl(tennis player)β
Wanda Sykes(comedienne & actress)β
Tiny Tymm(21-millionth Canadian)β
Rachel Weisz(actress)β
Jenna Fischer(actress)β
Laura Prepon(actress)β
Died
The Earl of Aberdeen(Canadian Governor General 1893 - 1898)β
Ray Arcel(boxing trainer)β
Stanley Kubrick(film director)β
Paul Winfield(actor)β
Debra Hill(producer)β
Events
Queen’s University held its first classes, Kingston, Ontario β
Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his telephone β
Toronto Stock Exchange incorporated β
Dr. John Kellogg served the world’s first cornflakes to his patients at the Battle Creek (MI) Sanitarium β
First coin-operated locker patented β
The world’s first jazz recording was released by the RCA Victor Company β
President Woodrow Wilson authorized the Distinguished Service Medal to be given for outstanding service in the U.S. Army β
U.S. troops captured the key Remagen Bridge across the Rhine (WW II) β
Melvin C. Garlow became the first pilot to log more than one million miles in jet airplanes β
The Who’s βPinball Wizardβ was released in Britain. It was the first selection from the rock opera βTommyβ to be publicly aired β
Comet Kohoutek was discovered by Czech astronomer Lubos Kohoutek β
Phil Mahre won alpine skiing’s World Cup championship. He was the third person to ever win three consecutive titles β
Major U.S. recording artists combined their talents and released We Are the World. Proceeds from recording sales were to be donated to African famine relief β
The Violent Femmes (an alternative rock band) played at Carnegie Hall β
At the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Kathryn Bigelow won the Oscar for Best Director for Hurt Locker. It was the first time a woman won the award. β
Barefoot water skier, Fernando Reina Iglesias, set a new record. Towed by a helicopter off the coast of Mexico, he reached a speed of 153 mph. β
Weather
Brilliant nationwide aurora borealis β
This day was a day Iowans won’t soon forget. A major ice storm coated much of the state with two to three inches of ice. Seventy-eight downed utility towers along one 17-mile stretch cost three electric companies $15 million. The total damage from the storm was over $50 million. β