233rd day of 2009 - 132 remaining
Friday, August 21, 2009
ALOHA STATE DAY
It was on this day in 1959 that the citizens of the United States said aloha to their new, fellow Americans. The Hawaiian Islands became the State of Hawaii by a proclamation signed by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The statehood bill had been passed in March of 1959, but it contained a stipulation that the residents of the Hawaiian Islands would have to give their vote of approval. Three months later, they did so -- and by a huge margin.
Hawaii finally became the 50th state of the United States of America on this day. Although the Aloha State is made up of a chain of 122 volcanic islands spread out over 1,600 miles, only seven, at the southeastern end of the chain, are inhabited: Hawaii (the Big Island), Maui (the Valley Isle), Lanai (the Pineapple Isle), Molokai (the Friendly Isle), Kauai (the Garden Isle), Niihau (the Forbidden Island), and Oahu (the Gathering Place). Oahu is the home of the state capital, Honolulu, and about 75% of the state’s population ... a population that is truly a melting pot of all races and religions.
Hawaii is known for some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, mild tropical climate (the southernmost point in the United States is in Hawaii), and dramatic scenery. Although flowers like orchids, plumeria, pikake, tuberose, gardenia, anthurium, birds of paradise, ginger and protea bloom year round, Hawaii calls the hibiscus its state flower, specifically, the yellow hibiscus.
There are many creatures that are only found on Hawaiian soil or in its turquoise-blue ocean waters, but it’s the nene or Hawaiian goose that holds the title of state bird. Hawaii is also unusual in that it has no snakes (or billboards). It does, however, have a state fish: the humuhumunukunukuapua’a. It’s not really that hard to pronounce ... try it this way: humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-pua-a. That’s better.
Hawaii is unique as a state for all of these reasons, but most of all because of its people and their Aloha Spirit. Aloha means love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, grace, charity ... and hello and good-bye.
The state motto of Hawaii is: Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono. = The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
Events
August 21
1841 - John Hampton of New Orleans, LA, received a patent for venetian blinds. Now if he could have just invented self-cleaning venetian blinds...
1878 - A group of 100 lawyers got together at Saratoga Springs, New York and formed the American Bar Association.
1888 - William Burroughs of St. Louis, MO patented his adding machine. It was an invention that bore the name of Burrough’s office machine company for many years.
1912 - The first boy reached the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program. He was Arthur R. Eldred of Oceanside, NY.
1929 - The Chicago Cardinals became the first professional football team to go out of town for training camp. The team started practice in Coldwater, MI.
1938 - A classic recording was made this day. Fats Waller waxed Ain’t Misbehavin.
1950 - The United Nations moved into its new permanent facilities in New York City -- on land donated by the Rockefeller family.
1971 - Sixteen-year-old Laura Baugh became the youngest winner of the United States Women’s Amateur Golf tournament.
1976 - RCA Victor Records announced that sales of Elvis Presley records had passed the 400 million mark.
1980 - Linda Ronstadt debuted on Broadway in the production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s, The Pirates of Penzance.
1984 - Victoria Roche was the first girl to compete in a Little League World Series game. The reserve outfielder from Belgium played in the annual event held in Williamsport, PA with her brother, starting outfielder Jeremy Roche.
1984 - Clint Eastwood contributed a hand print and the words, “You made my day,” to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Mann’s Chinese Theatre.
1986 - The Boston Red Sox made history against the Cleveland Indians. The Red Sox whipped the Indians 24-5 in the worst loss in the Tribe’s 85-year history. Greg Swindell made his major-league debut on the mound for the Indians. Dennis ‘Oil Can’ Boyd got a 17-run lead for Boston and, luckily, held on for the win.
1988 - More than 1,000 people were killed in an earthquake at Bihar, India, the Himalayan region and Nepal. Registering 6.6 on the Ritcher scale, it killed more than 850 people and left 15,000 injured.
1993 - The soundtrack from Sleepless in Seattle hit number one on the Billboard LP chart. Other hit albums: #2 Black Sunday (Cypress Hill), #3 janet. (Janet Jackson), #4 Zooropa (U2), #5 Core (Stone Temple Pilots).
1998 - Wrongfully Accused, starring Leslie Nielsen, opened in U.S. theatres. Nielsen plays world-renowned violinist, Ryan Harrison, who is out to prove he was framed for murder by a one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed terrorist (played by Aaron Pearl). The story spoofs events from many other flicks. Nielson is at his slapstick best with lots of help from Richard Crenna (Fergus Falls), Kelly Le Brock (Lauren Goodhue), Sandra Bernhard (Dr. Fridley), Michael York (the murdered Hibbing Goodhue) and Melinda Mcgraw (Cass Lake). Wrongfully Accused was a box-office dud, for sure, but has become a huge favorite on cable TV.
1999 - Hua Mei, the giant panda cub, was born at the San Diego Zoo weighing a not-so-giant 4-5 ounces. Her parents are Bai Yun and Shi Shi (they arrived at the zoo on Sep 10, 1996 on a 12-year conservation study). Hua Mei was the first panda born in the U.S. in ten years.
Birthdays
August 21
1904 - (William Allen) Count Basie
bandleader: April in Paris, Open the Door Richard; composer: One O’Clock Jump, Jumpin’ at the Woodside; died Apr 26, 1984
1916 - Murry (Monroe) ****son
baseball: pitcher: SL Cardinals [World Series: 1943, 1946], Pittsburgh Pirates [all-star: 1953], Philadelphia Phillies, KC Athletics, NY Yankees [World Series: 1958]; died Sep 21, 1989
1918 - Billy (William) Reay
hockey: NHL: Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens
1920 - Gerry (Gerald Lee) Staley
baseball: pitcher: SL Cardinals [all-star: 1952, 1953], Cincinnati Redlegs, NY Yankees, Chicago White Sox [World Series: 1959/all-star: 1960], Detroit Tigers, KC Athletics
1923 - Chris Schenkel
sportscaster: CBS Sports; ABC Sports: host of Pro Bowlers Tour for 33 years; Lifetime Achievement Emmy [1993]; died Sep 11, 2005
1928 - Art Farmer
musician: trumpet, flugelhorn: worked w/Horace Henderson, Johnny Otis, Lionel Hampton Band; recorded be-bop classic Farmer’s Market; developed musical instrument called ‘flumpet’; died Oct 4, 1999
1930 - Margaret Rose
Princess: Countess of Snowdon; sister of England’s Queen Elizabeth II; died Feb 9, 2002
1931 - Pete Retzlaff
football: Philadelphia Eagles: Bert Bell Trophy winner [1965]
1932 - Melvin Van Peebles
actor: Terminal Velocity, Boomerang; actor, screen writer: Sophisticated Gents, Sweet Sweetback’s Badassssss Song; screenwriter: Panther, Greased Lightning, The Story of a Three Day Pass
1936 - Wilt (Wilton) Chamberlain
Basketball Hall of Famer: NBA MVP Award: Philadelphia Warriors [1960], Philadelphia 76ers [1966, 1967, 1968]; died Oct 12, 1999
1938 - Kenny (Kenneth Donald) Rogers
Grammy and CMA Award-winning singer: She Believes in Me, Lady, Lucille, Islands in the Stream [w/Dolly Parton], What are We Doin’ in Love [w/Dottie West], Through the Years, We’ve Got Tonight [w/Sheena Easton], You Decorated My Life, Coward of the County, The Gambler; groups: The Kirby Stone Four, The New Christy Minstrels, The First Edition; actor: The Gambler series
1939 - Harold Reid
singer: group: The Statler Brothers: Flowers on the Wall, Bed of Roses, Class of ’57
1939 - Clarence Williams III
actor: The Mod Squad, Tales from the Hood, Sugar Hill, Purple Rain
1943 - Felix (Bernardo Martinez) Millan
baseball: Atlanta Braves [all-star: 1969, 1970, 1971], NY Mets [World Series: 1973
1944 - Jackie DeShannon (Sharon Myers)
singer: What the World Needs Now is Love, Put a Little Love in Your Heart; songwriter: Dum Dum, Needles and Pins, When You Walk in the Room, Don’t Doubt Yourself Babe; co-wrote: Bette Davis Eyes
1944 - Peter Weir
director: Dead Poets Society, Witness, Green Card, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Mosquito Coast, The Truman Show
1945 - Patty McCormack (Russo)
actress: The Bad Seed, Invitation to Hell, The Ropers, Peck’s Bad Girl, Mama
1945 - Willie Lanier
Pro Football Hall of Famer: Kansas City Chiefs linebacker: Super Bowl IV
1947 - Carl Giammarese
musician: guitar: The Buckinghams: Kind of a Drag, A&E: Biography
1951 - John (Hardin) Stearns
baseball: catcher: Philadelphia Phillies, NY Mets [all-star: 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982]
1952 - Joe Strummer (John Mellors)
musician: guitar, singer: group: The Clash: 1977, Capital Radio, Career Opportunities, I’m So Bored with the USA, Police and Thieves, Complete Control, [White Man] in Hammersmith Palais, English Civil War, Stay Free, Brand New Cadillac, Death or Glory, Jimmy Jazz; died Dec 22, 2002
1954 - Bruce (Michael) Berenyi
baseball: pitcher: Cincinnati Reds, NY Mets
1954 - Archie Griffin
football: Heisman Trophy winner: Ohio State [1974 & 1975]; Cincinnati Bengals running back: Super Bowl XVI
1956 - Kim Cattrall
actress: Breaking Point, Wild Palms, Police Academy, The Bastard, The Rebels, Mannequin, Live Nude Girls
1957 - Frank (Enrico) Pastore
baseball: pitcher: Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins
1957 - Kim Sledge
singer: group: Sister Sledge
1959 - Jim McMahon
football: quarterback: Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears: Super Bowl XX
1975 - Alicia Witt
actress; Cybill, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Four Rooms, Hotel Room
Chart Toppers
August 21
1948A Tree in the Meadow - Margaret Whiting
My Happiness - Jon & Sandra Steele
It’s Magic - Doris Day
Bouquet of Roses - Eddy Arnold
1956My Prayer - The Platters
Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel - Elvis Presley
Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter & Eddie Haywood
I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash
1964Everybody Loves Somebody - Dean Martin
Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes
Rag Doll - The 4 Seasons
Dang Me - Roger Miller
1972Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O’Sullivan
Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass
Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) - The Hollies
Bless Your Heart - Freddie Hart & The Heartbeats
1980Magic - Olivia Newton-John
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Take Your Time (Do It Right) - The S.O.S. Band
Tennessee River - Alabama
1988Roll with It - Steve Winwood
Monkey - George Michael
1-2-3 - Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
Bluest Eyes in Texas - Restless Heart
Happy Birthday Kenny Rogers
WELCOME TOO ABADSS 
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Guapo Vic.
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