307th day of 2009 - 58 remaining
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
HOW NOW DOW JONES DAY
The Dow Jones industrial average surged 43.41 points on this day in 1982, marking the greatest single day gain in the history of the New York Stock Exchange. (By today’s standards, fluctuations of several hundred points are not uncommon.)
Most of us are pretty happy to see any of the Dow Jones averages rise without ever giving any thought to how this financial gamble got started.
In 1897, Dow Jones & Company, a financial publishing firm, began to publish an average of the common stock prices of twelve industrial companies. It was simply a daily total of the prices of these stocks divided by 12. Over the years, this system of averaging has become a little more complicated - taking into account the distortion of averages caused by stock splitting, etc.
Computation was expanded to hourly averaging and to include 30 industrial firms. Then four different kinds of averages were included: the industrial; transportation averages (20 transportation companies); utility averages (15 utilities); and an overall average of all of the above.
That’s how it all got started. And now, for the latest Dow Jones averages...
Events
November 3
1892 - The first successful automatic telephone system was introduced in Laporte, IN. Almond Strowger, the inventor, came up with the idea because the non-automatic system made it possible for his customers calls to be intercepted by his competitor. Strowger ran a funeral parlor.
1900 - The first National Automobile Show opened in Madison Square Garden in New York City. A total of 31 car makers put their autoware on display.
1934 - The first race track in California opened under a new parimutuel betting law. Bay Meadows, located in San Mateo, closed in 2008, with its last official race occurring on August 17 of that year.
1941 - The classic Jerry Gray arrangement of String of Pearls was recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra - on Bluebird 78s. The recording featured the trumpet of Bobby Hackett.
1953 - Nanette Fabray (Shelley’s aunt) starred in the first color TV program to be sent coast to coast. The telecast, from the Colonial Theatre in New York City, was broadcast via WNBT, New York to Burbank, CA.
1953 - The Rules Committee of organized baseball restored the sacrifice fly (credited to a batter who flies out to drive in a run). The rule had not been used since 1939.
1956 - The classic MGM film, The Wizard of Oz, was first seen on television. The film cost CBS $250,000 to show. The movie was shown 18 times between 1956 and 1976, and you can probably catch it again no matter what year it is.
1957 - Sam Phillips, owner of legendary Sun Records in Memphis, TN, released Great Balls of Fire, by Jerry Lee Lewis. Looking carefully at the original label, one will find credit to Lewis and “his pumping piano.”
1960 - The Unsinkable Molly Brown, opened on Broadway. The play would become an American theater standard and a smashing career launch for Shirley MacLaine.
1962 - Billboard magazine dropped the “Western” from its chart title. The list has been known as Hot Country Singles/Songs ever since.
1964 - For the first time, residents of the District of Columbia were permitted to vote in a presidential election. The ratification of the 23rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (in 1961) gave Washington, D.C. citizens the right to vote for President and Vice President of the United States (not for members of Congress, however). Before that (since 1936), D.C. residents had voted only for party officials and delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions.
1972 - Singers Carly Simon and James Taylor were married in Carly’s Manhattan apartment. The couple was said to be the highest-paid couple in the world -- next to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Carly and ‘Sweet Baby’ James would divorce years later, but we hear they are still good friends.
1975 - Actor David Hartman became coanchor of ABC’s Good Morning America. Hartman’s co-host was actress Nancy Dussault.
1979 - The Eagles had the number-one album in the U.S. The Long Run started a nine-week run at the top these tracks to remember: The Long Run, I Can’t Tell You Why, In the City, The Disco Strangler, King Of Hollywood, Heartache Tonight, Those Shoes, Teenage Jail, The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks and The Sad Cafe.
1986 - “The Fight for Fort Knox” was announced this day. ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard agreed to duke it out in April, 1987. The two were guaranteed at least $23 million. (Leonard won in a 12-round split decision.)
1990 - Vanilla Ice was number one in the U.S. with the single Ice Ice Baby, from the album To the Extreme. “Ice Ice Baby Vanilla, Ice Ice Baby Vanilla...”
1992 - Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton (and running-mate Al Gore) easily defeated President George Bush and VP Dan Quayle to win the U.S. presidential election.
1996 - George Foreman won a 12-round unanimous decision over Crawford Grimsley in Tokyo. The aging (actually the oldest heavyweight champ) collected a purse of about $5 million.
2000 - Movies making their first U.S. runs this day: Charlie’s Angels, with Camerin Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu (the angels), Bill Murray and Sam Rockwell ; and The Legend of Bagger Vance, starring Will Smith, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, J. Michael Moncrief and Bruce Mcgill.
Birthdays
November 3
1718 - John Montague
4th Earl of Sandwich; inventor: the sandwich; England’s 1st Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State of the Northern Dept., Postmaster General; Sandwich Islands [Hawaii] named after him; died Apr 30, 1792
1793 - Stephen Austin
principal founder of Texas; capital city, Austin, named after him; Texas Secretary of State; died Dec 27, 1836
1794 - William Cullen Bryant
poet: Thanatopsis, To a Waterfowl, A Forest Hymn, The Prairies; editor: NY Evening Post; died June 12, 1878
1908 - Bronko (Bronislaw) Nagurski
Pro Football Hall of Famer: charter member: Chicago Bears: rushed for over 4,000 yards; world champion wrestler [1938]; College Football Hall of Famer: University of Minnesota; died Jan 7, 1990
1909 - James Reston
journalist, columnist: The New York Times; died Dec 6, 1995
1918 - Bob (Robert William) Feller
‘Rapid Robert’: Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher: Cleveland Indians [all-star: 1938-1941, 1946-1948, 1950/World Series: 1948]; won 266 games in 18 seasons: 3 no-hitters, 12 1-hitters
1921 - Charles Bronson (Buchinsky)
actor: Death Wish series, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Valachi Papers, Sandpiper, Raid on Entebbe, Miss Sadie Thompson, Battle of the Bulge, House of Wax, You’re in the Army Now; husband of actress Jill Ireland; died Aug 30, 2003
1928 - (Dixie) Wanda Hendrix
actress: My Outlaw Brother, The Admiral Was a Lady, Welcome Stranger; died Feb 1, 1981
1930 - Peggy McCay
actress: A Death of Innocence, Eleanor and Franklin, Bustin' Loose, Amityville: The Evil Escapes; TV panelist: Who’s the Boss?
1931 - Monica Vitti (Maria Louisa Ceciarelli)
actress: Immortal Bachelor, Tigers in Lipstick, An Almost Perfect Affair, Blonde in Black Leather, The Red Desert
1933 - John Barry
Academy Award-winning composer: soundtracks: Born Free [1966], The Lion in Winter [1968], Out of Africa [1985], Dances with Wolves [1990]; The Cotton Club, The Day of the Locust, Eleanor & Franklin, Indecent Proposal, Midnight Cowboy, Peggy Sue Got Married, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shampoo, Somewhere in Time, James Bond movies, The Persuaders theme
1933 - Ken Berry
actor: Mayberry RFD, F Troop, Mama’s Family, The Ken Berry “Wow” Show, The Bob Newhart Show, The Ann Sothern Show, The Cat from Outer Space, Mountain Man, Herbie Rides Again; singer, dancer
1933 - Michael Dukakis
politician: Governor of Massachusetts; U.S. Presidential nominee [1988]
1948 - Lulu (Marie Lawrie)
singer: To Sir with Love, Boom Bang-A-Bang, Oh Me Oh My [I’m a Fool for You Baby], I Could Never Miss You
1949 - Mike Evans (Jonas)
actor: The Jeffersons, All in the Family, The Practice, The House on Skull Mountain, The Voyage of the Yes, Rich Man, Poor Man-Book 1; died Dec 14, 2006
1949 - Larry Holmes
boxer: heavyweight: WBC Champ [1978-1985]
1952 - Roseanne (Roseanne Cherrie Barr)
Emmy Award-winning actress: Roseanne [1992-93]; Funny, She-Devil; coproducer: The Jackie Thomas Show; author: My Life as a Woman, My Lives
1953 - Kate Capshaw
actress: How to Make an American Quilt, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, Private Affairs, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Best Defense, A Little Sex, Duke of Groove, Black Tie Affair
1953 - Dennis Miller
Emmy Award-winning writer: Dennis Miller Live [1993-1994, 1995-1996]; producer-writer: HBO: Dennis Miller: Citizen Arcane [1995-1996]; actor: The Dennis Miller Show, Saturday Night Live, The Net, Disclosure, Madhouse; sports commentator: ABC: NFL Monday Night Football
1954 - Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard)
singer: Goody Two Shoes, Prince Charming, Stand and Deliver, Apollo Nine
1956 - Phil Simms
football: New York Giants quarterback: Super Bowl XXI
1957 - Dolph Lundgren
actor: Johnny Mnemonic, The Shooter, Universal Soldier, Red Scorpion, A View to a Kill, Rocky 4
1961 - Lee Montgomery
actor: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Pete and Tillie, Ben
Chart Toppers
November 3
1950Goodnight Irene - The Weavers
All My Love - Patti Page
Harbor Lights - The Sammy Kaye Orchestra (vocal: Tony Alamo)
I’m Moving On - Hank Snow
1958It’s All in the Game - Tommy Edwards
Topsy II - Cozy Cole
Tom Dooley - The Kingston Trio
City Lights - Ray Price
196696 Tears - ?(Question Mark) & The Mysterians
Last Train to Clarksville - The Monkees
Poor Side of Town - Johnny Rivers
Open Up Your Heart - Buck Owens
1974You Haven’t Done Nothin - Stevie Wonder
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet/Free Wheelin’ - Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Jazzman - Carole King
I Overlooked an Orchid - Mickey Gilley
1982Who Can It Be Now? - Men at Work
Eye in the Sky - The Alan Parsons Project
I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) - Michael McDonald
Close Enough to Perfect - Alabama
1990Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
Love Takes Time - Mariah Carey
Giving You the Benefit - Pebbles
You Lie - Reba McEntire
Chart Topper November 3rd, 1990...You Lie - Reba McEntire
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Guapo Vic.
WELCOME TOO ABADSS 
Re: This Day in History November 3
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