[buddyjh]

334th day of 2009 - 31 remaining

Monday, November 30, 2009
CHURCHILL DAY

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born (prematurely) on this day in 1874. He became a British statesman, soldier, and author -- and the first man to be made an honorary citizen of the United States (by an act of Congress on April 9, 1963).

A graduate of Sandhurst Military Academy, Churchill fought in India, the Sudan and South Africa. In 1900 he was elected to the British Parliament. He was the first Lord of the Admiralty (1911-15) in World War I until discredited by the failure of the Dardanelles campaign, which he had championed.

Churchill later served in several cabinet positions in the Liberal government including Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1924 to 1929. Out of office from 1929 to 1939, Churchill issued unheeded warnings of the threat of Nazi Germany.

In 1940, seven months after the outbreak of World War II, Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister. Churchill’s stirring oratory, his energy, and his refusal to make peace with Hitler were crucial to maintaining British resistance.

After the fall of France (on June 22, 1940), Germany intended to defeat the British Royal Air Force (RAF). In July, the German Luftwaffe began to bomb British airfields and ports. By September, the Luftwaffe had begun to make nightly raids on London. The RAF fought bravely but were badly outnumbered. However, they still managed to hold off the Luftwaffe. Churchill expressed his nation’s gratitude to its airmen: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

After the post-war Labour party victory in 1945, Churchill became leader of the opposition. In 1951 he was again elected prime minister. Two years later he was knighted. That same year he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for “...his mastery of historical and biographical presentation and for his brilliant oratory...”

Sir Winston Churchill died in London on January 24, 1965. He is already recorded in our history as one of the greatest statesmen and leaders of the 20th century.

Events
November 30
1875 - A.J. Ehrrichson of Akron, OH patented the oat-crushing machine.

1887 - The first softball game was played -- in Chicago, IL. The game was really called indoor baseball; it used a broomstick for a bat and a boxing glove for a ball.

1922 - Actress Sarah Bernhardt made her last appearance on the stage. She played in the final performance of Daniel, being presented in Turin, Italy.

1935 - The president of Yale University, James Angell, is said to have suggested that professional football “may someday surpass college football in popularity.” They don’t call them universities for nothing, folks...

1939 - Harry James and his big band recorded Concerto for Trumpet -- on Columbia 78s.

1940 - Lucille Ball and Cuban musician Desi Arnaz were married. Lucy filed for divorce the day after their final TV show was filmed in 1960.

1943 - Nat ‘King’ Cole and his trio recorded Straighten Up and Fly Right on Capitol Records. It was the first recording for the King Cole trio.

1954 - Sir Winston Churchill celebrated his 80th birthday in London. The festivities were said to be the greatest ever held for a British subject.

1956 - Archie Moore was defeated by Floyd Patterson. Patterson won the heavyweight boxing title vacated by the retired Rocky Marciano. At the age of 21, Patterson was the youngest boxer to be named heavyweight champion.

1959 - Joe Foss was named American Football League commissioner. He made about $30,000 a year in salary for the job.

1962 - U Thant of Burma was unanimously appointed Secretary-General by the United Nations General Assembly. He had been chosen to head the world body after Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in an air crash in September 1961.

1968 - Diana Ross and The Supremes hit the #1 spot on the music charts with Love Child. The somewhat controversial tune (for the times) stayed at the top for two weeks.

1971 - ABC-TV presented Brian’s Song as the ABC Movie of the Week. The touching story was about Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo and his friendship with Gayle Sayers, who watched Brian die a tragic death. The movie got a rating of 32.9 and a 48 share. The theme song, Brian’s Song, was performed by Michel Legrand.

1974 - The Eagles hit, Best of My Love, was released. It would take until March 1, 1975 for it to reach the #1 spot on the top 40 charts.

1977 - Eric Sevareid retired from CBS-TV. He left CBS after 38 years of working with famous names in the TV news biz ... folks like Morrow, Collingwood, Trout, Cronkite, Edwards, Rather, Kuralt, Wallace, Dean and others.

1986 - Ivan Lendl became the first tennis player in the world to gain career earnings exceeding $10 million.

1991 - PM Dawn’s Set Adrift on Memory Bliss hit #1 in the U.S. The rappers folded another song -- Spandau Ballet’s True -- into theirs, making for a very nice musical effect.

1994 - Talk about bad luck. Nearly 1,000 passengers and crew fled the cruise ship Achille Lauro after it caught fire off the coast of Somalia en route from Genoa to the Sychelles. The ship sank two days later. This was the same Achille Lauro that had been hijacked by Palestinians in October 1985.

Birthdays
November 30
1554 - Philip Sidney
poet: Arcadia; statesman, soldier: dying, he gave his water bottle to another dying soldier and uttered this famous quote: “Thy necessity is yet greater than mine.”; died in Oct 1586

1667 - Jonathan Swift
satirist: Gulliver’s Travels, Thoughts on Religion; died Oct 19, 1745

1835 - Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens)
writer: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Roughing It, Life on the Mississippi, The Prince and the Pauper; died Apr 21, 1910

1874 - Sir Winston Churchill
see Churchill Day [above]; died Jan 24, 1965

1918 - Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
actor: The F.B.I., 77 Sunset Strip, Hot Shots!, The Gathering: Part 2, Terror Out of the Sky, Airport ’75, The Legend of Prince Valiant, Hotel; voice of Alfred in Batman-the Animated Series

1920 - Virginia Mayo (Virginia Clara Jones)
actress: Midnight Witness, Captain Horatio Hornblower, The Silver Chalice, The West Point Story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Best Years of Our Lives; died Jan 17, 2005

1924 - Shirley Chisholm
politician: first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress; author; quote: “When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom that profit loses.”; died Jan 1, 2005

1924 - Allan Sherman (Copelon)
comedian: Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh!; associate producer: I’ve Got a Secret; died Nov 20, 1973

1926 - Richard Crenna
Emmy Award-winning actor: The Rape of Richard Beck, ABC Theatre [1984-85]; Slattery’s People, The Real McCoys, Our Miss Brooks, It Takes Two, All’s Fair, Gabriel’s Fire, Centennial, Sabrina, Hot Shots! Part Deux, Rambo 3, On the Wings of Eagles, Rambo, First Blood, Part 2, The Flamingo Kid, Body Heat, The Sand Pebbles, Pride of St. Louis, Wrongfully Accused, Judging Amy; died Jan 17, 2003

1927 - Robert Guillaume (Williams)
Emmy Award-winning actor: Soap [1978-79], Benson [1984-85]; Pacific Station, A Good Day to Die, North and South Book 1, The Meteor Man, Superfly T.N.T.; voice of Det. Catfish: Fish Police

1929 - **** Clark
TV producer, host: American Bandstand, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, The $25,000 Pyramid, TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes, **** Clark Presents the Rock and Roll Years, The **** Clark Show, **** Clark’s Golden Greats, **** Clark’s Live Wednesday, **** Clark’s Nighttime, **** Clark’s World of Talent, Puttin’ on the Hits, Live! **** Clark Presents, The Challengers; executive producer: Keep on Cruisin’, In Person from the Palace; former Philadelphia DJ

1930 - G. (George) Gordon Liddy
politician, radio host: The G-Man, The G. Gordon Liddy Show

1931 - Thurman ‘Teddy’ Wilburn
singer: group: Wilburn Brothers: Which One is to Blame; Grand Ole Opry [1941]

1931 - Bill Walsh
Pro Football Hall of Famer: Cincinnati Bengals, San Diego Chargers; football coach: Stanford University, San Francisco 49ers: Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII; died Jul 30, 2007

1935 - Jack Reno
country singer: Repeat After Me, Hitchin’ a Ride, I Want One

1936 - Abbie Hoffman
activist: 1960s cultural revolutionary [Yippie]; one of the Chicago Eight; author: Revolution for the Hell of It, Steal this Book; died Apr 12, 1989

1937 - Jimmy Bowen
singer: I’m Stickin’ with You, Party Doll

1937 - Ridley Scott
director: White Squall, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Thelma and Louise, Black Rain, Someone to Watch Over Me, Legend, Blade Runner, Alien, The Duelists; brother of director Tony Scott

1943 - Leo Lyons
musician: bass: groups: Jaybirds, Ten Years After: I’m Going Home, Love Like a Man

1944 - Rob Grill
musician, singer: group: The Grass Roots: Midnight Confessions, Let’s Live for Today

1944 - Luther Ingram
musician, singer: [If Lovin’ You is Wrong] I Don’t Want to be Right; died Mar 19, 2007

1945 - Roger Glover
musician: bass: groups: Episode Six, Rainbow, Deep Purple: Black Night

1947 - David Mamet
director: Oleanna, Homicide, House of Games, Things Change; playwright: Hoffa, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Untouchables, The Verdict, The Postman Always Rings Twice

1950 - Craig (Steven) Swan
baseball: pitcher: NY Mets [NL ERA title: 1978 - 2.43], California Angels

1950 - Paul Westphal
basketball guard: Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Seattle Supersonics; coach: Southwestern Baptist Bible College, Grand Canyon College, Phoenix Suns

1951 - June Chadwick
actress: Forbidden World, The Last Horror Film, This is Spinal Tap, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Going to Extremes, Star Trek: Away Team

1952 - Mandy Patinkin
Tony Award-winning actor: Evita [1980]; True Colors, The Doctor, **** Tracy, Alien Nation, The Princess Bride, Sunday in the Park with George, Yentl, French Postcards, Chicago Hope

1953 - Shuggie (Johnny) Otis Jr.
musician: guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards: LPs: Here Comes Shuggie Otis, Freedom Flight, Inspiration Information, Omaha Bar-B-Que

1954 - George McArdle
musician: bass guitarist: group: Little River Band: Help is on Its Way, Reminiscing, Lady, Lonesome Loser, Cool Change, The Night Owls, Take It Easy on Me

1954 - June Pointer
singer: group: The Pointer Sisters: Fire, He’s So Shy, Slow Hand, Jump [For My Love], Automatic, Neutron Dance, I’m So Excited, Dare Me, Yes We Can Can, How Long [Betcha Got a Chick on the Side]; solo: LP: Baby Sister; died Apr 11, 2006

1955 - Billy Idol (Broad)
musician: guitar, singer: Mony, Mony, Eyes Without a Face, Dancing with Myself, White Wedding, Rebel Yell, To Be a Lover, Speed, Cradle of Love; songwriter: Hot in the City

1955 - Kevin Conroy
actor: Chain of Desire, The Secret Passion of Robert Clayton, Tour of Duty, Rachel Gunn, R.N., Ohara, voice of Batman: Batman-The Animated Series

1957 - John Aston
musician: guitar: groups: Photons, Psychedelic Furs: We Love You, Love My Way, Heaven, Pretty in Pink

1957 - Richard Barbieri
musician: drums: group: Japan: Don’t Rain on My Parade, The Unconventional, The Tenant, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Taking Islands in Africa, I Second That Emotion, Cantonese Boy, Bamboo Houses, Forbidden Colours; composer: for Ballet Rambert

1962 - Bo (Vincent Edward) Jackson
baseball: KC Royals [all-star: 1989], Chicago White Sox, California Angels; football: LA Raiders RB [Heisman Trophy: 1985]

1965 - Ben Stiller
actor: The Ben Stiller Show, Reality Bites, Flirting with Disaster, The Cable Guy, There’s Something About Mary, Meet the Parents, Zoolander

1973 - (William) Jason Reso
pro wrestler/actor: Raw is War, Wrestlemania XV, Summerslam, WWF Insurrextion, WWF King of the Ring, WWF Armageddon

Chart Toppers
November 30
1945It’s Been a Long, Long Time - The Harry James Orchestra (vocal: Kitty
Kallen)
That’s for Me - **** Haymes
I’ll Buy That Dream - The Pied Pipers
Shame on You - The Lawrence Welk Orchestra (vocal: Red Foley)

1953Rags to Riches - Tony Bennett
Many Times - Eddie Fisher
Ricochet - Teresa Brewer
There Stands the Glass - Webb Pierce

1961Runaround Sue - Dion
Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes
Goodbye Cruel World - James Darren
Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean

1969Come Together/Something - The Beatles
And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam
Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard

1977You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone
Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue - Crystal Gayle
How Deep is Your Love - Bee Gees
The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get over You) - Waylon Jennings

1985Separate Lives - Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin
Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Never - Heart
Too Much on My Heart - The Statler Brothers

Happy Birthday Rob Grill of The Grass Roots

[peggy13]

Thank you Buddy! I always enjoy this post!

Have a great Monday.

(BTW, how is sitting in the tree?? Any luck yet?? lol)

[Victor Hugo]

Thanks for the Information Buddy.

[eclipsemoon]

Great Reading Buddy, Thanks!

[snakebite]

thank you again buddy for all the info.

[Crystal Dragon]

Dang... D!ck Clark is 80 years old!!!!
... now I feel old!!!
Just not that old!

As usual, I have learned something once again!!
Thanks Buddy!!

[marty napier]

thank you buddy have a great week!

[dt8350]

Happy Birthday Rob Grill!
Thanks Buddy!

[yipitsme]

Great Reading Buddy, Thanks you so much, Enjoyed it....

[MOE23]

thanks buddy !

[just4ufolks]

Thanks again for this so educating thread on daily basis..such a wonderful thing to do...thx

BTW:::Here is one for THE Churchill Day:::

At a formal party this lady wlaks up to Mr churchill and said Mr Churchill you are drunk....
Mr Churchill..as alwayz famous for the one liners shoots back...I will be sober in the morning BUT you will still be UGLY......

[slowboy]

thanks for the great info