DYR Today, January 8

“Birthdays”

• Jason Giambi (46)
• Jeremy Spencer (44)
• Josh Meyers (41)
• Jenny Lewis (41)
• Amber Benson (40)
• Sarah Polley (38)
• Sam Riley (37)
• Rachel Nichols (37)
• Genevieve Padalecki (36)
• Gaby Hoffmann (35)
• Freddie Stroma (30)
• Allison “Creepy Chan” Harvard (29)
• Noah Cyrus (17)
• Kelly (50)
• Michelle Forbes (52)
• Rey Misterio, Sr. (59)
• Harriet Harris (62)
• Robby Krieger (71)
• Stephen Hawking (75)
• Carolina Herrera (78)
• Bob Eubanks (79)
• Shirley Bassey (80)
• Elvis Presley (RIP) Featured Above
• David Bowie (RIP)
• William Hartnell (RIP)
• Soupy Sales (RIP)

“Death Anniversaries”

• Marco Polo (Born: 1254 / Died: January 8, 1324)
• Dave Thomas (Born: July 2, 1932 / Died: January 8, 2002)
• Yvonne DeCarlo (Born: September 1, 1922 / Died: January 8, 2007)
• Galileo (Born: February 15, 1564 / Died: January 8, 1642)

“Movies”

• 1965 – Dear Brigitte
• 1968 – Wild 90
• 1982 – Ragtime
• 1985 – The Mutilator
• 1985 – Rockin’ Road Trip
• 1988 – Cop
• 1993 – Leprechaun
• 1999 – A Civil Action

“Music”

• 1957 – Bill Haley & His Comets started the first ever ‘rock & roll tour’ of Australia, playing two sold out nights in Sydney.
• 1966 – The Beatles started a six week run at No.1 on the US album chart with Rubber Soul the group’s seventh US chart topper, which went on to spend 56 weeks on the chart. The group also started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘We Can Work It Out’ the group’s 11th US No.1 single.
• 1966 – “Spanish Eyes” from Al Martino took over at #1 on the Easy Listening chart.

• 1966 – The Mamas & Papas charted with their first career single–“California Dreamin'”.
• 1968 –  The single “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay” by the late Otis Redding was released.
• 1972 – The New Seekers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing, (in Perfect Harmony’). The song started as a Coca Cola TV ad.
• 1977 – Barry Manilow was on a roll, and “Weekend In New England”, one of his best career songs, hit #1 on the Adult chart.
• 1979 – Heart released the single “Dog & Butterfly”.

• 1979 – Canadian rock band Rush were named the country’s official Ambassadors Of Music by the Canadian government.
• 1994 – Jamaican reggae/rap (ragga) duo Chaka Demus and Pliers were at No.1 in the UK with their version of ‘Twist And Shout.’

“TV & Radio”

• 1929 – William S. Paley appeared on CBS Radio for the first time to announce that CBS had become the largest regular chain of broadcasting chains in radio history.
• 1952 – Marie Wilson came to TV as “My Friend Irma”.

• 1961 – Robert Goulet made his national TV debut this night on “The Ed Sullivan Show” on CBS.
• 1966 – The Who and the Kinks performed on the final episode of Shindig! On ABC-TV.

“Other Important Events…”

• 1856 – Borax (hydrated sodium borate) was discovered by Dr. John Veatch.
• 1889 – The tabulating machine was patented by Dr. Herman Hollerith. His firm, Tabulating Machine Company, later became International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
• 1901 – The first tournament sanctioned by the American Bowling Congress was held in Chicago, IL.
• 1957 – Jackie Robinson announced his retirement from major league baseball in an article that appeared in “LOOK” magazine.
• 1958 – Bobby Fisher, at the age of 14, won the United States Chess Championship for the first time.
• 1962 – Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was exhibited in America for the first time at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The next day the exhibit opened to the public.

• 1973 – The trial opened in Washington, of seven men accused of bugging Democratic Party headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, DC.
• 1974 – Jimmy Carter, Governor of Georgia, declared it “Elvis Presley Day” in honor of Elvis on his birthday.
• 1982 – American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) settled the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against it by agreeing to divest itself of the 22 Bell System companies.
• 1989 – Richard Marx married Cynthia Rhodes
• 1994 – Tonya Harding won the ladies’ U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Detroit, MI, a day after Nancy Kerrigan dropped out because of a clubbing attack that injured her right knee. The U.S. Figure Skating Association later took the title from Harding because of her involvement in the attack.
• 1997 – Mister Rogers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.