Interrogatories
When you go to sleep on the night before Christmas, are those visions of sugarplums dancing in your head, or something else? What?
Have you ever been discriminated against on the job by an employer?
It's National Roots Day. Tell me about your roots. Are they in need of a touch up? Perhaps they are invasive and getting into the plumbing. Perhaps you are spending too much time on ancestry.com? Or maybe there is a team you are rooting for?
Did you ever, in your life, get addicted to a soap opera?
The Twitter Emitter
On This Day
In 1788 , Maryland voted to cede a 100-square-mile area of swampland for the seat of the national government. About two-thirds of the area became the District of Columbia.
In 1823, _ A Visit from St. Nicholas_, also known as The Night Before Christmas, was published anonymously. It is attributed to Clement Clarke Moore, though some think it may have been authored by Henry Livingston, Jr.
In 1913, the Federal Reserve Act was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson, which created the Federal Reserve.
In 1919, the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 became law in the UK. This removed the ability in many fields to disqualify women solely on the basis of their sex.
In 1954, the first successful kidney transplant was performed by J. Hartwell Harrison, M.D. and Joseph E. Murray. (Science!)
In 1977, Cat Stevens converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusuf Islam.
Born on This Day
1727 - Pieter Jan van Liender, Dutch draftsman and painter (d. 1779)
1790 - Alexandre-Jean Dubois-Drahonet, French painter (d. 1834)
1805 – Joseph Smith, Jr., American religious leader (d. 1844)
1858 - Andrea Tavernier, Italian (d. 1932)
1867 – Madam C.J. Walker, African-American philanthropist and makeup tycoon who made her fortune creating makeup for black women. (d. 1919)
1897 - Julien Carette, French actor (d. 1966)
1885 – Pierre Brissaud, French illustrator (d. 1964)
1891 – Alexandr Rodchenko, Russian painter and photographer (d. 1956)
1903 - Fredi Washington, African-American actress and civil rights activist. (d. 1994)
1911 – James Gregory, American actor (d. 2002)
1918 – Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany
1918 – José Greco, Italian-born flamenco dancer (d. 2001)
1929 – Chet Baker, American jazz trumpet player (d. 1988)
1931 – Ronnie Schell, American actor
1935 – Paul Hornung, American football player
1935 – Esther Phillips, American singer (d. 1984)
1936 – Frederic Forrest, American actor
1940 – Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
1940 – Eugene Record, American singer (The Chi-Lites) (d. 2005)
1941 – Tim Hardin, American musician (d. 1980)
1943 – Harry Shearer, American actor
1944 – Wesley Clark, American military officer
1949 – Adrian Belew, American musician (King Crimson)
1952 – William Kristol, clueless American political commentator
1958 - Victoria Williams, singer/songwriter
1964 – Eddie Vedder, American musician (Pearl Jam)
1967 – Carla Bruni, Italian-French model and singer and French first lady
Died on This Day
1230 – Berengaria of Navarre, queen of Richard I of England
1615 - Bartolomeo Schedoni, Italian baroque painter (b. 1578)
1840 - Henri Elouis, French painter of miniatures (b. 1755)
1910 - Thérèse Schwartze, Dutch painter (b. 1851)
1912 - Édouard Détaille, French Academic painter of military scenes (b. 1848)
1932 - Giuseppe Signorini, Italian orientalist painter (b. 1857)
1939 – Anthony Fokker, Dutch aircraft manufacturer (b. 1890)
1940 - Filipp Malyavin, Russian painter (b. 1869)
1970 – Charles Ruggles, American actor (b. 1886) See Tipple Jar
1973 – Charles Atlas, Italian-born American bodybuilder (b. 1892)
1979 – Peggy Guggenheim, American art collector (b. 1898)
1982 – Jack Webb, American actor, producer, and director (b. 1920)
1992 – Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (Funkadelic) (b. 1950)
2000 – Billy Barty, American actor (b. 1924)
2000 – Victor Borge, Danish-born comedian and pianist (b. 1909)
2007 – Oscar Peterson, Canadian jazz pianist and composer (b. 1925)
Today is
National Pfeffernuesse Day (similar to Russian Tea Cakes, only not)
Festivus
National Bake Day
Roots Day