January 20th Fun Facts, Trivia and History |
January 20th History Highlights |
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January 20th is… |
Camcorder Day International Day of Acceptance National Buttercrunch Day National Cheese Lovers Day National Disc Jockey Day Penguin Awareness Day Take A Walk Outdoors Day |
National Disc Jockey Day |
National Disc Jockey (DJ) Day to celebrate the music careers of DJs and their contributions in shaping the music industry today. As we all know, there are many types of DJ these days but one of the earliest was Alan “Moondog” Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965), and the day was selected in honor of his passing. Moondog was an influential disc jockey during the 1950s with his innovative style of playing rock ‘n’ roll records before releasing them to mainstream audiences along with editing tape recordings for radio broadcast use. He actually coined the term “rock and roll”. In 1959, Alan Freed was caught up in a broadcasting “payola” scandal. The scandal led to his dismissal from his television and radio jobs. Payola is a form of bribery in which someone pays another person money or goods for influencing them to do something they wouldn’t otherwise have done. |
January 20th Birthday Quotes |
The financial reward is great and I love the life I have, but all money makes possible is for you to stop worrying about money. I don’t understand politics. I don’t understand the concept of two sides. And I think that probably there’s good on both sides, bad on both sides, and there’s a middle ground. But it never seems to come to the middle ground. And it’s very frustrating watching it, and seemingly we’re not moving forward. Smiling just to see the smile upon your face. These are the moments I thank God that I’m alive. What is an artist? A provincial who finds himself somewhere between a physical reality and a metaphysical one… It’s this in-between that I’m calling a province, this frontier country between the tangible world and the intangible one- which is really the realm of the artist. We need more people speaking out. This country is not overrun with rebels and free thinkers. It’s overrun with sheep and conformists. I love child things because there’s so much mystery when you’re a child. When you’re a child, something as simple as a tree doesn’t make sense. You see it in the distance and it looks small, but as you go closer, it seems to grow- you haven’t got a handle on the rules when you’re a child. We think we understand the rules when we become adults but what we really experience is a narrowing of the imagination. All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography. The only mofos in my circle are people that I can learn from. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. I am the first man to piss his pants on the moon. |
January 20th Birthdays |
1732 – Richard Henry Lee, American lawyer and politician, 12th President of the Continental Congress (died in 1794) 1889 – Huddie ‘Leadbelly’ Ledbetter, American musician (died in 1949) 1894 – Harold Gray, creator of Little Orphan Annie (died in 1968) 1896 – George Burns, American actor and comedian (died in 1996) 1900 – Colin Clive, English actor (died in 1937) 1906 – Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate (died in 1975) 1920 – Federico Fellini, Italian director and screenwriter (died in 1993) 1920 – DeForest Kelley, American actor (died in 1999) 1922 – Ray Anthony, American trumpet player, composer, bandleader, and actor 1929 – Arte Johnson, American actor and comedian (died in 2019) 1930 – Buzz Aldrin (Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr), American astronaut 1934 – Tom Baker, English actor 1946 – David Lynch, American director, producer, and screenwriter 1952 – Paul Stanley, American singer-songwriter, guitarist 1953 – Jeffrey Epstein, American financier and convicted sex offender (died in 2019) 1956 – Bill Maher, American comedian, political commentator, media critic and television host 1958 – Lorenzo Lamas, American actor 1964 – Fareed Zakaria, Indian-American journalist and author 1965 – John Michael Montgomery, American singer-songwriter 1966 – Rainn Wilson, American actor 1967 – Stacey Dash, American actress 1967 – Kellyanne Conway, American political strategist and pundit 1970 – Edwin McCain, American singer-songwriter 1970 – Skeet Ulrich, American actor 1971 – Questlove, American drummer, DJ, and producer 1972 – Nikki Haley, American politician 1989 – Nick Foles, American football player |
January 20th History |
January 20, 1992 was a Good Day for rapper Ice Cube. 1295 – King Edward I called the first English Parliament into session. The Earl of Leicester, Simon De Montfort, was an English nobleman who played a significant role in the political history of England in the 13th century. He is best known for his role in the development of the English Parliament, which he helped to shape and reform. The first English Parliament, called the Model Parliament, was called into session by King Edward I in 1295. It was a significant moment in the history of England, as it marked the beginning of the parliamentary system that would evolve over the following centuries. 1835 (Volcano Eruption) Cosigüina 1920 – American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded. 1929 – The first full-length talking motion picture filmed outdoors in Old Arizona was released. 1930 – The first radio broadcast of The Lone Ranger took place in Detroit (WXYZ) January 20, 1933 Birthday (fictional) Hannibal Lecter, cannibal, Books/Movies 1965 – The Beatles appeared on ABC’s Shindig. 1968 – #1 Hit January 20, 1968 – February 2, 1968: John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) 1981 – Twenty minutes after Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, Iran released 52 American hostages. 1981 – President Regan’s first inauguration (Jan 20, 1981) was the warmest on record at 55°F, while his second inauguration (Jan 21, 1985) was the coldest on record at 7°F 1989 – Ronald Reagan became the 1st President elected in a ‘0’ year (1980) since 1840, to leave office as President while still alive. 1990 – #1 Hit January 20, 1990 – February 9, 1990: Michael Bolton – How Am I Supposed to Live Without You 1998- Dawson’s Creek premiered on The WB 2000 – SoapNet debuted January 20, 2006 – High School Musical aired on The Disney Channel |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
Most of us don’t like the buzzing sound that wasps and the like make, and even react with fear. But imagine if they were silent… Did the Spice Girls ever get to zigga-zig-ahh? “An artist is somebody who produces things that people don’t need to have.” – Andy Warhol Cute animals probably think all humans have high-pitched voices. TV Quotes… “Here’s Johnny!” (Ed McMahon) on “The Tonight Show” Phillip J. Fry from Futurama was named for comedian Phil Hartman, who at the time of his death was preparing to voice Zapp Brannigan, a character written specifically for him. “La-dee-da, la-dee-da.” – Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) in Annie Hall, 1977 An inch of rain water is equivalent to 15 inches of dry, powdery snow. “You must passionately pursue all your dreams.” – Lailah Gifty Akita Alice B. Toklas – a 77-year-old woman who was a “bestie” of Picasso published the first recipe for pot brownies. It’s impossible to hum while holding your nose. #tryit Twitter has to be the greenest app because 99% of it is recycled content. #isawthispostbefore Chico Marx – Real Name: Leonard Marx Mister Six danced to Vengaboys’ “We Like to Party” for the Six Parks’ amusement parks. |
More Pop Culture History Resources |