Today's Trivia and What Happened on December 13

Why do U.S. Marines wear brass buttons on their dress uniform?

Why do U.S. Marines wear brass buttons on their dress uniform? Close Large View

To keep their coats buttoned.

Thumbs Up
9
Thumbs Down
2

Quote: Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. - Anonymous

Quote: Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. - Anonymous Close Large View

Thumbs Up
8
Thumbs Down
0

What Happened On

Saddam Hussein Captured

Saddam Hussein Captured Close Large View

Saddam Hussein Captured

December 13, 2003

Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured during the Iraq War while hiding in a spider hole near his home town of Tikrit. The operation was code named "Operation Red Dawn" after the film Red Dawn (1984).

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

Adamski's photo of Orthon's ship featured on a Grenada stamp (right) Adamski's photo of Orthon's ship featured on a Grenada stamp (right)

Adamski's photo of Orthon's ship featured on a Grenada stamp (right) Adamski's photo of Orthon's ship featured on a Grenada stamp (right)
Close Large View

UFOs

December 13, 1952

George Adamski, who is often referred to as the first abductee, has his second encounter with the Venusian named Orthon where he took his now famous photograph of Orthon's ship. Grenada would depict this photograph in a 1978 commemorative stamp.

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
2

Churchill giving "V sign" in 1943 Churchill giving "V sign" in 1943

Churchill giving "V sign" in 1943 Churchill giving "V sign" in 1943
Close Large View

Churchill Hit by Car

December 13, 1931

The English statesman and future Prime Minister Winston Churchill is hit by a cab while walking across Fifth Ave. in New York City. Churchill had apparently forgotten that American traffic keeps to the right and didn't look in the correct direction.
Churchill suffered a serious scalp wound as well as two cracked ribs and was admitted to the hospital, where he later told police that the accident was entirely his fault. Concerned that the driver of the cab would be blamed and then have trouble finding work, Churchill arranged to meet him at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Churchill served the driver tea and gave him an autographed copy of his book, The Unknown War.
Churchill used his time in the hospital to write an article about the incident, titled "My New York Misadventure", which he then sold for $2,500.
The following month, Churchill got a prescription from his doctor for alcohol to help alleviate the pain from this accident. This was during prohibition when the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was prohibited, except for special circumstances.

Thumbs Up
5
Thumbs Down
0

Join Us on Facebook

National Guard

National Guard Close Large View

National Guard

December 13, 1636

The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This is recognized as the founding of the U.S. National Guard.

Thumbs Up
5
Thumbs Down
1

Bill Gates Arrested

Bill Gates Arrested Close Large View

Bill Gates Arrested

December 13, 1977

The future co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates is arrested for reckless driving and driving without a license.

Thumbs Up
4
Thumbs Down
0

The Beatles

The Beatles Close Large View

The Beatles

December 13, 1961

Brian Epstein becomes the Liverpool group's manager. He had heard them play a month earlier in a local club called "The Cavern Club." Epstein's initial attempts to get a recording contract for the Beatles were rejected by virtually every label in London, until he secured a contract with EMI, who had also previously turned them down.

Thumbs Up
6
Thumbs Down
0

First Measurement of a Star's Diameter

First Measurement of a Star's Diameter Close Large View

First Measurement of a Star's Diameter

December 13, 1920

For this first time, the measurement of the diameter of star (other than the Sun) is made. Albert Michelson, of Mount Wilson Observatory, California, uses a stellar interferometer determine Betelgeuse (the bright red star in the right shoulder of Orion) is 260 million miles in diameter.

Thumbs Up
5
Thumbs Down
2

Civil War - Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia

December 13, 1862

The Union Army loses 12,000 men in its defeat to Robert E. Lee's forces.

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
2

First Savings Bank in the U.S.

December 13, 1816

Provident Institution for Savings in Boston is chartered.

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

First U.S. Music Store

December 13, 1759

A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania music store, which had opened earlier in the year, begins advertising the sale of musical instruments and supplies.

Thumbs Up
5
Thumbs Down
0

New Zealand

December 13, 1642

The southern island of New Zealand is discovered, by Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman.

Thumbs Up
4
Thumbs Down
0

Sir Francis Drake - Circumnavigation of the Globe

December 13, 1577

The English navigator Sir Francis Drake departs from Plymouth, England, beginning his voyage. He completed the trip in September of 1580.

Thumbs Up
4
Thumbs Down
0

Birthdays

Dick Van Dyke with Mary Tyler Moore from The Dick Van Dyke Show Dick Van Dyke with Mary Tyler Moore from The Dick Van Dyke Show

Dick Van Dyke with Mary Tyler Moore from The Dick Van Dyke Show Dick Van Dyke with Mary Tyler Moore from The Dick Van Dyke Show
Close Large View
This is a birthday

Dick Van Dyke (Richard Wayne Van Dyke)

Born December 13, 1925

American Tony-Emmy-Grammy winning actor. Although he is popular in the U.K., his Cockney accent in Mary Poppins was so notorious that a "Dick Van Dyke accent" is now slang for an American's poor attempt at a British accent.
Film: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), and Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang (1968). TV: The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66, Emmy, Rob Petrie), and Diagnosis: Murder (1993-2001, Dr. Mark Sloan).

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

Sgt. York

Sgt. York Close Large View
This is a birthday

Sgt. York (Alvin Cullum York)

Born December 13, 1887 d. 1964

American World War I hero. In 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, he killed 25 members of a German machine-gun battalion and captured 132 others.
He had originally applied for conscientious objector status, but was denied.

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

Add Trivia to Your Web Page

Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Todd Lincoln Close Large View
This is a birthday

Mary Todd Lincoln

Born December 13, 1818 d. 1882

American First Lady, wife of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. She was declared insane and committed to an mental institution (1875), but was later released.

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

Taylor Swift Photo Credit: UltimateWarrior13

Taylor Swift Photo Credit: UltimateWarrior13
Close Large View
This is a birthday

Taylor Swift

Born December 13, 1989

American Emmy-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Music: Fearless (2009, 4 Grammys, best-selling album of year - making Swift the youngest Album of the Year winner).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
1

This is a birthday

Ted Nugent

Born December 13, 1948

American guitarist, the "Motor City Madman." Music: Cat Scratch Fever (1977) and Little Miss Dangerous (1986).

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
2

This is a birthday

John Davidson (John Hamilton Davidson, Sr.)

Born December 13, 1941

American singer, TV personality. TV: host of That's Incredible! and Hollywood Squares.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

Christopher Plummer

Christopher Plummer Close Large View
This is a birthday

Christopher Plummer (Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer)

Born December 13, 1929 d. 2021

Canadian Oscar-Tony-Emmy-winning actor. Film: The Sound of Music (1965, Baron Von Trapp) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975, Rudyard Kipling).

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

George Shultz

George Shultz Close Large View
This is a birthday

George Shultz (George Pratt Shultz)

Born December 13, 1920 d. 2021

U.S. Secretary of State (1982-89) under President Ronald Reagan. He signed a 1998 advertisement published in the New York Times entitled "We believe the global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself."

Thumbs Up
1
Thumbs Down
0

This is a birthday

Mark Stevens (Richard Stevens)

Born December 13, 1916 d. 1994

American actor. TV: Martin Kane, Private Eye (title role) and Big Town (Steve Wilson).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a birthday

Ross Macdonald (Kenneth Millar)

Born December 13, 1915 d. 1983

American mystery author. Creator of the private eye Lew Archer.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a birthday

Larry Parks (Samuel Lawrence Klausman Parks)

Born December 13, 1914 d. 1975

American actor. Film: The Jolson Story (1946, title role) and Jolson Sings Again (1949, title role). He admitted to having been a member of a Communist party cell, which led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios.

Thumbs Up
1
Thumbs Down
1

This is a birthday

Phillips Brooks

Born December 13, 1835 d. 1893

American clergyman. He wrote the carol O Little Town of Bethlehem (1868).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a birthday

Heinrich Heine

Born December 13, 1797 d. 1856

German author, poet, lyricist. Among his writings are some of Germany's best-known lyrics.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a birthday

Sixtus V (Felice Peretti di Montalto)

Born December 13, 1521 d. 1590

religious leader, 227th Pope (1585-90).

Thumbs Up
3
Thumbs Down
0

Deaths

Grandma Moses

Grandma Moses Close Large View
This is a death

Grandma Moses (Anna Robertson Moses)

Died December 13, 1961 b. 1860

American artist, known for her bright pictures of American rural life. She began her painting career at age 78.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

Nancy Wilson go to Video for Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson Close Large View
This is a death

Nancy Wilson

Died December 13, 2018 b. 1937

American Grammy-winning soul, jazz singer. Music: (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am (1964) and her version of the standard Guess Who I Saw Today (1960).

Thumbs Up
4
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Alan Thicke (Alan Willis Jeffrey)

Died December 13, 2016 b. 1947

Canadian actor. TV: Growing Pains (1985-92, Jason Seaver) and Animal Crack-Ups (1987-90, host).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Ricky Ray

Died December 13, 1992 b. 1977

American AIDS victim. He was the oldest of three HIV infected hemophiliac brothers who won a federal court order allowing them in school after they were barred in 1986. Their family home was burned down a week after the court decision.
The three brothers contracted HIV from infusions of Factor 8 when they were less than 8 years old.

Thumbs Up
1
Thumbs Down
2

This is a death

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney

Died December 13, 1992 b. 1899

American businessman, co-founder of Pan American Airways (1927) and co-producer of Gone with the Wind (1939).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Alice Marble

Died December 13, 1990 b. 1913

American tennis player, winner of four U.S. amateur singles titles.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Heather Angel

Died December 13, 1986 b. 1909

British actress. TV: Family Affair (Miss Faversham).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham

Died December 13, 1981 b. 1904

American comedian. TV: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (the judge).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Thomas Augustus Watson

Died December 13, 1934 b. 1854

American telephone technician and shipbuilder. He was Alexander Graham Bell's assistant during his discovery of the telephone and was one of the founders of Bell Telephone.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Samuel Gompers

Died December 13, 1924 b. 1850

English-born American labor leader, first president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

William Augustus Barstow

Died December 13, 1865 b. 1813

American politician, governor of Wisconsin (1854-56). After the discovery of election irregularities, he became the first U.S. governor removed from office by a state supreme court (1856).

Thumbs Up
0
Thumbs Down
1

This is a death

Samuel Johnson

Died December 13, 1784 b. 1709

English lexicographer, poet. He wrote the first major English language dictionary (1755).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Donatello (Donatodi Niccolo di Betto Bardi)

Died December 13, 1466 b. circa 1386

Italian Renaissance artist, father of modern sculpture. He created the masterpiece David.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Moses Maimonides

Died December 13, 1204 b. 1135

Jewish rabbi, Talmudic scholar, philosopher. His teachings greatly influenced the Christian religion.

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0

This is a death

Calixtus II

Died December 13, 1124 b. ????

religious leader, 162nd Pope (1119-24).

Thumbs Up
2
Thumbs Down
0