Today's Trivia and What Happened on September 23

If I should call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs would it have?

If I should call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs would it have? Close Large View

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln used this age old riddle in response to mounting pressure on the issue of Emancipation. His answer was "Five? No, only four; for my calling the tail a leg would not make it so. Now, gentlemen, if I say to the slaves, 'you are free,' they will be no more free than at present."

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Quote: When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind. - Anonymous

Quote: When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind. - Anonymous Close Large View

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What Happened On

Rose Voted the Official U.S. Flower

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Rose Voted the Official U.S. Flower

September 23, 1986

The rose is voted the official flower of the U.S. by Congress.

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The Jetsons

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The Jetsons

September 23, 1962

The space age cartoon The Jetsons debuts on ABC. George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, and Astro live in the year 2062 with flying cars, robots, holograms, and numerous labor saving devices. George works one hour a day, two days a week.
Don Messick, who voiced Astro, also did the voice for Scooby in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!
It was ABC's first color telecast, although only a few ABC stations were capable of broadcasting color.

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Nixon's Checkers Speech

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Nixon's Checkers Speech

September 23, 1952

Vice-Presidential candidate Richard Nixon gives his famous speech explaining an $18,000 campaign fund he was accused of using for personal expenses. He claimed the only personal gift he received was a dog named Checkers - which he refused to give up. An outpouring of public sympathy kept him on the ticket for vice president. His speech was watched or heard by about 60 million Americans, the largest television audience to that time.
The term "Checkers speech" has now come to mean an emotional speech by a politician.
Nixon gave this speech on the 8th anniversary of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Fala Speech about his dog.

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Russia Announces It Has the Bomb

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Russia Announces It Has the Bomb

September 23, 1949

Russia announces that it had exploded their first atom bomb the previous month. The development was aided by blue prints of the original American Trinity bomb design given to the Russians by the spy Klaus Fuchs, a Los Alamos physicist. The discovery of Fuchs' espionage led to the arrest of a spy ring that included husband and wife Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed for their part in the crime.

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Roosevelt with Fala go to Video for Fala Speech
Roosevelt with Fala

Roosevelt with Fala Roosevelt with Fala
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Fala Speech

September 23, 1944

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had been accused of accidentally leaving his dog Fala behind on the Aleutian Islands while on tour there and had sent a U.S. Navy destroyer to retrieve him at a cost of up to $20,000,000 to the taxpayers. He responded in a radio speech:
These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't resent attacks, but Fala does resent them. You know, Fala is Scotch, and being a Scottie, as soon as he learned that the Republican fiction writers in Congress and out had concocted a story that I'd left him behind on an Aleutian island and had sent a destroyer back to find him—at a cost to the taxpayers of two or three, or eight or twenty million dollars—his Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since. I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself … But I think I have a right to resent, to object, to libelous statements about my dog.
The idea of the Fala Speech was given to FDR by Orson Welles.
The rumor started when Rep. Harold Knutson (R) Minnesota, announced on the floor of the House of Representatives that he had heard that Fala had been left behind in the Aleutians and that a destroyer had to be sent from Seattle to pick him up and that $20 million had been spent to retrieve him. Democratic House Majority Leader John McCormack denied the reports the following day, quoting Admiral Leahy, "the story about Fala, the president's dog, is made out of whole cloth. The dog was never lost." The following week, Knutson then accused the President of sending a plane to pick up Fala, which was also denied by the Navy and the White House.
On the 8th anniversary of this speech, Richard Nixon gave his famous Checkers Speech about his dog.

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Merkle's Boner - Mistake Loses the Pennant Race

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Merkle's Boner - Mistake Loses the Pennant Race

September 23, 1908

Bottom of the 9th of the deciding game of the National League pennant race; score 1-1. The New York Giants hit to center field, bringing the man on 3rd in for the winning run. Giants player Fred Merkle, who had been on 1st, considered the game won and headed for the dugout without advancing to 2nd. This resulted in a forced out at 2nd, nullifying the run, and therefore ending the game in a tie. This resulted in a playoff game, which Merkle's Giants lost, causing them to lose the National League pennant to the opposing Chicago Cubs. This has become known as "Merkle's Boner."

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If I should call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs would it have?

If I should call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs would it have? Close Large View

If I should call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs would it have?

September 23, 1862

If I should call a sheep's tail a leg, how many legs would it have? Five? No, only four; for my calling the tail a leg would not make it so. Now, gentlemen, if I say to the slaves, "you are free," they will be no more free than at present.
The Daily Milwaukee News reports that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln used the age old riddle in response to mounting pressure on the issue of Emancipation.

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Size comparison of Earth and Neptune Size comparison of Earth and Neptune

Size comparison of Earth and Neptune Size comparison of Earth and Neptune
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Neptune Discovered

September 23, 1846

The planet Neptune is discovered by German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle. Its existence had been predicted the previous year by English astronomer John Couch Adams and French astronomer Urbain Le Verrier. Le Verrier would die on the 31st anniversary of Neptune's discovery.

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The 1858 New York Knickerbockers (left) posing with their rivals The 1858 New York Knickerbockers (left) posing with their rivals

The 1858 New York Knickerbockers (left) posing with their rivals The 1858 New York Knickerbockers (left) posing with their rivals
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First Baseball Team

September 23, 1845

The New York Knickerbocker Club is organized. They were one of the first teams to play under rules similar to the game today.
The team was organized by Alexander Joy Cartwright who named it after the volunteer Knickerbocker Engine Company No. 12, of which Cartwright was a member.

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John Paul Jones portrayed as a pirate by the British (left) and Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis John Paul Jones portrayed as a pirate by the British (left) and Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis

John Paul Jones portrayed as a pirate by the British (left) and Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis John Paul Jones portrayed as a pirate by the British (left) and Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis
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I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight

September 23, 1779

John Paul Jones in the Bonhomme Richard captures the British ship Serapis in the most famous battle of the American Revolution. It was during this battle that he is said to have declared "I have not yet begun to fight" after being ordered to surrender by the captain of the Serapis. The captain of the Serapis eventually surrendered. The Bonhomme Richard was damaged beyond repair in the battle and Jones took command of the Serapis.

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First Naval Battle Using Artillery

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First Naval Battle Using Artillery

September 23, 1338

The English ship Christopher, equipped with three cannons and a hand gun, fights in the naval Battle of Arnemuiden. This was the first recorded use of artillery in a naval battle. It was also the first naval battle of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. The English were vastly outnumbered and surrendered after a day of fighting. They were carrying a large cargo of wool that Edward III was hoping to sell in order to pay subsidies to his allies. The wool was confiscated and the English crew were executed.
Even though the English lost this battle, it ushered in a new era of naval warfare as other war ships began adding artillery. The next new era of naval warfare wouldn't occur until the advent of steam-powered ironclad ships more than 500 years later.

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Youngest Girl to Fly Across the U.S.

September 23, 1993

11-year-old Vicki Van Meter lands in San Diego, after her 3-day flight from Maine.
The following year, she became the youngest female pilot to cross the Atlantic.

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First woman to play in one of the four major pro sports leagues

September 23, 1992

Manon Rhéaume plays goalie for the NHL Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game against the St. Louis Blues. They lost (4-6).

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Ferdinand Marcos

September 23, 1972

Ferdinand Marcos declares martial law in the Philippines.

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Vietnam War

September 23, 1966

U.S. begins using aerial defoliants south of the demilitarized zone.

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The New York Philharmonic Hall

September 23, 1962

The New York Philharmonic Hall opens.

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First Undefeated Boxer to Win the World Heavyweight Championship

September 23, 1952

Rocky Marciano KO's Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round.

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Jack Dempsey

September 23, 1926

Jack Dempsey loses the world heavyweight boxing title to Gene Tunney on a decision. He had held the title since 1919.

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First Keystone Kops Film

September 23, 1912

Mack Sennett's short Cohen Collects a Debt is released featuring the famous slapstick police troop.

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Meriwether Lewis and William Clark Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
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Lewis and Clark Expedition

September 23, 1806

The famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark return to St. Louis after exploring the American West. Their work established a route to the Pacific.

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Benedict Arnold's Plot Discovered

September 23, 1780

Benedict Arnold's plot to betray West Point during the American Revolution is revealed by British Major John André. André was later hanged as a spy.

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Birthdays

Lina Medina

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Youngest Mother - 5 Years Old

Lina Medina

Born September 23, 1933

Peruvian mother. She gave birth at age 5 years, 7 months, and 21 days, the youngest confirmed mother in medical history.

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Ray Charles

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Ray Charles (Ray Charles Robinson)

Born September 23, 1930 d. 2004

American singer, composer, pianist, blind since the age of 6. Music: Georgia On My Mind (1960, #1) and Hit the Road, Jack (1961, #1). The movie Ray (2004, starring Jamie Foxx) is based on his life.

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Charles "Commando" Kelly go to Video for Charles "Commando" Kelly

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Commando Kelly - The One Man Army

Charles "Commando" Kelly

Born September 23, 1920 d. 1985

American soldier. Also known as "The One-Man-Army," he was the first WWII solider in the European war theater to receive the Medal of Honor. He had made several reconnaissance missions under fire. While protecting an ammo dump from the encroaching Germans, several of the automatic rifles he was firing jammed due to overheating. He then picked up 60mm mortar shells, pulled the safety pins, and used the shells as grenades, killing at least 5 of the enemy. After it became necessary to evacuate, Kelly volunteered to stay behind and hold off the Germans so the others could evacuate.
Prior to his military service, Kelly made his living with a street gang in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and frequently got in trouble with the law. After the war, he opened a gas station, but had to sell it after a downturn in business the following year. His wife was diagnosed with uterine cancer that same year, and died in 1951. The cost of her radiation treatments eventually resulted in Kelly losing his home in foreclosure. He remarried in 1952 and held a series of short-term jobs. Poor health, financial problems, and alcohol led to a divorce in 1962. In late 1984 Kelly was admitted to Veterans Hospital, suffering from kidney and liver failure and died a few months later.

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Typhoid Mary

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Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon)

Born September 23, 1869 d. 1938

Irish-born American cook, typhoid carrier. Mallon was the first recorded U.S. case of a healthy carrier of typhoid. She is suspected of directly infecting 51 people, three of whom died, with typhoid while working as a cook. She herself remained healthy. Outbreaks of typhoid followed her wherever she worked. She was put in quarantine for three years, but released when she promised not to work as a cook. However, after release she resumed working as a cook causing several more typhoid outbreaks. She was then put in quarantine for the remainder of her life.

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Octavian

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Octavian (Gaius Octavius Thurinus)

Born September 23, 63  d.  14

the first Roman Emperor. Also known as Octavianus, he was the heir of Julius Caesar. His defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in AD 31 made him ruler of the world, at which time he was granted the name "Augustus." After their defeat, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.

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This is a birthday

Jason Alexander

Born September 23, 1959

American actor. TV: Seinfeld (chronically unemployed George).

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This is a birthday

Bruce Springsteen

Born September 23, 1949

American singer, songwriter, "The Boss." Music: Born To Run (1975) and Born In The USA (1984).

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This is a birthday

Mary Kay Place

Born September 23, 1947

American Emmy-winning actress. Film: The Big Chill (1983). TV: Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (Loretta).

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This is a birthday

Julio Iglesias

Born September 23, 1943

Spanish singer, songwriter, who has sold over 100,000,000 records. Music: To All The Girls I've Loved Before (1984, with Willie Nelson).

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This is a birthday

Roy Buchanan

Born September 23, 1939 d. 1988

American guitarist. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, he is considered one of the world's greatest rock guitarists.

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Tom Lester

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Tom Lester (Thomas William Lester)

Born September 23, 1938 d. 2020

American actor and evangelist. TV: Green Acres (1965-71, Eb Dawson). Lester said he beat out 400 other actors who auditioned for the part of Eb, because he was the only one who knew how to milk a cow since he grew up on a farm in Mississippi.
He was the last surviving regular cast member of Green Acres.

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Romy Schneider (Rosemarie Albach-Retty)

Born September 23, 1938 d. 1982

Austrian actress. Film: Visconti's segment of Boccaccio '70 (1962, for which she gained international acclaim), The Trial (1962), and What's New, Pussycat? (1965).

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John Coltrane

Born September 23, 1926 d. 1967

American tenor saxophonist, the most influential jazz musician of the 60s. Music: My Favorite Things (1960).

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Mickey Rooney

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Mickey Rooney (Joe Yule, Jr.)

Born September 23, 1920 d. 2014

American Emmy-winning actor. Film: Andy Hardy movies (1937‑) and National Velvet (1944). He made national headlines in 1959 by appearing drunk on The Jack Paar Tonight Show.

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This is a birthday

Rudd Weatherwax

Born September 23, 1907 d. 1985

American actor, animal trainer. Lassie's trainer for the film Lassie Come Home (1943) and the TV series. He is also the uncle of Ken Weatherwax who played Pugsley in The Addams Family.

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This is a birthday

Tom Campbell Clark

Born September 23, 1899 d. 1977

American lawyer, U.S. Attorney General (1945-49), and U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1949-67).

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This is a birthday

Walter Pidgeon

Born September 23, 1897 d. 1984

Canadian-born actor, noted for his films with Greer Garson. Film: The Gorilla (1931, title role).

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This is a birthday

Herbert McLean Evans

Born September 23, 1882 d. 1971

American biologist. He co-discovered vitamin E (1922) and proved that iodine is used by the thyroid gland (1940).

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Robert Bosch

Born September 23, 1861 d. 1942

German industrialist, invented the spark plug (1902).

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Victoria Claflin Woodhull

Born September 23, 1838 d. 1927

American politician. She was the first woman nominated for U.S. President - by the Equal Rights Party in 1872 with Frederick Douglass as her running mate.

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John Sevier

Born September 23, 1745 d. 1815

American pioneer and Indian fighter, first and only governor (1785-88) of the state of Franklin. He was also the first governor (1796-1801) of Tennessee.

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Ferdinand VI

Born September 23, 1713 d. 1759

King of Spain (1746-59).

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Deaths

Isaac Woodard

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The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

Isaac Woodard

Died September 23, 1992 b. 1919

African-American war veteran, civil rights victim. In 1946, while traveling home after being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, African-American Isaac Woodard still in uniform, is attacked and beaten by several South Carolina police officers over a dispute with a bus driver over the use of a restroom. He was then arrested and further beaten by the chief of police for reportedly answering "yes" instead of "yes, sir". The attack left Woodard completely and permanently blind. Suffering from partial amnesia, he was fined $50 and denied medical treatment for two days. When South Carolina wouldn't pursue the case, U.S. President Harry S. Truman ordered a federal investigation. The sheriff was acquitted by an all-white jury in federal court in South Carolina. This incident was the subject of Woody Guthrie's song, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.

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Sigmund Freud

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Sigmund Freud

Died September 23, 1939 b. 1856

Austrian psychiatrist, founder of psychoanalysis. Freud defined the "Oedipus complex." Once, when asked about his cigar smoking he replied, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

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Louise Fletcher go to Video for Louise Fletcher

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Louise Fletcher

Died September 23, 2022 b. 1934

American Oscar-winning actress. Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975, Oscar, evil Nurse Ratched). TV: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-99, Kai Winn Adami).

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This is a death

Carl Thomas Rowan

Died September 23, 2000 b. 1925

American columnist. Although he was self-declared "strict gun control" advocate, in 1988 he was arrested for shooting a trespasser with an illegal hand gun. He had previously stated in his column that "…anyone found in possession of a handgun except a legitimate officer of the law goes to jail—period."
He also founded "Project Excellence," a college scholarship program for black high school seniors.

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This is a death

Robert Bloch

Died September 23, 1994 b. 1917

American author. Writings: Psycho (1959, the basis for the Alfred Hitchcock film).

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This is a death

All That Jazz

Bob Fosse (Robert Louis Fosse)

Died September 23, 1987 b. 1927

American dancer, choreographer, director. He was the first director to win an Oscar (Cabaret, 1972), a Tony (Pajama Game, 1954), and an Emmy (Liza with a Z, 1973). He also directed his semi-autobiographical All That Jazz (1979).

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This is a death

Cliff Arquette

Died September 23, 1974 b. 1905

American actor. TV: The Charley Weaver Show (title role) and Hollywood Squares (guest).

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This is a death

Wilkie Collins

Died September 23, 1889 b. 1824

English writer. A very successful writer in his time, he wrote The Moonstone (1868), the first English language detective novel, which some still consider the best ever written.

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This is a death

Eliza Cook

Died September 23, 1889 b. 1818

English author. Her poem The Old Armchair made her a household name in England and America.

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Urbain Le Verrier

Died September 23, 1877 b. 1811

French astronomer. Both he and John Couch Adams, working independently, correctly predicted the existence and orbit of Neptune (1845). The planet was discovered the following year by Johann Gottfried Galle using Le Verrier's calculations.

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