On This Day | A Good News Weekly Page

June 18, 2010

2012-04-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

On June 18th, 1928 the now famous aviator Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly as a passenger in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. Wilmer Stutz was the pilot and Lou Gordon was the mechanic.

Just can’t get enough Potter? On this day (June 18, 2010) the grand opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is set in Orlando, Florida. This marks the end of a $250 million dollar investment.

January 20 - The first official basketball game is played

2012-02-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1892, both sports and Canadian history were made. Dr. James Naismith, also known as the Canadian who invented the game of basketball, put his soon to be revolutionizing idea in the practice as the first ever basketball game was played at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. The game was played with nine players and ended 1-0. The first ever basket was knocked down from 25 ft on court that was about half the size of today's current NBA standards. Needless to say, the game has evolved quite a bit in its 100+ year history!

Today, basketball is one of the biggest sports in North America. Athletes such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James, just to a name a few, have used basketball to become not only superstar athletes, but worldwide celebrities as well.

There have been several variations of basketball of the last 100 years including street ball, handball, wheelchair basketball, and the high flying and short lived "Slamball".

January 13 - Michael Jordan Retires from the NBA for the 2nd Time

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

On January 13th, 1999 arguably the greatest basketball player in the history of the game retried for the 2nd time. After retiring briefly during the mid 90's to make an attempt to play professional baseball, Michael Jordan returned to the NBA where he led the Chicago Bulls to three more championships. After their last championship in 1998 (where Jordan hit the championship winning shot), times were beginning to change in Chicago. Head coach Phil Jackson, the man who coached all six of Jordan's Championship Teams, was leaving the team. Jordan's right hand man Scottie Pippen as well top rebounder Dennis Rodman were also leaving Chicago. At this point, Jordan decided to hang up his shoes and announced that he was retiring from Pro Basketball and that he had played his final game as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

Many thought that MJ was done for good until 2001 when he returned to the NBA as a member of the Washington Wizards. Jordan was a part owner of the Wizards and became inspired when his friend Mario Lemeiux returned to the NHL that year after overcoming Cancer. Jordan returned to the NBA for one final stint with the Wizards, however he never again played a game as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

While Jordan was an effective player with the Wizards, he was not the player he once was when he was with the Bulls. Because of this, many people signal his 2nd retirement in 1999 as the last time fans got to see Michael Jordan at his best.

At least people in Chicago see it that way!

January 9 - Apple introduces iTunes and the first iPod

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Where were you when Apple decided to become everyone's favourite company? While you probably can't remember where you were, you can certainly remember the date. January 9th has become a date that Apple fanatics from all over the world can relate to.

On this day in 2001, Apple Computer Inc. introduced its iTunes music management software at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. Since then, iTunes Store has become the place for people all over the world to legally buy music, movies, TV shows, ebooks, podcasts, and more. On November 16, 2010, iTunes took another step forward as fans of "The Beatles" could download their entire catalog digitally via iTunes. Since 2001, over 10 billion tracks have been downloaded from the iTunes store.

On the same day in 2007, the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone for the first time. The phone that can seemingly do everything has become the toy that every adult can't live without. There are four generations of iPhones, with the newest being the iPhone 4 which was released during the summer of 2010. The iPhone 4 is believed to be the best smartphone on the market and the Wall Street Journal claims that its "the best device of its class".

December 29 - Elvis Presley Makes Billboard History

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

On this day in 1956, Elvis Presley accomplished one of the greatest feats in music history. On December 29, 1956 the King had a remarkable 10 songs on the Billboard Top 100 Chart. This feat has not been accomplished since, and given the way musicians nowadays spread out the release of their singles, this is a feat that may never be accomplished ever again.

Songs such as "Hound Dog", "Love me Tender", and "Heartbreak Hotel" were among the Elvis hits that swarmed the Billboard charts at the end of 1956. What makes this feat even more incredible is that every single Elvis released between 1956-1958 reached #1 on the charts in the United States, thus monopolizing the top of the Billboard charts for the better part of two years.

Including both the United States and UK, Elvis has had 36 #1 hits in total.

December 26 - The Personal Computer wins Time's "Man of the Year"

2011-12-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the first time in the history of Time Magazine's "Man of the Year Award", a non human was the honorary recipient. The Personal Computer was the 1982 winner of "Man of the Year", and became one of the most controversial and talked about winners in the awards history. Time Magazine gives the award to "a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year."To this day, the Personal Computer is the only machine to have won the award. "The Endangered Earth" won the award in 1988 and in 2006 the award received its fair share of backlash when "You", a representation of the content creators of the world wide web, won the award. So if you're looking for a pick me up, take solace in the fact that you (along with billions of other people) were named Time Magazine's 2006 "Man of the Year"!

Lebron James, Mark Zuckerberg, and the Chilean Miners are among the finalists for the 2010 award.

December 23 - Happy Birthday Eddie Vedder!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday Eddie Vedder! The Pearl Jam front man turns 47 years young today as his legend grows with each passing year. After beginning his music career with Temple of the Dog, Vedder joined Pearl Jam upon their formation in 1990. With Pearl Jam, Vedder would become one of most recognizable front men in all of rock music, even finding himself on the front page of a 1993 issue of Time Magazine.

Vedder has written several iconic songs, including "Alive", "Evenflow", and "Jeremy". Jeremy was ranked the 11th best song of the 1990's by VH1, and was responsible for 4 MTV Video awards that Pearl Jam took home in 1993.

Vedder has worked with several mainstream artists in his career including "R.E.M.", "Bad Religion", "Neil Young", "The Ramones", and "The Who" just to name a few. Vedder was also featured on the soundtrack for "Eat Pray Love".

December 15 - The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

When Fat Joe told everyone to "Lean Back", I don't think he had this in mind. After 11 years of construction and nearly $27 million, Italy's "Leaning Tower of Pisa" reopened to the public and still had its famous lean in tact. The construction was needed as the tower had to be restored to a safer angle. When Pisa reopened to the public, the monument leaned at an angle of 3.99 degrees (it leaned at 5.5 degrees prior to the restoration).

Construction of the original tower began in 1173, and spanned 177 years. The tower began to sink in 1178 when the workers progressed to the third floor. The reason it sank was primarily due to a weak foundation of subsoil, which many believed was a flawed design from the beginning. The construction workers caught a break when progress was halted for nearly a century due to battles between the Republic of Pisa and neighboring provinces. The time off allowed for the underlying soil to settle, as the tower would have certainly toppled had they continued to work.

The highest point of the Tower stands at 186.02ft, and it's weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons.

December 5 - Happy Birthday Walt Disney!

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 110th Birthday Walt Disney! The Walt Disney Corporation (co-founded with brother Roy Disney) is arguable the greatest success story in entertainment history. Even after Walt's death in 1966, the Walt Disney Company has continued to be one of the most powerful and influential organizations on the planet, with annual revenues totaling approx. $35 billion.  

Walt Disney got his biggest break in 1937 when Disney Studios released "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Disney ran out of money during production of the movie, and had to show a rough cut of the film to the Bank of America who then granted him with a loan to finish the movie. With all of his eggs seemingly in the Snow White basket, Disney hit a home run as the film was a huge hit and led Disney Studios into their "Golden Age of Animation".  

During the 1950's, Disney took his empire beyond the big screen with Disneyland opening its doors in 1955. As we all know, Disneyland would go on to become a huge success and a top travel destination for people from all over the world.  

After the death of Walt Disney, the Disney company has maintained it’s dominant status in the animation world, continueing to produce several iconic films including "Beauty and the Beast", "Lion King", "Aladdin", and the computer animated "Toy Story".

November 18 - Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse!

2011-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Even Mickey Mouse had to get his start somewhere.

On this day 83 years ago, Disney released the first ever successful sound-synchronized animated cartoon, when "Steamboat Willie" premiered in New York City. This would be the first time audiences would get to see Mickey Mouse, who as we all know would become the eventual face of Disney cartoons.

Disney considers this day to be the birth of Mickey Mouse, which would make today his 82nd birthday. Mickey has appeared in hundreds of Disney movies since the 1920's, including "Fantasia 2000", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", and "Jiminy Cricket" to name a few.

In 2009, Disney announced that they would be rebranding the Mickey Mouse character. They will be moving away from the cheerful and pleasant image he portrays now, and focusing more on his devious side. This rebrand will be first shown to the public in the release of "Epic Mickey", a video game that was released on November 30, 2010.

November 15 - Jay-Z joins elite company with "American Gangster" release

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

On this day 4 years ago, Jay-Z went back to the top of the charts with his album "American Gangster". The album would be the 10th "Jay Hova" release to hit No. 1, which temporarily tied him with Elvis Presley for 2nd all time (The Beatles are at 19 No. 1 albums). In 2009, Jay-Z released his 11th No. 1 album, "The Blueprint 3" which gave him sole possession of 2nd all time.

"American Gangster" was a very well received album and gave us the singles "Blue Magic" and "Roc Boys". The album was a follow up to Hova's 2006 release, "Kingdom Come".

Jay-Z has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has a reported net worth of over $150 million. He is widely regarded as one of the best rappers in the history of the genre and has worked with several big artists including Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce.

Jay-Z has many other interests outside of music. He is a part owner of the New Jersey Nets and is the creator of the clothing line "Rocawear". Jay-Z is often linked with "The Illuminati", which people believe is a secret society comprised of the most powerful people in the world.

November 8 - Led Zeppelin IV is released

2011-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

On this day, 40 years ago, one of the most iconic albums in music history was released. "Led Zeppelin IV" was a huge commercial and critical success as it sold 23 million copies in the United States, and over 37 million worldwide. The album featured hit singles "Black Dog", "Rock n Roll", and of course, "Stairway to Heaven".

Stairway is arguably Zeppelin's most iconic and most commercial song. The track was ranked #3 on VH1's "100 Greatest Rock Songs", and Jimmy Page's solo was ranked the #1 solo of all time by Guitar World magazine.

In 2007, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked Led Zeppelin IV as the 4th greatest album of all time.

November 3 - "Ice Ice Baby" is the number 1 song in America!

2011-11-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

All right stop! Collaborate and listen
Ice is back with my brand new invention

With an opening line like that, it's no wonder how Vanilla Ice's iconic hit "Ice Ice Baby" became the number 1 song in America in 1990. The song became the first ever rap song to reach the top of the US Billboard Singles Chart, and hit topped the charts in 6 different countries.

The song was initally intended to be released as a "B-side" to Vanilla Ice's cover of "Play that Funky Music". However, the song was not initially successful and DJ's began to play "Ice Ice Baby" instead. "Ice Ice Baby" samples the bass line from Queen and David Bowie's single "Under Pressure".

October 29 - "Dark Side of the Moon" makes history

2011-10-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

On this day, 27 years ago, Pink Floyd's epic and historic album "Dark Side of the Moon" became the longest listed album in the history of the US Billboard Charts, when it's total reached 491 weeks on the charts. The album would stay on the charts for a total of 741 weeks--which is still the longest streak of all time.

The album's total worldwide sales is estimated at $45 million, making it Pink Floyd's highest selling album, and one of the highest selling albums in music history. The album featured smash hits "Time", "Money", and "Us and Them".

October 24 - The 40 hour work week goes into effect in the USA

2011-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

On this day, 71 years ago, the 40 hour work week went into effect in the United States. We aren't sure if this is a happy or sad occasion, all we are sure of is that it is indeed, an occasion.

Office hours can be spent a number of ways. One way of course, is to work diligently in the office for all 40 hours. Or there is the Jim Halpert way to spend your time in the office, which consists more of distracting others from doing work, appose to doing any yourself (see video below).

I hope you're reading this On This Day while you're on your 40 hour work week. Because we wrote it during ours.

October 22 - Pearl Jam plays their first ever concert!

2011-10-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

On this day, 21 years ago, rock group Pearl Jam played their first ever concert at Off the Ramp in Seattle, WA. Pearl Jam broke into the music scene with their uber-successful debut album ,"Ten". "Ten" featured hit singles, "Evenflow", "Alive", and "Jeremy", and the album peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. Since then, the band has come along way, as they have sold over 30 million albums in the states, and approximately 60 million worldwide.

Pearl Jam arrived on the grunge scene around the same time as Nirvana. Both the bands enjoyed great success in the 90's, with Pearl Jam selling more records than Nirvana through the early part of the decade. Pearl Jam was named "the most popular American rock & roll band of the 90's" by Allmusic.

Bands such as "The Stroke", "Puddle of Mudd", and "Silverchair" have all credited Pearl Jam for being a heavy influence on their own music.

October 21 - The New York Knicks Retire Their First Jersey

2011-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

On this day, 35 years ago, the Mecca of Basketball retired their first jersey to the rafters of Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks retired the legendary #19 that belonged to lifetime Knick, Willis Reed. Reed is considered to be not only of the greatest Knicks of all time, but one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Reed's laundry list of accomplishments included 2 NBA Championships, 2 NBA Finals MVP awards, 1 League MVP award, 7 Time NBA All-Star, and an induction to the Hall of Fame.

Reed's greatest accomplishment may have been his performance in the 1970 NBA Finals. Playing with a torn thigh muscle, Reed walked onto the court for Game 7 where he scored on his first 2 shots of the game. The Knicks would go on to win the game, and their first championship, largely due to the inspiration provided by Willis Reed. This would later be voted the greatest moment in the history of Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks have not won a championship since Reed retired in 1974.

October 19 - Nirvana hits #1 with "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah"

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

On this day, 15 years ago, Nirvana released their sixth platinum album of the 1990's, "From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah". The album featured live performances of Nirvana's biggest hits, including "Lithium", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Polly", and many more. The album was the second album to be released after the death of lead singer Kurt Cobain.

The album spent 25 weeks on the charts, peaking at #1 for multiple weeks in both the States and in Canada. The album attained success worldwide, as it peaked in the top 10 in 13 different countries. Spin and Rolling Stone Magazines both ranked the album as one of the best of the year, with Rolling Stone naming it the #9 album of 1996.

October 16 - Happy Birthday "Flea"!

2011-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy 49th birthday to Flea! The bass guitarist and co-founder of rock group "Red Hot Chili Peppers", Flea is widely regarded as one of the best bass guitarist in rock music today. He has helped the Chili Peppers gain worldwide fame and notoriety with unique bass playing and strong songwriting abilities. Flea has co-written several songs for the band including smash hits "Soul to Squeeze" and "Around the World".

Aside from the Chili Peppers, Flea has worked with several other musicians including Ziggy Marley, Alanis Morissette, and Slash. Flea played the bass guitar on Morissette's hit single, "You Outta Know".

Not only does Flea have a love for music, but he's also tried his hand at acting. Flea has had cameo roles in Back to the Future II, The Big Lebowski, and My Own Private Idaho.

August 6 - Life on Mars

2011-08-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

1926 - Harry Houdini, a Hungarian-American magician and escapologist first performs his greatest trick; he escapes from a tightly sealed tank after 1 hour and 31 minutes underwater.

1991 - Tim Berners-Lee publicizes his idea for the concept of WWW which stands for World Wide Web
and it becomes available as a public service on the Internet.

1996 - It is announced that the ALH 84001 meteorite contains evidence of primitive life-forms in which NASA claims originates from Mars.

July 23 - First Ice Cream Cone Invented

2011-08-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

1827- Boston, MA was the first city in the U.S. to open a swimming school.

1904- During the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, Charles E. Menches invented the first ice cream cone in St. Louis, MO.

1962- The first ever live TV broadcast was sent to Europe by the “Telstar” communications satellite.

July 30 - Elvis Introduced to the World

2011-07-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

1932 - Flowers and Trees was premiered in theatres. Walt Disney’s first cartoon short to win an Academy award and was also the first to use full-color three-strip Technicolor instead of two colour (black-and-white) Technicolor films in the past.

1954 - Elvis Presley, the king of “Rock ‘n’ Roll” performed That’s Alright Mama and Blue Moon of Kentucky at his first professional performance in Memphis.

2002 - The 1933 Double Gold Eagle is the World’s most expensive coin. It was sold for $6.6 million at an auction to an unnamed buyer.

July 16 - Soccer Fans Unite!

2011-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

1950- 199,854 people gathered to watch the World Cup soccer finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The crowd that came together to watch Uraguay defeat Brazil was said to be the largest in sporting history.

1964- A coast-to-coast speed record was made by Marine Maj. John Glenn. It took him three hours, 23 min. and eight second to fly from California to New York in his jet plan.

1969- Apollo 11 launched the first manned flight to the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin become the first people to walk on the moon four days later.

July 9 - New Zealand Passes the Homosexual Reform Act

2011-07-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

1948 – Pakistan issues its first set of Postage stamps, bearing images of the Constituent Assembly, the Jinnah International Airport, and the Shahi Fort.

1986 – The New Zealand Parliament passes the Homosexual Law Reform Act legalising homosexuality in New Zealand.

2010 - The United States Senate declared this day as National Collector Car Appreciation Day as a means to raise awareness of the vital role automotive restoration and collection plays in American society.

July 2 - The First Steam Engine and Aliens!

2011-06-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

1698 – Thomas Savery patents the first steam engine.

1947 - An object crashed near Roswell, NM. The U.S. Army Air Force insisted it was a weather balloon, but eyewitness accounts led to speculation that it might have been an alien spacecraft.

1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places.

2002 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.