On This Day | A Good News Weekly Page

June 25 - Ms. Doctor

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1678 – Elena Cornaro Piscopia was the first woman awarded a doctorate of philosophy. She received her doctorate from the University of Pradua after more than an hour of examination regarding her understanding of the works of Aristotle. To make things even more difficult, the entire examination was conducted in Classic Latin.

2000 - U.S. and British researchers announced that after 10 years of study a rough draft of a map of the genetic makeup of human beings had been completed.

December 31 - Ottawa Becomes the Capital of Canada

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December 31, 1857 will always be one of the most important dates in Canadian history. On this day, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa, Ontario as the capital city of Canada. While Ottawa is now a major city in Canada, at the time it was primarily a logging town in the hinterland and far away from the colony's major cities. One of the primary reasons the Queen chose the city of Ottawa was that it was the only city that was located on the border of then Canada East and Canada West (Quebec and Ontario today) that was of significant size. This was important as it was seen as a compromise between the English and French speaking colonies.

Secondly, the Queen wanted to chose a city that was well protected from potential attack. At the time, Ottawa was surrounded by dense forests which made it very tough to attack (oppose to other cities which were located very close to the American border).

Today, Ottawa is a major metropolitan city. The Capital is the fourth largest city in Canada and has a population of over 800,000. The city is regarded as "most educated city in Canada" as it has the highest concentration of engineers, scientists, and residents with a PhD.

Ottawa is home to the NHL's Ottawa Senators.

December 21 - Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has its world premiere

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On this day 76 years ago, one of the most iconic movies in Disney's history had its world premiere. December 21, 1937 marked the day the world first got to see Disney's animated film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". Many celebrities attended the premiere including Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, Mary Pickford, and Ed Sullivan. The premiere got a standing ovation upon its completion and six days later, the movie found itself on the cover of Time Magazine.

The movie has been a huge success since the premiere, as it has grossed nearly $185 million dollars worldwide. Snow White is one of a handful of animated characters to have her own Hollywood Walk of Fame Star and she's appeared in several other Disney movies and video games.

The success of the movie lead Disney to continue producing feature-film productions. Much of the profits from the film went to purchasing a new studio in Burbank, which is where the Walt Disney Studios is located today.

November 16 - The Spice Girls make their mark

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November 16 will always hold special significance for The Spice Girls. On this day in 1996, the Spice Girls hit the top of the UK charts with their debut album "Spice". To make this day even more special, the English Pop Group followed up their debut album by hitting the top of the charts again on November 16, 1997 with their second album "Spiceworld". Was this planned or was it just a weird coincidence? Whatever it is, November 16 will always be a special day for the girls from London.

The Spice Girls' debut album "Spice", featured their iconic hit "Wannabe". This single helped push the album to the top of the charts in 15 different countries. The followup album "Spiceworld", featured the hit singles "Stop" and "Spice up your life". This album was just as successful, hitting the peak position in 14 different countries. The albums have combined to sell 43 million copies across the globe.

November 1 - Elvis hits #1 again with "Suspicious Minds"

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On this day, 44 years ago, The King hit the top of the U.S. charts for the 18th time with his iconic single "Suspicious Minds". This was the last Elvis single to reach #1 in the United States. The song is about "being stuck in a mistrusting and dysfunctional relationship".

The song has been covered by several modern day artists including Pete Yorn, Bowling for Soup, and Clay Aiken. Needless to say, none of these versions came remotely close to having the impact or quality that Elvis' version had.

Rolling Stone ranked "Suspicious Minds" at #91 on its list of top 500 rock songs of all time.

Sept 28 - Kings of Leon Hit the Top of the Charts

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On this day 5 years ago, rock group Kings of Leon hit the top of the album charts with their 4th studio album, Only by the Night. The album was a huge success worldwide as hit singles "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody" both became number 1 hits in North America and Europe. Both songs won Grammy Awards for "Best Rock Performance", with Use Somebody winning "Best Rock Song" and "Record of the Year" as well.

The band's latest album, "Come Around Sundown", just hit the stores with its lead single "Radioactive" already working its way up the U.S. Billboard Charts.

Sept 15 - Happy Engineer's Day!

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Celebrating the engineering marvels that have propelled humanity forward and toward a brighter future. This year marks the 153rd anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya, a world renowned engineer that worked on Krishna Raja Sagara when it was was constructed on the Kaveri River, over 100 years ago. The dam is still in operation today.

So if you know an engineer, give him/her a high five and a slap on the bum. Happy Engineer's Day!

August 27—The Dog Whisperer turns 44!

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Cesar Millan has been a fixture on television for over nine years, as his TV show “The Dog Whisperer” is seen worldwide on National Geographic TV in over 80 different countries. Millan’s specialty on the show is working with over aggressive dogs as he puts them through “dog rehabilitation”. While he has many fans all over the world, it is rather interesting to note that both Millan and his TV show have drawn the ire of several critics from around the world.

Many criticize Millan for physically confronting aggressive dogs and using choke chains for fearful dogs. This criticism was published by the American Humane Association, which asked National Geographic to stop airing the Dog Whisperer program.

So perhaps for Millan’s 44th birthday he should be thankful that his show is still on the air, and hope that critics stop barking up the wrong tree.

July 9 - National Collector Car Appreciation Day

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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.

June 18 - Amelia Earhart Flies the Atlantic

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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

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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 17 - Happy Birthday Al Capone!

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On this day in 1899, the most notorious and feared gangster during the 1920's prohibition era was born. The legendary Al Capone turns 114 years old today, and now 80 years after his hey day, his name still resonates throughout North America. The Chicago gangster ran a prohibition era crime syndicate which included smuggling and bootlegging liquor as well as a slew of other illegal activities.

In his early twenties, Capone moved from Brooklyn to Chicago to take advantage of the opportunity to make bundles of money by smuggling illegal liquor during prohibition. Despite of his illegal occupation, Capone was seen as a modern day Robin Hood due to the amount of money he donated to charities from his illegal activities. Capone also has ties to the North of the 49th Parallel, as he smuggled liquor from Canada to the United States on many occasions.

Capone has been entrenched in popular culture over the last 70 years. He has been the topic of numerous books, articles, and films including being portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1987 movie "The Untouchables". Most recently, Capone has been featured in the 2009 sequel to "A Night at the Museum" and the 2010 HBO hit "Boardwalk Empire".

In 1931, Capone's reign came to an end after he was charged and imprisoned for tax evasion. Capone spent the majority of his time in the Alcatraz Prison and in 1945 he passed away from cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke.

December 25 - Will Smith stars as "Ali" hits the theaters

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On this day 11 years ago, Michael Mann's film "Ali" premiered in theaters. The movie was a biographical film based on boxing and sports icon Muhammad Ali. Will Smith landed the coveted role of the legendary Ali and did an exceptional job, as the role earned him nominations at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for "Best Actor". Smith had to gain significant weight for the role and has gone on record to say this movie was his best work to date.

The movie grossed over $87 million worldwide, and featured supporting roles by Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, and James Toney. The movie did an outstanding job of revealing what Ali's life was like during the prime of his boxing career, and many thought it was a fitting homage to one of the most iconic names in the history of professional sports.

December 17 - The Simpsons Premieres on Fox

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On this day in 1989, the most successful animated television series of all time premiered in front of a National audience. "The Simpsons", which is now in its 22nd season, debuted with a Christmas special entitled "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The episode was a huge success, as the original viewing was watched by more than 13 million people and was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1990.

Since then, TV's favourite family has come a long way. In 1999, Time Magazine named the animated series "The Best Television Show of the 20th Century" and The Simpsons family earned their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2010, Entertainment Weekly dubbed Homer Simpson as "The Greatest Character of the last 20 years", while Bart Simpson was listed on Time Magazines "100 Most Influential People of the Century".

The show has broadcasted 473 episodes (a Guinness world record for longest running sitcom) and spawned a feature-length film, "The Simpsons Movie", which grossed $527 million worldwide.

December 12 - Happy Birthday Frank Sinatra!

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Happy 97th birthday to the late Frank Sinatra! Sinatra was an extremely successful musician and actor during his illustrious 60 year career. As a musician, he released 59 studio albums and 297 singles. His first album came in 1946 when he released "The Voice of Frank Sinatra" which featured several singles, including "You go to my head" and "I don't know why". He won 11 Grammy Awards and was nominated on 30 different occasions. He achieved the Grammy Awards highest recognition by winning both their Lifetime and Legend awards.

As an actor, Sinatra was also a huge success. In 1953, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "From here to Eternity" and was nominated for Best Actor for "The Man with the Golden Arm". "The Voice" has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to motion picture, recording, and television.

Sinatra, along with Dean Martin, Humphrey Bogart, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop were all members of the legendary "Rat Pack".

November 26 - Toy Story 2 is the #1 movie in North America

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On this day in 1999, Toy Story 2 finished its opening weekend in the theaters as the number 1 movie in the continent as it grossed $57,388,839 over the three day period. The movie would go on to become the third highest grossing film of 1999, and at the time became the second highest grossing animated film in history (Lion King).

The movie kept many of the same characters from the original Toy Story, while adding John Cusack and Kelsey Grammer who voiced the roles of Jessie and Stinky Pete, respectively. The movie was met with huge critical acclaim and is considered one of the best Disney-Pixar films of all time.

After it's run in theaters, Toy Story 2 would go on to make over $485 million worldwide, far surpassing the original movie.

November 20 - Issac Hayes hits #1 with "Theme from Shaft"

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Who is the man that would risk his neck
For his brother man?
SHAFT!
Can you dig it?

You better dig it! As on this day 39 years ago, Issac Hayes hit the top of the US Charts with his iconic theme song for the hit movie "Shaft". Much like the movie, the song was a huge success as it also peaked at #4 in the UK and won a Grammy Award for "Best Original Film Score".

The song was used again for the 2000 remake of Shaft which starred actor Samuel L. Jackson. Aside from the Shaft series, the theme song has been used in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", "The Simpsons", "Sesame Street", and many other hit TV shows.

Perhaps the songs greatest accomplishment is that many people believe that the song is more iconic than the movie itself. We find it tough to argue that!

Shaft? You damn right.

November 10 - Sesame Street Debuts on PBS

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Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to Sesame Street?

Chances are if you grew up anywhere near a TV over the last 41 years, you can tell me exactly how to get to Sesame Street. The iconic children's program has produced over 4200 episodes and has introduced us to classic characters such as "Oscar the Grouch", "Cookie Monster", and "Elmo" just to name a few. The show has won eight Grammy Awards and 118 Emmy Awards--the most ever for a children's show.

American puppeteer, Caroll Spinney, has been with Sesame Street since 1969, as he plays both Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird.

In 2008, it was reported that approx. 77 million Americans had watched the show as a child, and 95% of all American preschoolers had watched the show before they were three years old.

October 30 - Orson Welles scares the American public with "War of the Worlds"

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On this day, 74 years ago, arguably the most historic broadcast in the history of radio took place. Orson Welles' radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel "War of the Worlds" will always be remembered as the radio broadcast that sent the American public into mass hysteria.

The novel is about an alien invasion , which the public thought was actually occurring in America as they were listening to the broadcast. "The War of the Worlds" broadcast took the form of a news-bulletin format, which lead people to believe that what they were hearing was indeed true. Also, given that many listeners tuned in late to the broadcast, they missed the disclaimer which stated that broadcast was based off a fictional novel.

Given that the 1930's was seen as the "Golden Age" of radio (television had not become a mainstream medium at this point), the radio was the primary source of news for most people. The trust that the public had in radio was a big reason as to why they believed an alien invasion was taking place.

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

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On this day, 16 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 10 - Wayne Gretzky makes his NHL Debut

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On October 10, 1979, "The Great One" laced up his skates for his first ever NHL game. Gretzky and his Edmonton Oilers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks, however Gretzky picked up his first ever NHL point, an assist, on Kevin Lowe's goal midway through the first period. Gretzky would end his first year in the league by scoring 137 points, and winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player.

Upon his retirement in 1999, Gretzky held a combined 61 NHL records. The Great One is the only player to eclipse the 200 point mark in a single season, something he accomplished on four different occasions.

Gretzky's latest accomplishment was being named the final torch bearer for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He was also a special adviser to the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team that took home the gold medal.

October 4 - Another One Bites the Dust hits #1

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On this day 32 years ago, Queen's iconic single "Another One Bites the Dust" was the number one song in the United States. The song was Queen's most successful single, as it accumulated over $7 million in sales and went number one in five different countries.

The song has been redone and used in several different capacities since 1980. In 1998, the song was covered by R&B singer Wycleaf Jean, which became a top 5 single in the UK. In 2010, the song received another great honour, as the cast of "Glee" did a remake of the iconic single in the episode "Funk".

Billboard ranked "Another One Bites the Dust" as the 34th greatest song of all time.

October 1 - Disney World Opens in Florida!

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On this day 41 years ago, Walt Disney World Resort opened its doors in Florida. Since then, the resort has become the largest and most visited resort on the planet. Disney World covers a 30,080 acre lot which encompasses four themed parks, two water parks, and 23 themed hotels. To put that into perspective, the 30,080 acre lot is nearly the same size as the city of San Francisco!

Given the enormity of Disney World, the resort employs over 66,000 workers, which in turn costs over 1 billion dollars in payroll a year! Needless to say, this isn't your typical "Mickey Mouse Organization".

June 18, 2010

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

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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!