Trivia Today
February 13, 2012
copyright © 2012 by Joe Hickman. All rights reserved. ISSN 1067-9405

      • Today is National Caffection Day, celebrating the connection and affection that married best friends enjoy.

     International Flirting Week begins today.

     • Today is Madly in Love with Me Day, always the day before Valentine's Day.

     • Today is Guys Don't Forget Tomorrow Is Valentine's Day Day. Also called Dream of Your Sweetheart Day.

     • Today  is Get a Different Name Day, for those who hate their birth names. For today, change your name to whatever you wish and tell  everyone.

    Today is Employee Legal Awareness Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week begins today.

On this date in . . .

1795: The University of North Carolina became the first U.S. state university to admit students. Hinton James was the only student on campus the first two weeks.

1937: The NFL Boston Redskins moved to Washington, D.C.

1959: Mattel toy partner Ruth Handler gave birth to an 11-inch teenager named Barbie, the first doll with developed breasts. Mattel sells over 20-million Barbies a year.

1965: 16-year-old Peggy Fleming won the U.S. Ladies Senior Figure Skating Title at Lake Placid, New York.

1967: The Beatles released "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" in the U.S.

1972: The musical Grease, starring Barry Boswick and Adrienne Barbeau opened on Broadway. It became one of Broadway’s longest-running shows.

1983: Singer Karen Carpenter died at 32 of anorexia.

1988: Singer Michael Jackson bought a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. He named it "Neverland."

1990: TV talk show host Geraldo Rivera said he would become more socially relevant and investigative, that "the nuts and sluts" would be on other people’s programs.

2000:  The last original Sunday "Peanuts" comic strip appeared in newspapers. Peanuts creator, artist Charles M. Schulz, had died the day before.

2002: A man in New Jersey who allegedly stole dozens of lottery tickets was arrested trying to cash a winning $12.50 ticket. Stolen ticket serial numbers had been circulated, and a store's alert cashier had the suspect fill out a claim form with his name and address. Police arrested the 39-year-old suspect at his home.

2003: Dan Price completed a 4,000-mile cross-country tricycle ride from his home in Joseph, Oregon, to Key West, Florida, to make people aware of the benefits of environmentally-friendly travel. He averaged 50 to 60 miles a day, carried a compact tent, and camped out at night.

2003: Clara Harris, who'd run down her husband with her Mercedes after catching him with his mistress, was convicted by a Houston jury of murder despite her claim that she'd hit him accidentally while in a daze. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

2005: Ray Charles' final album, "Genius Loves Company," won eight Grammy awards.

2007: Dutch police caught a 62-year-old man who had been driving around for 47 years without a drivers license. The man had managed to avoid getting caught by passing himself off as his brother, who had a license. His lucky streak ended when police checked his identity and found he was lying.

Birthdays:

  • talker Jerry Springer 68;
  • actress Stockard Channing is 68;
  • singer Robbie William's 38;
  • Monkee Peter Tork 70;
  • singer David Naughton 61;
  • singer Peter Gabriel 62;
  • singer Freedom Williams 46;
  • actress Kim Novak 79;
  • actress Kelly Hu 44;
  • actor George Segal 78;
  • actress Carol Lynley 70;
  • actor Bo Svenson 71;
  • actress Mena Suvari 33;
  • coach Mike Krzyzewski 65;
  • football's Randy Moss 35.

     Q: Was TV talker Jerry Springer once a presidential campaign worker for: (a) Ronald Reagan; (b) Robert Kennedy; or (c) Jimmy Carter?
     A: Robert Kennedy.

     Q: Who called Dolly Parton "human sunshine?" Was it: (a) Porter Wagoner; (b) Burt Reynolds; or (c) Jane Fonda?
     A: Burt Reynolds.