January 26, 2011
Australia Day – The anniversary of the first British settlement in Australia on January 26, 1788. Captain Arthur Phillip with a boatload of British convicts arrived at Botany Bay, then moved on to Port Jackson, where the city of Sydney was eventually established. They built a penal colony there to help relieve overcrowding in the British prisons.
All You Can Eat Day – Every month on the 26th, take a homeless person out for lunch. Let them eat all they can eat. If you can’t find a homeless person that wants food instead of money, give me a call. I’ll be happy to let you treat me to lunch.
Michigan Admission Day – Michigan became the 26th state on this day in 1837.
Events this date:
1856 – First Battle of Seattle. Marines from the USS Decatur drive off American Indian attackers after all day battle with settlers
1875. George F. Green, of Kalamazoo, MI, patented the electric dental drill.
1920 – Former Ford Motor Company executive Henry Leland launches the Lincoln Motor Company which he later sold to his former employer.
1934 – The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City.
1996 – Hillary Clinton testified before a grand jury connected to the Whitewater probe.
1998 – Lewinsky scandal: On American television, U.S. President Bill Clinton denies having had “sexual relations” with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Birthdays on January 26:
1893 – Bessie Coleman - Born at Atlanta, TX, Bessie Coleman would not take no for an answer, especially where it concerned her dreams of flying. Because of her race and gender, she was denied admission to aviation school programs in the US. She worked her way to Paris where she received an international pilot’s license 1921. Upon returning to the US, “Queen Bess” took part in numerous acrobatic air exhibitions where her stunt flying won her many admirers. She encouraged others, particularly women and blacks to follow in her footsteps. Unfortunately, she perished in a plane crash during a practice session, at Jacksonville, FL, Apr 30, 1926.
Anita Baker, 53, singer, born Toledo, OH, Jan 26, 1958.
Ellen DeGeneres, 53, comedienne, actress (“Ellen”), television personality, “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
Wayne Gretzky, 50, Hall of Fame hockey player, born Brantford, ON, Canada, Jan 26, 1961.
Robert George (Bob) Uecker, 76, sportscaster, former baseball player, born Milwaukee, WI.
Eddie Van Halen, 56, guitarist, born Nijmegen, Netherlands, Jan 26, 1955.
Quote of the Day: “The air is the only place free from prejudices.” Bessie Coleman
Thought for Today: “The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave.” Proverbs 15:24
