What Happened On
First photo taken from Moon's surface
First photo taken from Moon's surface
First Successful Soft Landing of a Manmade Object on the Moon
February 3, 1966
The Soviet Luna 9 lands and begins transmitting back the first photos taken from the Moon's surface.
Ritchie Valens (dark overcoat) and Buddy Holly (lighter overcoat)
Ritchie Valens (dark overcoat) and Buddy Holly (lighter overcoat)
The Day the Music Died
February 3, 1959
Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson are killed in a plane crash, along with pilot Roger Peterson. Tommy Allsup was supposed to be on the plane, but lost his seat to Valens in a coin toss. Richardson was supposed to ride the bus, but was suffering from the flu and didn't want to ride the cold bus, so Waylon Jennings voluntarily gave up his seat on the plane for him. As they were preparing for the plane flight, Holly found out Allsup and Jennings were taking the bus, so he joked, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up again." Jennings jokingly replied, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes," words that would haunt him the rest of his life.
This event became known as "The Day the Music Died", after Don McLean so referred to it in his song American Pie (1971).
J. Fred Muggs (left) and Muggs with Dave Garroway and Phoebe B. Beebe
J. Fred Muggs (left) and Muggs with Dave Garroway and Phoebe B. Beebe
J. Fred Muggs Joins the Today Show
February 3, 1953
A chimpanzee named J. Fred Muggs joins NBC's Today Show in an effort to boost sagging ratings. The Today Show's ratings were doing poorly and Muggs was added to attract viewers.
He was an instant hit and it's estimated that Muggs earned the network over $100 million in advertising and merchandising.
Muggs would sit in host Dave Garroway's lap, "read" the day's newspapers, and play the piano with Steve Allen. His wardrobe consisted of over 450 outfits.
Muggs was born in the African colony of French Cameroon and brought to New York City at 10 months old. He was purchased by two former NBC pages who got him an appearance on the Perry Como Show, where Today Show executives saw him and signed him to their show.
Muggs retired at the age of 23 and now lives in Florida with his girlfriend Phoebe B. Beebe, who also appeared on the Today Show.
WWII - Four Chaplains
February 3, 1943
Four U.S. Army Chaplains die after giving up their life jackets to save others. After their ship, the SS Dorchester, was hit by German torpedoes, they helped others board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. The chaplains joined arms, said prayers, and sang hymns as they went down with the ship.
Each of the four chaplains was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart.
The four chaplains were George L. Fox, Alexander D. Goode, Clark V. Poling, and John P. Washington.
Right to Vote - 15th Amendment Ratified
February 3, 1870
The 15th amendment is ratified, giving blacks the right to vote. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." However, some states used tactics such as poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise African Americans. Whites were not subject to some of these laws through the use of grandfather clauses.
Phil Spector Murder Case
February 3, 2003
Actress Lana Clarkson is found shot to death in music producer Phil Spector's home. In 2009, Spector was found guilty of second degree murder for her death.
League of Nations
February 3, 1919
A commission, presided over by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in Paris, begins working on the League's draft covenant.
Taxation - 16th Amendment Ratified
February 3, 1913
The 16th amendment is ratified, giving the U.S. Congress the power to lay and collect income taxes.
First Newspaper Stock-Market Quotes
February 3, 1730
By London's Daily Advertiser.
First Paper Money
February 3, 1690
The state of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in America.
Birthdays
Photo Credit: Evolution and evolvability
Photo Credit: Evolution and evolvability
Dr. Henry J. Heimlich
Born February 3, 1920 d. 2016
German physician. He is credited with inventing the Heimlich maneuver (1974) to aid choking victims. He also assisted Paul Winchell (voice of Tigger in Winnie the Pooh movies) in developing the first implantable artificial heart to receive a U.S. patent.
Norman Rockwell
Born February 3, 1894 d. 1978
American illustrator, known for his covers on the Saturday Evening Post.
Morgan Fairchild (Patsy McClenny)
Born February 3, 1950
American actress. TV: Search For Tomorrow (Jennifer Pace), Dallas (Jenna Wade), and Flamingo Road (Constance Carlyle).
Bob Griese
Born February 3, 1945
American Football Hall of Famer.
Blythe Danner
Born February 3, 1943
American Tony-winning actress. Stage: Butterflies Are Free (Tony).
Fran Tarkenton (Francis Asbury Tarkenton)
Born February 3, 1940
American football Hall of Fame quarterback, TV personality. He played in the NFL for 18 seasons and at the time of his retirement, Tarkenton had completed 3,686 of 6,467 passes for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns, with 266 interceptions and held every major quarterback record in the NFL. TV: Monday Night Football (1970-83, color commentator) and That's Incredible! (1980-81, co-host).
Victor Buono
Born February 3, 1938 d. 1982
American actor. TV: The Wild Wild West (1965, Count Manzeppi) and Batman (1966-68, King Tut). Film: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962).
Shelley Berman
Born February 3, 1925 d. 2017
American stand-up comic, popular in the 1950s and '60s. He was the first stand up comedian to perform at Carnegie Hall. TV: Curb Your Enthusiasm (Larry David's father).
Joey Bishop (Joseph Abraham Gottlieb)
Born February 3, 1918 d. 2007
American comedian. He was a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin. Film: Ocean's Eleven (1960, Mushy O'Connors). TV: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (guest host more than 175 times).
James A. Michener
Born February 3, 1907 d. 1997
American Pulitzer-winning author. Writings: Tales of the South Pacific (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948), and The Bridges at Toko-ri (1953).
Photo Credit: Granville Davies
Photo Credit: Granville Davies
George Adamson
Born February 3, 1906 d. 1989
British environmentalist. In 1956, Adamson shot and killed a lion in self-defense. He found that she had attacked to protect her three cubs. He then rescued the cubs, giving two to a zoo and keeping one that he and his wife Joy Adamson named Elsa. Joy wrote the book Born Free (1960) describing their raising of the cub and setting her free. The Adamson's were featured in the 1966 movie of the same title.
He was killed by poachers while trying to protect his assistant and a tourist from the poachers.
Clarence Edward Mulford
Born February 3, 1883 d. 1956
American author. He created the character Hopalong Cassidy, which was the first character featured on a metal lunch box (1950-53).
A Rose is a Rose is a Rose
Gertrude Stein
Born February 3, 1874 d. 1946
American author, poet, famous for her phrase "A rose is a rose is a rose."
Elizabeth Blackwell
Born February 3, 1821 d. 1910
American physician, the first U.S. woman doctor of medicine (1849).
Horace Greeley
Born February 3, 1811 d. 1872
American editor, author. Co-founder of the New Yorker (1834), founder of the New York Tribune (1841), and famous for the phrase "Go West, young man."
Felix Mendelssohn
Born February 3, 1809 d. 1847
German composer, musician. He wrote Midsummer's Night's Dream overture before he was 17.
Samuel Osgood
Born February 3, 1747 d. 1813
American politician. Member of the Continental Congress (1781-84), first commissioner of the U.S. treasury (1785-89), and First U.S. postmaster general (1789-91).
Deaths
Al Lewis as Grandpa
Al Lewis as Grandpa
Al Lewis (Albert Meister)
Died February 3, 2006 b. 1923
American actor. TV: Car 54, Where Are You? (1961-63, Leo Schnauser) and The Munsters (1964-66, Sam Dracula, aka Grandpa).
In 1998, Lewis ran as the Green Party candidate for Governor of New York, requesting to be listed on the ballot as "Grandpa Al Lewis", claiming he was best known by that name. His request was rejected by the Board of Elections.
Nancy Kulp
Died February 3, 1991 b. 1921
American actress. TV: The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-71, Jane Hathaway) and The Bob Cummings Show (1955-59, pith-helmeted bird watcher Pamela Livingstone).
In 1984 Kulp ran as a Democrat for the U.S. House of Representatives. Her Beverly Hillbillies co-star Buddy Ebsen did ads for her Republican opponent, calling her too liberal. She lost the election.
Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela)
Died February 3, 1959 b. 1941
American singer. Music: Donna (1958, #2) and La Bamba (1959). He died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly, which has become known as The Day the Music Died.
J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson
Died February 3, 1959 b. 1930
American singer. Music: Chantilly Lace (1958) and Little Red Riding Hood (1958). He died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly on The Day the Music Died. Richardson was supposed to ride the bus, but was suffering from the flu and didn't want to ride the cold bus, so Waylon Jennings voluntarily gave up his seat on the plane for him.
Richardson is credited for creating the first music video in 1958. He recorded music videos for his songs Chantilly Lace, Big Bopper's Wedding, and Little Red Riding Hood. In a 1959 music magazine interview, he predicted songs would be recorded visually and coined the term "rock video".
Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley)
Died February 3, 1959 b. 1936
American rock 'n' roll pioneer. He died in a plane crash with the J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens in what became known as The Day the Music Died.
Holly had married María Elena Santiago in August of 1958, just months prior to his death. He had proposed to her on their first date. When Santiago began handling the band's proceeds, she became concerned with how the band's manager, Norman Petty, had been handling their money, prompting Holly to fire Petty in December. When Holly's band mates kept Petty as their manager, Holly split with the Crickets. Unable to get his royalty money from Petty, Holly was forced to form a new group and begin his fateful tour. His wife stayed home from the tour because she was pregnant, but miscarried shortly after Holly's death.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
Died February 3, 1924 b. 1856
American politician. 28th U.S. President (1913-21). He suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1919 while still in office. Some claim that it was his wife who actually ran the government for the remainder of his term.
Although, he didn't learn to read until the age of 10, he would go on to become president of Princeton University (1901).
Wilson was awarded the 1919 Nobel Peace Prize for his sponsorship of the League of Nations.
During WWI he raised sheep on the White House lawn and sold the wool to raise $52,823 for the Red Cross.
Quote: "Life does not consist in thinking, it consists in acting."
Julie Adams (Betty May Adams)
Died February 3, 2019 b. 1926
American actress. TV: The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971-72, Jimmy Stewart's wife Martha Howard). Film: The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954).
Ben Gazzara (Biagio Anthony Gazzarra)
Died February 3, 2012 b. 1930
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Run for Your Life (1965-68, terminally-ill Paul Bryan).
Lana Clarkson
Died February 3, 2003 b. 1962
American actress. She was found shot to death in music producer Phil Spector's home. In 2009, Spector was found guilty of second degree murder for her death. Film: Deathstalker (1983, warrior Kaira) and Barbarian Queen (1985, title role).
Pierre Plantard
Died February 3, 2000 b. 1920
French "historian." His claims about the Priory of Sion were the basis of such books as Holy Blood, Holy Grail (1982) and The Da Vinci Code (2003). He also claimed he was descended from King Dagobert II, and therefore was a Merovingian claimant to the throne of France.
Audrey Meadows (Audrey Cotter)
Died February 3, 1996 b. 1922
American actress. TV: The Honeymooners (1955-56, Alice Kramden).
John Cassavetes
Died February 3, 1989 b. 1929
American actor. He wrote and directed Faces (1968) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974).
Oliver Heaviside
Died February 3, 1925 b. 1850
English physicist. He made long-distance telephone operation practical, predicted the increase in mass of an electric charge moving at high velocity, and predicted the existence of the ionosphere.
The Female Jesse James
Belle Starr (Myra Belle Shirley)
Died February 3, 1889 b. 1848
American outlaw, horse thief, "The Bandit Queen". She was convicted of horse theft in 1883 and was fatally shot in 1889 while riding in Montana in a case that is still officially unsolved, but her 18-year-old son, Eddie Reed, is believed by some historians to be the one who killed her.
Belle's name was made famous after dime novel and National Police Gazette publisher Richard K. Fox wrote his fictional novel Bella Starr, the Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James (1889).
Johann Gutenberg
Died February 3, 1468 b. circa 1398
German inventor. He and Lauren Janszoon Koster invented printing with movable type.
Leo VI
Died February 3, 929 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 123rd Pope (May - Dec. 928). It is said he was put to death by Marozia, the alleged mistress of Pope Sergius III.