A nerdy mathematician was riding his Segway in a circle when he realized his outer wheel was traveling twice as fast as his inner wheel. If the wheels are 20″ apart, what was the diameter of the outer wheel's track?
20″ + 20″ = 40″ radius for the outer track, or 80″ diameter.
What Happened On
U.S. TV's First Interracial Kiss
December 11, 1967
Sammy Davis, Jr. and Nancy Sinatra kiss on her TV special Movin' with Nancy. This predated the "Star Trek Kiss" between William Shatner's and Nichelle Nichols' characters on Star Trek by almost a year. However, this is considered an "unscripted kiss" whereas the Star Trek kiss was scripted.
Note: While this was one of the first U.S. TV kisses between black and white characters, there were many other kisses between mixed-race couples prior to this, especially between Caucasians and Asians.
Psycho
December 11, 1959
Date of the opening scene of Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Psycho (1960) is December 11, 1959.
This was Hitchcock's most financially successful film. Produced on a budget of about $800,000, it made over $32 million on its initial release. Paramount was reluctant to do the film, so Hitchcock financed it himself for 60% ownership of the film. To save money, Hitchcock filmed it in black and white and in a television studio. Chocolate syrup was used for the blood swirling down the drain in the famous shower scene.
Psycho is based on Robert Bloch's novel of the same name, which was loosely based on murderer and grave robber Ed Gein. Anthony Perkins' character Norman Bates and Ed Gein each had deceased, domineering mothers, had sealed off a room in their home as a shrine to their mother, and dressed in women's clothes.
Janet Leigh's character Marion Crane flushing her note down the toilet is the first time a toilet is shown flushing in U.S. cinema.
Hitler Declaring War On the United States
Photo Credit: Bundesarchiv
Hitler Declaring War On the United StatesPhoto Credit: Bundesarchiv
World War II - Italy and Germany Declare War Against the U.S.
December 11, 1941
Italy and Germany declare war against the U.S., with Adolf Hitler declaring, "After victory has been achieved, Germany, Italy, and Japan will continue in closest co-operation with a view to establishing a new and just order." In return, the U.S. declared war against them. Also today, Poland declared war on Japan.
Court-Martial of 64 soldiers
Court-Martial of 64 soldiers
Thirteen Black Soldiers Hanged
December 11, 1917
Thirteen black soldiers are hanged after being convicted of participating in the Houston Black Soldier Riot, in which 20 people were killed. It was a mutiny by 156 black soldiers of the Third Battalion of the all-black 24th United States Infantry Regiment, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers and 16 civilians. The riots began after police beatings of two black soldiers. The soldiers armed themselves with munitions from Camp Logan and began a march on Houston. One of the officers involved in the beatings was killed in the riots. This was the largest murder trial in U.S. military history. In total, 19 soldiers were executed for the riot and 41 were given life sentences.
King Trades Throne for Love
December 11, 1936
King of England Edward VIII renounces his throne so that he could marry American divorcee Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson. His brother then became King George VI.
Alcoholics Anonymous
December 11, 1934
Bill Wilson begins his sobriety. He would go on to co-found Alcoholics Anonymous the following year. He had his first drink in 1917 claiming, "I had found the elixir of life." However, his drinking quickly got out of hand; he failed to graduate from law school because he was too drunk to pick up his diploma. Wilson achieved sobriety when he had a religious experience after asking for God's help to get sober. Wilson then went on to co-found Alcoholics Anonymous, helping thousands of others achieve sobriety. As the proof that the desire to drink never goes away, on his deathbed Wilson asked for a shot of whiskey. His nurse refused his request.
Wilson, a heavy smoker, died of emphysema at the age of 75.
Indiana
December 11, 1816
Indiana becomes the 19th state.
Birthdays
Vampira
Maila Nurmi (Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi)
Born December 11, 1922 d. 2008
Finnish-American actress. She created the 1950's character Vampira which was used in several movies and became TV's first costumed horror show host on KABC-TV with The Vampira Show (1954-55). The Vampira character was created when Nurmi attended a masquerade ball in a costume inspired by the character Morticia Addams. Her costume attracted the attention of TV producer Hunt Stromberg who asked her to host a horror show. She was also the model for Maleficent, the evil witch in the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty. Film: Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959, Vampire Girl).
Jermaine Jackson
Born December 11, 1954
American singer, one of the Jackson Five.
Bess Armstrong
Born December 11, 1953
American actress. TV: Married People (Elizabeth Meyers).
Christina Onassis
Born December 11, 1950 d. 1988
Greek shipping executive, daughter of Aristotle Onassis.
Teri Garr (Teri Ann Garr)
Born December 11, 1944 d. 2024
American actress. Film: Young Frankenstein (1974), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Tootsie (1982), and Mr. Mom (1983).
She also appeared as a dancer in six Elvis Presley musicals.
Linda Day George
Born December 11, 1944
American actress. TV: Mission: Impossible (Lisa Casey).
Brenda Lee (Brenda Mae Tarpley)
Born December 11, 1944
American singer. Music: I'm Sorry (1960, #1), Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree (1960), and I Want To Be Wanted (1960, #1).
Donna Mills (Donna Jean Miller)
Born December 11, 1940
American actress. TV: Knots Landing (Abby Ewing).
Ron Carey
Born December 11, 1935 d. 2007
American actor. TV: Barney Miller (1976-82, Officer Carl Levitt). Film: Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977), and History of the World: Part I (1981).
Rita Moreno (Rosita Alverio)
Born December 11, 1931
Puerto Rican actress. Film: West Side Story (1961, Oscar). She is the first actress to have won an Oscar (1961), Tony (1975), and an Emmy (1976-77, 77-78). She has also won a Golden Globe (1962) and a Grammy (1972).
Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Born December 11, 1931 d. 1990
Indian guru. During the 1970s, he had hundreds of thousands of followers known as the orange people - they wore only orange clothing. He once remarked, "So many religions look after the poor, leave the rich to me!"
Dick Tufeld
Born December 11, 1926 d. 2012
American actor. TV: Lost in Space (1965-68 and also the 1998 film, voice of the robot "Danger, Will Robinson!" - Bob May wore the costume) and voice of Mr. Bubble in the commercials.
Betsy Blair (Betsy Boger)
Born December 11, 1923 d. 2009
American actress. TV: thirtysomething (Ellyn's mother). She was married to Gene Kelly (1941-57 divorced). She was blacklisted due to an investigation by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Joe Masteroff
Born December 11, 1919 d. 2018
American Tony-winning playwright. Writings: Cabaret (1966, Tony).
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Born December 11, 1918 d. 2008
Russian Nobel-winning novelist. Known for helping expose the Russian Gulag forced labor camp system. Writings: The Gulag Archipelago (1973).
John Augustus Larson
Born December 11, 1892 d. 1965
Canadian-born American criminologist. He developed the modern lie detector (1921) and was the first to use a polygraph in criminal investigations.
Walter Marvin Knott
Born December 11, 1889 d. 1981
American entrepreneur. He turned a roadside stand selling boysenberries and pies into the amusement park Knott's Berry Farm.
Thomas Coleman du Pont
Born December 11, 1863 d. 1930
American industrialist, president of E.I. du Pont Company (1902-15), and U.S. Senator (1921-28).
Robert Koch and his drawing of tuberculosis bacilli
Robert Koch and his drawing of tuberculosis bacilli
Robert Koch
Born December 11, 1843 d. 1910
German Nobel Prize-winning physician. He was the first to prove that a bacterium could cause disease (1877, anthrax). He also discovered the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (1882) and the bacterium that causes cholera (1883).
Silent-Night-Chapel in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, where the song was first performed
Photo Credit: Gakuro
Silent-Night-Chapel in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, where the song was first performedPhoto Credit: Gakuro
Silent Night, Holy Night
Joseph Mohr
Born December 11, 1792 d. 1848
Austrian clergyman. He wrote the words to Silent Night, Holy Night (1818).
The melody was composed by organist Franz Xaver Gruber. Mohr asked Gruber to compose the melody and guitar accompaniment for the Christmas Eve Mass since a flood had destroyed their organ.
"Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace."
Sir David Brewster
Born December 11, 1781 d. 1868
Scottish scientist and inventor. He patented a kaleidoscope (1817), popularizing its use and instituted the use of flat Fresnel lenses in lighthouses, and discovered many important aspects of polarized light.
Leo X (Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici)
Born December 11, 1475 d. 1521
Italian religious leader, 217th Pope (1513-21). His granting of indulgences for contributions to the Church led to the Reformation. He excommunicated Martin Luther in 1521. He was ordained a priest after being elected Pope, making him the last non-priest to be elected Pope.
Deaths
Maurice "Mac" J. McDonald
Died December 11, 1971 b. 1902
American restaurateur. He and his brother Dick McDonald started the McDonald's hamburger chain in 1940. They were bought out by Ray Kroc, one of their franchisees, who then took over the business.
The McDonald brothers introduced the "Speedee Service System" in 1948. The original McDonald's mascot was a chef hat on top of a hamburger called "Speedee".
Winchester Rifle Model 1866
Photo Credit: Hmaag
Winchester Rifle Model 1866Photo Credit: Hmaag
Oliver Winchester (Oliver Fisher Winchester)
Died December 11, 1880 b. 1810
American gun maker. He developed the Winchester rifle (1866) by improving the design of the Henry rifle creating the Winchester Model 1866. It was famous for its rugged construction and lever-action "repeating rifle" mechanism that allowed the user to fire a number of shots before having to reload. The Model 1866 was manufactured until 1899.
Anne Rice (Howard Allen Frances O'Brien)
Died December 11, 2021 b. 1941
American gothic fiction author. Writings: Interview with the Vampire (1976).
Sam Cooke
Died December 11, 1964 b. 1931
American soul singer. Music: You Send Me (1957 #1) and Chain Gang (1960 #2), inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986). He was shot and killed by the motel manager in a Los Angeles motel.
Percy Kilbride
Died December 11, 1964 b. 1888
American actor. Film: Pa of the Ma and Pa Kettle films (1947-55).
Gardiner Greene Hubbard
Died December 11, 1897 b. 1822
American lawyer. Co-founder and president of the Clarke Institute for Deaf Mutes (1867-76) and founder and president of the National Geographic Society (1888-97). The Hubbard Memorial Hall in Washington D.C. and the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska are named for him.
Colley Cibber
Died December 11, 1757 b. 1671
English actor, dramatist. In 1735, the first opera performed in America was Flora; or Hob in the Well. It appeared in the book The Dramatic Works of Colley Cibber, Esq., but is attributed to Thomas Doggett and John Hippisley.
Saint Damasus I
Died December 11, 384 b. circa 304
Spanish-born religious leader, 37th Pope (366-384). He encouraged production of the Vulgate Bible, which became the official Latin version of the Bible.