Today's Trivia and What Happened on August 26

What's a stiff drink at a mortuary?

What's a stiff drink at a mortuary? Close Large View

Embalming fluid.

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Quote: When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers. - Socrates

Quote: When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the losers. - Socrates Close Large View

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What Happened On

Lake Emissions Kill 1,746 Villagers

Lake Emissions Kill 1,746 Villagers Close Large View

Lake Emissions Kill 1,746 Villagers

August 26, 1986

Lake Nyos suddenly releases a 100,000-300,000 tons of carbon dioxide, suffocating people and animals within 16 miles (25 kilometers) of the lake, killing 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock. A pocket of magma lies beneath the lake and leaks carbon dioxide into the water. The water can become supersaturated with carbon dioxide and an event such as an earthquake or landslide can cause it to be released. Scientists are not sure what triggered this event.
Nyos is a crater lake on the edge of an inactive volcano in Northwest Region of Cameroon. Nyos is one of only three known carbon dioxide exploding lakes.

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The 1968 National Democratic Convention

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The 1968 National Democratic Convention

August 26, 1968

The 1968 National Democratic Convention begins in Chicago. Thousands came to protest the Vietnam War and the Democratic administration, resulting in massive demonstrations and police-civilian conflicts.

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Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony and Women's suffrage postcard Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony and Women's suffrage postcard

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony and Women's suffrage postcard Elizabeth Cady Stanton (left) and Susan B. Anthony and Women's suffrage postcard
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Women's Right to Vote

August 26, 1920

The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting American women the right to vote is enacted.

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Morrison in Dogs of War Morrison in Dogs of War

Morrison in Dogs of War Morrison in Dogs of War
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First Black Signed to a Long-Term Hollywood Contract

August 26, 1919

Ernie Morrison (age 7) signs a two-year contract with Hal Roach. He went on to star as Sunshine Sammy and Booker T. in the Our Gang films.

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Army's Top Civilian Official Caught Shoplifting

August 26, 1993

The Acting Army Secretary John Shannon is caught stealing a woman's blouse and skirt worth about $30 from an Army PX. He admitted guilt and went on administrative leave, never resuming his position.

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Pope John Paul I Photo Credit: Sentinelle del mattino International

Pope John Paul I Photo Credit: Sentinelle del mattino International
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Pope John Paul I

August 26, 1978

Albino Luciani is elected pope, choosing the papal name John Paul I. He died 34 days later (Sept. 28).

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First Black to Pitch in a Major League Baseball Game

August 26, 1947

Dan Bankhead for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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First Televised Major League Baseball Game

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First Televised Major League Baseball Game

August 26, 1939

A doubleheader between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers is shown by NBC's W2XBS of New York City.

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Steamboat

August 26, 1791

John Fitch is awarded the U.S. patent for the steamboat. He was also awarded the French patent later that year.

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Birthdays

Naomi operating lathe (left) and the "We Can Do It!" poster Naomi operating lathe (left) and the "We Can Do It!" poster

Naomi operating lathe (left) and the "We Can Do It!" poster Naomi operating lathe (left) and the "We Can Do It!" poster
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We Can Do It!

Naomi Parker Fraley

Born August 26, 1921 d. 2018

American war worker. She is believed to be the model for the iconic 1943 "We Can Do It!" poster. Artist J. Howard Miller was inspired by a photo of her operating a lathe. This image later became known as "Rosie the Riveter".
The poster was created for Westinghouse Electric as an inspirational image to boost female worker morale and contrary to popular belief, it was never used as a World War II recruitment poster, but only internally at Westinghouse.

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Mother Teresa of Calcutta Photo Credit: Manfredo Ferrari

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Photo Credit: Manfredo Ferrari
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Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu)

Born August 26, 1910 d. 1997

Yugoslavian-born Nobel Peace Prize-winning missionary. Called "The Living Saint," she dedicated her life to the poor and sick of India.

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Albert Sabin

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Developed Oral Polio Vaccine

Albert Sabin

Born August 26, 1906 d. 1993

Russian-born American microbiologist. He developed the oral polio vaccine (OPV) in 1955, which was administered by sugar cube to millions. The previous polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was administered by injection.
By 1961, Sabin's OPV had been tested on at least 100 million people in the USSR, parts of Eastern Europe, Singapore, Mexico, and the Netherlands. Clinical trials of the OPV in the United States began in April 1960 on 180,000 Cincinnati school children. This effectively eradicated polio in Cincinnati.

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Lee de Forest

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Father of the Radio

Lee de Forest

Born August 26, 1873 d. 1961

American inventor, "Father of the Radio." He invented the triode (amplifier vacuum tube, 1907) and was a pioneer in the development of talking pictures and television.

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Lavoisier (standing at table) conducting an experiment on respiration with his wife taking notes Lavoisier (standing at table) conducting an experiment on respiration with his wife taking notes

Lavoisier (standing at table) conducting an experiment on respiration with his wife taking notes Lavoisier (standing at table) conducting an experiment on respiration with his wife taking notes
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Father of Modern Chemistry

Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier

Born August 26, 1743 d. 1794

French chemist, "Father of Modern Chemistry." He identified air as containing two principal elements (1778), one of which he named "oxygen", established the law of conservation of matter (1782), named hydrogen (1783), and showed that respiration was essentially a slow combustion of organic material using inhaled oxygen. In 1793, the arrest of former tax farmers, including Lavoisier, was ordered. Lavoisier and the other Farmers General faced nine accusations of defrauding the state of money owed to it, and of adding water to tobacco before selling it. Lavoisier was convicted and guillotined in Paris along with his 27 co-defendants. A year and a half later, Lavoisier was exonerated by the French government.

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First public demonstration First public demonstration

First public demonstration First public demonstration
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Co-inventor of the Hot-Air Balloon

Joseph Michel Montgolfier

Born August 26, 1740 d. 1810

French inventor. He and his brother Jacques Montgolfier invented the hot-air balloon (1782). They made the first sustained flight of a hot-air balloon the following year.

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Macaulay Culkin

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Macaulay Culkin

Born August 26, 1980

American actor. Film: Home Alone (1990), My Girl (1991), The Good Son (1993), and Richie Rich (1994).

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Branford Marsalis Photo Credit: Brianmcmillen

Branford Marsalis Photo Credit: Brianmcmillen
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Branford Marsalis

Born August 26, 1960

American band leader. Marsalis was bandleader for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show (1992-95).

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Bob Cowsill

Born August 26, 1949

American singer, member of the singing family The Cowsills (They were the basis for TV's The Partridge Family). Music: The Rain, The Park & Other Things (1967, #2) and the title song for the musical Hair (1969, #2).

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Geraldine Ferraro

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Geraldine Ferraro (Geraldine Anne Ferraro)

Born August 26, 1935 d. 2011

American politician. First female vice-presidential candidate for a major political party (1984, Democratic). She was selected by presidential candidate Walter Mondale as his running mate.

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Jim Davis

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Jim Davis

Born August 26, 1909 d. 1981

American actor. TV: Dallas (1978-82, Jock Ewing).

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Christopher Isherwood

Born August 26, 1904 d. 1986

English-born American author. Writings: Goodbye Berlin (1939, a collection of short stories including Sally Bowles upon which the musical Cabaret was based).

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Earl Derr Biggers

Born August 26, 1884 d. 1933

American author, created the Chinese detective Charlie Chan.

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Discoverer of Spinal Anesthesia

James Leonard Corning

Born August 26, 1855 d. 1923

American neurologist. Discoverer of spinal anesthesia (1885). He did so with subcutaneous injections of cocaine near the spinal cord.
The word anesthesia is from the Greek for "without sensation".

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Jack the Ripper's First Known Victim

Mary Ann Nichols

Born August 26, 1845 d. 1888

English crime victim. She is the first known victim of Jack the Ripper.

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Johann Heinrich Lambert

Born August 26, 1728 d. 1777

German mathematician, physicist, astronomer, proved that the numbers e and pi are irrational, and for whom the unit of brightness "lambert" is named.

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Deaths

Bob Barker Photo Credit: Iaksge

Bob Barker Photo Credit: Iaksge
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Bob Barker

Died August 26, 2023 b. 1923

American TV personality. TV: Truth or Consequences (1956-74, host), Price Is Right (1972-2007, host), Miss USA Pageant (emcee), Miss Universe Pageant (emcee), and SpongeBob SquarePants (2015, voice of Bob Barnacle). Film: Happy Gilmore (1996, as himself).
Barker is 1/8 Sioux Indian and is an official member of the Sioux tribe, having spent most of his youth on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Mission, South Dakota.

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Charles Augustus Lindbergh

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Charles Augustus Lindbergh

Died August 26, 1974 b. 1902

American aviator, "Lucky Lindy." He made the first solo transatlantic flight (1927).

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Lon Chaney, Sr.

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Lon Chaney, Sr.

Died August 26, 1930 b. 1883

American horror actor, "The Man of a Thousand Faces." Film: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923, title role) and Phantom of the Opera (1925, title role).

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Anton van Leeuwenhoek

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Discovered Bacteria (Animalcules)

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Died August 26, 1723 b. 1632

Dutch biologist, Father of Microscopy. Using a single lens microscope of his own design, he became the first person to see microorganisms in detail (1683). He wrote a letter to Britain's Royal Society describing the "animalcules" he observed under his microscope, creating the first known description of bacteria.

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Gerald Paul Carr

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Gerald Paul Carr

Died August 26, 2020 b. 1932

American astronaut. Commander of the third manned Skylab mission (1973).

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Neil Simon

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Neil Simon (Marvin Neil Simon)

Died August 26, 2018 b. 1927

American playwright. Film: Barefoot in the Park (1967), The Odd Couple (1968), and The Sunshine Boys (1975). Stage: Come Blow Your Horn (1961), Barefoot in the Park (1963), and The Odd Couple (1965).
He has received more combined Oscar and Tony Award nominations than any other writer.

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Laura Branigan

Died August 26, 2004 b. 1952

American singer. Music: Gloria (1982, #2). She died of a brain aneurism, which also killed her father and paternal grandfather.

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Evelyn Wood

Died August 26, 1995 b. 1909

American speed-reading instructor. She was capable of reading 2,700 words a minute.

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Roy Raymond

Died August 26, 1993 b. 1947

American businessman. He founded the Victoria's Secret lingerie chain (1977). He committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.

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Irving Stone

Died August 26, 1989 b. 1903

American author, The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961).

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Ted Knight as Ted Baxter Ted Knight as Ted Baxter

Ted Knight as Ted Baxter Ted Knight as Ted Baxter
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Ted Knight (Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka)

Died August 26, 1986 b. 1923

American actor. TV: The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-77, Ted Baxter), Too Close for Comfort (1980-87, Henry Rush), and as narrator of many of Filmation's superhero cartoons. Film: Caddyshack (1980, Judge Elihu Smails).
Knight dropped out of high school to enlist in the U.S. Army in World War II, earning five battle stars while serving in the European Theatre.
He died of colon cancer, which he had been battling since his diagnosis in 1977.

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Charles Boyer go to Video for Charles Boyer

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Come with me to the Casbah

Charles Boyer

Died August 26, 1978 b. 1899

French-born American actor. Film: Algiers (1938, in which his famous invitation to Hedy Lamarr, "Come with me to the Casbah" was used for the trailers - although it was not in the film itself). The cartoon skunk Pepé Le Pew was based on his Pepe le Moko character in Algiers. He also co-founded Four-Star Television (1951).

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Warner Anderson

Died August 26, 1976 b. 1911

American actor. TV: The Lineup (1954-60, Det. Lt. Ben Guthrie).

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Eddie Rommel

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First Major League Umpire to Wear Glasses

Eddie Rommel (Edwin Americus Rommel)

Died August 26, 1970 b. 1897

American baseball pitcher, umpire. He was the first major-league umpire to wear glasses in a regular season game (1956, American League).

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Andrew William Mellon

Died August 26, 1937 b. 1855

American financier. He donated his art collection for the establishment of the National Gallery of Art.

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