Today's Trivia and What Happened on December 9

Today's Puzzle

Today's Puzzle

What is the difference between a hill and a pill?

One is hard to get up, the other is hard to get down.

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Quote: You talkin' to me? - Robert De Niro

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What Happened On

Smallpox Eradicated

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Smallpox Eradicated

December 9, 1979

A commission of eminent scientists declare that smallpox had been eradicated. The World Health Assembly would certify its eradication the following May. This was the first time a disease was declared eradicated. The last known case was in Birmingham, England (1978) when the virus escaped from a research lab. The researcher who accidentally let it escape committed suicide. It is estimated that smallpox killed 300-500 million people in the 20th century. It was eradicated by a massive vaccination and containment program. The eradication was aided by the facts that humans are the only reservoir for smallpox infection, and that asymptomatic carriers did not exist.

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Charles Manson

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Charles Manson

December 9, 1969

The cult leader Charles Manson is indicted for the murders of Sharon Tate and others committed by his followers.

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A Charlie Brown Christmas

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A Charlie Brown Christmas

December 9, 1965

The first in a series of Peanuts television specials debuts. The show featured characters created by Charles M. Schulz, including Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and of course Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy. Nearly half of the American households that had a television set tuned in to watch. The production costs exceeded its meager budget of $76,000 by $20,000, but has earned millions as a seasonal staple of the Christmas television lineup.
The special also killed the aluminum Christmas tree fad that had been popular since the late 1950s. Within two years of the special's airing with Charlie Brown insisting on a real and not a fake tree, aluminum tree manufacturing had all but ceased.
In 2015, former child actor Peter Robbins, who voiced Charlie Brown in this and several subsequent Charlie Brown specials, was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison for sending threatening letters to the manager and his wife of the trailer park he lived in.

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First U.S. Christmas Seals

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First U.S. Christmas Seals

December 9, 1907

The First U.S. Christmas Seals go on sale in the Wilmington, Delaware post office. The proceeds went to the fight against tuberculosis. At the time, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in U.S. Emily Bissel began a fundraiser in which she created a holiday seal to be sold at the post office for a penny apiece. She got the idea from a similar program to raise money for tuberculosis in Denmark.

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Patterson with the first lion killed Patterson with the first lion killed

Patterson with the first lion killed Patterson with the first lion killed
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Tsavo Man-Eaters

December 9, 1898

The first of two man-eating lions, known as the "Tsavo Man-Eaters", is killed. The two lions had been dragging Kenyan railroad construction workers from their tents at night and eating them. John Henry Patterson, the construction leader, claimed the lions had eaten about 135 men over a nine-month period. However, modern estimates put the number closer to 30. The work crews tried to scare them off, but to no avail. Eventually, so many workers fled that construction had to be halted. Patterson then began hunting the lions. He shot the first lion in the leg, but it escaped only to come back and stalk him later that night, at which time Patterson shot it through the heart killing it. The other was killed 20 days later. Patterson had the lions' skins made into floor rugs and they are now on display at the Chicago Field Museum.
The movies Bwana Devil and The Ghost and the Darkness were based on these events.

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First African American Governor of a U.S. State

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First African American Governor of a U.S. State

December 9, 1872

P. B. S. Pinchback becomes governor of Louisiana. As Senate president pro tempore, Pinchback succeeded to the position of acting lieutenant governor upon the death of Oscar Dunn (1871). In 1872, the governor was impeached. State law required him to step aside until his impeachment case was tried. Pinchback then served in his place until January 13, 1873 when his term ended. Pinchback was born to a black freed slave and her former master in Georgia.

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Todd Bridges as Willis in Diff'rent Strokes Todd Bridges as Willis in Diff'rent Strokes

Todd Bridges as Willis in Diff'rent Strokes Todd Bridges as Willis in Diff'rent Strokes
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Todd Bridges Sentenced for Possession of Methamphetamine and a Loaded Gun

December 9, 1993

Todd Bridges, who played Willis in TV's Diff'rent Strokes, is sentenced to one year in a live-in drug treatment program and five years probation after having pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and a loaded gun.

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Prince Charles and Lady Diana Announce They Are Separating

December 9, 1992

Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana announce they are separating, but have no plans for a divorce.

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John Birch Society

December 9, 1958

John Birch Society is founded.

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Separation of Church and State

December 9, 1905

France enacts legislation for the separation of Church and State.

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Dancer Maud Allan in the role of Salomé with the head of John the Baptist Dancer Maud Allan in the role of Salomé with the head of John the Baptist

Dancer Maud Allan in the role of Salomé with the head of John the Baptist Dancer Maud Allan in the role of Salomé with the head of John the Baptist
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Dance of Seven Veils

December 9, 1905

Richard Strauss' opera Salome premieres at the Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden. It featured the famous Dance of the Seven Veils, which is Salome's dance performed before Herod II in the Biblical story of the execution of John the Baptist.

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Joseph Pulitzer Buys His First Newspaper

December 9, 1878

Joseph Pulitzer buy his first newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His will established the well-known Pulitzer Prizes.

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First Formal Human Cremation in America

December 9, 1792

Henry Laurens, South Carolina, as requested in his will. He was the 5th president of the Continental Congress (1777-78).

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Birthdays

Redd Foxx

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Redd Foxx (John Elroy Sanford)

Born December 9, 1922 d. 1991

American actor. Redd Foxx is known for his role as Fred Sanford on TV's Sanford & Son (1972-77), having named his character after his brother Fred Sanford, Jr. He and LaWanda Page, who played Aunt Esther on the show, were childhood friends in St. Louis.
His character Fred Sanford was so well known for faking a heart attack and saying, "This is the big one, Elizabeth! I'm coming to join ya, honey," that when he collapsed from a real heart attack on the set of The Royal Family TV show and called out the name of his wife, the cast and crew thought he was joking around. He died later that night at the age of 68.
Redd Foxx was the only entertainer to attend Elvis Presley's wedding (1967).

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Kirk Douglas

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Kirk Douglas (Issur Danielovitch)

Born December 9, 1916 d. 2020

American actor. He worked as a professional wrestler before making it in films.

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Grace Hopper (3rd from left) at Univac I with three other programmers (1957) and log page with moth Grace Hopper (3rd from left) at Univac I with three other programmers (1957) and log page with moth

Grace Hopper (3rd from left) at Univac I with three other programmers (1957) and log page with moth Grace Hopper (3rd from left) at Univac I with three other programmers (1957) and log page with moth
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Discovered First Computer Bug

Grace Hopper

Born December 9, 1906 d. 1992

American computer pioneer, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral. While she was working on a Mark II Computer in 1947, her team discovered a moth stuck in a relay causing the computer to malfunction, causing the first "computer bug." Though the term "bug" had been used in engineering since the 1800s, this is the first recorded instance of a literal "computer bug." The moth can be seen in their log book at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. She was a pioneer in early computer languages and instrumental in the development of the computer language COBOL.
She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016).

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Margaret Hamilton

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Margaret Hamilton

Born December 9, 1902 d. 1985

American actress. Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939, also played bicycle-riding Miss Almira Gulch) - "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!" During the filming of The Wizard of Oz, Hamilton received second-degree burn on her face and a third-degree burn on her hand while filming the wicked witch's fiery exit from Munchkinland. Her injuries required hospitalization and six weeks of recovery in her home before she could resume filming.
She also played Cora in the TV commercials for Maxwell House coffee.

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Emmett Kelly

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Emmett Kelly

Born December 9, 1898 d. 1979

American circus clown. Known as Weary Willie, he was revolutionary for his time, as most clowns wore white face and performed stunts for laughs, Kelly wore hobo makeup and would perform skits such as trying to sweep the light from a spotlight. He performed with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1942-56) and became the mascot for the Brooklyn Dodgers after leaving Ringling Bros.
Kelly helped rescue people during the Hartford Circus Fire. A photo was taken of him in sad tramp makeup holding a bucket of water, causing the event to become known as "The Day the Clowns Cried."

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Donny Osmond

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Donny Osmond (Donald Clark Osmond)

Born December 9, 1957

American singer, with The Osmonds and sister Marie Osmond. Music: One Bad Apple (1971, #1), Go Away Little Girl (1971, #1), and Puppy Love (1972, #3).
TV: Donnie & Marie (1976-79) and winner of the 2009 season of Dancing with the Stars.

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John Malkovich

Born December 9, 1953

American actor. Film: The Killing Fields (1984), Places in the Heart (1984), and Dangerous Liaisons (1988).

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Michael Dorn as Worf Michael Dorn as Worf

Michael Dorn as Worf Michael Dorn as Worf
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Michael Dorn

Born December 9, 1952

American actor. TV: Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-94, Klingon Worf).

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Dick Butkus

Born December 9, 1942 d. 2023

American football player, actor. Butkus played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973 and was twice the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year.

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Beau Bridges (Lloyd Vernet Bridges III)

Born December 9, 1941

American actor. Film: The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989).

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John Cassavetes

Born December 9, 1929 d. 1989

American actor. He wrote and directed Faces (1968) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974).

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Dick Van Patten

Born December 9, 1928 d. 2015

American actor. TV: Eight is Enough (Tom the father). He is the founder of Natural Balance Pet Foods (1989).

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Frank Sturgis (Frank Angelo Fiorini)

Born December 9, 1924 d. 1993

American private investigator. He was one of the five Watergate burglars (1972) whose capture led to the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon. He served 14 months in prison for his part.

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Thomas "Tip" O'Neill

Born December 9, 1912 d. 1994

American politician, Speaker of the House.

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Broderick Crawford

Born December 9, 1911 d. 1986

American Oscar-winning actor. Film: All The King's Men (1949, Oscar). TV: Highway Patrol (Dan Matthews).

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Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

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Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

Born December 9, 1909 d. 2000

American actor. Quote: "I was only saying to the Queen the other day how I hate name dropping."
He married Mary Pickford in what was called the "Marriage of the Century".

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Brace Beemer

Born December 9, 1902 d. 1965

American radio actor. Radio: The announcer for The Lone Ranger from its first radio broadcast in 1933. When the voice of the Lone Ranger, Earle Graser, died in a car accident, Beemer took over the role of The Lone Ranger character until the end of the series in 1954.

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Clarence Frank Birdseye

Born December 9, 1886 d. 1956

American inventor. He created a way of deep-freezing foods, and co-founded General Foods Corp.

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Joel Chandler Harris

Born December 9, 1848 d. 1908

American author, creator of Uncle Remus.

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John Milton

Born December 9, 1608 d. 1674

English poet. Writings: Paradise Lost (1667) and Paradise Regained (1671).

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Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall, 1882 Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall, 1882

Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall, 1882 Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall, 1882
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Sir Edwin Sandys

Born December 9, 1561 d. 1629

English politician, treasurer of the Virginia Company (1619-24). He financed the Mayflower expedition to the New World (1620). In 1621, he was imprisoned for suspicion of plotting to establish a republican government in America.

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Deaths

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

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Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (Peter John Sheen)

Died December 9, 1979 b. 1895

American Emmy-winning Catholic evangelist. He was the first TV preacher of note. He won an Emmy as Most Outstanding TV Personality (1952).
The actor Ramón Estévez took the last name of his stage name Martin Sheen from him (Martin was from casting director, Robert Dale Martin, who gave him his first big break).
Quote: "Hearing nuns' confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn."
Radio: The Catholic Hour on NBC (1930-50). TV: Life Is Worth Living (1952-57).

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Sgt. William Harvey Carney

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Sgt. William Harvey Carney

Died December 9, 1908 b. 1840

American soldier. His acts of bravery in the Civil War were the first actions to earn an African American the Medal of Honor. In 1863, during the Civil War assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston, South Carolina, Carney, although seriously wounded, struggled across the battlefield carrying the Union flag. His citation reads, "When the color sergeant was shot down, this soldier grasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back he brought off the flag, under a fierce fire in which he was twice severely wounded."
Although his were the first actions for which a Medal of Honor was awarded to an African American, he wasn't awarded his medal until 1900, during which time other African Americans had received their award for actions which occurred after his heroics.
It is believed he escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad.
This battle is portrayed in the film Glory (1989).

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Al Unser Sr.

Died December 9, 2021 b. 1939

American auto racer. Four-time Indy 500 winner (1970-71, 78, 87).

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Mary Ann Mobley

Died December 9, 2014 b. 1937

American actress, Miss America (1959). TV: Diff'rent Strokes (the second Maggie McKinney).

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Gene Barry

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Gene Barry (Eugene Klass)

Died December 9, 2009 b. 1919

American actor. Film: The War of the Worlds (1953, Dr. Clayton Forrester) and The Atomic City (1952). TV: Bat Masterson (1958-61, title role) and Burke's Law (1963-66, title role)

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Paul Martin Simon

Died December 9, 2003 b. 1928

American politician, U.S. Senator (1985-97, Democrat Illinois). Known for his bowtie and horn-rimmed glasses.

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Wrong-Way Corrigan

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Wrong-Way Corrigan (Douglas Groce Corrigan)

Died December 9, 1995 b. 1907

American aviator. He made a nonstop transatlantic flight from N.Y. to Ireland without a permit (1938), claiming he had intended to fly to Los Angeles, but had followed the wrong end of his compass. He had repeatedly applied for a permit for a transatlantic flight, but was rejected because his airplane was deemed not airworthy.

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Vincent Gardenia (Vincent Scognamiglio)

Died December 9, 1992 b. 1920

Italian Tony-Emmy-winning actor. TV: All in the Family (Frank Lorenzo).

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William Augustus Wellman

Died December 9, 1975 b. 1896

American film director, Wings (1927, winner of the first Best Picture Oscar), Public Enemy (1931), and The Ox-Bow Incident (1943).

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Gene Carr

Died December 9, 1959 b. 1881

American cartoonist. Creator of Lady Bountiful (1902). He was a pioneer of the use of sequential panels in cartoons. Lady Bountiful was one of the first cartoons to have a lady protagonist.

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Ezra Cornell

Died December 9, 1874 b. 1807

American telegraph pioneer. Founder of Western Union Telegraph (1855) and Cornell University (1865).

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Clement IX

Died December 9, 1669 b. 1600

Italian religious leader, 238th Pope (1667-69).

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Pius IV

Died December 9, 1565 b. 1499

Italian religious leader, 224th Pope (1559-65). He reopened the Council of Trent (1562).

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