Today's Trivia and What Happened on February 5

What has no beginning, middle, or end?

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A doughnut.

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Quote: Rather than learning to speak another language, people should learn to shut up in the one they already know. - Anonymous

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What Happened On

Lisa Nowak, astronaut and mugshot Lisa Nowak, astronaut and mugshot

Lisa Nowak, astronaut and mugshot Lisa Nowak, astronaut and mugshot
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Astro-nut

February 5, 2007

NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak is arrested for attempted kidnapping after driving from Houston to Orlando and confronting another female astronaut who was dating her ex-boyfriend. Her travel supplies included adult diapers, a black wig, rubber tubing, gloves, BB-pistol, and plastic bags.
Nowak flew in space aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in July 2006, where she was responsible for operating the robotic arms of the shuttle and the International Space Station.

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First Close-Up Pictures of Venus

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First Close-Up Pictures of Venus

February 5, 1974

Returned by NASA's Mariner 10.

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TV's Biggest Flop go to Video for TV's Biggest Flop

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TV's Biggest Flop

February 5, 1969

The TV show Turn-On, with host Tim Conway, airs on ABC. It was so offensive, that some stations pulled it off the air midway through the first episode and other stations in later time zones refused to air it at all. It was canceled before the next week's episode could be aired. It was a fast-paced sketch comedy show whose jokes and skits focused primarily on sex and politics. It was created by Ed Friendly and George Schlatter, the producers of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and guest hosted by Tim Conway. Station WEWS, who pulled the show after 15 minutes, sent a letter to ABC stating, "If your naughty little boys have to write dirty words on the walls, please don't use our walls. Turn-On is turned off, as far as WEWS is concerned."
Tim Conway, was also part of some of TV's most successful shows, such McHale's Navy (1962-66) and The Carol Burnett Show (1967-78).

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Mk 15 Bomb Mk 15 Bomb

Mk 15 Bomb Mk 15 Bomb
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Have You Seen My Bomb?

February 5, 1958

A nuclear bomb is lost by the U.S. Air Force when a B-47 bomber carrying the bomb collides mid-air with an F-86 fighter. The Mk 15 nuclear bomb was jettisoned near the coast of Savannah, Georgia. Despite a massive search, the bomb was never found.
The B-47 bomber was on a simulated combat mission from Homestead Air Force Base in Florida when it collided with the F-86. The F-86 pilot safely ejected, but the B-47 remained airborne. The crew ejected the bomb to reduce weight and prevent the bomb from exploding during an emergency landing. The B-47 then landed safely at Hunter Air Force Base. At the time, the Air Force claimed that, although the bomb contained 400 pounds (180kg) of high explosives and highly enriched uranium, it was lacking the nuclear capsule needed to initiate the nuclear reaction. But, congressional testimony by then Assistant Secretary of Defense W.J. Howard in 1966 said the bomb was a "complete weapon, a bomb with a nuclear capsule."

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World's Largest Gold Nugget

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World's Largest Gold Nugget

February 5, 1869

The Welcome Stranger, weighing more than 2,520 troy ounces (78 kg, 210 lb), is found in Victoria, Australia. It was only 1.2 inches (3 cm) below the surface.

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Noriega Indicted on Bribery Charges

February 5, 1988

Manuel Noriega is indicted by a Miami grand jury on charges of accepting $4,600,000 in bribes from major drug dealers.

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Screening of Airline Passengers

February 5, 1972

Screening of airline passengers and luggage becomes mandatory in the U.S.

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Russian Orthodox Church

February 5, 1918

Russian Orthodox Church formally separates from Russia following the Bolshevik Revolution.

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Push-Key Adding Machine

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Push-Key Adding Machine

February 5, 1850

The push-key adding machine is patented, by Du Bois Parmelee.

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Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Alsace

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Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Alsace

February 5, 1682

The Gregorian calendar is adopted by Alsace (part of France at the time). Today's date became February 16.

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Roger Williams Arrives in the Colonies

February 5, 1631

Roger Williams arrives in the colonies. He founded Providence, Rhode Island (1636) and established the first Baptist Church in the colonies.

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Birthdays

Nolan Bushnell

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Nolan Bushnell

Born February 5, 1943

American businessman. He founded the Atari (1972) video game company and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza-Time Theaters.
He is credited with Bushnell's Law: "All the best games are easy to learn and difficult to master."

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Hank Aaron

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Hank Aaron (Henry Louis Aaron)

Born February 5, 1934 d. 2021

American Hall of Fame baseball player. Hank Aaron played MLB from 1954-76 and held the major league record of 755 home runs, until it was broken by Barry Bonds (2007).

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James A. Dewar

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Invented the Twinkie

James A. Dewar

Born February 5, 1897 d. 1985

Canadian baker. Invented the Twinkie (1930). While working for Continental Baking Company (which later became Hostess) in Schiller Park, Illinois, he needed a substitute for the filling in their strawberry shortcake, as strawberries were seasonal. So he substituted cream for the strawberry filling and the Twinkie was born. He himself ate three a day and lived to the age of 88.
The original Twinkies had a stated shelf life of only 26 days (the newer ones = 45 days), but as we all know, after the Zombie Apocalypse the only thing remaining will be cockroaches and Twinkies.

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Roger Staubach

Born February 5, 1942

American Football Hall of Fame quarterback.

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Red Buttons (Aaron Chwatt)

Born February 5, 1919 d. 2006

American Oscar-winning actor. Film: Sayonara (1957, Oscar).

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William S. Burroughs

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William S. Burroughs

Born February 5, 1914 d. 1997

American author. He is credited with being the first to use "heavy metal" to describe something hip. Writings: Naked Lunch (1959).

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John Carradine (Richmond Reed Carradine)

Born February 5, 1906 d. 1988

American actor.

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1919 Citroën A 8CV Torpedo 1919 Citroën A 8CV Torpedo
Photo Credit: Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden

1919 Citroën A 8CV Torpedo 1919 Citroën A 8CV Torpedo
Photo Credit: Lars-Göran Lindgren Sweden
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Andre Gustave Citroën

Born February 5, 1878 d. 1935

French automaker, industrialist. He brought Henry Ford's mass production of the automobile ideas to the European auto industry. In 1915, during the lead up to WWI, he built a munitions plant that had a capacity of 55,000 shells a day. After the war he converted his munitions plant to produce the small, inexpensive Citroën automobile (1919).

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Belle Starr

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The Female Jesse James

Belle Starr (Myra Belle Shirley)

Born February 5, 1848 d. 1889

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).

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Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires

Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires Dunlop on a bicycle with his tires
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John Boyd Dunlop

Born February 5, 1840 d. 1921

Scottish veterinarian and inventor. He patented the pneumatic tire (1888), although he would lose his patent rights when it was discovered the pneumatic tire had already been patented. Dunlop originally developed pneumatic tires for his son's tricycle and soon had them made commercially in Scotland. A cyclist using his tires began winning all his races and drew the attention of Harvey Du Cros, who then went into business with Dunlop.

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Sir Robert Peel

Born February 5, 1788 d. 1850

English statesman, founder of the metropolitan police in London (c1829). The term "bobbie" is derived from his first name.

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Deaths

Kirk Douglas

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Kirk Douglas (Issur Danielovitch)

Died February 5, 2020 b. 1916

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

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Jean Lafitte

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Jean Lafitte

Died February 5, 1823 b. 1780

French pirate, leader of a band of adventurers off the coast of Louisiana. He served with the U.S. in the War of 1812 in which he helped Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British.

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Chris Browne

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Chris Browne (Christopher Kelly Browne)

Died February 5, 2023 b. 1952

American cartoonist. Son of Hägar the Horrible creator Dik Browne. After his father's death in 1989, he became the artist and writer for Hägar the Horrible until 2023.

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Leon Spinks Photo Credit: Johnmaxmena

Leon Spinks Photo Credit: Johnmaxmena
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Leon Spinks

Died February 5, 2021 b. 1953

American boxer, world heavyweight champion (1978), and 1976 Olympic gold medal winner.

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Christopher Plummer

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Christopher Plummer (Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer)

Died February 5, 2021 b. 1929

Canadian Oscar-Tony-Emmy-winning actor. Film: The Sound of Music (1965, Baron Von Trapp) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975, Rudyard Kipling).

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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Photo Credit: Global Good News

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Photo Credit: Global Good News
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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (Mahesh Srivastava)

Died February 5, 2008 b. 1918

Indian Guru. Founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM) and claimed he could teach people to actually levitate. He claimed to have trained more than 40,000 TM teachers, teaching TM to more than five million people. He was also guru to celebrities such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Doug Henning, among others.

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Doug McClure

Died February 5, 1995 b. 1935

American actor. TV: The Virginian (Trampas).

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Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Died February 5, 1993 b. 1909

American Oscar-winning screenwriter, director. Film: A Letter to Three Wives (1949, Oscar) and All About Eve (1950, Oscar). He coined the phrases "my little chickadee" for W.C. Fields and "Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night!" for Bette Davis.

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Dean Jagger

Died February 5, 1991 b. 1903

American Oscar-winning actor. Film: Twelve O'Clock High (1949, Oscar).

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Charles "Chuck" Cooper

Died February 5, 1984 b. 1926

American basketball player. He was the first black drafted by the NBA (1950, Boston Celtics).

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George Arliss (George Augustus Andrews)

Died February 5, 1946 b. 1868

British Oscar-winning actor. Film: Disraeli (1929, Oscar).

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Charles XIII

Died February 5, 1818 b. 1748

King of Sweden (1809-18) and Norway (1814-18).

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