Today's Trivia and What Happened on February 9

Why do bees have sticky hair?

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Because they use honeycombs.

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Quote: Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. - George Carlin

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Holidays

Feast Day of Saint Apollonia

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Feast Day of Saint Apollonia

Patron saint of dentists and people with toothaches. After having her teeth beaten out for refusing to renounce her faith, she leapt to her death in a fire.

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What Happened On

From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Ed Sullivan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney go to Video for The Beatles On Ed Sullivan
From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Ed Sullivan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney

From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Ed Sullivan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney From left: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Ed Sullivan, John Lennon, Paul McCartney
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The Beatles On Ed Sullivan

February 9, 1964

The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was watched by 73.7 million people.
Also appearing on that show was future Monkees' member Davy Jones, who was appearing as part of the cast of the play Oliver!, in which he was playing the Artful Dodger. Jones said of the experience, "I watched the Beatles from the side of the stage, I saw the girls going crazy, and I said to myself, this is it, I want a piece of that."
The Beatles had made their first appearance on U.S. TV on a segment of The Huntley-Brinkley Report the previous November.

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Book from the Anti-Opium league Book from the Anti-Opium league

Book from the Anti-Opium league Book from the Anti-Opium league
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First U.S. Federal Narcotics Prohibition

February 9, 1909

The importation and smoking of opium is banned by "The Opium Exclusion Act of 1909". It did not ban the use of opium, only the smoking and importation of it. Chinese immigrants were the primary smokers of opium, while opium was a common medicine used by Americans at the time. The previously legal trade of opium was soon taken over by criminal enterprises.
The law went into effect on April 1.

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First Major U.S. Railroad Tunnel

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First Major U.S. Railroad Tunnel

February 9, 1875

The Hoosac Tunnel in Massachusetts opens. It was the longest U.S. railroad tunnel until 1927. Construction of the 4.75-mile (7.64 km) began in 1851.
• 193 workers were killed in construction accidents, earning it the name the "Bloody Pit".
• Construction of the tunnel also provided the first practical use of the newly-discovered explosive nitroglycerin.
• "Hoosac" is an Algonquian word meaning "place of stones".

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Abraham Lincoln On the $5 Bill

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Abraham Lincoln On the $5 Bill

February 9, 1864

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln poses for the picture that now appears on the U.S. $5 bill.

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Jackson Wins the Vote, But Loses the Presidency

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Jackson Wins the Vote, But Loses the Presidency

February 9, 1825

The U.S. House of Representative chooses John Quincy Adams as president, even though Andrew Jackson had defeated Adams in both the electoral and popular vote. In the presidential election Jackson, had won 99 electoral votes and 41.36% of the popular vote versus Adams with 84 electoral votes and 30.92% of the popular vote, with the remaining going to other candidates. However, since Jackson didn't have the required majority, the election was turned over to the House of Representatives as per the 12th Amendment. On February 9, 1825, they chose Adams making him President. This infuriated Jackson supporters since Jackson had won both the electoral vote and popular vote.

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Biblical Solar Eclipse

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Biblical Solar Eclipse

February 9, 784 

According to the Bible, Amos 8:9 - "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day."
Some scholars believe the date of this event corresponds with the solar eclipse of February 9, 784 B.C., which would have appeared as a total eclipse at 1 p.m. in Jerusalem.
Note: Other scholars put this event as corresponding to the Solar Eclipse of 763 B.C.

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Paul McCartney and Wings

February 9, 1972

The ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his new group make their debut performance at Nottingham University, England.

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McCarthyism

February 9, 1950

Sen. Joseph McCarthy launches his anti-Red campaign when he addresses a Republican Women's Club telling them that members of the Communist Party are working in the State Department.

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Evolution Banned in Atlanta

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Evolution Banned in Atlanta

February 9, 1926

Teaching of Darwin's theory of evolution in public schools is banned by Atlanta's Board of Education.

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U.S. National Weather Service

February 9, 1870

Congress establishes the agency as a division of the U.S. Army.

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Civil War

February 9, 1865

Gen. Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate armies.

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Civil War

February 9, 1861

Jefferson Davis is unanimously elected provisional president of the Confederate States of America.

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American Revolution

February 9, 1775

The British Parliament declares the Massachusetts Colony to be in a state of rebellion.

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King William's War

February 9, 1690

French and Indian forces burn Schenectady, New York.

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Birthdays

William Henry Harrison

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William Henry Harrison

Born February 9, 1773 d. 1841

American politician. 9th U.S. President (Mar. 4 - Apr. 4, 1841). He died of pneumonia 31 days after taking office, making him the first U.S. president to die in office. His inaugural address took almost two hours and is the longest in American history. Three weeks after his inauguration, he became sick with a cold. Harrison's doctors tried several cures, such as opium and leeches, but to no avail. He died nine days later.

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Judith Light

Born February 9, 1949

American Emmy-winning actress. TV: One Life to Live (Karen Wolek) and Who's the Boss? (Angela).

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Mia Farrow

Born February 9, 1945

American actress. Film: Rosemary's Baby (1968, Rosemary). TV: Peyton Place (Allison MacKenzie).

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The Color Purple

Alice Walker

Born February 9, 1944

American Pulitzer-winning author, "womanist." Writings: The Color Purple (Pulitzer).

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Joe Pesci

Born February 9, 1943

American actor. Film: Raging Bull (1980), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), and Home Alone (1990), and My Cousin Vinny (1992).

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Carole King (Carole Klein)

Born February 9, 1942

American Grammy-winning singer. Music: It's Too Late (1971, #1).

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Barry Mann

Born February 9, 1939

American songwriter. Teamed with Cynthia Weil, over 150 million copies of their songs have been sold. Music: On Broadway (Drifters), You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling (Righteous Brothers), and Here You Come Again (Dolly Parton).

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Roger Mudd

Born February 9, 1928 d. 2021

American Emmy-winning TV newscaster.

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Kathryn Grayson (Zelma Hedrick)

Born February 9, 1922 d. 2010

American actress. Star of many MGM musicals of the 1940s and '50s. Film: Show Boat (1951) and Kiss Me Kate (1953).

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Ernest Tubb

Born February 9, 1914 d. 1984

American country music Hall of Famer. Music: I'm Walkin' the Floor Over You (1942) and Goodnight, Irene (1950, #1).

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Heather Angel

Born February 9, 1909 d. 1986

British actress. TV: Family Affair (Miss Faversham).

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Carmen Miranda

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Carmen Miranda - The Brazilian Bombshell

Carmen Miranda (Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha)

Born February 9, 1909 d. 1955

Portuguese-born Brazilian dancer, actress. The "Brazilian Bombshell," known for her fruit-bearing headgear. She was the highest-paid performer of the 40s. She also experienced a famous wardrobe malfunction that exposed her pubic area.

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Honorius II

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Honorius II (Lamberto Scannabecchi)

Born February 9, 1060 d. 1130

religious leader, 163rd Pope (1124-30).

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Deaths

Fred Morrison

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Inventor of the Frisbee

Fred Morrison (Walter Frederick Morrison)

Died February 9, 2010 b. 1920

American inventor. He invented the Frisbee (c1937). He got the idea when someone offered to buy the cake pan he and his future wife were tossing back and forth at the beach. He was also a prisoner of the infamous Stalag 13 during World War II.

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Bill Haley

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Bill Haley

Died February 9, 1981 b. 1925

American rock 'n' roll pioneer. Music: Rock Around the Clock (1954, #1).

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Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

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Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky

Died February 9, 1881 b. 1821

Russian author. Writings: Crime and Punishment (1866) and The Brothers Karamazov (1880).
His 1864 novella Notes from Underground is considered to be one of the first works of existentialist literature.
Quote: "Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles."

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Princess Margaret Photo Credit: Nationaal Archief

Princess Margaret Photo Credit: Nationaal Archief
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Princess Margaret

Died February 9, 2002 b. 1930

Countess of Snowdon and sister of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Fred Gehrke

Died February 9, 2002 b. 1918

American NFL football player (1940-50). He designed the first NFL football helmet logo (Los Angeles Rams, 1948). He is also credited with creating the first helmet with a full facemask. This was after having broken his nose three times during the 1946 season.

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David Wayne (Wayne James McMeekan)

Died February 9, 1995 b. 1914

American actor. TV: Dallas (1978, Digger Barnes).

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Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov

Died February 9, 1984 b. 1914

Soviet leader.

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Gabby Hayes (George Hayes)

Died February 9, 1969 b. 1885

American western actor. Film: Hopalong Cassidy films (Windy).

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Sophie Tucker

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Last Of The Red Hot Mamas

Sophie Tucker (Sonya Kalish-Abuza)

Died February 9, 1966 b. 1887

Ukrainian-born American cabaret singer. Music: I'm The Last Of The Red Hot Mamas (1929, which became her billing for the rest of her life).

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