What Happened On
The Original Amateur Hour
January 18, 1948
The TV show The Original Amateur Hour debuts on DuMont. It was a continuation of the radio program Major Bowes Amateur Hour (1934-45). Major Bowes left the radio program in 1945, and died the following year. Ted Mack took over as host of the radio show, bringing the show to television in 1948, and hosting the show until its cancellation in 1970. The home audience would vote for contestants via postcards.
Its contestants included future stars Pat Boone, Gladys Knight, Ann-Margret, Jose Feliciano, Irene Cara, and Tanya Tucker. They turned down Elvis Presley's request to be on the show. Frank Sinatra had been a contestant on the radio version.
It was one of only six shows to appear on all four major TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, DuMont).
Ban On Sliced Bread
January 18, 1943
Due to conservation efforts needed for World War II, a ban on American bakers selling sliced bread goes into effect. The ban was ordered by the Food Administrator in an effort to conserve wrapping paper ("the ready-sliced loaf must have a heavier wrapping than an unsliced one if it is not to dry out") and the steel used in the slicing machines.
However, due to the large outcry from the public, the ban was rescinded in March.
World War I - Paris Peace Conference
January 18, 1919
Following the end of World War I to set the peace terms. It created the League of Nations and the Treaty of Versailles.
Ely landing on the USS Pennsylvania
Ely landing on the USS Pennsylvania
First Airplane to Land on a Ship
January 18, 1911
Eugene Ely lands on the USS Pennsylvania.
In order to stop the airplane after landing, cables with sandbags attached were stretched across the deck. The airplane had hooks to catch the cables. Ely was able to stop in about 30 feet (9 meters).
Two months earlier, he had made the first airplane take-off from a ship's deck.
Longest Time Between the Birth of Surviving Twins
January 18, 1995
Celeste Keys is born 95 days after her twin brother Timothy, who was born premature.
First Female to Attend the Citadel
January 18, 1994
Shannon Faulkner begins attending day classes at the military academy the Citadel. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that the 151-year-old military college's male-only admissions policy is unconstitutional. She was initially only allowed to attend day classes. She became the first woman cadet at the Citadel in 1995; however, after four hours of military indoctrination training, she spent the remainder of the first week in the infirmary before voluntarily resigning, citing emotional and psychological abuse and physical exhaustion. In 2012, Faulkner claimed she had quit due to a threat to kill her parents by a person present when she entered.
D.C. Mayor Filmed Smoking Crack
January 18, 1990
Washington D.C. mayor Marion Barry is filmed by the FBI smoking crack in a hotel room. He was later convicted of misdemeanor drug possession.
Boston Strangler
January 18, 1967
Albert DeSalvo is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on rape charges unrelated to the strangulations. Although he confessed to being the "Boston Strangler" and murdering 13 women in the Boston area between 1962-64, he was never tried for the murders due to lack of evidence. However, in 2013, 40 years after his death, DNA evidence linked DeSalvo to the 1964 rape and the murder 19-year-old Mary Sullivan, who was the last-known victim of the Boston Strangler.
First Black to Play in an NHL Game
January 18, 1958
Canadian ice hockey player Willie O'Ree for the Boston Bruins, playing as a winger.
In 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
There were no other black players in the NHL until another Canadian player, Mike Marson, was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1974.
The Hawaiian Islands
January 18, 1778
James Cook becomes the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands. Two days later, he landed on the island of Kauai, naming the island group the Sandwich Islands, in honor of John Montagu, the earl of Sandwich.
UFO Sighting in America
January 18, 1644
UFOs seen over Boston Harbor are described as two lights with sparks flying between them. These are believed to be the same UFOs that had appeared earlier in 1639, which were also described as two lights with sparks flying between them.
Birthdays
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
Rev. Howell M. Forgy
Born January 18, 1908 d. 1972
U.S. Navy chaplain. During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Forgy encouraged the crew with the words "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."
He was serving aboard the USS New Orleans during the attack and due to lack of ship's power the men had formed a bucket brigade to transfer ammunition to the guns to fire at the incoming Japanese planes. When he saw that the men were getting tired, he inspired them with his now famous words "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."
After word of the incident spread, the phrase became famous was even made into a song.
Cary Grant, with Audrey Hepburn, and in North By Northwest
Cary Grant, with Audrey Hepburn, and in North By Northwest
Cary Grant (Archibald Leach)
Born January 18, 1904 d. 1986
English-born American Oscar-winning actor.
When Grant was nine years old, his father placed his mother in a mental institution, and told him that she had gone away on a "long holiday", later telling him that she had died. Grant did not learn that his mother was still alive until he was 31, when his father confessed shortly before his own death. Grant then located her and had her removed from the home.
Film: North By Northwest (1959) and That Touch of Mink (1962).
Oliver Hardy (Norvell Hardy)
Born January 18, 1892 d. 1957
American comedian, actor. He made over 100 films with partner Stan Laurel.
Original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed toys. Tigger, Kanga, Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet
Original Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed toys. Tigger, Kanga, Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet
Creator of Winnie-the-Pooh
A.A. Milne (Alan Alexander Milne)
Born January 18, 1882 d. 1956
English author. Writings: Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), which were inspired by his real-life son Christopher Robin Milne and his stuffed animal toys.
Performed First Successful Heart Surgery
Daniel Hale Williams
Born January 18, 1856 d. 1931
African-American physician. Daniel Hale Williams performed what is considered the first successful heart surgery. He sutured the heart of a stabbing victim (1897). The operation was performed at Chicago's Provident Hospital, which Williams founded in 1891 as the first non-segregated hospital in the United States.
Williams' hospital also had an associated nursing school for African Americans. In 1913, Williams was elected as the only African-American charter member of the American College of Surgeons.
Joseph Farwell Glidden
Born January 18, 1813 d. 1906
American businessman. He invented the first practical barbed wire (1874). His barbed wire changed ranching and made him one of the wealthiest men in the U.S.
Barbed wire fences were cheaper than their alternatives making it more affordable to fence in larger areas, thus making large scale animal husbandry more practical.
Michael Kearney
Born January 18, 1984
American child prodigy. He is the youngest college graduate (received bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of South Alabama at age 10 years, 5 months). Kearny got his high school diploma at age 6 and associate degree at age 8.
He won $1,000,000 on the AOL game Gold Rush (2006), but only $25,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (2008). He was also a contestant on Million Dollar Password (2009), but he did not pass the elimination round.
Kevin Costner
Born January 18, 1955
American actor. Film: The Big Chill (1983, Alex's corpse), The Untouchables (1987), Bull Durham (1988), and Dances with Wolves (1990).
Bobby Goldsboro
Born January 18, 1941
American pop singer. Music: Honey (1968, #1) and Autumn of My Life (1968).
Ray Dolby
Born January 18, 1933 d. 2013
American inventor. He developed the Dolby noise reduction system. He also won an Emmy award for his contribution to the first video recorder (1957).
John Boorman
Born January 18, 1933
English film director. Film: Deliverance (1972) and Hope and Glory (1987).
Thomas Augustus Watson
Born January 18, 1854 d. 1934
American telephone technician and shipbuilder. He was Alexander Graham Bell's assistant during his discovery of the telephone and was one of the founders of Bell Telephone.
Daniel Webster
Born January 18, 1782 d. 1852
American statesman.
Peter Mark Roget
Born January 18, 1779 d. 1869
English lexicographer, physician. He compiled Roget's Thesaurus (1852). The original edition contained 15,000 words. He had been working on it for almost 50 years.
An avid chess player, Roget solved the general open knight's tour problem and designed an inexpensive pocket chessboard.
Deaths
Left to right: Moe, Curly, Larry
Left to right: Moe, Curly, Larry
Curly Howard (Jerome Lester Horwitz)
Died January 18, 1952 b. 1903
American comic actor. One of the Three-Stooges. Known for phrases such as "nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!", "woob-woob-woob!", and "soitenly!" Curly joined the Stooges in 1932, replacing his brother Shemp Howard.
He died at the age of 48 after a series of strokes that began at the age of 42.
Charles Ponzi (Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi)
Died January 18, 1949 b. 1882
Italian swindler, con artist. He was famous for his "money pyramid" scheme (1919), now known as a "Ponzi Scheme," in which he bilked his investors of $20,000,000 before he was exposed.
His scheme was based on international reply coupons (IRCs). These were coupons you could buy in one country and redeem for return postage in another country. If these values were different, there was a potential profit. Since inflation after World War I had reduced Italy's postage compared to that the U.S., the coupons had an instant increase in value. Ponzi claimed that the net profit on these transactions was in excess of 400%. Ponzi promised investors that he would double their investment in 90 days, which he did for the initial investors. This original IRC scheme itself was perfectly legal. However, it was logistically impossible on a large scale because there was no easy way to convert the coupons to cash and the sheer volume of the coupons needed. For example, just to satisfy the initial 18 investors for their $1800 investment, it would have taken 53,000 postal coupons. By the time the operation was in full swing, it would have required 160 million IRCs, but there were only about 27,000 in circulation. It would have also required entire shiploads of coupons coming from Italy. When a financial writer suggested there was no way Ponzi could legally deliver such high returns in a short period of time, Ponzi sued for libel and won $500,000 in damages.
Instead of buying and selling IRCs, Ponzi simply paid the early investors with money from later investors. The scheme eventually collapsed, ruining the investors and causing the collapse of six banks. Ponzi served 3½ years in federal prison for mail fraud. When he got out he was convicted by the State of Massachusetts for larceny. While on bail appealing his state conviction, he fled to Florida and bilked investors by selling swamp land. He was eventually apprehended and served seven years in prison and then deported to Italy.
In his last interview before his death, he stated, "Even if they never got anything for it, it was cheap at that price. Without malice aforethought, I had given them the best show that was ever staged in their territory since the landing of the Pilgrims! It was easily worth fifteen million bucks to watch me put the thing over."
John Tyler
Died January 18, 1862 b. 1790
American politician. 10th U.S. President (1841-45) and 10th U.S. Vice-President (1841). He took office after President William Henry Harrison died after having served only 31 days. He was the first U.S. President to marry while in office and the only President to elope (1844), and the first President to decline to run for a second term. Siding with the South during the Civil War, he was elected to the House of Representatives of the Confederate Congress, but died before he could take office.
Tyler was almost killed when a gun exploded on the USS Princeton. Several others were killed, including his future bride's father. Tyler was supposed to be present, but he had stopped for drinks and was late.
Glenn Frey
Died January 18, 2016 b. 1948
American Grammy-winning singer, with The Eagles. Music: Take It Easy (1972), Hotel California (1976, #1), and Smuggler's Blues (1985).
Bob May as the Robot
Bob May as the Robot
Bob May
Died January 18, 2009 b. 1939
American actor, stuntman. TV: Lost in Space (1965-68, wore the robot costume - The voice of the robot was done by Dick Tufeld, who was also the show's announcer).
Eleanor Hibbert
Died January 18, 1993 b. 1906
British historical novelist. Writings: Widow of Windsor and The Bride of Pendorric. Her books, written under names including Victoria Holt, Jean Plaidy, Philippa Carr, have sold over 100,000,000 copies.
Carl Betz
Died January 18, 1978 b. 1921
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: The Donna Reed Show (Donna's husband) and Judd for the Defense (the tough Texas lawyer).
Goose (Reese Tatum)
Died January 18, 1967 b. 1921
American basketball player, "Clown Prince of Basketball." He played with the Harlem Globetrotters (1946-55).
Carl Emil "Bunny" Schultze
Died January 18, 1939 b. 1866
American cartoonist. Creator of Foxy Grandpa (1900).
Rudyard Kipling
Died January 18, 1936 b. 1865
English Nobel-winning author, poet. Writings: The Jungle Book (1894).
John Heathcoat
Died January 18, 1861 b. 1783
English manufacturer. He invented a lacemaking machine (1808) which was considered by far to be the most complicated machine of its time.