Today's Trivia and What Happened on September 16

Who said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former"?

Who said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former"? Close Large View

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Quote: There's only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing. - Aristotle

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What Happened On

Sock It To Me go to Video for Sock It To Me

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Sock It To Me

September 16, 1968

U.S. Presidential candidate Richard Nixon delivers the line "Sock it to me" on the TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Nixon's five-second appearance took six takes to get it right. They had offered him the line, "You bet your sweet bippy," but he turned it down stating he didn't know what a "bippy" was and didn't want to find out. Some credit this appearance before a large mostly younger audience as helping him win a close election.

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World's Largest Scramble for Free Land

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World's Largest Scramble for Free Land

September 16, 1893

More than 100,000 homesteaders descend on the 6,000,000-acre Cherokee Strip to stake their claim on 40,000 homesteads. This territory would become part of Oklahoma in 1907.
The land had originally been set aside for the Cherokee Indians. However, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison forbade grazing leases in the Cherokee Outlet after October 2 of 1890, thus eliminating tribal profits from cattle leases, and the Cherokee agreed to sell these lands to the government.
The settlers were known as "Boomers" and weren't supposed to enter the territory until noon September 16, but many snuck in early becoming known as "Sooners."

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Great Seal of the U.S.

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Great Seal of the U.S.

September 16, 1782

The seal bearing a spread eagle with the motto "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of many, one) is first used. It was used on an authorization for George Washington to negotiate prisoner-of-war exchanges with the British.

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Ozone Protection

September 16, 1987

24 countries sign an agreement in Montreal to reduce the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The gases, which are used in aerosols and refrigerants, are blamed for creating a hole in the Earth's ozone layer.

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Miami Vice

September 16, 1984

Miami Vice debuts on NBC.

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Webster

September 16, 1983

Webster debuts on ABC.

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Episcopal Church Ordains Women

September 16, 1976

The Episcopal Church officially approves the ordination of women, thus allowing the recognition of 15 women previously ordained in Philadelphia and Washington.

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The Bob Newhart Show

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The Bob Newhart Show

September 16, 1972

The Bob Newhart Show debuts on CBS. Bob Newhart played a psychologist with Suzanne Pleshette playing his wife. The show often featured a carryover from Newhart's stand-up comedy, where he would have a one-sided phone conversation.

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First CinemaScope Feature

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First CinemaScope Feature

September 16, 1953

20th Century-Fox releases The Robe using its new wide-screen stereophonic film process.
The Robe tells a fictional story of the Roman military tribune who commanded the unit responsible for the Crucifixion of Jesus.

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American Legion

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American Legion

September 16, 1919

This patriotic organization the American Legion is chartered by an act of Congress. It was formed the previous March in Paris, France by a thousand officers and men of the American Expeditionary Forces.

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Haiti

September 16, 1915

Treaty signed with Haiti making it a protectorate of the U.S. for 10 years.

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General Motors

September 16, 1908

The automobile company General Motors is incorporated. It was formed by the merger of Buick and Oldsmobile.

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Birthdays

Peter Falk

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Peter Falk

Born September 16, 1927 d. 2011

American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Columbo (1971-2003, title role). Film: The Princess Bride (1987, Grandpa the narrator).
Just one more thing… Falk wore an artificial eye after his right eye was surgically removed at the age of three due to a retinoblastoma. In a 1997 interview, Falk said: "I remember once in high school the umpire called me out at third base when I was sure I was safe. I got so mad I took out my glass eye, handed it to him and said, 'Try this.' I got such a laugh you wouldn't believe."

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B. B. King

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B. B. King (Riley B. King)

Born September 16, 1925 d. 2015

American Grammy-winning blues singer. He was the first blues singer to tour the USSR (1979). Music: Three O'Clock Blues (1951, #1).

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Lauren Bacall

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Lauren Bacall (Betty Joan Perske)

Born September 16, 1924 d. 2014

American Tony-winning actress. Film: To Have and Have Not (1944), Key Largo (1948), and Applause (1970, Tony).

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Laurence J. Peter

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The Peter Principle

Laurence J. Peter

Born September 16, 1919 d. 1990

Canadian author. Creator of the Peter Principle - "Every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence."
Quote: "Noblest of all dogs is the hot-dog; it feeds the hand that bites it."
Writings: The Peter Principle (1969).

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Colonel Jacob Schick

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The Father of Electric Razors

Colonel Jacob Schick

Born September 16, 1877 d. 1937

American-born Canadian inventor. Known as "The Father of Electric Razors," he patented his electric razor (1928) and formed the Schick Dry Shaver, Inc. razor company.
The patent application stated, "The invention is designed to provide a shaving implement that does not require the usual prior application of lather, or its equivalent to the face as the cutting of the hair can be done while the face and hairs are comparatively dry."
Schick became a Canadian citizen in 1935 to avoid an investigation for tax evasion after he moved most of his wealth to a series of holding companies in the Bahamas.

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David Copperfield

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David Copperfield (David Seth Kotkin)

Born September 16, 1956

American magician. He made both a Lear Jet (1981) and the Statue of Liberty disappear (1983) on TV. He is the most commercially successful magician in history, having grossed over a billion USD in revenue.

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David Bellamy

Born September 16, 1950

American singer, with the Bellamy Brothers. Music: Let Your Love Flow (1976, #1), If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me? (1979, #1), and Kids of the Baby Boom (1987, #1).

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Ed Begley Jr.

Born September 16, 1949

American actor. TV: St. Elsewhere (Dr. Victor Ehrlich).

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Kenney Jones drumming for The Who Kenney Jones drumming for The Who
Photo Credit: Jean-Luc

Kenney Jones drumming for The Who Kenney Jones drumming for The Who
Photo Credit: Jean-Luc
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Kenney Jones (Kenneth Thomas Jones)

Born September 16, 1948

British Hall of Fame drummer. With Small Faces (1965-78), then joined The Who (1979) after the death of Keith Moon.

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Thomas Hooker

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Thomas Hooker

Born September 16, 1934 d. 1993

American policeman. Thomas Hooker claimed to be the inspiration for the TV show T.J. Hooker (1982-85) character Thomas Jefferson Hooker, portrayed by William Shatner. Early in his career, he earned his department's Medal of Valor for braving 40-foot (12m) flames to save occupants of a burning apartment building.
Years later, he died in a house fire set by his wife and adopted son David. After Hooker's son David returned home after 10 years in prison for bank robbery, David and Hooker's wife began having an affair. They set fire to the house and escaped together leaving Hooker, blind and disabled from diabetes, unable to escape. He died of smoke inhalation.

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Anne Francis

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Anne Francis

Born September 16, 1930 d. 2011

American actress. Film: Forbidden Planet (1956, Alta Morbius). TV: Honey West (1965-66), Rip Tide (1984, charter boat operator Mama Jo). She started as a child star of radio soap operas. Honey West was the first TV series with a female detective character's name in the title.

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Tommy Bond

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Tommy Bond

Born September 16, 1926 d. 2005

American actor. Film: The Little Rascals (1933-34 as Tommy and 1936-40 as the bully Butch). He appeared in 27 Our Gang films. Film: Superman serials (1948, Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950, Jimmy Olsen).

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Robert H. Schuller

Born September 16, 1926 d. 2015

American televangelist. Founder of the Crystal Cathedral and host of TV's Hour of Power (1970-2010).

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Allen Funt

Born September 16, 1914 d. 1999

American TV personality. Creator and host of Candid Camera.

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J.C. Penney (James Cash Penney, Jr.)

Born September 16, 1875 d. 1971

American businessman. Founded the J.C. Penney department store chain (1902).

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Deaths

19-year-old nude dancer Micheline Bernardini modeling the Bikini 19-year-old nude dancer Micheline Bernardini modeling the Bikini
Photo Credit: Auto Universum

19-year-old nude dancer Micheline Bernardini modeling the Bikini 19-year-old nude dancer Micheline Bernardini modeling the Bikini
Photo Credit: Auto Universum
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Inventor of the Bikini

Louis Réard

Died September 16, 1984 b. 1897

French automobile engineer, fashion designer. He introduced the bikini (1946), the two-piece swimsuit. When none of his regular models would wear it, he hired a 19-year-old nude dancer to model it. It was named after Bikini Island in the Pacific Ocean.

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Luther Childs Crowell

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Inventor of Square-Bottomed Paper Grocery Bag

Luther Childs Crowell

Died September 16, 1903 b. 1840

American inventor. Invented the square-bottomed paper bag (1872). "My invention relates to the manufacture of square-bottomed bags; and consists in so folding and cementing a strip of paper that when cut into sections of suitable length, one end being closed by one fold, the bottom of the bag or case thus formed when opened or filled will assume a quadrangular shape." U.S. Patent #123,811 and 123,812.

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Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

Died September 16, 1736 b. 1686

German physicist. He created the mercury thermometer (1714) and devised the Fahrenheit temperature scale (1714).

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Jane Powell

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Jane Powell (Suzanne Lorraine Burce)

Died September 16, 2021 b. 1929

American actress. Film: A Date with Judy (1948), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Hit the Deck (1955).TV: Growing Pains (1988-92, Irma Seaver).

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Edward Albee

Died September 16, 2016 b. 1928

American Pulitzer-Tony-winning playwright. Writings: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961), A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer), and Three Tall Women (1994, Pulitzer).

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Tom Wilson

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Tom Wilson

Died September 16, 2011 b. 1931

American cartoonist. Creator of Ziggy (1969).

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Gordon Gould

Died September 16, 2005 b. 1920

American Physicist. He is credited with inventing the laser (1957). He coined the term "laser" (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Although he was the first to document plans on how to build a laser, he was not the first to actually build one (See Theodore Maiman).

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Sheb Wooley

Died September 16, 2003 b. 1921

American actor, singer. Music: The Purple People Eater (1958, #1), and Hee Haw (cast member and wrote the theme song). TV: Rawhide (Pete Nolan).

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James Gregory

Died September 16, 2002 b. 1911

American actor. TV: Barney Miller (Inspector Luger).

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Marc Bolan (Mark Feld)

Died September 16, 1977 b. 1947

English musician, lead singer for T-Rex. Music: Bang a Gong (1971, #1 Britain) and Jeepster (1971, #2 Britain). He died in a car accident.

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The first ascent of the Matterhorn by Gustave Doré The first ascent of the Matterhorn by Gustave Doré

The first ascent of the Matterhorn by Gustave Doré The first ascent of the Matterhorn by Gustave Doré
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Edward Whymper

Died September 16, 1911 b. 1840

British explorer. First person to climb the Matterhorn (1865). Four of his seven-member team died during the descent.

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Herman Long

Died September 16, 1909 b. 1866

American baseball player. He holds the record for most career errors (1,037 errors during 1,877 games from 1889-1904). In 1900 he led the National League in home runs.

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Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier)

Died September 16, 1824 b. 1755

King of France (1814-24).

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Anne Dudley Bradstreet

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Anne Dudley Bradstreet

Died September 16, 1672 b. 1612

American poet. First published poet of New England (1650).

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Tomás de Torquemada

Died September 16, 1498 b. 1420

Dominican prior. He organized the Spanish Inquisition for which he became famous for the severity in which he administered the office.

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Victor III

Died September 16, 1087 b. circa 1026

Italian religious leader, 158th Pope (1086-87).

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Saint Martin I

Died September 16, 655 b. ????

Italian religious leader, 74th Pope (649-655). He was deposed in 653 by Emperor Constans II for condemning the Monothelite heretics at the Lateran Synod of 649.

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