November 23, 1897---American Andrew J. Beard invents the jenny coupler, a device to automatically hook railroad cars together by simply allowing them to bump into each other. It remains in use today. 1906, Joseph Smith, leader of the Mormons, is convicted of polygamy. He entered a guilty plea, was fined three hundred dollars, and was dismissed. 1921, President Warren G. Harding signs the Willis Campbell Act, forbidding doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medical purposes. 1936, The first issue of the pictorial magazine LIFE is published. The cover featured a photo of the Fort Peck Dam by Margaret Bourke-White. 1948, Dr. Frank G. Back of NYC patents the first zoom lens, which eliminated the need for multiple focal-length lenses mounted on a turret. 1964, The Vatican abolishes Latin as the official language of the Roman Catholic liturgy. 1980, A series of earthquakes devastates southern Italy and kills 4,800 people. BORN ON THIS DAY: 14th president Franklin Pierce (1804), Outlaw William Bonney aka Billy the Kid (1859), Comedian Harpo Marx (1888), Musician/singer Bruce Hornsby (1954), and Actor Maxwell Caulfield (1959). DIED ON THIS DAY: Actor Merle Oberon (1979), Author Roald Dahl (1990), Country music pioneer/legend/hall of famer Roy Acuff (1992), Jazz musician Art Lee Porter, Jr. (1996), Lyricist Betty Comden (2006), and Actor/producer/director Larry Hagman (2012). QUOTE FOR TODAY: The monster was the best friend I ever had---Legendary actor Boris Karloff (born today 1887). ON A PERSONAL NOTE: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best and prettiest Santas elf I have ever seen, Ariel Foxx.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 13:52:23 +0000
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