September 8th Fun Facts, Trivia and History |
September 8th History Highlights |
|
September 8th is… |
Ampersand Day Date-Nut Bread Day Literacy Day Pardon Day |
September 8th Birthday Quotes |
“True beauty is knowing who you are and what you want and never apologizing for it.” “There’s always haters, no matter what you’re doing – whether they’re complaining that everything you do sounds the same, or it’s too different.” “Life is a series of problems to figure out how to solve gracefully and with dignity. That is what life is and I can’t see it any other way.” “Some forms of reality are so horrible we refuse to face them unless we are trapped into it by comedy. To label any subject unsuitable for comedy is to admit defeat.” “Oh, I offended you with my opinion? You should hear the ones I keep to myself.” “You can’t move mountains by whispering at them.” |
September 8th Birthdays |
1841 – Antonín Dvorák, Czech composer and academic (died in 1904) 1868 – Seth Weeks, American mandolin player, composer, and bandleader (died in 1953) 1897 – Jimmie Rodgers, American singer-songwriter 1922 – Sid Caesar, American comedic actor (died in 2014) 1922 – Lyndon LaRouche, American politician, and activist (died in 2019) 1925 – Peter Sellers, English comedic actor (died in 1980) 1932 – Patsy Cline, American singer-songwriter (died in 1963) 1937 – Archie Goodwin, American comic book author, and illustrator (died in 1998) 1941 – Bernie Sanders, American politician 1954 – Ruby Bridges, American civil rights activist 1960 – Aimee Mann, American singer-songwriter 1979 – Pink (Alecia Beth Moore), American singer-songwriter 1987 – Wiz Khalifa, Haitian rapper 1989 – Avicii, Swedish EDM artist (died in 2018) |
Miss America |
The Miss America Contest is a yearly competition held for young women from different states of the country. While it’s meant to give a platform to women to present their poise and leadership skills, successful participants are also eligible for thousands of dollars as the prize money. However, the contest goes back to 1921, when 16-year-old Margaret Gorman won the Atlantic City Pageant’s Golden Mermaid trophy. Pageant officials later called her the first Miss America. The pageant, which was previously only held within cities, went on to become a nationwide hit, thanks to the Fall Frolic Festival in Atlantic City. Winners of the inter-city competition were usually judged on their physical appearance and personality and were then sent to a famous bathing suit contest also known as the “Bather’s Revue.” As the content grew in popularity, the swimsuit was also incorporated into it, and the title collectively came to be known as “Miss America.” Interestingly, the contest also faced criticism in its early stages from religious groups across the country due to the revealing outfits. Moreover, during the early 1930s, the organizers faced growing financial difficulties which made holding the event extremely hard. After a break of several years, the event was finally resumed in 1935, and by 1940, it had become a recognized institution with a fixed number of categories such as:
In 1960, it was again criticized by feminists for promoting the objectification of women and unrealistic standards of beauty. As a result, the organizers also responded, claiming that the contest never intended on promoting any of those and was only held to provide educational opportunities to women. Unrelated, America Chavez, also known by her moniker Miss America, is a fictional superhero published by Marvel Comics. |
September 8th History |
1504 – Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in Piazza Della Signoria in Florence. 1860 – The steamship Lady Elgin sank in Lake Michigan, killing nearly 300. 1888 – The body of Jack the Ripper’s second murder victim, Annie Chapman, was found in London. 1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance was first published by the Youth’s Companion Magazine – “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” 1900 – The Galveston Hurricane killed 8,000 people in Texas. 1921 – 16-year-old Margaret Gorman won the Atlantic City Pageant’s Golden Mermaid trophy. Pageant officials later called her the first Miss America. 1930 – “Blondie” newspaper comic strip debuted. 1930 – 3M (formerly the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) began marketing Scotch transparent tape. 1935 – US Senator from Louisiana, Huey Long was fatally shot in the Louisiana State Capitol building by Carl Austin Weiss, Jr. 1951 – #1 Hit September 8, 1951 – November 2, 1951: Tony Bennett – Because Of You 1954 – The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was established. 1956 – Harry Belafonte’s album “Calypso” featuring The Banana Boat Song was the #1 album, according to Billboard, and stayed #1 for 31 weeks, become the first documented million-seller album. 1966 – Tarzan and Star Trek both debuted on NBC. That Girl debuted on ABC. 1973 – #1 Hit September 8, 1973 – September 21, 1973: Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On 1973 – Star Trek: The Animated Series debuted on ABC. 1974 – US President Gerald Ford pardoned former President Richard Nixon for any crimes that then-President Nixon may have committed while in office. 1975 – US Air Force Tech Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, appeared in his Air Force uniform on the cover of Time magazine with the headline “I Am A Homosexual”. He was given a general discharge, which was later upgraded to honorable. 1986 – Oprah Winfrey’s show became nationally syndicated. 1988 – Yellowstone National Park was closed due to ongoing summer fires. 1990 – #1 Hit September 8, 1990 – September 14, 1990: Jon Bon Jovi – Blaze Of Glory 1990 – America’s Funniest Videos debuted on ABC. 1996 – Blue’s Clues premiered on Nickelodeon 1998 – Mark McGuire hit Home Run # 62, breaking Roger Maris’s record of 61 (1961) 2001 – #1 Hit September 8, 2001 – November 2, 2001: Jennifer Lopez featuring Ja Rule – I’m Real 2004 – The NASA unmanned spacecraft Genesis crash-landed on Mars when its parachute failed to open. 2007 – #1 Hit September 8, 2007 – September 14, 2007: Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
The reason Hogwarts doesn’t need gym class is because of all those stairs. Haiku: ~ 3 lines (5-7-5 syllables or 2-3-2 beats recommended.) “tantric” and “tantrum” have a screwy linguistic relationship Pound for pound, hamburgers cost more than new cars. The average person takes about 7 minutes to fall asleep. William Shatner never said “Beam me up, Scotty” Reversing the “i” and “t” in “unite” completely reverses the word’s meaning. Exclamation marks are supposed to highlight something important, but using it excessively just makes it seem trivial!!! “Not nobody, not nohow!” – The Wizard’s Guard #moviequotes A group of Walruses is called a Herd or Pod. I spend way too much time analyzing TV commercials. #sprinklesareforwinners David Fincher asked a stuntman to fall down the stairs 12 times in “Fight Club” for the fight between Norton and Pitt. They used “take one.” 8549176320: all the numerical digits, in alphabetical order. |
More Pop Culture History Resources |
