December 19 in Pop Culture History

December 19th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

December 19th History Highlights

  • 1776 – Thomas Paine published one of a series of pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled The American Crisis.
  • 1998 – President Bill Clinton was impeached by the United States House of Representatives, becoming the second President of the United States to be impeached.
  • 1917 – The first NHL Games took place. Montreal Canadians vs Ottawa Senators (7-4 final) and Montreal Wanders beat the Toronto Arenas (10 to 9 final).
  • If you were born on December 19th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… March 27th (same year)

Wise Men Gifts Checklist:

Melchoir – gold
Gaspar – frankincense
Balthazar – myrrh

December 19th is…

Holly Day
Look for an Evergreen Day
National Hard Candy Day
National Oatmeal Muffin Day

National Hard Candy Day

National Hard Candy Day is the perfect excuse to indulge in your favorite sugary treat! The day is observed annually on December 19th.

Hard candies are made from sugar and sugar syrup, with flavorings and colors added. To make hard candy, confectioners boil a sugar syrup to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the temperature is reached, hot pliable sugar is poured into molds or rolled and folded into shapes, and left to cool. Once cool, solid sugar becomes hardened and brittle.

There are many different types of hard candies, from classics like Jolly Ranchers and Lifesavers to more modern flavors like Sour Patch Kids and Warheads. Hard candy is a great choice for those looking for a sweet snack that is relatively low in calories – one piece of hard candy typically contains around 15-20 calories.

So, what are you waiting for? Indulge in a little bit of sweetness and celebrate National Hard Candy Day!

 

December 19th Birthday Quotes

“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
– Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol, first published December 18, in 1843.

“When the mind, body, and spirit work together I believe anything is possible.”
– Criss Angel

“This is the President of the United States speaking. Through the marvels of scientific advance, my voice is coming to you from a satellite circling in outer space. Through this unique means I convey to you, and to all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men everywhere.”
– President Dwight Eisenhower, in the first voice radio message in space.

“The easiest and simplest thing that anyone can do to make their car safer, more gas efficient, whatever – check the tire pressure.”
– Richard Hammond

December 19th Birthdays

1899 – Martin Luther King, Sr., American pastor, missionary, and activist (died in 1984)
1906 – Leonid Brezhnev, Ukrainian-Russian marshal, engineer, and politician, 4th Head of State of the Soviet Union (died in 1982)
1915 – Édith Piaf, French singer-songwriter and actress (died in 1963)
1924 – Cicely Tyson, American actress
1932 – Lola Hendricks, American civil rights activist (died in 2013)
1941 – Maurice White, American singer-songwriter (died in 2016)
1942 – “Mean Gene” Okerlund, American sports announcer (died in 2019)
1944 – Tim Reid, American actor
1944 – Richard Leakey, Kenyan Anthropologist
1946 – Robert Urich, American actor (died in 2002)
1952 – Walter Murphy, American composer
1957 – Kevin McHale, American basketball player
1958 – Limahl, English singer
1963 – Jennifer Beals, American actress
1967 – Criss Angel, American magician
1969 – Richard Hammond, English journalist and TV presenter
1970 – Tyson Beckford, American model, and actor
1972 – Alyssa Milano, American actress
1980 – Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor
1987 – Ronan Farrow, American journalist

December 19th History

1606 – Three ships, Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery left England carrying settlers who founded, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States.

1732 – Benjamin Franklin published the first edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack, in Philadelphia.

1871 – Samuel Clemens received a patent (# 121,992) for “An Improvement in Adjustable and Detachable Garment Straps”, a type of cumberbund/belt.

1903 – The Williamsburg Bridge, was opened in New York City.

1907 – A coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania, killed 239 workers; there was one survivor, Joseph Mapleton, in the Darr Mine Disaster.

1924 – The last Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, the first ‘Best Car in the World’, was sold in London, England.

1930 – The first autogyro pilot to carry a passenger was Amelia Earhart at Pitcairn Field, Willow Grove, PA.

1932 – BBC World Service began broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service.

1950 – Rose Marie Reid of Los Angeles, California, received a patent (#2,535,018) for a one-piece bathing suit “embodying a novel construction for causing it to snugly fit the body of a wearer in a flattering manner,” using elastic fabric.

1957 – Broadway Show – The Music Man (Musical) December 19, 1957

1964 – #1 Hit December 19, 1964 – December 25, 1964: The SupremesCome See About Me

1974 -The Altair 8800 microcomputer was put on sale in the U.S. as a do-it-yourself computer kit, for $397.

1985 – Mary Lund of Minnesota became the first woman to receive a Jarvik VII artificial heart in Minneapolis.

1986Platoon and Little Shop of Horrors debuted in theaters.

1997Tomorrow Never Dies was released in theaters.

1997 – Titanic premiered in theaters.

1998 – President Bill Clinton was charged with lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish his term. His lie was about an affair with 21-year-old intern, Monica Lewinsky.

2001The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring debuted in theaters.

2005Deal Or No Deal premiered on NBC

2012Zero Dark Thirty, The Guilt Trip, and Monsters Inc (3D) were released in theaters.

2014Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Annie were released in theaters.

#1 Hit December 19, 2020 – December 25, 2020: All I Want for Christmas Is YouMariah Carey

December 19, 2500 Birthday (fictional) River Tam, Firefly, TV

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

Santa Names Around The World:
Père Noël in France, St. Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) in Holland, Jultomten – Sweden, Father Christmas in England, Christkind in Germany, Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) – Russia, Santa Kurohsu – Japan, Joulupukki (Old Man Christmas) – Finland, Sion Corn – Wales, Papai Noel Peru, Brazil, and Gwiazdor (Star man) – Poland

The people born the day before or after the cutoff point to start kindergarten were close to having a completely different life.

Calamity Jane – Real Name: Martha Jane Canary

If I owned a fast food restaurant I would have an extra button for the teller to push if the person said “Please” or was kind. That way the cooks could know to add extra fries or something small since the person was so nice.

Con Man “Count” Victor Lustig almost sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.

Strangely nearly all superpowers whether mutant, alien, radiation, etc comes with incredible sewing and costume-making skills.

The third hand on the clock is called the second hand.

The biggest film of 1920: Over the Hill to the Poorhouse earned ~ $3,000,000

“I got my wedding pictures back so fast!”, said no one ever.

Whenever I can’t find something I left, past-me has successfully outsmarted present-me. If present-me continues to look for the item, present-me is forced into playing past-me’s sick twisted game.

“Bam!” – Emeril Lagasse (Emeril Live)

There is a type of food fraud where honey is cut with cheaper sugars and syrups and then sold as pure honey. This is called ‘Honey Laundering’.

Maine is the closest US state to Africa.

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