December 4 in Pop Culture History

December 4th History, Trivia, and Fun Facts

December 4th History Highlights

  • The National Grange was founded in 1786.
  • 1918 – President Woodrow Wilson sailed for the World War I peace talks in Versailles, becoming the first US president to travel to Europe while in office.
  • December 4, 1942 Birthday (fictional) The Dude, The Big Lebowski
  • 1954 – The first Burger King (Insta Burger King) opened in Miami, Florida, owned by James McLamore and David Edgerton.
  • 2017 – The Thomas Fire started near Santa Paula, becoming the largest wildfire in modern California history after burning 440 square miles in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.
  • If you were born on December 4th,
    You were likely conceived the week of… March 12th (same year)

Mary Celeste Mystery

In 1872, Brigantine Mary Celeste, weighing 282 tons, set sail from New York City on her maiden voyage on the Atlantic. Onboard were the captain, her crew, a number of crew members and passengers, as well as the ship’s crew.

On December 4, 1872, Mary Celeste was discovered by a passing British ship called Dei Gratia in the middle of the Atlantic, about 1,000 miles off the coast of Italy. The main theory of what happened to these people is that the ship sank as a result of a collision with another ship, possibly an iceberg, or maybe a hurricane. Despite the lack of lifeboats, the vessels were undamaged and loaded with food and water good for six months.

National Cookie Day

National Cookie Day was established in 1987 by the Blue Chip Cookie Company, but it was later remembered that Sesame Street character Cookie Monster had proclaimed his very own National Cookie Day prior to that in 1980. It was later decided that the day to celebrate would be on December 4th. 

National Sock Day

National sock day is celebrated each year on December 4th. It was founded in 2016 by the apparel company Pair of Thieves. It was created to encourage people to give socks to those in need and to celebrate the clothing staple. 

How to Celebrate National Sock Day
You can observe National Sock Day by buying a new pair of socks, wearing your favorite silly pair, or finally matching all of your lone socks together. To make the day more meaningful, consider one of the options below as well. 

Donate your socks to a Homeless Shelter
Socks are one of the most sought-after clothing items in homeless communities. To honor this holiday, consider buying some warm winter socks and donating them to a local homeless shelter or clothing drive.

Make Your Own Socks
National Sock Day is the perfect time to get started if you don’t know how to knit or crochet. You can take a class or watch instructional videos online. Socks are a simple item to get started with. You’ll learn a practical lifelong skill and have new warm and cozy socks to show for it. 

Gift A Pair of Socks
Make someone’s day by gifting them a pair of new socks. This simple act of kindness is sure to make them smile.

December 4th is…

National Sock Day
Santa’s List Day

December 4th Birthday Quotes

“Someday, somehow, I am going to do something useful, something for people. They are, most of them, so helpless, so hurt and so unhappy.”
– Edith Cavell

“The great characters of fiction live as truly as the memories of dead men. For the life after death, it is not necessary that a man or woman should have lived.”
– Samuel Butler

“I will not lose, for even in defeat, there’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens up for me.”
– Jay-Z

“Every day, I wanna work on being a better person, not just to others but to myself.”
– Fred Armisen

“Each man has his own desires; all do not possess the same inclinations.”
– Tyra Banks

December 4th Birthdays

34 – Persius, Roman poet (died in 62)
1835 – Samuel Butler, British writer (died in 1902)
1861 – Lillian Russel, American singer/actress (died in 1922)
1865 – Edith Louisa Cavell, English nurse, and spy (died in 1915)
1892 – Francisco Franc0, Spanish leader (died in 1975)
1914 – Claude Renoir, French cinematographer (died in 1993)
1923 – Charles Keating, American lawyer, and financier (died in 2014)
1931 – Wally George, American radio and television host (died in 2003)
1933 – Wink Martindale, American game show host
1937 – Max Baer, Jr., American actor
1939 – Freddy Cannon, American singer
1940 – Gary Gilmore, American criminal (died in 1977)
1944 – Dennis Wilson, American singer-songwriter, and drummer (died in 1983)
1948 – Southside Johnny (John Lyon), American singer-songwriter
1949 – Jeff Bridges, American actor
1951 – Patricia Wettig, American actress
1955 – Cassandra Wilson, American singer-songwriter
1964 – Marisa Tomei, American actress
1966 – Fred Armisen, American actor, and musician
1969 – Jay Z, American rapper, producer, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records
1973 – Tyra Banks, American model, and producer

December 4th History

1674 – In what is now Chicago, Father Jacques Marquette founded a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan to minister to the Illiniwek Indians.

1791 – The first edition of The Observer, the world’s first Sunday newspaper, was published in London.

1872 – The US ship Mary Celeste was found, in good condition, but with no one aboard, in the Atlantic Ocean. #mystery

1875 – New York City politician Boss Tweed escaped from prison.

1881 – The Los Angeles Times began publication.

1917 – “Shell Shock” was introduced as psychological trauma for war veterans.

1921 – The first Virginia Rappe manslaughter trial against Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle ended in a hung jury. (It was a horrible accident that also ended his career.)

1933 – Broadway Show – Tobacco Road (Play) December 4, 1933

December 4, 1942 Birthday (fictional) Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski, The Big Lebowski, Film

1943 – Major League Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that any club could employ black players.

1945 – The Senate approved the participation of the United States in the UN. The United Nations began several weeks earlier, on October 24, 1945.

1952 – Starting today, and over the course of the next several days, Smog (severe air pollution) killed over 4,000 people in London.

1954 – #1 Hit December 4, 1954 – January 21, 1955: The ChordettesMr. Sandman

1956The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) got together at Sun Studio. The recordings were released in 1981 and 1990.

1965 – #1 Hit December 4, 1965 – December 24, 1965: The ByrdsTurn! Turn! Turn!

1971 – #1 Hit December 4, 1971 – December 24, 1971: Sly and the Family StoneFamily Affair

1971 – A fire broke out at the Montreux Casino during a Frank Zappa concert, this event was the inspiration for Deep Purple’s iconic rock anthem Smoke on the Water.

1973 – NASA’s Pioneer 10 reached Jupiter.

1980 – Led Zeppelin officially disbanded, following the death of drummer John Bonham on September 25th.

1981 – Falcon Crest premiered on CBS.

1981 – You Can’t Do That on Television premiered on Nickelodeon.

1981 – Reds premiered in theaters. Warren Beatty wrote, directed, and starred in the film.

1991 – Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) ceased operations.

2009 – American Amanda Knox was convicted of murdering her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, in Italy. (it was later overturned)

2010 – #1 Hit December 4, 2010 – December 10, 2010: RihannaOnly Girl (In the World)

December 4, 2014 – Peter Pan Live! aired on NBC.

#1 Hit December 4, 2021 – December 24, 2021: Easy on MeAdele

Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts

The character Travis Bickle in ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976) was inspired by real-life assassin Arthur Bremer, who tried to kill Governor George Wallace in 1972.

The Capital of Botswana is Gaborone

“Soylent Green is people!” – Det. Robert Thorn (Charlton Heston) in Soylent Green, 1973.

The earliest recorded recipe for Mac & Cheese is from the 14th century.

Alfred Hitchcock chose to not conclude the film The Birds with the usual “THE END” title because he wanted to leave the audience on edge.

Shuttlecocks used in professional badminton are made of feathers from the left wing of a goose. Feathers from the right wing make them spin the wrong way.

Upon landing on the moon, Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad said, “That may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me.”

The plastic piece on the end of a shoelace is called an aglet.

I wonder if Aliens have ever made a movie about how they invaded a nice looking planet with an underdeveloped species and then got defeated as the underdeveloped species took down their shields with one of their viruses.

I was going to ask for a sandwich with Everything in it. Then I remembered what happened last time, so I just got a bag of chips.

US President #36 Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969) LBJ escalated American involvement in Vietnam refusing to be the first President to lose a war.

“There’s no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?” – Elaine Dickinson #moviequotes

The Capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo

Ability is what you’re capable of doing…
Motivation determines what you do…
Attitude determines how well you do it.

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