March 26 Fun Facts, Trivia and HistoryTable of Contents |
March 26 History Highlights |
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Gerrymandering |
| Gerrymandering was named for Elbridge Gerry, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. As Governor of Massachusetts (1810–1812), Gerry approved a redistricting plan for the state senate that gave the political advantage to Republicans. Someone observed that one of the districts looked like a salamander, and soon the process was known as “gerrymandering”. Since then, “gerrymandering” has for years produced odd-shaped congressional and state legislative districts for both political parties. |
March 26 is… |
| Greek Independence Day Make Up Your Own Holiday Day Nougat Day Spinach Day |
March 26 Birthday Quotes |
“Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement, and remuneration based on ability.” “Life didn’t promise to be wonderful.” “Take a little time out of your busy day to give encouragement to someone who’s lost their way.” “I’ll always be this once-famous actress nobody recognizes… because of a nose job.” “Be happy in your body. It’s the only one you’ve got, so you might as well like it.” |
March 26 Birthdays |
| 1881 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (died in 1953) 1911 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (died in 1983) 1917 – Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (died in 2001) 1930 – Sandra Day O’Connor, American lawyer and jurist 1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (died in 2015) 1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor 1940 – James Caan, American actor 1944 – Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter 1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter 1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress and singer 1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (died in 2010) 1950 – Alan Silvestri, American composer 1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American activist, founded Guardian Angels 1957 – Leeza Gibbons, American talk show host and television personality 1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer 1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter 1976 – Amy Smart, American actress 1984 – Sara Jean Underwood, American model 1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress 1990 – Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor 2003 – Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality, ‘Catch me outside’ |
March 26 History |
| 1169 – Saladin became the emir of Egypt. 1812 – A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coined the term “gerrymander” (named after Governor Elbridge Gerry) to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection. 1830 – The Book of Mormon was published in Palmyra, New York. 1872 (Earthquake) Owens Valley, California killed 30 people. 1895 – The Phantoscope, an early motion picture projector that enlarged film images for viewing by large groups, was patented (#536,569) by Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat. 1916 – Robert Stroud (The Birdman of Alcatraz) stabbed and killed a prison guard in Leavenworth Kansas. He was sentenced to Alcatraz for the murder. 1920 – This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published. 1931 – Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland. It was bankrupt in 2002. 1953 – Dr. Jonas Salk announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes polio. 1955 – #1 Hit March 26, 1955 – April 29, 1955: Bill Hayes – The Ballad Of Davy Crockett 1964 – Broadway Show – Funny Girl (Musical) March 26, 1964 1977 – #1 Hit March 26, 1977 – April 8, 1977: Daryl Hall and John Oates – Rich Girl 1988 – #1 Hit March 26, 1988 – April 8, 1988: Michael Jackson – Man in the Mirror 1993 – The last new episode of The Family Feud with host Ray Combs aired 1997 – After the 1995 discovery of the comet Hale-Bopp, 39 members of the ‘Heaven’s Gate’ cult committed suicide to more quickly join the aliens on the ‘other side’ of the comet. 1999 – The ‘Melissa worm’ infected Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems. |
Today’s Random Trivia and Shower Thoughts |
| That piece of music most associated with the circus is actually called “Entry of the Gladiators”. Paul Schrader wrote “Taxi Driver” in five days. “Nothing is so common as the desire to be remarkable.” – William Shakespeare The original Coca Cola was green in color. “James Bond” was named after an American ornithologist of the same name. Oscar Hammerstein II is the only person named Oscar to win an Oscar. Patsy Kline – Real Name: Virginia Hensley They have to give out the Oscar every year, even if no one really deserves it. Worcestershire Sauce is made, in part, from 18-month-old fermented anchovies. The first KFC was not in Kentucky, but in Salt Lake City. In Japan, radiation creates monsters (Godzilla) and in America radiation creates superheroes. Somebody told me to be the change I want to see in the world. Now I’m coins of various denominations worth a total of 8 drachmas and 47 cents. Four of the elements in the Periodic Table named after Ytterby, a village in Sweden. They are Yttrium, Terbium, Erbium, and Ytterbium. Bubbles from a bubble bath thermally insulate the surface of the water, keeping the bath warm for a longer period of time. “It’s 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark… and we’re wearing sunglasses.” – Elwood Blues #moviequotes The Capital of Turkmenistan is Ashgabat |
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