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An Abbreviated Thursday Show
Today is Teachers’ Day in Lebanon. It’s unofficially False Teeth Day, Barbie Day, and National Meatball Day. It’s the birthday of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who was born in 1934; actor Raul Julia, who was born in 1940; and actress Juliette Binoche, who is 53. This week in 1967, the top song in the U.S. was…
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1985: “We Are The World” Helps Fight Famine in Ethiopia
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1899: The History of Aspirin
On this date in 1899, Bayer registered the name “Aspirin” as a trademark. Here are some things you might not have known about aspirin. Aspirin is also known as acetylsalicylic acid. People have been using willow and myrtle trees, both rich in salicylate for thousands of years to treat pain and fever. Aspirin is a…
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Australia Act of 1986: Full Independence Down Under
On this date in 1986, the Australia Act of 1986 came into effect. Here are some things you may not have known about Australia’s independence from the United Kingdom. The Australia Act of 1986 cut the last constitutional ties between Australia and the UK. The process began in 1901 with the creation of the Dominion…
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1933: “King Kong” Premieres in New York
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1954: Five Congressmen Shot by Puerto Rican Nationalists
On this date in 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire in the House of Representatives chamber in the United States Capitol building. Here are some things you may not have known about it. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded in the 1920s in an attempt to secure the island’s independence from the United…
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Battle of Los Angeles: Fear and Anxiety
On this date in 1942, anti-aircraft guns blazed over the city of Los Angeles during what was eventually determined to be a false alarm. Here are some things you might not have known about “The Battle of Los Angeles.” The United States was three months into its involvement in World War II following the Japanese…
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Aluminum: The Modern Metal
On this date in 1886, Charles Martin Hall used an economical method to produce aluminum for the first time. Here are some things you may not have known about it. Aluminum is the third most common element in the Earth’s crust, and the most common metal. Aluminum compounds occur naturally, and have been used in…
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Daytona 500: Stock Car Racing’s Biggest Spectacle
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Polaroid Cameras: Photos in an Instant
On this date in 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated the first instant camera. Here are some things you may not have known about the Polaroid Land Camera. Edwin Land was born in 1909 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. After one year of studying chemistry at Harvard, he dropped out to move to New York and work on his…