17 interesting facts about january 17

we haven’t done a list post yet. since we want to kickoff the year with something a little different, we thought this would be the proper time to make one. 🙂

so, here goes… our first list post.

17 interesting (and some not so interesting) facts about today:

1. start of the translation of bible from hebrew/greek to english and now known as the king james version (1604)
2. first publication of don quixote (1605)
3. nine old women burnt as witches for causing bad harvests in kalisk, poland (1771)
4. a breakthrough invention was patented in the name of thomas crapper, the flush toilet (1861) 😆 now you know where the word “crap” originated. 😀
5. new york state introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public (1902) – now that surely didn’t last long… 😀
6. birth of professional golfer association (pga) (1916)
7. popeye makes 1st appearance, in comic strip “thimble theater” (1929)
8. the united nations headquarters officially opened in new york city (1951)
9. debut album of led zeppelin released in usa (1969)
10. section of memphis’ highway 51 south renamed elvis presley blvd (1972)
11. end of martial law (1981)
12. us supreme court rules (5-4) in favor of private use of home vcr’s to tape tv programs for later viewing stating that it does not violate federal copyright laws (1984)
13. british telecom announces the retirement of the united kingdom’s red telephone boxes (1985)
14. kodak got out of the instant camera business after 10 years due to a loss in a court battle that claimed that kodak copied polaroid patents (1986)
15. operation desert storm begins (1991)
16. nba suspends dennis rodman indefinitely for kicking a cameraman… in the groin. (1997) – ouch.
17. born today:

1706 – Benjamin Franklin
1899 – Al Capone
1928 – Vidal Sassoon
1942 – Muhammad Ali
1949 – Andy Kaufman
1962 – Jim Carrey
1971 – Kid Rock
1975 – Coco Lee
1982 – Dwyane Wade

you can add my name to that list because today happens to be my 33rd birthday. 😀