DAY IN HISTORY

Monday, September 21, 2020

Today is the 265th day of 2020 and the 94th day of summer.

TODAY’S HISTORY:

In 1792, the French National Convention declared France a republic and voted to abolish the monarchy.

In 1897, the New York Sun published an editorial by Francis Pharcellus Church that included the now-famous phrase, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.”

In 1981, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Sandra Day O’connor as the first female Supreme Court justice.

In 2013, Islamic militants attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 67 people.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: H.G. Wells (1866-1946), historian/author; Chuck Jones (1912-2002), animator; Leonard Cohen (19342016), singer-songwriter; Henry Gibson (1935-2009), comedian/actor; Jerry Bruckheimer (1943- ), film/ TV producer; Stephen King (1947- ), author; Bill Murray (1950- ), actor; Ethan Coen (1957- ), filmmaker; Rob Morrow (1962- ), actor; Cheryl Hines (1965- ), actress; Faith Hill (1967- ), singer-songwriter; Luke Wilson (1971- ), actor; Lindsey Stirling (1986- ), violinist/composer; Jason Derulo (1989- ), singersongwriter.

TODAY’S FACT: There are no female characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” published on this day in 1937. Only one female, Belladonna Took, is mentioned by name.

TODAY’S SPORTS:

In 1970, “Monday Night Football” made its ABC broadcast debut with a game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “Books are the perfect entertainment: no commerby Andrews Mcmeel Almanac

cials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn’t carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.” — Stephen King

TODAY’S NUMBER: 7 — novels published by Stephen King under the pen name Richard Bachman, which King used in his early career because publishers told him audiences wouldn’t buy more than one book per year from the same writer.

TODAY’S MOON: Between new moon (Sept. 17) and first quarter moon (Sept. 23).