It happened This week!
● Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in the U.S. in 1998. What is now the first volume in the bestselling book series of all time almost didn’t get published! First-time author J.K. Rowling’s manuscript was rejected 12 times before the chairman of Bloomsbury Publishing agreed to publish it after his eightyear- old daughter read the first chapter and demanded the rest of the book!
● The “Queen of Latin pop,” Gloria Estefan, was born in Havana in 1957. Before becoming one of the bestselling artists of all-time, the 10-time Grammy-winner worked as a translator at the Miami International Airport’s Customs Department while in college, where her ability to speak English, French and Spanish got her noticed by the CIA— they wanted to recruit her as a spy!
● Google— founded by PH.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in a California garage— was incorporated in 1998, and is now worth nearly $500 billion. Can’t imagine your favorite browser being called anything else? Initially, the search engine was called Backrub!
● The first Labor Day Parade, held in New York City in 1882, was celebrated with picnics, concerts and speeches as 10,000 workers marched from City Hall to Union Square. Today, Labor Day is also known for the impressive deals that retailers offer—these deals are so popular, Labor Day is the second largest “sale” day each year after Black Friday! ● Twenty-year- old Kelly Clarkson beat out contestant Justin Guarini to became the first winner of American Idol in 2002. Now a three- time Grammy- winner with eight albums under her belt and another one due later this year, Clarkson is the only artist other than Adele to win a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album twice, for her albums Breakaway and Stronger!