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Community Corner

Oct. 19, 2011: Hoop du Jour

Basketball became an Olympic sport 78 years ago today.

1. AOL Weather say to expect a wet one today.

2. On this day in world history – Oct. 19, 1933: Basketball was accepted as a permanent medal event for the 1936 Olympic games and beyond by the Berlin organization committee. Oct. 19, 1937: A staple at checkout racks in supermarkets everywhere, Woman’s Day, was first published. It was a magazine designed expressly for the A&P store chain. After 20 years, A&P (the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company) sold Woman’s Day to Fawcett Publications.

3. Oct. 19, 1970: One World Trade Center was ready for its first tenants, although the upper stories were not completed until 1972. Construction began in 1966 and the opening of the twin towers went on from 1970 to 1973. The actual ribbon cutting ceremony was held on April 4, 1973.
 
4. Famous Oct. 19 birthdays include:
1748 - Martha Jefferson, wife of third U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.
1885 - Charles Merrill, stock company mogul and founder of Merrill-Lynch
1932 - Robert Reed, actor from The Brady Bunch, The Defenders, Mannix, Nurse, Rich Man, Poor Man, Roots and The Runaways.
1945 - John Lithgow, who won an Emmy Award for his performance in 3rd Rock from the Sun and a Tony Award for his appearance in The Changing Room. Lithgow also featured in The Twilight Zone: The Movie, I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Footloose, The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment, Raising Cain, The Pelican Brief and most recently on the TV series Dexter.
1949 - Lynn Dickey, 15-year NFL veteran who quarterbacked the Houston Oilers and Green Bay Packers. His single All-Pro selection came in 1983 with the Packers, when he passed for 4,458 yards, scored 35 touchdowns (32 passing, 3 rushing) and threw 29 interceptions.
1950 - Morris Bradshaw, 9-year NFL veteran for the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots. He helped the Raiders’ silver and black attack win Super Bowls XI and XV, the height of the Al Davis “Just Win, Baby!” era. Bradshaw amassed 1,416 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in his career.
1962 - Evander Holyfield, World Heavyweight Champion from 1990 to 1992 and Junior Heavyweight Champion in 1986 and 1988. He may be best remembered for his battles with Mike Tyson in the late 1990s, including the infamous “Bite Fight.”
1967 - Amy Carter, First Daughter of 39th U.S. President Jimmy and Roselyn Carter and political activist.
 
5. Chart Toppers from October 19ths in years past include:
1951 – “Because of You,” Tony Bennett
1959 – “Mack the Knife,” Bobby Darin
1967 – “The Letter,” The Box Tops
1975 – “Bad Blood,” Neil Sedaka
1983 – “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Bonnie Tyler
1985 – “Take on Me,” A-ha
1991 – “Emotions,” Mariah Carey

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