Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

April 16

1996
Mad Cow Poke Disease: Oprah does a segment on her show about mad cow disease, in which she states, "It has just stopped me cold from eating another burger." She was then sued by Texas cattleman claiming the show made false and disparaging remarks about beef. Oprah eventually won the lawsuit.

1994
First woman inducted into the National Comedy Hall of Fame: Minnie Pearl, known for her trademark "Howdeeeee!" is inducted in.

1987
The U.S. government announces that new forms of animal life created through gene splicing are patentable.

1986
First U.S. birth of a surrogate test-tube baby, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Ohio.

1972
Roy C. Sullivan struck by lightning for the 4th of 7 times.

1955
Polio: Nationwide vaccinations against the disease begin, using the Salk vaccine.

1947
A French ship loaded with nitrate explodes in Texas City, Texas, leading to a series of fires and explosions, including a chemical plant, killing over 500 people and virtually destroying the town.

1943
First LSD trip: Swiss chemist, and co-discoverer of lysergic acid diethylamide (1938), Albert Hofmann accidently rubs against it and experiences "an uninterrupted stream of fantastic images."

1926
The Book-of-the-Month Club is founded. Their first selection was Lolly Willowes, or the Loving Huntsman by Sylvia Townsend Warner.

1900
First book stamps: Issued by the U.S. Post Office.

1862
Slavery is abolished in the District of Columbia, by act of Congress. Money was allocated to compensate slave owners and to provide passage for former slaves wishing to emigrate to other countries.

1971     d. 1995
Selena (Selena Quintanilla Pérez), Mexican-American singer.  She was murdered by the president of her fan club.

1963
Jimmy Osmond, American singer, the youngest of The Osmonds.

1947
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lewis Alcindor Jr.), American basketball player. He appeared in the movies Airplane (1980) and Fletch (1985).

1944
Greg Howard, attorney, cartoonist, created Sally Forth (1982).

1935
Bobby Vinton, American singer. Music: Roses Are Red (1962, #1) and Blue Velvet (1963, #1).

1929
Edie Adams (Elizabeth Edith Enke), American actress, singer. TV: The '60s Muriel cigar commercials - Why don't you pick one up and smoke it sometime?

1927
Benedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger), 265th Pope (2005-).

1924     d. 1994
Henry Mancini, American Oscar-Grammy-winning composer. Music: Moon River (1961) and The Pink Panther (1964).

1921
Peter Ustinov, British Oscar-Emmy-winning actor. Film: Spartacus (1960, Oscar) and Topkapi (1964, Oscar).

1920
Barry Nelson (Robert Nielsen), American actor. TV: My Favorite Husband (George Cooper). He also played 007 in the 1954 live TV-version of Casino Royale making him the first James Bond.

1890     d. 1942
Billy De Beck (William Morgan De Beck), American cartoonist, created Barney Google (1919) and Snuffy Smith (1934).

1889     d. 1977
Sir Charles Chaplin, British silent film actor who endeared audiences with his "little tramp" character. He also co-founded United Artists (1919).

1867     d. 1912
Wilbur Wright, American aviator. He and his brother Orville built and flew the first manned heavier-than-air flying machine (1903).

1844     d. 1924
Anatole France (Jacques Anatole Thibault), French Nobel-winning author, Penguin Island (1908), The Gods Are Athirst (1912), and Revolt of the Angels (1913).

1660     d. 1753
Sir Hans Sloane, English physician. Upon his death, he gave a collection of items which formed the nucleus of the British Museum.

2002     b. 1946
Robert Urich, American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Vega$ (Dan Tanna) and Spencer: For Hire (title role).

1994     b. 1914
Ralph Waldo Ellison, American author. Writings: Invisible Man (1952, winner of the National Book Award, it chronicled a black man's humiliations in the South and Harlem).

1992     b. 1921
Neville Brand, actor. TV: Laredo (Ranger Reese Bennett) and The Untouchables (Al Capone).

1850     b. 1761
Madame Tussaud (Marie Grosholtz ), French wax sculptor. Her wax museum (founded 1835) is one of the major tourist attraction in London, and now has branches in Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Copenhagen and New York City. She was imprisoned for being a royalist during the French Revolution and sentenced to execution by guillotine. However, she was saved for her talents in wax and employed to make death masks of the victims of the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette, Marat, and Robespierre.

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