Epic Idiot's what happened
On This Day

December 31

1974
U.S. ban on private possession of gold lifted: The 41-year-old ban had allowed only industrial and numismatic purchases.

1970
Smoking: The last day for cigarette commercials on U.S. TV.

1961
The Beach Boys: The surfer group plays their first gig under that name at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert in Long Beach, California.

1909
Manhattan bridge opens.

1890
Ellis Island opens.

1793
Thomas Jefferson resigns as secretary of state.

1972
Joe McIntyre, American pop musician, member of New Kids on the Block.

1959
Val Kilmer, American actor. Film: Real Genius (1985), Willow (1988), The Doors (1991, Jim Morrison), and Tombstone.

1948
Donna Summer (LaDonna Gaines), American Grammy-winning singer. Music: Last Dance (1978) and She Works Hard for the Money (1983).

1947
Tim Matheson, American child actor. TV: Johnny Quest (voice of Johnny).

1943     d. 1997
John Denver (Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.), American Grammy-winning singer. Music: Rocky Mountain High (1972), Thank God I'm A Country Boy (1975, #1), and wrote Leaving On A Jet Plane (1969). He died when the small aircraft he was piloting crashed off the coast of California.

1943
Ben Kinglsey, English Oscar-winning actor. Film: Gandhi (1982, Oscar, title role)

1942
Andy Summers (Andrew Somers), British guitarist, with Police. Music: Roxanne (1978), Message In A Bottle (1979, #1), and Every Breath You Take (1983, #1).

1937
Anthony Hopkins, British Oscar-Emmy-winning actor. Film: Silence of the Lambs (Oscar, he never met a man he didn't like - to eat) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993, Prof. Von Helsing).

1922     d. 1999
Rex Allen, American singing cowboy, "The Arizona Cowboy," actor, and narrator of numerous Walt Disney nature films.

1912     d. 1993
John Frost, British World War II hero, he was portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins in the 1977 movie A Bridge to Far.

1906     d. 1998
Leroy Edgar Burney, U.S. Surgeon General (1956-61). He was the first U.S. federal official to acknowledge the connection between smoking and cancer (1957). He himself was a smoker.

1905     d. 1994
Jule Styne, American Tony-Oscar-winning composer. Broadway: Gypsy (1959) and Funny Girl (1964). Film: Three Coins in a Fountain (1954, Oscar).

1869     d. 1954
Henri Matisse, French painter. He founded the fauve movement (1905) and was one of the most influential of the modern French artists.

1996     b. 1913
Wesley Addy, American actor. TV: Loving (Cabot Alden).

1985     b. 1940
Rick Nelson (Eric Hilliard Nelson), American actor, singer, teen-idol. TV: The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (playing himself). Music: Poor Little Fool (1958, #1) and Hello Mary Lou (1961, #1).

1979     b. 1877
Virgil Brown, American bottler, developed the six-pack beverage carton. He also was a pioneer in vending machines and parking meters.

1948     b. 1885
Malcolm Campbell, British auto racer. He was the first to travel five miles in a minute in an automobile.

1891     b. circa 1809
Samuel Adjai Crowther, African missionary. He was a bishop the Anglican Church (1864), the first black African to receive the honor.

1864     b. 1792
George Mifflin Dallas, 11th U.S. Vice-President (1845-49).

1808     b. 1733
John Nixon, American patriot. He gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence (July 8, 1776).

1802     b. 1713
Francis Lewis, American patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

1384     b. circa 1330
John Wiclif, English religious reformer. He directed the first English translation of the Bible. (Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church)

335     b. ????
Saint Sylvester I, Italian religious leader, 33rd Pope (314-335), performed (324 A.D.) the first public consecration of a Catholic church, the Basilica of the Most Holy Savior (now known as St. John the Lateran).

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