February 11th was the day in history when…
2006: Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot his friend. Cheney and six friends were quail hunting on a ranch in Texas. One of those on the hunting party was a 78 year old lawyer named Harry Whittington. The attorney had just shot down a bird and gone to retrieve it. Meanwhile, the guide flushed out a group of birds. Cheney trailed one of the birds with his riffle, turned around, and shot. Instead of the bird, Cheney hit Whittington in the face, neck and chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was placed in the ICU. Much of the lead shots were removed, but they were so small and numerous it was impossible to get them all. Over 200 pellets remained in his body. While in the hospital Whittington suffered a heart attack believed to be the result of lead shots near or in his heart and a collapsed lung. Whittington eventually recovered and was released from the hospital. The shooting was ruled an accident although there was some conflict between the eye witnesses accounts that was never resolved.
1990: Nelson Mandela was freed from a South African prison after 27 years. The anti-apartheid leader was imprisoned due to his political beliefs and actions. After almost three decades the laws were relaxed, finally increasing the rights of black Africans. People danced in the streets as Mandela left the prison, hand in hand with his wife Winnie. He then traveled 40 miles to Cape Town where he addressed a crowd of over 50,000. Mandela commended President de Klerk saying, “"Our struggle has reached a decisive moment. Our march to freedom is irreversible. Now is the time to intensify the struggle on all fronts. To relax now would be a mistake which future generations would not forgive."
1960: Jack Paar walked off his TV show. Paar was the host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962. He became angry one day during a show when the following joke was edited out:
“An English lady is visiting Switzerland. She asks about the location of the "W.C." The Swiss, thinking she is referring to the "Wayside Chapel", leaves her a note that said (in part) "the W.C. is situated nine miles from the room that you will occupy... It is capable of holding about 229 people and it is only open on Sunday and Thursday... It may interest you to know that my daughter was married in the W.C. and it was there that she met her husband... I shall be delighted to reserve the best seat for you, if you wish, where you will be seen by everyone."
Paar stormed off the stage saying, “I am leaving The Tonight Show. There must be a better way of making a living than this." Almost one month went by before the host suddenly returned. Paar walked out on stage stating, “As I was saying before I was interrupted when I walked off, I said there must be a better way of making a living. Well, I've looked... and there isn't.”
Famous Birthdays:
1969: Jennifer Aniston – actress
1962: Sheryl Crow – singer
1953: Jeb Bush – Governor of Florida
1936: Burt Reynolds – actor
1917: Sidney Sheldon – crime novelist
Notable People Lost:
1996: Bob Shaw – science fiction author
1899: George Morgan – first English motorist to die in an motor accident
1554: Lady Jane Grey – deposed Queen of England, beheaded after 9 day rule
Odd Holidays (There's Always Something to Celebrate!):
Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
National Inventor's day
Satisfied Staying Single Day
White T-Shirt Day
National Shut-in Visitation Day
Make a Friend Day
Thought for the day: What do you do when you see an endangered animal that is eating an endangered plant?
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Beth’s Blog: It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
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