Ward's Daily Almanac

19/02/2024

Here is a random Presidential fact to share for President's Day: The president who holds the record for the most appearances on Time magazine's cover was Richard Nixon.

29/10/2022

The audio behind this video is the edition of my Almanac that was heard on radio stations here in the States as well as most of Europe on Nov. 5, 2019. Please do NOT visit the website mentioned as it no longer exists, but a link has been provided in the first comment for the audiobook that is mentioned.

27/10/2022

The audio behind this video is the edition of my Almanac that was heard on radio stations here in the States as well as most of Europe on Oct. 29, 2019. Please do NOT visit the website mentioned as it no longer exists, but a link has been provided in the first comment for the audiobook that is mentioned.

31/12/2019

I started this Almanac Dec 7, 2010, at 7:41 AM, Central. This post marks the final entry for the Almanac on this page and the broadcast version is being broadcast for the final time on its affiliated radio stations around the world. I will be continuing my countdown called "The Super Seventies", and will also continue with audiobooks, but this part of my life has officially come to an end. I appreciate all the views and comments over the last several years and I wish each and every one of you the happiest of lives.

31/12/2019

Today is Dec 31 and New York dropped the ball on this date in 1907. Just a few seconds before midnight, the ball began to drop over Times Square and thus marked the first New York New Years' Eve celebration as we know it today.

30/12/2019

Today is Dec 30 and Woody Hayes got the boot on this day in 1978. This was only one day after the Ohio State coach punched an opposing player in the throat near the end of the Gator Bowl. Hayes never coached again.

29/12/2019

Today is Dec 29 and your job became a little safer on this date in 1970. Today was when President Nixon signed The Occupational Safety and Health Act into law, affectionately known as OSHA.

28/12/2019

Today is Dec 28. Taking over the hosting duties from Chuck Woolery, Pat Sajak took his turn at spinning the wheel on this date in 1981. Today was Pat’s debut as newest host on Wheel of Fortune.

27/12/2019

Today is Dec 27 and it was a historical moment in the theatre on this day in 1932. Today was when Radio City Music Hall opened its doors for the first time. With the ability of seating almost six-thousand people, it was (at the time) the largest theatre in the world.

26/12/2019

Today is Dec 26. With “financing” arranged by mobster Bugsy Siegel, the Flamingo Hotel opened on the Las Vegas Strip on this date in 1946. Bad weather kept many guests from arriving and, because gamblers had no rooms at the hotel, they took their winnings and gambled elsewhere. The casino lost $300,000 in the first week of operation.

25/12/2019

Today is Dec 25 and today in 1914 the sounds of World War One were replaced with sounds of Christmas. On this day, the guns ceased and some British and German soldiers were heard singing Christmas carols with each other across the battle lines.

25/12/2019

24/12/2019

Today is Dec 24. Franz Gruber composed the music for a song on this date in 1818. The very next day the song was sung by a choir accompanied by guitar and that was the first time people heard the song "Silent Night".

23/12/2019

Today is Dec 23 and the North Tower of the World Trade Center was topped out at 1,368 feet on this date in 1970, making it the tallest building in the world. The tower would, along with its twin, would dominate the New York skyline until its destruction in 2001 by the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

22/12/2019

Today is Dec 22 and a Paris–Miami, Florida flight was diverted to Boston, Massachusetts on this date in 2001. This change in destination was made after passenger Richard Reid attempted to set his shoe, filled with explosives, on fire.

21/12/2019

Today is Dec 21 and today in 1913, Arthur Wynne introduced a word puzzle called a "Word Cross". Through the years the name somehow became reversed and is now called a Crossword Puzzle.

20/12/2019

Today is Dec 20 and Elvis Presley went to the mailbox on this day in 1957 and was expecting to see his usual mountain of fan mail. But on this day, he also received his letter from Uncle Sam telling him he had been drafted into the United States Army.

19/12/2019

Today is Dec 19 and Robert Ripley’s newspaper cartoon “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” was first published in the New York Globe on this date in 1918. The first strip featured a Forrester in Toronto who ran 100 yards backwards in 14-seconds; believe it or not!