FRIDAY ALMANAC – July 25

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Sept. 1, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Thursday – Patriot Day
Sept. 22, Monday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 2:19 p.m. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

Mason Cook (actor, “Speechless”) … 25
Jay R. Ferguson (actor, “Living Biblically,” “The Real O’Neals”) … 51
Matt LeBlanc (actor, “Man With a Plan,” “Episodes,” “Joey,” “Friends”) … 58

Today’s Birthdays grade: Hmm. We do have an original castmember from “Cheers” … but other than that … not too exciting. Oh, well. Grade: C-plus.

[Want to try something different with the daily birthdays? Try grading them! Some days have “good” celebs, some have “great” celebs, some have “lousy” celebs. For fun, give the group an arbitrary grade: A-plus through F-minus. Sidekick will give you our take on it; you can to take the concept and run with it.]

BIRTHDAY QUOTE QUIZ – Ask your listeners “Who said it?” HINT: Today’s their birthday!

“The more cynical you become, the better off you’ll be.”

(A) Kermit the Frog
(B) Barney the Dinosaur
(C) Matt LeBlanc

ANSWER: (C) Matt LeBlanc

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2008 – California became the first state to ban trans fats from restaurant food.
* Fats that want to change their gender?

1978 – The first baby conceived outside a woman’s body was born. Louise Brown became known as the first “test tube baby.”
* Until then, test tube babies were inconceivable!

1971 – The first combined lung and heart transplant was carried out.
* The patient got a new lung, a new heart, and had to take out a new mortgage.

1962 -The House passed a bill requiring equal pay for equal work regardless of sex.
* I agree. You shouldn’t have to have sex to get equal pay.

1909 – French aviator Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly across the English Channel. Before leaving France on his flight he asked “Which way is England?”
* In those days, as long as you were wearing a cool aviator’s jacket and goggles, you could say any damn fool thing you wanted and you’d still be considered dashing.

1871 – The carousel was patented by Wilhelm Schneider.
* He should have simultaneously patented Dramamine.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2024 – Billy Joel performed the 150th and final show of his 10-year, once-a-month residency at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

2014 – Weird Al Yankovic became the first comedy act to have an album at the top of the U.S. charts in more than 50 years. It was “Mandatory Fun,” Yankovic’s 14th album, and his best-selling since 1991’s “Straight Outta Lynwood.” The last comedy album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. was Allan Sherman’s “My Son, the Nut” in 1963.

2002 – Two former members of Destiny’s Child settled out of court over the lyrics to “Survivor,” which they claimed were libelous. LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who left the group in 2000, said that the song broke an agreement which prohibited both sides making “any public comment of a disparaging nature concerning one another.” The line, which they were suing over, said “You thought that I’d be stressed without you, but I’m chillin’. You thought I wouldn’t sell without you, sold nine million.”

1999 – This year’s Woodstock Festival ended with riots resulting in 120 people being arrested. Three people died during the 3-day festival in separate incidents and many were hospitalized after drinking polluted water.

1992 – Bruce Springsteen became a father when Patti Sciafa gave birth to a baby boy, Evan James.