Yesterday marked a milestone in the life of FD. She turned the big 2-9…an age that will now be with her for a couple years at least ( ;) ).

T is a special person in so many ways. In the family lineage, she is the first born to her Mom and Dad; she is the first grandchild born to her paternal grandparents and the fourth to maternal grandparents; she is the first “girl” on the May side – Grandma was elated if I remember right; she is the first born in our family so she could (or try at least) tell second-born FS what to do and when.

We spent nearly two hours on the phone with her this morning (she appreciated her parent’s duet version of “Happy Birthday” on her voice mail yesterday when she was out and about with friends in the big city…she called it “angelic”…she’s so kind, in a tactful, diplomatic, and funny sort of way). In talking with her, memories of her growing up came to mind. Those only cause a smile, a nose-tingle and color change, a lot of blinking to happen – they are happy, loving tears only a father could have in the privacy of his home office while writing a blog post about a favorite daughter nicknamed so often, but most fittingly, still “Sunshine” and “Sweets”.

For the majority of readers of this blog,  T is known personally; some know of her through her Mom and/or Dad. FD is a story in herself – perhaps one day we can share a personal story of her, with her. One of my many favorites, for example, is when her and her brother did a Saturday Night Live – Spartan Cheerleader routine in their Grandma May’s hospital room, moving furniture, knocking shelves, and clobbering each other in the head during the “performance” – it brought much needed comic relief to a dire event in our lives. Laughter was the best medicine that night. And when T is around, she will run that pharmacy as good as any of ’em (I think).

Stories, laughter, events – T has always been somewhere around the middle of it all. So her dear ol’ Dad had some Internet research time spent to find the following events that happened on February 20^th. Maybe it’s the Dad in me, but does anyone else relate the following “things” to the Happy Birthday girl we know?

QUOTES FROM A SHARED-BIRTHDAY GUY

“A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all.”

“To be able to find joy in another’s joy, that is the secret of happiness.”

“Faith is not a thing which one “loses,” we merely cease to shape our lives by it.” –
  —  George Bernanos

 

HISTORICAL EVENTS ON FD’S BIRTHDAY:

1745: Bonnie Prince Charlie’s troops occupy Fort August, Scotland

1746: Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Castle of Inverness

1792: George Washington signed the Post Office Act establishing a permanent Post Office Department

1809: The Supreme Court ruled the power of the federal government  is greater than any individual state

1839: Congress prohibits dueling in District of Columbia

1872: New York Metropolitan Museum of Art opens; Silas Noble & JP Cooley patents toothpick manufacturing machine

1890: Amsterdam Theatre destroyed by fire

1895: Congress authorizes a U.S. Mint at Denver, Colorado

1962: John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth

1927: Golfers in South Carolina are arrested for violating Sabbath

1931: Congress allows California to build Oakland-Bay Bridge

1933: House of Reps completes congressional action to repeal Prohibition; Sidney Howard’s “Alien Corn,” premieres in NYC

1944: Batman & Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers

1952: “African Queen” opens at Capitol Theater in NYC

1960: Jimi Hendrix, rock and roll guitarist, plays his first gig

1974: Cher files for separation from husband Sonny Bono

1975: Margaret Thatcher elected leader of British Conservative Party

1977: “My Fair Lady” closes at St James Theater NYC after 384 performances

1980: FD was born at 6:57 a.m – it was a Wednesday

1988: Brian Boitano wins Olympic gold medal in figure skating

1991: “Taking Steps” opens at Circle in Sq Theater NYC for 78 performances

1992: “Private Lives” opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 37 performances; Ross Perot says he’ll run for President on Larry King Show

1998: Tara Lipinski won the Olympic gold medal for figure skating; US movie box office hits quickest $1 billion for year (51 days)

2003: During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the club ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 300 others

 

OTHERS SHARING FD’S BIRTHDAY

Ansel Adams, George Bernanos, Gloria Vanderbilt, Sidney Poitier, Sandy Duncan, Ivanna Trump, Patty Hearst Shaw, Charles Barkley, Kelsey Grammer, Kurt Cobain, Cindy Crawford, Vaginal Davis

 

ON FD’S ACTUAL BIRTHDAY:

At 12:01AM Eastern time, a deadline passes for the Soviets to withdraw from Afghanistan, which they had invaded the previous December. They do not. Thus, the United States will boycott the upcoming Summer Olympics in Moscow.

In hockey at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY, Team USA defeats West Germany 4-2 to advance to the medal round. On Friday, the Americans will face the Soviet Union; nobody gives them a chance to win.

The European Community places a tariff on certain types of synthetic carpet yarn shipped into the UK.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, dies at 96; the Washington socialite is said to have once remarked, “if you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me.”

At the White House, President and Mrs. Carter host a state dinner for the president of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moy.

An experimental onion field at Oregon State University is fertilized.

With the New Hampshire primary just five days away, a CBS/New York Times poll notes that many supporters of Republican candidate George Bush don’t know what he stands for.

TV shows on the air tonight include Charlie’s Angels, Diff’rent Strokes, and Hello Larry.

Steve Martin sits in for Johnny on The Tonight Show; his guest is Andy Kaufman.

Iggy Pop plays Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin.

In the UK, Peter Gabriel plays Exeter University and Joy Division plays High Wycombe. The Joy Division show will be released in 2007 as part of the two-disc reissue of Still.

In the early-morning hours, after a night of partying, a friend puts Bon Scott of AC/DC into his car to sleep it off. Returning later in the day, the friend finds Scott lifeless. At a hospital, Scott is pronounced DOA.