December 14:
Running back Ernie Davis was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania on December 14, 1939. Davis grew up in Elmira, New York. The very athletic Davis played football for Syracuse University and was so fast he was nicknamed “The Elmira Express.” In 1961 Davis became the first African American to win the covered sports award “The Heisman Trophy” which is awarded to honor excellence in college athletics.
Davis was drafted by the professional football team the Cleveland Browns; but unfortunately never got a chance to play for them as he died of leukemia on May 18, 1963.
Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Ernie Davis:
http://www.biography.com/people/ernie-davis-9267805
And here is a link to a YouTube clip that shows Davis, in jersey #44, fulfilling his role as a very fast running back for Syracuse, University:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExxbEw4yigU
December 15:
In 1791 the first ten amendments to the U. S. Constitution, which are collectively called “The Bill of Rights,” were ratified.
The ten items that make of the Bill of Rights essentially set down the basic liberties each American citizen is entitled to!
Here’s a link to a transcript of the Bill of Rights found on the National Archives website:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
And a second related link to a YouTube clip of the School House Rock video about the “Preamble” which immediately precedes the Bill of Rights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMoyH1uLhRk
December 17:
In 1843 Charles Dickens holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” was first published. This short story has since become a perennial classic. The story focuses on an old and rich miser named Ebenezer Scrooge who doesn’t care about anyone or anything but making money until he is shown the error of his way of thinking by three spirits that appear to him on Christmas Eve and reveal to him that the most important things in life – are people and their well-being– not money.
The library owns several copies of the book and audio book “A Christmas Carol” so if you’re not familiar with the story you might want to check it out!
There are also a number of popular film versions of “A Christmas Carol,” and the library owns most of them, including the 1951 black and white classic starring Alastair Sim, the 1970 version starring Albert Finney (which is called “Scrooge”), a popular version from 1984 starring George C. Scott, and a version starring Patrick Stewart from 2000; there are also animated versions of the story and a Muppet version which co-starred the real actor Michael Caine.
Here’s a link to a free YouTube accessed unabridged audio book of A Christmas Carol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3fN_-rupwo
December 18:
The popular television game show “To Tell The Truth” premiered on December 18, 1956. This popular and long running TV game show featured three guests, two imposters masquerading as particular person and the third individual who was the real person the show was about. The show also featured a celebrity panel in the TV studio and the celebrities, along with the audience watching the show, would try and figure out which one of the three people pretending to be the person of the day – really was that person.
For example, the person described for the show might have been a plumber named Sterling Smith who climbed Mount Everest, drove across the African Continent and installed brand new plumbing in the houses of several famous Hollywood actors before beginning a career as a Hollywood stuntman. And each of the three people pretending to be Sterling Smith would be asked questions about his life and would answer those questions for the celebrity panel members who would then, at the end of the episode, vote on which one of the three people they though really was Sterling Smith the adventurous plumber turned Hollywood stuntman– and then the show host would reveal which one of the three people pretending to be Sterling Smith really was Sterling Smith!
Here’s a link to a YouTube clip that shows three people posing as the 1960 Olympic Gold Winner Wilma Rudolph, including the real Wilma Rudolph, which offers you a good idea of what the show was like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSdSa2O48zg
Have a great week!
Linda R.
References
The Bill of Rights: A Transcript. National Archives. Online. Accessed December 16, 2013, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html
Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.
A Brief History of the Heisman Trophy. Online. Accessed December 16, 2013, http://www.heisman.com/history/trophy_history.php
Ernie Davis. Biography. Online. Accessed December 16, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/ernie-davis-9267805
Heisman Trophy. Online. Accessed December 16, 2013, http://www.heisman.com/index.php
Heisman Trophy Winners. Online. Accessed December 16, 2013, http://www.heisman.com/index.php/heismanWinners#winners-year
The American Dream Starts @ The Southeast Steuben County Library 