125 years ago today, FC Barcelona was founded by a combination of Spanish, Swiss, and English footballers. It has grown to be perhaps the most iconic football club on Earth, with a die-hardest fan base, a mountain of trophies and awards, and a memory bank that contains the on-field artistry of many of the greatest players in the history of the sport. The club today is the fourth-most valuable sports club on Earth, but despite the riches is supporter-owned. READ some notable facts about the club… (1899)
The club has never not pulled on a shirt of blueish-indigo with claret red stripes, or some variant of this design, for their first kit. In 2010 three players who came through the club’s youth academy (Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi) were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d’Or awards, an unprecedented feat for any club in any country in history.
No club has enjoyed the services of more Ballon d’Or (world player of the year) winners than Barcelona, which has included the likes of Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romario, and the Spaniard Luis Suarez. FC Barcelona has won 26 Spanish top division titles, and 5 UEFA Champions League/European Cups. (1899)
MORE Good News on this Date:
- ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ by The Beatles was released in the UK and, for the first time in the country’s history, advanced pre-orders for a record passed the one-million mark (1963)
- Pong was unveiled by Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari who placed the arcade game in a Sunnyvale, California tavern where it became the first commercially successful video game, launching Atari as the first major video game company (1972)
- Northern Ireland‘s Protestant and Catholic power-sharing government was formed when 10 members were elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly. (1999)
- The Assisi Basilica dedicated to St. Francis reopened two years after an earthquake sent the vaulted, magnificently frescoed ceiling crashing down in the hillside Italian town. (1999)
Happy 51st Birthday to Ryan Giggs, the Welsh winger for Manchester United who was considered an icon of his generation. Affectionately called “Giggsy,” Giggs played his entire professional career for Manchester United, with 963 appearances and 168 goals. Breaking onto the scene at Old Trafford, he won Young Player of the Year twice, still the only player to do so in English history, before winning 13 league titles with United, 4 FA Cups, and both of United’s Champions League successes.
While some players are remembered for goal production, and others for grit and determination, Giggs’ value as a player is probably best captured by his longevity. Since the Premier League was created in 1990, he holds the record for most consecutive seasons played—22, and the only player to score in each of the first 21 seasons. He holds the record for the most assists in Premier League history, with 162, and was never sent off in almost 1,000 games for United.
He was a dynamic left-footed wide-forward or wide midfielder who was excellent at receiving the ball in advanced positions where he could take on the opposing fullback. Throughout his long career, manager Sir Alex Fergusson deployed him virtually everywhere across the midfield and forward line. His versatility was his greatest strength, and Italian legend Alessandro del Piero once said he cried tears of joy watching Giggs on his best days. (1973)
91 years ago today, “The Godfather of British Blues” John Mayall, was born. Born to a jazz aficionado, the songwriter and vocalist taught himself to play guitar, organ, and harmonica and later formed a band called The Bluesbreakers, which included at various times Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Mick Taylor.
John moved to California and in 1969 his hit song Room To Move became a rock classic. He went on a worldwide tour upon the release of his 66th album, Three For The Road, recorded live in Germany—which followed on the heels of the brilliant studio album Talk About That, featuring Joe Walsh, who checked off a bucket-list item by playing with one of his heroes. WATCH a mini-doc… (1933)
And, 126 years ago today, the Irish author C. S. Lewis (Clive Staples) was born. He and his good friend, J.R.R. Tolkien taught together at Oxford University, and Lewis wrote the much-loved Chronicles of Narnia, books that center upon a group of English children who venture into a fantasy world by way of a magical closet. (1898)
555 years ago today, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus was born. From his birthplace in present-day Pakistan, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Jee traveled far and wide teaching people the message of one God who dwells in every one of His creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. He set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue. His words are registered in the form of 974 poetic hymns in the holy text of Sikhism. He wrote: “Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty the knot and truth the twist. This is the sacred thread of the soul”. (1469)
Also on this day in 1927, Vin Scully, one of the greatest sports announcers of all time was born. Known for his dulcet voice and lyrically descriptive style, he spent 66 years calling Dodger games, the longest tenure of any broadcaster with a single team in professional sports history. He always opened his games saying, “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” Also beloved for his NFL football play-by-play, he knew what he wanted to be at 8 years old, and retired 81 years later. (1927)
And, 79 years ago today, The Lost Weekend, directed by Billy Wilder and starring Ray Milland and Jane Wyman, premiered in Los Angeles. Academy Awards Best Picture.
Nominated for seven Academy Awards, the film noir drama won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. A Grand Prix winner at the Cannes Film Festival, The Lost Weekend is one of only three films (alongside Marty and Parasite) to win both the Oscar and the highest award at Cannes.
With a stellar 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is an unflinchingly honest look at the effects of alcohol on a long-time alcoholic writer who goes on a four-day bender during which the audience sees flashbacks of all the times the bottle has led to calamity. WATCH the original trailer… (1945)
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