INTERPREP ★ NOVEMBER 22, 2017

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Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • Image • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Video • Wacky-But-True • USER’S GUIDE

DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 22, 2017

This is day 326 of 2017. There are 39 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Comedian-director Terry Gilliam is 77

• Hall of Fame tennis player Billie Jean King is 74

• Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies, A Fish Called Wanda) is 59

• Michael K. Williams (12 Years A Slave, Boardwalk Empire) is 51

• Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight, Thor: Ragnarok) is 50

• Sidse Babett Knudsen (Westworld) is 49

• Scarlett Johansson (The Avenges, Lucy) is 33

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1963: In Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and Texas Governor John B. Connally was seriously wounded. Later the same day, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States.

• 1968: The Beatles released the double album The Beatles, commonly known as The White Album.

• 1986: At age 20, Mike Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight boxing champion with a second-round knockout of Trevor Berbick in Las Vegas.

• 1990: Margaret Thatcher resigned as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

• 1991: To deter Christmas tree thieves, the University of Illinois at Champaign announced it had sprayed campus evergreens with a chemical that smelled like rotten eggs when exposed to warm air inside a home.

• 1999: Wayne Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, his number 99 permanently retired by the NHL.

• 2005: Ted Koppel retired after hosting Nightline for over 26 years.

• 2003: Three burglars were arrested in Brazil after they returned to a house and asked for the receipts for the goods they had stolen. The young thieves told the homeowner they couldn’t sell the stereo, TV and cell phones without the original receipts. The victim called police while searching for the receipts.

• 2007: Sleep was named the new sex. Trendspotters said that not only is sleep at a premium in our mad-dash daily routine, but “sleep sells, whether it’s flat beds on airlines, sleep consultancy, or a nap at MetroNaps in the Empire State Building. In America, growing numbers of couples are installing ‘sleep chambers’ to give them a sleep-alone option as well as a sleep-together option.

• 2012: A dense fog near Beaumont, Texas, caused a 100-vehicle pileup, leaving 120 people injured and 2 killed.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Hanksgiving. Always the day before Thanksgiving, Hanksgiving is a day to give thanks for one of the world’s most beloved actors, Tom Hanks.

• Jukebox Day

• Go For a Ride Day

• Cranberry Relish Day

• Cashew Day

UPCOMING

• November 23: Thanksgiving (Thursday)
• November 24: Black Friday
• November 25: Small Business Saturday
• November 27: Cyber Monday
• November 28: Grammy nominations announced
• November 28: Giving Tuesday
• December 3: Supermoon
• December 3: Selection Sunday (college football)
• December 6: Time’s Person of the Year
• December 8: The Crown Season 2
• December 9: Heisman Trophy awarded
• December 10: Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
• December 11: Golden Globes nominations
• December 12: Hanukkah
• December 15: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• December 21: First day of winter
• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 31: New Year’s Eve
• January 1: New Year’s Day
• January 1: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl (college semis)
• January 8: College football championship (Alabama won in 2017)
• January 23: Oscar nominations announced
• January 31: Total lunar eclipse/blood moon
• February 4: Super Bowl 52

NUMBER FOR THE DAY

30: Times a day the average American complains.

NEWS ATTACK!

John Lasseter, the co-founder of Disney’s Pixar, is taking a six-month leave of absence in response to allegations that he made employees feel uncomfortable with his unwanted hugging. [Things could get really ugly. The Disney Princesses have filed a class action lawsuit and hired Attorney Barbie.]

The first thing that North Korean defector asked for when he regained consciousness was to watch TV. [You wouldn’t think that in North Korea The Property Brothers would be such a big hit.]

Zimbabwe’s 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe has resigned. [He wanted to spend more time with the kids… and their caregivers.]

Astronomers spotted an asteroid enter our solar system from another solar system. [Astronomers are trained to spot foreign objects by carefully noting their license plates.]

Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad held a secret meeting. [Why bother keeping it a secret? There isn’t exactly a long line of people wanting to join that club.]

Beginning next weekend Big Tobacco will have to air TV commercials admitting that tobacco products have deadly effects. [The companies will also be under court order to admit that cigarettes in no way make you look mysterious and cool.]

Donald Trump pardoned a turkey. [For shoplifting.]

Pope Francis blessed a Lamborghini the other day. [A Lamborghini doesn’t need to be blessed. But I’ve got a car that could certainly use a blessing… and a good exorcism.]

A hacker shut down the Sacramento Regional Transit system. [Why? American transit systems don’t really need any help breaking down.]

NEWS & NUGGETS

YOU’LL GAIN ABOUT A POUND OVER THE HOLIDAYS _ The good news is you won’t gain a lot of weight over the holidays. The bad news is, you’ll pay for it in 20 years. For decades it was thought the average person gained up to ten pounds over the holidays, but research from 2000 and then again in 2014 finds that most of us gain a little less than a pound.

… However, we’re not very good at taking it off again. So that one pound becomes twenty in a couple of decades — and it’s on top of the weight we gain in other ways.

60% OF AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE EXPERIENCED SEXUAL HARASSMENT _ A majority of American women voters say they’ve experienced sexual harassment, according to a new poll (Quinnipiac University). According to the poll, 60 percent of those surveyed said they have experienced sexual harassment.

… Among the women who said they have been harassed, 69 percent said they’ve been harassed at work, 43 percent said they’ve been harassed in social settings; 45 percent said they’ve been harassed on the street and 15 percent said the harassment took place at home.

… Meanwhile, 20 percent of the male voters surveyed said they have experienced sexual harassment.

IT’S OK TO PUT YOUR CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS UP BEFORE THANKSGIVING _ We all know at least one of those people who’s already placing an angel on top of his or her Christmas tree while everyone else on the block still has a rotting pumpkin on the stoop. For some people, the sight of that first plastic reindeer on a neighbor’s roof isn’t exactly a welcome one. But according to two psychoanalysts, these eager decorators aren’t eccentric — they’re simply happier: “In a world full of stress and anxiety people like to associate to things that make them happy and Christmas decorations evoke those strong feelings of the childhood. Decorations are simply an anchor or pathway to those old childhood magical emotions of excitement. So putting up those Christmas decorations early extend the excitement.” (Psychoanalyst Steve McKeown)

HUNDREDS OF LAS VEGAS VICTIMS FILE SUIT _ Hundreds of the victims of the mass shooting that took place in Las Vegas on October 1 have banded together to file suit against concert promoter Live Nation and MGM Resorts, which owns the Mandalay Bay hotel where the shooter conducted his rampage. At least 58 people died and hundreds more were injured when a lone gunman opened fire on the audience during the final night of the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas from his room overlooking he concert site.

… A negligence suit which was filed just days after the shooting — and dismissed — charged Mandalay Bay and MGM Resorts with being “negligent or grossly negligent” for not noticing or taking adequate precautions against a guest stockpiling guns, and alleged that hotel staff had not been adequately trained to notice and report suspicious activity. That suit was filed by one of the victims of the attack.

MAN WILL LAUNCH HIMSELF FROM A ROCKET TO PROVE WORLD IS FLAT _ Mad Mike Hughes has constructed a steam-powered rocket out of salvage parts on a five-acre property in Apple Valley, California. His sole mission is to launch his homemade contraption on Saturday at a speed of roughly 500 miles-per-hour. He plans to prove the Earth is flat.

.. Mad Mike is scared, for sure: “If you’re not scared to death, you’re an idiot. It’s scary as hell, but none of us are getting out of this world alive. I like to do extraordinary things that no one else can do, and no one in the history of mankind has designed, built and launched himself in his own rocket. I’m a walking reality show.”

… If his Saturday launch is successful Mad Mike, who says he doesn’t believe in science, next intends to build a rocket that takes him to space, so he can snap a picture and see with his own eyes.

WOMAN ON GOFUNDME ASKS ASSISTANCE TO REDUCE K-CUP SIZED BREASTS _ A woman with natural K-cup sized breasts has taken to GoFundMe to request financial assistance for breast reduction surgery. Sheridan Larkman’s breasts began growing at age 8 and have yet to stop. Just recently, Larkman was told that she may have to go up another cup size, but she’s hoping to avoid the move by having her large breasts reduced. Larkman, who lives in the UK, claims she has received unwanted attention because of her ample bosom, including requests from men all around the world for topless photos. She says she would never respond to such a request. • LINK

… Larkman hopes to raise at least $10,000 on GoFundMe for the reduction surgery, and says that her bust has gotten in the way of her leading a normal life, including when it comes to purchasing bras and dresses.

TELECOMMUTING IS GOOD FOR EMPLOYEES _ If your employee wants to do some telecommuting, researchers say it can help the worker’s morale and job satisfaction and cut their stress. In an analysis of 46 studies on telecommuting, researchers found that working away from the office by using computers, cell phones or other electronic equipment can have more pluses than negatives for people and the companies that employ them.

UBER PAID HACKERS TO DELETE STOLEN DATA ON 57 MILLION PEOPLE _ Hackers stole the personal data of 57 million customers and drivers from Uber, a massive breach that the company concealed for more than a year. This week, the ride-hailing company ousted Joe Sullivan, chief security officer, and one of his deputies for their roles in keeping the hack under wraps.

… Compromised data from the October 2016 attack included names, email addresses and phone numbers of 50 million Uber riders around the world. The personal information of about 7 million drivers were accessed as well, including some 600,000 U.S. driver’s license numbers. No Social Security numbers, credit card details, trip location info or other data were taken.

… Instead of reporting the hack to regulators, Uber paid hackers $100,000 to delete the data and keep the breach quiet. Uber said it believes the information was never used but declined to disclose the identities of the attackers.

TEXAS 16-YEAR-OLD ASKS TEACHER TO ADOPT HIM _ A teen who has been in foster care since he was nine has a new family just in time for the holidays. Anthony, now 16, said he didn’t think he ever wanted to be adopted, until he met Bennie Berry. Bennie was his English teacher, and now she is a first-time mom after Anthony asked her to adopt him. Bennie said that at first she thought Anthony was making jokes when he brought it up. The adoption became official last week.

REMEMBER THIS? A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK: HOW ASTRONAUTS ENJOY THEIR HOLIDAY MEAL _ Thanks to one U.S. college, astronauts can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal in space that’s just as delicious as their families are having back on Earth. Scientists at the Space Food Research Facility at Texas A&M University have made holiday food items available like sliced turkey, candied yams, apricot cobbler and more. Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, a retired NASA astronaut and current professor at A&M’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, told ABC News that although they come in a pouch, the “dishes” taste like any traditional, Thanksgiving meal.

… Before a space flight, astronauts go to the kitchen at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and taste test all the food provided. They then decide which meals they’d like to bring on their mission.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: THREE TEENS DON’T NOTICE COPS BEFORE ROBBERY _ In Canada some teens made big plans to rob an electronics store. They put on ski masks to conceal their identity, armed themselves, and had their getaway car waiting outside. But as they entered the store, they failed to notice the two uniformed police officers standing directly outside the store, directing traffic. A customer alerted police as to what was going on and our young crooks were quickly placed under arrest.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MOM PLANS SURPRISE FOR SON’S 16th BIRTHDAY _ The mother of a 16-year-old attending school in the UK told her son’s drama teacher that it was the teen’s birthday, and asked her to video her son’s reaction to a special surprise she had arranged. A short time later, a woman in a short skirt arrived, told the boy he was naughty, then stripped to her bra and panties. The stunned teacher ended the show. But no one was more stunned than the boy’s mother: she had booked a man in a gorilla suit for the gag.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WEED IS AN ACT OF LOVE _ A Washington state woman had something in her panties for her boyfriend. She tried to smuggle pot into a state prison. Guards caught her with the weed packed in seven balloons, hidden in her underwear. Her lawyer called it an act of love but the judge didn’t agree.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SHOPLIFTING MOMS TRY TO BLAME BABIES _ Police in Holland caught two women shoplifting clothes in a store and both women tried to blame it on their babies. They said the babies must have hidden the clothes in their strollers, but the cops didn’t believe them because one was only a year old and the other 14 months.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SOCCER BALL THIEF _ A California man swiped a soccer ball from a game in progress at a local park, then took it for a ride in his car. A few of the players followed the soccer ball stealer in another car. Eventually the thief tossed the ball out of his car. The soccer players in the other car watched as it bounced a few times and then got flattened by a semi truck.

ON TELEVISION

SURVIVOR (8p ET, CBS) — New.

A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING (8p ET, ABC) — The classic Peanuts animated special

THE WALL (8p ET, NBC) — New.

EMPIRE (8p ET, FOX) — Repeat

IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL (8p ET, CW) — Part one of this special features performances by P!nk, Harry Styles, Coldplay, Chris Stapleton, The Weeknd, Coldplay, Lorde and Miley Cyrus.

SEAL TEAM (9p ET, CBS) — New. Jason and the team are tasked with bringing home an American soldier who was captured after deserting.

MODERN FAMILY (9p ET, ABC) — Repeat

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (9p ET, NBC) — This is a repeat of the Thanksgiving special.

STAR (9p ET, FOX) — Repeat

AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE (9:30p ET, ABC) — Repeat

CRIMINAL MINDS (10p ET, CBS) — New. A criminal sensationalizes his crimes by giving the local media exclusive footage.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, CHRISTMAS! INSIDE HOLIDAY MOVIE CLASSICS (10p ET, ABC) — Peter Billingsley (Ralphie in A Christmas Story) hosts this new special that goes behind-the-scenes of your favorite holiday films and visits from a number of the stars.

GODLESS (Netflix) — This 7-part western mini-series revolves around a New Mexico settlement that’s governed almost entirely by widowed women. Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Merritt Wever, Jeff Daniels, Jack O’Connell, Scoot McNairy, and Sam Waterston star.

BARBRA: THE MUSIC…THE MEM’RIES…THE MAGIC (Netflix) — A new documentary about the legendary Barbra Streisand.

ENTERTAINMENT

DAVID CASSIDY DIES AT 67 _ David Cassidy, pop culture idol of the 1970s, has died as a result of complications from dementia. The musician and actor was 67. Cassidy announced his diagnosis with dementia in early 2017, and reports indicate he died as a result of organ failure.

IN THEATERS TODAY _ While Coco is expected to make at least $60 million over the five day holiday weekend, Justic League may have enough super power left in it to win at the box office. Some industry experts think it could make another $65 million Wednesday through Sunday.

• Coco (PG)- Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family’s ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to work out the mystery. Voice cast: Benjamin Bratt, Anthony Gonzalez
• The Man Who Invented Christmas (PG) – The journey that led to Charles Dickens’ creation of A Christmas Carol. Christopher Plummer, Dan Stevens, Jonathan Pryce
• Roman J. Israel, Esq. (PG-13, GOES TO WIDE RELEASE) – Denzel Washington stars as Roman Israel, a driven, idealistic defense attorney who, through a tumultuous series of events, finds himself in a crisis that leads to extreme action. Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell.

36 FEMALE SNLers BACK FRANKEN _ The current cast of Saturday Night Live is far from supporting SNL alum and alleged harasser Al Franken, but the same can’t be said of former staff. In a letter, 36 women who previously worked on the show say they “feel compelled to stand up for Al Franken,” who did something “stupid and foolish” but also did the right thing and apologized. The letter goes on to describe the senator as “a devoted and dedicated family man, a wonderful comedic partner, and an honorable public servant.” It concludes, “We would like to acknowledge that not one of us ever experienced any inappropriate behavior; and mention our sincere appreciation that he treated each of us with the utmost respect and regard.”

… Reaction has been harsh on social media, with users noting the women are thanking Franken for not harassing them when it’s known he harassed others.

HEAD OF PIXAR APOLOGIZES FOR INAPPROPRIATE CONTACT _ John Lasseter, head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, announced Tuesday that he was taking a six-month leave of absence over unspecified “missteps.” In a staff memo he wrote: “I’ve recently had a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for me. It’s never easy to face your missteps, but it’s the only way to learn from them. As a result, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate and champion I want to be.”

… He continued, “It’s been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent. Collectively, you mean the world to me, and I deeply apologize if I have let you down.” Lasseter added that he especially wanted to apologize to “anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES TURNS 30 _ ( AUDIO) The comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles debuted in theaters 30 years ago this weekend (November 25). The film stars Steve Martin as Neal Page, a high-strung marketing executive, who meets Del Griffith, played by John Candy, an eternally optimistic, outgoing, overly talkative, and clumsy shower curtain ring salesman. They share a three-day odyssey of misadventures trying to get Neal home to Chicago from New York City in time for Thanksgiving with his family.

THE GOOD PLACE RENEWED FOR SEASON 3 _ NBC has renewed the critically acclaimed comedy The Good Place for a third season. Like its first and second seasons, the third installment of the sitcom starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson will consist of 13 episodes.

STOLEN JOHN LENNON MEMORABILIA RECOVERED IN GERMANY _ Scores of items belonging to John Lennon that were stolen a decade ago from his widow Yoko Ono have been recovered in Germany. The trove included handwritten music, two pairs of Lennon’s signature metal-rimmed glasses and three leather-bound diaries — including one with his final entry before he was murdered in 1980. In total 100 items were recovered.

… German police arrested a 58-year-old German businessman of Turkish origin on suspicion of fraud and handling the stolen goods. Cops raided his Berlin home and cars, where additional Lennon memorabilia was found in a briefcase hidden under the spare tire in a trunk.

… A second suspect — the former driver for Ono who was jailed in 2007 for 60 days for trying to extort $2 million from the famed widow — is living in his native Turkey and is currently “not available,” authorities said.

CHICAGO PD STAR JASON BEGHE APOLOGIZES FOR ANGER ISSUES _ Chicago P.D. star Jason Beghe apologized for inappropriate on-set behavior related to his “anger issues” in a statement on Tuesday. Beghe said: “I am deeply sorry for my behavior, which I know has been hurtful to my friends and colleagues. I have struggled with anger issues for some time, and over the past year, I have been working with a coach to help me learn how to mitigate my temper. It’s an ongoing process, and it has been a humbling one.”

… Beghe was investigated for his behavior after other employees brought their complaints to the human resources department.

CHRISSY TEIGEN AND JOHN LEGEND EXPECTING SECOND CHILD _ Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are expecting their second child.

CRASH REPORT TURNS OUT TO BE SCENE FOR BILLY CRYSTAL FILM _ A report of a car crashing into a pizza and ice cream shop on Long Island turned out to be a scene for a film starring Billy Crystal. Police and firefighters were dispatched after someone reported a vehicle had crashed into Slices & Ices. Officials say they were aware that a movie was being filmed there, but had to be sure a real accident hadn’t occurred.

TOP TV SHOWS _ Week of November 13-19.

NFL Football: Philadelphia at Dallas, NBC, 21.06 million
Sunday Night NFL Pre-Kick, NBC, 15.31 million
NFL Thursday Night Football: Tennessee at Pittsburgh, NBC, 13.52 million
The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 13.44 million
NCIS, CBS, 13.09 million
Young Sheldon, CBS, 11.83 million
60 Minutes, CBS, 11.47 million
Football Night in America, NBC, 11.40 million
Bull, CBS, 10.36 million
The Good Doctor, ABC, 10.15 million
This Is Us, NBC, 10.05 million
The Voice (Tuesday), NBC, 9.98 million
Dancing With the Stars, ABC, 9.90 million
NCIS: New Orleans, CBS, 9.70 million
The Voice (Monday), NBC, 9.60 million
Blue Bloods, CBS, 9.25 million
Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 9.17 million
American Music Awards, ABC, 9.15 million
Survivor, CBS, 8.85 million
NFL Football: Miami at Carolina, ESPN, 8.81 million

AUDIO

Find these audio files on the PRO AUDIO PAGE.

• DROP: Charlie Brown Thanksgiving clip.

• BAD SALESMAN: This is a real call left on voicemail. The guy is letting you know you get a trip to Branson, Missouri.

• PHONER: Shopping on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. → 5 real callers

• WINNIPEG OR DISNEY WORLD? A couple of Canadian boys were told they they were going on a family trip to Winnipeg. Then mom and dad broke the news: They were actually packing for Disney World. Except…

INTERPREP PROSHARE

More prep in the Facebook Group.

BITS & BREAKS

WHAT DID YOU DO IN SCHOOL THAT WENT ON YOUR ‘PERMANENT RECORD’?

I’d love to go back to my (grade school/high school) to see if I still have a permanent record. Back then I got in trouble for _________ .

If we looked at your old schools “permanent record” what would be on it?

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING

HAVE A PLAN. Do you know what time you’re waking up on Black Friday? How about which stores you’re going to, and in which order? If you think you’re going to just waltz into your local mall on Black Friday and walk out with a king’s ransom of bargains, it’s probably time to get a better strategy.

RESIST THE IMPULSE PURCHASE. When those doors open on Black Friday, you’ll be thrown into a world of retail temptation. But since you’ve got a plan, you’ll be able to resist any sudden urges and have a productive shopping day. Have all the items you want, and their prices, listed and budgeted, and be sure to stick to it.

GET ALERTS FROM YOUR FAVORITE STORE. Compile a list of all your favorite store chains so you can follow them on social media and sign up for their Black Friday email alerts.

DOWNLOAD AN APP. There is a whole world of apps out there specifically targeted at the Black Friday aficionado. Some compile the best deals in your area and send the information directly to your phone in the lead-up to the big day. Others curate all the best coupons and keep track of all your store reward points.

GO TO STORES THAT PARTICIPATE IN YOUR CREDIT CARD’S REWARD PROGRAM. You may be eligible to earn extra cash back when you shop at stores that are partnered with your credit card for extra holiday savings. And some cards will actually match your cash back bonus. Discover’s Match program, for example, will match all the cash back you earn at the end of your first year as a cardholder.

FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: Regulations in this industry state that participants’ names may not contain more than 18 letters. What’s the industry? (Horse-racing. A horse’s has to be 18 letters or less so as to fit on racing sheets.)

NAME GAME TRIVIA

The object of this trivia quiz is quite simple: Use the first letter of your first name to answer each question. For example, if your name were Tim and I asked for a famous singer, you could say Taylor Swift. We’ll put 30 seconds on the clock and you need to answer all five questions in that time. Remember, all your answers must begin with the first letter of your first name. Ready?

• Something Christmas related.

• A movie title.

• A part of a car.

• A drink.

• An occupation.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

They finally did it. Someone invented a rocket powered cake cutter.

IMAGE OF THE DAY

Backpack company answers questions on Amazon.

DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 23, 2017

This is day 327 of 2017. There are 38 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Bruce Hornsby is 63

• TV Robin Roberts is 57

• Oded Fehr (The Mummy) is 47

• Comedian Chris Hardwick is 46

• Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi (Jersey Shore) is 30

• Miley Cyrus is 25

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1936: The first edition of Life magazine is published.

• 1954: For the first time, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above the peak it reached just before the 1929 crash.

• 1984: Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie throws a game-winning 48-yard Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan to defeat the University of Miami Hurricanes 45-41. It is one of the most famous plays in American college football history.

• 1990: The first all woman expedition to the south pole (3 Americans, 1 Japanese and 12 Russians), sets off from Antarctica on the first leg of a 70 day, 800 mile ski trek.

• 1990: MTV banned Madonna’s “Justify My Love” video.

• 1991: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, police disclosed that a 16-year-old boy had amassed a $10,000 baseball card collection by running a bookie operation at a local high school.

• 2000: Dot-com millionaire Jaakko Rytsola set a world record in Finland with a $71,400 speeding ticket. Traffic fines in Finland are linked to an offender’s income. The higher the income, the higher the fine, and there’s no limit. Rytsola, 27 years old at the time, was doing 40 in downtown Helsinki, a 25 mile zone. He was driving a Ferrari.

• 2007: MS Explorer, a cruise liner carrying 154 people, sank in the Antarctic Ocean south of Argentina after hitting an iceberg near the South Shetland Islands. There were no fatalities.

• 2013: Pop band One Direction hosts 1D Day, a day consisting of a 7½ hour-long socially interactive live-stream on YouTube and Google Hangout, including live band performances and celebrity guests.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Thanksgiving Day

• Image Consultant Day

• Espresso Day

UPCOMING

• November 24: Black Friday
• November 25: Small Business Saturday
• November 27: Cyber Monday
• November 28: Grammy nominations announced
• November 28: Giving Tuesday
• December 3: Supermoon
• December 3: Selection Sunday (college football)
• December 6: Time’s Person of the Year
• December 8: The Crown Season 2
• December 9: Heisman Trophy awarded
• December 10: Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
• December 11: Golden Globes nominations
• December 12: Hanukkah
• December 15: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• December 21: First day of winter
• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 31: New Year’s Eve
• January 1: New Year’s Day
• January 1: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl (college semis)
• January 8: College football championship (Alabama won in 2017)
• January 23: Oscar nominations announced
• January 31: Total lunar eclipse/blood moon
• February 4: Super Bowl 52

DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 24, 2017

This is day 328 of 2017. There are 37 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Former Beatles drummer Pete Best is 76

• Actor-comedian Billy Connolly is 75

• Dwight Schultz (The A-Team) is 70

• Stanley Livingston (Chip Douglas on My Three Sons) is 67

• Conleth Hall (Game of Thrones) is 53

• Colin Hanks (Life in Pieces, Roswell) is 40

• Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) is 39

• Sarah Hyland is 27

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1859: Charles Darwin published his “On the Origin of Species” describing the Theory of Evolution.

• 1904: Fullback Sam McAllester was literally thrown for a touchdown to give Tennessee a 7-0 win over Alabama. McAllester wore handles on a wide leather belt, and his teammates actually threw him over the defense for the score.

• 1941: Drummer Pete Best was born. In April 1960 Pete and three other Liverpool musicians formed the Beatles. Pete’s family lived over the Casbah Club, where the Beatles first performed. During the group’s first recording session in 1962, Pete was fired and replaced by Ringo Starr.

• 1968: Sept. 11 victim Todd Beamer (“Let’s roll.”) was born.

• 1971: D.B. Cooper staged the world’s first ransom hijacking of an airliner. Cooper parachuted out the back door of a Boeing 727 over Southwest Washington State with $200,000, and has never been seen again.

• 1991: Queen’s Freddie Mercury died of AIDS complications in London. He was 45.

• 1994: Three prisoners awaiting trial for theft and assault escaped from Arkansas’s Faulkner County Jail by crawling through air ducts. They used the tiny silver wheelbarrow from a Monopoly game to remove “tamper-resistant” screws on the air duct cover.

• 1998: America Online confirmed it was buying Netscape Communications.

• 2001: A part-time British inventor suffered whiplash when a squirrel landed on his head while he was out testing a bird-feeding hat. The squirrel, spying the feed on the hat’s tray, landed with such force the inventor was knocked to the ground and injured his neck.

• 2006: A Sheboygan, Wisconsin, man awoke in the morning to a yard full of holiday decorations stolen from around the county. Dan Bogenschuetz said his fiancee was the first to notice about 30 neatly arranged reindeer, Christmas trees and other decorations outside his home.

• 2008: A study by a leading fitness researcher (David Powell) revealed that a typical homeowner saves no more time using a leaf blower over a large leaf rake. And the study showed raking is better for you since you’re burning calories and working a dozen or more muscle groups.

• 2014: A grand jury in St. Louis County reached the decision that police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the shooting death of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Black Friday

• Flossing Day

• Native American Heritage Day

• Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day

• Fur Free Friday

• Random Acts of Kindness Friday

• Sinkie Day. When you eat over the sink all the Thanksgiving leftovers.

• You’re Welcomegiving Day

• Sardines Day

UPCOMING

• November 25: Small Business Saturday
• November 27: Cyber Monday
• November 28: Grammy nominations announced
• November 28: Giving Tuesday
• December 3: Supermoon
• December 3: Selection Sunday (college football)
• December 6: Time’s Person of the Year
• December 8: The Crown Season 2
• December 9: Heisman Trophy awarded
• December 10: Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
• December 11: Golden Globes nominations
• December 12: Hanukkah
• December 15: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• December 21: First day of winter
• December 24: Christmas Eve
• December 25: Christmas Day
• December 31: New Year’s Eve
• January 1: New Year’s Day
• January 1: Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl (college semis)
• January 8: College football championship (Alabama won in 2017)
• January 23: Oscar nominations announced
• January 31: Total lunar eclipse/blood moon
• February 4: Super Bowl 52

DATEBOOK WEEKEND

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25

• Ben Stein is 73. John Larroquette is 70. Bruno Tonioli is 62. Amy Grant is 57. Billy Burke is 51. Jill Hennessy is 48. Christina Applegate is 46. Kristian Nairn is 42. Jerry Ferrara is 38.

• International Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day. International Hat Day. World Day of Giving. Small Business Saturday. Parfait Day. Eat with a Friend Day.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26

• Rich Little is 79. Tina Turner is 78. John McVie is 72. Country singer Linda Davis is 55. Kristin Bauer is 51. Peter Facinelli is 44. DJ Khaled is 42. Country singer Joe Nichols is 41. Natasha Bedingfield is 36. Rita Ora is 27.

• Cake Day. Thursday was Thanksgiving, Friday was Black Friday, Saturday was Small Business Saturday, Monday is Cyber Monday and Tuesday is Giving Tuesday. So what’s today? With so much business right now, let’s chill out in our sweatpants — it’s Sweatpants Sunday.