Spotlight: People have been kicking a ball towards a goal for many hundreds of years. Drawings of men playing a game that resembled football have been found from as far back as 200 BCE in China. In 1872, Scotland hosted England in the first international competition of the game known as "soccer" to Americans and as "football" to most of the rest of the world. The first World Cup games were played in 1930 in Uruguay — on July 13, 1930, Uruguay beat Argentina 4-2 and took home the first World Cup trophy. The inaugural international game (1872) was watched by some 4,000 people. The most recent World Cup final, in 2006, was watched by more than 700 million, and was the world's most widely-viewed sporting event.

Quote: "Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that." — Bill Shankly

Question of the Day: Does the 'Super Bowl' or 'World Cup' have more viewers in US?
According to the New York Times, 16.9 million American viewers (11.9 million on ABC and 5 million on Univision) saw the 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy. For the 2006 Super Bowl between Pittsburgh and Seattle (Super Bowl XL), 91 million were watching.

The 16.9 million was the second highest total viewers for a World Cup final in the US, exceeded only by the 17.9 million that watched the US women defeat China in the Women's World Cup final in 1999.

Hollywood Sign

Today in History:

• Jean Paul Marat: physician and radical French revolutionary was stabbed in his bath by noblewoman Charlotte Corday; she was swiftly guillotined (1793)
• Hollywood Sign: the iconic landmark was officially dedicated (1923); until 1949 it read "HOLLYWOODLAND"
• Live Aid: benefit concert took place in London and Philadelphia, raising £150 million for famine relief; Phil Collins performed at both venues, traveling by Concorde (1985)
• presidential disability clause: President Ronald Reagan transferred power for 7 hours to his vice president, George Bush, before undergoing surgery for cancer; it was the first time the clause was invoked (1985)

Roger McGuinn

Today's Birthdays:

• Wole Soyinka (75): playwright, poet, novelist
• Harrison Ford (67): star of the Indiana Jones films; actors Patrick Stewart (69), Cheech Marin (63) and Michael Jace (44) were also born on this date
• Roger McGuinn (67): singer, front man for The Byrds; also, singers Louise Mandrell (55), Victoria Shaw (47), Neil Thrasher (46) and Deborah Cox (35)
• Erno Rubik (65): inventor of the Rubik's Cube
• Cameron Crowe (52): writer and director, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous

Word of the Day:  jo

Sweetheart; dear.

  (© Houghton Mifflin Company)

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