Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Spotlight
Edward R. Murrow, born on this date in 1908, is considered the father of broadcast journalism. Having made his mark with his radio broadcasts from London during World War II, Murrow moved his radio format to television with his See it Now series. The series tackled controversial issues and is most famous for Murrow's criticism of Senator Joseph McCarthy, which helped bring an end to the Red Scare of the 1950s. George Clooney was recently nominated for an Oscar for his film about that period in Murrow's life, Good Night and Good Luck.

Quote
"Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation." – Edward R. Murrow

Word of the day
cadre: core group of an organization; Edward R. Murrow hired a cadre of broadcasters called "Murrow's Boys." (© )

Holiday
Yom Hashoa (Holocaust Remembrance Day; Israel)

ANZAC Day (Australia, New Zealand)

Today's News

• Iran: women may now attend soccer matches (story)
• web surfing: is not grounds for dismissal, judge rules (story)
• Wal-Mart: becomes pivotal in high-stakes political battle (story)

Today's History

• "La Marseillaise": French national anthem was composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg (1792)
• Suez Canal: ground was broken on the waterway connecting the Mediterranean and Red seas (1859)
• license plates: were required for the first time on cars in the US, in New York State (1901)

Today's Birthdays

• Ella Fitzgerald: jazz singer known for scat (1918-1996)
• Al Pacino: screen star, the Godfather movies, Scent of a Woman (66)
• Renee Zellweger: actor, Jerry Maguire, Chicago (37)