Sunday, July 17, 2005

Spotlight
The Happiest Place on Earth turns 50! Disneyland, one of the world's first theme parks, opened in Anaheim, California, on this date in 1955. Conceived by Walt Disney, the park was built in one year at a cost of $17m. The opening ceremonies were televised, with Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings, and Ronald Reagan acting as emcees. Disney theme parks have since opened in Orlando, Tokyo, and Paris, and one is due to open soon in Hong Kong.

Quote
"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." – Walt Disney

Today in History

• WWI: British royal family changed its name to Windsor from the German Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1917)
• "Wrong Way" Corrigan: aviator took off from New York saying he was headed for California; he landed in Ireland instead (1938)
• superpowers in space: US and Soviet spacecraft dock together in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (1975)

Today's Birthdays

• actors: James Cagney (1899-1986), Donald Sutherland (70)
• writers: S.Y. Agnon (1888-1970), Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970)
• Guru: rapper (38)

Word of the Day
 pipe dream: an impracticable hope or plan; many called Disney's notion of a massive theme park a pipe dream.   (© )