Don't know much about history...

I've never been good with dates. Don't ask me what happened the year I graduated college. I can't even remember last week. My desk drawers and bookshelves are overflowing with planners and calendars of years gone by so that I have a reference to, well, reference. Last time I went to the dentist? Um..I think it was May. No, wait, October. No, May. (Turns out it was in January) Is my car a 2006 or a 2007? My trip to Hawaii was in January of 2007. Or 2006. Well, one of those anyway.

If I remember your birthday, you should be throwing ME the party.

And so it is that while I'm keenly interested in all things history - what aspiring writer isn't? - my grasp of history and when things occurred is about as tight as a lady of the night in Amsterdam. This is why, many years ago, I bought a book entitled Don't Know Much About History. I hear it's fabulous. I'll get around to reading it one of these days.

Until then, I thought you might be as interested as I was to see what has occurred in history (or herstory) on this very date, January 13. An eclectic list, indeed.

1794 President George Washington approved a measure adding two stars and two stripes to the American flag, following the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the union. (Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are still waiting...)

1854 Anthony Faas of Philadelphia, PA, patented the accordion. (Who invented the "oompah" to go with it is unknown...)

1930 The comic strip "Mickey Mouse" debuts in American newspapers. (Thanks to two very powerful men, William Randolph Hearst and Walt Disney, and one very small but powerful mouse...)

1942 Henry Ford patented the plastic automobile, which allowed for a 30% decrease in car weight. (Ken and Barbie were thrilled...)

1962 Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) score 73 points against the Chicago Bulls. (A point for every woman he'd slept with so far that year...)

1964 The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in the U.S. (Apparently every hand had already been held in Great Britain...)

1966 Robert C. Weaver became the first black Cabinet member as he was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by President Lyndon B. Johnson. (Urban Development? Really?)

1968 Country musician Johnny Cash recorded a live concert at Folsom Prison in California. (Next up, Kidd Rock performs from Jackson!)

1979 Peaches & Herb performed "Reunited" on "American Bandstand." (And it felt so good...)

1992 Japan apologized for forcing tens of thousands of Korean women to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II. (Oh, how nice! An apology. Very sweet.)

1999 Basketball player Michael Jordan announced his retirement. (Too bad it didn't stick...)

2002 U.S. President George W. Bush fainted after choking on a pretzel. (He never regained consciousness...)