FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed “Juice“, is an American former football running back, broadcaster, actor, and advertising spokesman. Once a popular figure with the U.S. public, he is now best known for being tried for the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted of the murders in criminal court but was later found responsible for both deaths in a civil trial.

Simpson attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he played football for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. He played professionally as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1978 to 1979. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He holds the record for the single-season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1. He was the only player to rush for over 2,000 yards in the 14-game regular season NFL format. Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After retiring from football, he began new careers in acting and football broadcasting.

In 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. He was acquitted by a jury after a lengthy and internationally publicized trial. The families of the victims subsequently filed a civil suit against him. A civil court awarded a $33.5 million judgment against him in 1997 for the victims’ wrongful deaths. In 2000, Simpson moved to Miami, Florida to avoid paying on the liability judgment, which as of 2021 remained mostly unpaid.

In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with the felonies of armed robbery and kidnapping. In 2008, he was convicted and sentenced to 33 years’ imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole. He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center near Lovelock, Nevada. Simpson was granted parole on July 20, 2017, which was the minimum sentence. He was eligible for release from prison on October 1, 2017, and was released on that date. On December 14, 2021, Simpson was granted early release from his parole by the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation.

TODAY’S ALMANAC

Bunker Hill Day (Suffolk Co., Mass.)

The Battle of Bunker Hill, one of the most famous battles of the Revolutionary War, for the most part did not take place on Bunker Hill. After dark on June 16, 1775, about 1,200 colonial soldiers moved onto the Charlestown peninsula overlooking Boston (occupied by the British) and began to construct a redoubt on Breed’s Hill. When the British discovered the work party at dawn the next day, British ships in the harbor immediately opened fire. British general William Howe was given command of an assault force of 2,400 men but had to wait for a favorable tide at noon to land his troops. By then, the American position was garrisoned by 1,600 men and 6 cannons. Twice Howe’s troops, burdened by heavy packs, moved up the hill and were turned back by heavy fire. Reinforced for a third assault, Howe had his men drop their packs and ordered a bayonet attack. By that time, the patriots had run out of powder, and the British seized the hill, then rapidly assaulted Bunker Hill, as the American retreat became a rout. The British won, but at the cost of 1,054 casualties, many of them officers. Patriot losses numbered 100 dead and 267 wounded.

Question of the Day

Why do we say John Doe or Jane Doe when we refer to someone who is unknown or anonymous?

Originally, John Doe was a sham name used to indicate any plaintiff in an action of ejectment (a legal action to regain property) in civil court. Richard Roe was the counterpart, to indicate the defendant. These fake names were used in delicate legal matters, a practice that was abolished in English law in 1852. Since then, John Doe has been used to indicate any man of unknown name, with Jane Doe used for females.

Advice of the Day

Raw honey has a reputation for strengthening a weak heart, a weak brain, and a weak stomach.

Home Hint of the Day

Boards bow because of the natural curve in their grain. There is little you can do to straighten a board that’s bowed, but you can still use it in rough construction.

Word of the Day

Nephophobia

Fear of clouds

Puzzle of the Day

The highest state. (Abbreviation of a U.S. state)

Mont

Born

• John Wesley (founder of Methodism) – 1703
• James Weldon Johnson (poet) – 1871
• Ralph Bellamy (actor) – 1904
• Charles Eames (designer & architect) – 1907
• John Hersey (novelist) – 1914
• James Ludlow Elliot (astronomer who discovered the rings of Uranus) – 1943
• Barry Manilow (singer) – 1946
• Joe Piscopo (actor) – 1951
• Greg Kinnear (actor) – 1963
• Venus Williams (tennis player) – 1980

Died

• Duffy Lewis (baseball player) – 1979
• J. Carter Brown (headed the National Gallery) – 2002
• Gloria Vanderbilt (fashion icon) – 2019

Events

• Sir Francis Drake landed on the Pacific Coast– 1579
• The Battle of Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, took place during the siege of Boston. It was the first major battle of the American Revolution.– 1775
• Republican Party’s first national convention to nominate a presidential candidate took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania– 1856
• Plow and gun combo patented– 1862
• The French ship Isere, carrying the Statue of Liberty in 214 crates, arrived in New York City– 1885
• Army weekly magazine Yank coined the term G.I. Joe” in a comic strip drawn by Dave Breger”– 1942
• First U.S. mobile telephone commercial service inaugurated, St. Louis, Missouri– 1946
• Trans-Canada Air Lines began serving quick-freeze meals– 1949
• 15th FIFA World Cup soccer games began. For the first time in history, the event was held in the United States.– 1994
• Following a bizarre televised highway chase, O. J. Simpson was arrested for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman– 1994
• Double-hulled, 66-foot Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a returned to Hawaii from around-the-world trip.– 2017

Weather

• Santa Ana winds roasted fruit on the trees in California– 1859
• Santa Barbara, California’s temperature hit 133 degrees F– 1859
• Tornado struck Iowa College, Grinnell, Iowa– 1882

COURTESY www.almanac.com