Daily Almanac for Thursday, April 25, 2024

By Lucy Santiago

Actor Jason Lee is 54 today. Here he is at the Away and Back premiere in 2015. By Mingle Media TV, CC BY-SA 2.0, https commons.wikimedia.org

FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor, filmmaker, photographer, and former professional skateboarder. He is known for playing Earl Hickey in the television comedy series My Name Is Earl, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy TV series in 2005 and 2006 by The Golden Globes, and Dave in the live-action films, Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007), Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009), Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015).

He is also known for his roles in Kevin Smith films such as Mallrats (1995)Chasing Amy (1997)Dogma (1999)Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)Jersey Girl (2004)Clerks II (2006)Cop Out (2010), and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019). Lee won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in Chasing Amy. His other notable film roles include starring in Enemy of the StateAlmost FamousVanilla SkyStealing HarvardA Guy Thing and The Ballad of Jack and Rose. His voice acting credits include Syndrome in The Incredibles (2004), Bones in Monster House (2006) and the title character in Underdog (2007).

A former professional skateboarder, Lee is the co-founder and co-owner of Stereo Skateboards, founding the company in 1992 with fellow skateboarder Chris “Dune” Pastras. Since 1992, Stereo manufactures and distributes skateboard decks, equipment and apparel, as well as producing skate videos.

SKATEBOARDING CAREER

Lee was a professional skateboarder in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1992, he founded Stereo Sound Agency, known as Stereo Skateboards, with fellow skater Chris “Dune” Pastras. In 2003, after it had been defunct for a few years, the pair successfully revived the company. As of October 2013, Lee and Pastras remained on the professional “Classics” team roster.

Lee was featured in the skateboarding promotional video, Video Days (1991), filmed for the skateboarding company Blind Skateboards. In 2004, Lee’s skateboarding was featured in Way Out East!, a film produced by Stereo Skateboards.

In August 2012, Lee was also featured in a brief video on the skateboard website The Berrics entitled “Jason Lee decided to come to the park.”

In August 2012, Lee participated in the ninth annual Stand-Up for Skateparks Event, which he chaired with Tony Hawk. The event is held annually by the Tony Hawk Charitable Foundation and seeks to “help create free, quality public skateparks for youth in low-income communities.”

In October that same year, a video was released by the Keep A Breast Foundation, featuring various skateboarding identities, including Lee, together with Pastras. The video, contributing to the Foundation’s aim to prevent and raise awareness of breast cancer, promotes the “I Love Boobies” bracelet. It also features Clint Peterson (Stereo) and Giovanni Reda (WESC), who are both teammates of Lee.

Lee later worked with Tony Hawk when he lent his voice and likeness to Tony Hawk’s Project 8 to become a playable character. Lee then voiced Coach Frank, a character created during the development of Stereo, in video game Skate 3.

Professional skateboarder and owner of the Girl and Lakai Limited Footwear skateboard brands Mike Carroll has cited Lee as one of his skating influences.

Lee has been particularly cited for his 360 flips, which even the trick’s inventor, Rodney Mullen, credits him with stylizing and popularizing.

TODAY’S ALMANAC

Question of the Day

How does a person get rid of slugs?

First, trap them. Go out to the garden in the late afternoon and lay boards or pieces of cardboard on the bare soil around your plantings. In the morning, turn over the boards and scrape the hiding slugs into a large yogurt or cottage cheese container. Cover and place in the freezer for three hours. When they’re frozen stiff, dump them on your compost pile.

Advice of the Day

Do not let any sweet-talking woman beguile your good sense with fascinations of her shape. It’s your barn she’s after. — Hesiod

Home Hint of the Day

If your lawn is troubled by summer dry spells, add clover seed in the spring. Follow instructions on the seed package. Later on, clover will help keep your lawn green during hot, dry weather.

Word of the Day

Skyscraper

A skysail of a triangular form. A name for the one of the fancy sails alleged to have been sometimes set above the skysail. Hence, anything usually large, high, or excessive.

Puzzle of the Day

What is a shark’s favorite sandwich?

Peanut butter and jellyfish.

Born

  • Ella Fitzgerald (singer) – 
  • Melissa Hayden (ballerina) – 
  • Al Pacino (actor) – 
  • Talia Shire (actress) – 
  • Hank Azaria (actor) – 
  • Renee Zellweger (actress) – 
  • Jason Lee (actor) – 

Died

  • Ginger Rogers (dancer & actress) – 
  • Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes (rap artist) – 
  • Bobby “Boris” Pickett (singer best known for the Billboard hit Monster Mash) – 
  • Bea Arthur (actress) – 
  • Harry Belafonte (singer, actor, and activist) – 

Events

  • New York became first state to require auto license plates– 
  • The first guide dog, Buddy, was presented to Morris Frank– 
  • First circus telecast– 
  • United Negro College Fund was incorporated– 
  • The board game Scrabble trademark was registered– 
  • St. Lawrence Seaway completed. (It was dedicated on June 26.)– 
  • “Purple People Bridge” reopened, Cincinnati– 
  • A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal killing more than 8,000 people– 

Weather

  • New York City had 3 inches of snow– 
  • 118 degrees F, Volcano Springs, CA– 
  • In Michigan, a 70 mph wind picked up a 6-pound Chihuahua and blew her out of sight– 
  • The temperature in Concord, New Hampshire, reached 90 degrees setting a new state record for this date– 
  • A large tornado outbreak (about 362 twisters) began that lasted into April 28 and affected eastern U.S. and southern Canada– 

 

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