Assignment 4 - November 25, 1993

On a Thanksgiving Day, twenty-one years ago, I was born, but that wasn’t all that happened that day. Many families (in the US) gathered around their tables to celebrate the holiday. This long ago day didn’t have a significant amount of major events, but there were a few notable things in news, sports, and entertainment.

Many times I have asked my parents about the day of my birth, but mostly all I’ve heard was that I was born on Thanksgiving Day. Both of their memories are foggy of that day, but they think that my older three brothers had been dropped off at a friend’s house the night before.

My Dad's Hand-Written Notes of My Birth

I was born in Amarillo, Texas at 10:43 AM. I was seven pounds even and nineteen and three fourths inches long. My mom, until actually holding me, refused to believe that I would be a girl, since she had only ever had boys.

In world news, there was an attempted assignation of Prime Minister Atef Sedki in Egypt. Only an eleven-year-old girl was killed in the blast of the bomb, but eighteen more people were wounded (Hedges).

Another event that people got to read about on the 25^th, was the sentencing of a kidnapper the day before the holiday. The man, David Merritt, was found guilty and sentenced to eighteen years in prison for robbing, stabbing, and beating a woman in March, 1993 (Kidnapper).

In Suriname, a country in Northern South America, celebrated their eighteenth anniversary of their independence from the Netherlands. The country has had a varying range of governments in those eighteen years: from multiple military regimes all the way to civilian rule (Suriname).

Suriname Flag

Map of Suriname

Moving away from the terrible events surrounding the day of my birth, in entertainment, people were able to watch Mrs. Doubtfire, which had released the day before. By that weekend, the movie had grossed $20,468,847 (Mrs. Doubtfire). This movie is still a classic today, but, sadly, Robin Williams died last year on August 11, 2014.

There weren’t any famous births on the exact date of my birth, but many famous people have been born on November 25^th. Jeffrey Hunter (if he had lived past 1969) would have been turning sixty-seven. He was best known for being John Wayne’s sidekick in many of his movies. Katie Cassidy (plays Laural Lance on the show Arrow, based on the comic books) had celebrated her seventh birthday. Christina Appelgate (Samantha Who?, Anchorman) celebrated her twenty-second birthday (Novmeber). Those are just a few of the many notable people born that day over the years.

Jeffrey Hunter

Katie Cassidy

Christina Appelgate

Claudia McNeil

Anthony Burgess

On another sad note, Anthony Burgess (novelist of Clockwork Orange) died of cancer at the age of seventy-six. Actress Claudia McNeil also passed away on this day. She died of diabetes at the age of seventy-seven. She is most known for appearing in Raisin in the Sun (Today).

In music news of that day, the top five songs that week were: Meat Loaf”s I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Mariah Carey’s Hero, Janet Jackson’s Again, Tag Team’s Whoom! There It Is, and Ace of Base’s All That She Wants (World). 

One last things for entertainment, this Peanuts comic was published on the day of my birth:

Thanksgiving Day has always been a big day for football (which I will admit to not enjoying) and, in a more notable game, the Dallas Cowboys played against the Miami Dolphins. One of the Dallas players ended up botching the game by accidentally kicking the ball closer to the opposing team’s goal. Right before that moment, the game was 14-13, with the Cowboys in the lead and there was only fifteen seconds left in the game. With the Dallas player’s mistake, the Dolphins scored in the last few seconds to win the game 16-14 (11/25/1993). Had my dad been able to watch the game, I’m sure he would’ve been grumbling at the loss for his favorite team at the time, but I’m sure he didn’t mind missing it to hold his only baby girl.

Having been born on a US holiday, many events, other than Thanksgiving, would not have happened and that’s why not too many major events took place. There were tragedies on that day, but also celebration for Americans and the giving of thanks. My parents were especially extra thankful on that day because of the birth of their youngest child and only daughter.

11/25/1993 - Leon Lett does it again. (2009, November 25). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.sbnation.com/2009/11/25/1169401/11-25-1993-leon-lett-does-it-again

Hedges, C. (1993, November 25). EGYPTIAN PREMIER ESCAPES CAR BOMB. Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/26/world/egyptian-premier-escapes-car-bomb.html

Kidnapper At Mall Gets 18-year Term. (1993, November 25). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-11-25/news/9311270048_1_parking-lot-sentenced-automatic

Mrs. Doubtfire. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107614/

November 25 Birthdays | Famous Birthdays. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.famousbirthdays.com/november25.html

Suriname | history - geography. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/575240/Suriname

Today in History for 25th November 1993 - HistoryOrb.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.historyorb.com/date/1993/november/25

World Event. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://takemeback.to/25-November-1993#.VR14DPnF-So