April Fool's Day........

Today is the first day of April.

Better known to the free world as April Fool's Day. From time to time......5 0n Five.....does its part to educate and entertain readers by providing interesting facts on a variety of topics not necessarily of the sports world.

Such is one of those times.....today.

Thanks to the folks at http://www.associatedcontent.com for accumulating some facts for us to share.

April Fool's Day Historical Events, Birthdays and Deaths

Who was Born on April 1? Who Died?

Actresses

Debbie Reynolds is an American actress, dancer, and singer born in 1932. Her most memorable roles are for "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown". She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" in 1964, and Golden Globes for her television show "The Debbie Reynolds Show" and for the movie "Mother". She had a recurring role on "Will & Grace".

Ali Mcgraw was born in 1938. Her best known roles are in "Love Story" with Ryan O' Neal and "The Getaway" with Steve McQueen. She was married to Steve McQueen and later divorced. She has been nominated for an Oscar and has won Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama and Most Promising Female Newcomer.

Annette O'Toole was born in 1952. She currently plays Superman's mother on "Smallville". Annette has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Music, Original Song, an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special, and a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series on Motion Picture Made for TV.

Singers

Rudolph Isley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1939. He was a founding member of the "Isley Brothers". He helped write their classic hits "Shout" and "It's Your Thing". He has received a BET Lifetime Achievement Award.

April 1 Deaths

Scott Joplin was born in 1917 in Texas. He is the most famous ragtime composer. His best-known composition is "The Entertainer." He died from syphilis at age 48.

Marvin Gaye died in 1984 at age 44. He was shot by his father. Marvin Gaye was a very popular R&B singer. He had several classic hits. Some of them are "Let's Get It On", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Sexual Healing", and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".



More...........from The National Pastime web site:

This Day in Baseball History

April 1

1911 All National League umpires are asked by league president Tom Lynch to provide evidence of vision tests.

1914 Rude Waddell, who once struck out a record 349 batters in one season, dies of tuberculosis at age 37.

1937 Reds' Babe Herman is sold to the Tigers.

1950 Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars wear shorts and rayon shirts as their Opening Day uniform.

1962 University of Detroit basketball star, Dave DeBusschere signs with the White Sox as a pitcher.

1963 Duke Snider returns to New York as the Mets purchase him from the Dodgers.

1964 Cleveland's manager Birdie Tebbetts suffers a heart attack.

1982 The Mets trade outfielder Lee Mazzilli to Texas for rookie pitchers Ron Darling and Walt Terrell.

1987 The Cardinals deal three youngsters, outfielder Andy VanSlyke, catcher Mike LaValliere and pitcher Mike Dunne, to get Pirate backstop, Tony Pena.

1987 Mets phenom pitcher Doc Gooden avoids suspension for substance abuse by agreeing to enter a drug rehab facility.

1989 Former Yale University and National League president Bart Giamatti becomes seventh commissioner of major league baseball.

1996 This website, Nationalpastime.com, appears for the first time on the internet. It is one of the first to feature baseball history on a daily basis.

1996 The Opening Day game is postponed when umpire John McSherry suffers a fatal heart attack in the first inning of the season opener in Cincinnati.

1996 Rallying from a 6-0 deficit, the Mets beat the Cardinals, 7-6, making it the biggest Opening Day comeback of the century.

1997 Setting a record for the most runs scored in one inning of an Opening Day contest this century, the Padres score 11 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to a 12-5 rout of Mets. Chris Gomez, Rickey Henderson and Quilvio Veras lead the attack with back-to-back-to-back home runs.

2001 In the first major league game ever played Puerto Rico, the Blue Jays defeat the Rangers, 8-1 in the major league season opener. Making his Texas debut, $252 million shortstop Alex Rodriguez gets the season's first hit and scores the first run, but also makes a throwing error on his first chance.

2005 Albert Pujols does not strike out in any of the 21 Cardinals spring training games. In his 68 plate appearances, the St. Louis first baseman finishes the exhibition season with a .458 batting average, six homers, and 20 RBI.

2006 A day prior to the start of the season, the White Sox ink Jose Contreras (15-7, 3.61 )to a $29 million, three-year contract extension. The 34-year-old Cuban native was the World Champ's most effective pitcher during the team's stretch run to the AL pennant posting an 11-2 mark following the All-Star game.

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