April 13: $2 bills, Rocky, ethical instruction, etc.

April 13: today in history (from Wikipedia)

1964 – "At the Academy Awards, Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American male to win the Best Actor award for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field." I saw this movie a very long time ago, as a kid, and barely remember it. But I recognize the importance of Poitier. If he got stuck in too many roles as the "noble black man," he paved the way for guys like Morgan Freeman, who started taking roles (e.g., The Shawshank Redemption, Seven) in which white actors were originally in mind.

1976 – "The United States Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson's 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration." The two dollar bill is one of those minor pleasures in life. I once tried to give money to a homeless man, and he said, "A two dollar bill? I don't want to take that from you!" He saw in my eyes I didn't want to part with it. I wish I had one right now.

1997 – "Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament." Time flies.

Notable quotes (from BrainyQuote unless otherwise sourced)

"State a moral case to a plowman and a professor. The former will decide it as well, and often better than the latter, because he has not been led astray by artificial rules." - Thomas Jefferson (April 13 [O.S. April 2] 1743 – July 4, 1826) SOURCE

"I feel that everyone who wants to say anything, do anything, should be able to say anything or do anything, within the limits of not hurting another person." - Madalyn Murray O'Hair (April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995)

"People still come up to me and ask me to sign their records. That's right, records! Man, they don't even make records no more!" - Al Green (born April 13, 1946)

Song of the Day

Happy 72nd, Bill Conti, responsible for the greatest movie soundtrack album of all time.