On this date in . . .

1732: The first U.S. president, George Washington, was born at his parents' plantation in the Virginia Colony.

1879: Frank Winfield Woolworth opened the nation's first 5-cent store in Utica, New York.

1934: In the film "It Happened One Night" opening at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Clark Gable removed his shirt and revealed a bare torso. Men's undershirt sales dropped 40%.

1957: In a small club in Blytheville, Arkansas, Jerry Lee Lewis forgot the words to "Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On" and added his own as he performed. Four months later the song hit #3 in the U.S.

1965: Filming began for the Beatles’ second movie, "Help!," in the Bahamas.

1976: 31-year-old Florence Ballard, rearing three children on welfare in Detroit public housing, died of a heart attack. She had ten #1 records with the Supremes.

1989: Aldo J. Jacuzzi died at age 67. He pioneered the whirlpool bath pump.

1992: TV’s Ed MacMahon and ad executive Pam Hurn were married in Boulder City, Nevada. Ed’s 6-year-old daughter, Katherine Mary, was ring bearer and best man.

1992: Rockers Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were married.

1996: Europe's first Weight Losing Centre for babies opened in Athens after statistics confirmed that Greek infants were the most obese in Europe.

1997: Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez married her first husband, Cuban waiter Ojani Noa. The divorced the following year.

1998: A British burglar was sentenced to a year in prison after he left earprints on the doors of the houses of his victims. Police said the burglar pressed his ear to the doors to listen before entering and left conclusive evidence at each house.

1999: A man held up a bank in Bexley, Ohio, wearing a black cap, house shoes, and blue and white checked pajamas. Police wouldn't say how much money the robber got. No one was hurt.

2004: Consumer advocate Ralph Nader entered the U.S. presidential race as an independent.