February 3rd

Today is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. If the Mayans were correct, there are 322 days remaining until the end of time.

1882 Circus owner PT Barnum buys his world famous elephant Jumbo

1931 The Hawke's Bay earthquake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster, kills 258. Because those pictures are so gruesome, here is Ethan Hawke quaking by a bay.

1967 Ronald Ryan, the last person to be executed in Australia, is hanged in Pentridge Prison, Melbourne. Man, it must really suck to be you, Ron.

1971 New York Police Officer Frank Serpico is shot during a drug bust in Brooklyn and survives to later testify against police corruption. Many believe the incident proves that NYPD officers tried to kill him. Great scene for Pacino, though.

1956 Nathan Lane, gay US actor

1969 Paolo Roberto, Swedish boxer/actor/Stieg Larsson character

<1980 Johnny Law, US porn star

<1984 Park Wiley, US porn star

1468 Johann Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg, German blacksmith/goldsmith/printer/publisher, is pressed for time even though his invention is hailed as the best invention of the millennium

1959 The Day the Music Died. Buddy Holly, US rocker (That'll be the Day), Big Bopper, US DJ/rocker (Chantilly Lace), and Richie Valens, Mexican-born US rock vocalist (Donna, La Bamba), are killed in plane crash

1991 Nancy Kulp, gay US actress (Jane Hathaway-Beverly Hillbillies, Pamela Livingston-Bob Cummings Show), lies in wait for Ellie Mae, not Jethro.