On this day in...

On this day in...
1609 – Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
1814 – Washington, D.C. is burned and White House is destroyed by British forces during the War of 1812.
1916 – The United States National Park Service is created.
1944 – World War II: Paris is liberated by the Allies.
1948 – The House Un-American Activities Committee holds first-ever televised congressional hearing: "Confrontation Day" between Whittaker Chambers and Alger Hiss.
1950 – President Harry Truman orders the US Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike.

Births
1919 – George Wallace, American politician (d. 1998)
1921 – Monty Hall, Canadian-born game show host
1930 – Sean Connery, Scottish actor
1931 – Regis Philbin, American television host
1933 – Tom Skerritt, American actor
1946 – Rollie Fingers, American baseball player
1949 – Gene Simmons, Israeli-born musician (Kiss)
1954 – Elvis Costello, English musician
1958 – Tim Burton, American film director
1961 – Billy Ray Cyrus, American singer and actor
1966 – Albert Belle, American baseball player
1968 – Rachael Ray, American chef and television personality
1970 – Robert Horry, American basketball player
1970 – Jo Dee Messina, American country music singer
1981 – Rachel Bilson, American actress
1987 – Blake Lively, American actress

I've been known to feature Derek Fisher's game winning shot just a few times on the blog but if it hadn't been for that shot, this one still might live as the most clutch moment in Laker history.