Actor Wilford Brimley is best remembered for his roles in the films The China Syndrome, Tender Mercies, The Natural, Absence of Malice, and the Cocoon film series. He died of kidney failure on August 1, 2020 at the age of 85.
1943 - In the Solomon Islands, the U.S. Navy patrol torpedo boat PT-109, under the command of Lt. John F. Kennedy, sank after being hit by a Japanese destroyer, killing 2 of the 13 crew members.
Fact of the Day
Around 10% of people grind their teeth at night, a disorder called bruxism. Most people who have the condition aren't even aware they're doing it.
Nature Oddities
Cats prefer to sleep on their left side because waking up allows visual information to go directly to the right hemisphere of the brain, which is highly specialized for processing spatial awareness and rapid escape movements.
Food and Drink
Red velvet cake gets its original deep reddish-brown color from a natural chemical reaction between raw cocoa and acidic ingredients like buttermilk and vinegar, not from added red food dye.