Simon & Garfunkel "The Sounds of Silence" reaches #1 1966

Released as a single in September 1965, Simon & Garfunkel's The Sounds of Silence reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 January 1, 1966

Nazi Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring made active 1934

January 1, 1934, Nazi Germany made active the Law for Genetically Diseased Offspring, which allows for the sterilization of anyone who suffered from a list of alleged "genetic" disorders.  Many of these were not genetic.  The provisions of the law stated that any person suffering from a hereditary diseases may be rendered incapable of procreation by surgical operation, because the person's offspring were highly probably to suffer from a hereditary defect.

Hereditary blindness, hereditary deafness, severe hereditary deformity, or severe alcoholism were all means for sterilization.

Over the course of the law, 400,000 people were sterilized against their will.  About 4000 people died from the forced sterilizations.

Happy birthday, actress Sheila McCarthy!

I first fell in love with Sheila McCarthy, born January 1, 1956 in Toronto, Canada, when I saw her brief appearance in Day After Tomorrow.  Later I saw her in Little Mosque on the Prairie and became a fan.  

She has won numerous awards and nominated for many more.  I looked at her filmography and she's appeared in film I've seen but don't remember her performance.  I'll just have to back and rewatch those.  

She voiced the part of Amelia Voght in the 1995 X-Men animated series. She's appeared in Star Trek: Discovery and The Murdoch Mysteries.