Πολλά είναι γνωστά για τον ιντερνετικό κολοσσό άλλα υπάρχουν και τόσα άλλα που παραμένουν άγνωστα, από την επαναστατική του σύλληψη μέχρι την κοινή του χρήση.

H Google, ίσως η κορυφαία σήμερα εταιρεία παροχής διαδικτυακών υπηρεσιών είναι διάσημη τόσο για τη μηχανή αναζήτησής της όσο και για το Gmail, του χάρτες της και το YouTube.

Πολλά είναι γνωστά για τον ιντερνετικό κολοσσό άλλα υπάρχουν και τόσα άλλα που παραμένουν άγνωστα. Τα de facto στοιχεία είναι ότι η Google ιδρύθηκε το 1996 από τους Λάρι Πέιτζ και Σεργκέι Μπριν, ενώ έκαναν το διδακτορικό τους στο Πανεπιστήμιο του Στάνφορντ. Στις 4 Σεπτεμβρίου του 1998 η Google έγινε ιδιωτική εταιρία. Στις 19 Αυγούστου του 2004 έγινε η δημόσια εγγραφή της εταιρίας στο χρηματιστήριο και έκτοτε η μετοχή της έχει εκτοξευθεί.

Ας δούμε μερικά από τα μυστικά και τις ιδιαιτερότητες του τεχνολογικού κολοσσού, από την επαναστατική του σύλληψη μέχρι την κοινή του χρήση:

1. Οι ιδρυτές της γνωρίστηκαν από τύχη

Το 1995 ο 22χρονος τότε Λάρι Πέιτζ, έχοντας αποκτήσει πτυχίο μηχανολογίας από το Πανεπιστήμιο του Μίσιγκαν αποφασίζει να κάνει το διδακτορικό του στο πανεπιστήμιο του Στάνφορντ. Στον 21χρονο Σεργκέι Μπριν ανατέθηκε να ξεναγήσει τον μελλοντικό συνεργάτη του στις εγκαταστάσεις του πανεπιστημίου. Και έτσι ξεκίνησαν όλα...

2. Κανείς δεν ξέρει πότε είναι τα γενέθλιά της

Η εταιρεία στην πραγματικότητα έχει έξι διαφορετικά γενέθλια και απλά αποφάσισε να καθιερώσει ως γιορτή την 27η Σεπτεμβρίου. Μία πιθανή χρονολογία των γενεθλίων της είναι και το 1995, επομένως μπορεί να είναι 23 και όχι 22 ετών.

3. Το πρώτο της όνομα ήταν BackRub

Το 1996 οι Πέιτζ και Μπριν συνεργάστηκαν σε ένα πρωτοποριακό concept περιήγησης στο διαδίκτυο που ονομαζόταν BackRub. Το BackRub, το οποίο συνέδεε μεταξύ τους τις ιστοσελίδες του διδύμου τη δεκαετία του 90', χρησιμοποιούνταν στο Πανεπιστήμιο του Στάνφορντ για περισσότερο από ένα χρόνο, αλλά "κατανάλωνε"υπερβολικό όγκο δεδομένων.

3. Ο τυραννόσαυρος Ρεξ

Στο campus της Google υπάρχει ένας τεράστιος σκελετός τυραννόσαυρου Rex για να θυμίζει στους υπαλλήλους ότι δεν πρέπει να αφήσουν την εταιρεία να εκλείψει. Υπάρχουν βέβαια και αλλού... τυραννόσαυροι: Όταν ο περιηγητής Chrome δεν έχει σύνδεση στο ίντερνετ εμφανίζει την εικόνα ενός μικρού δεινόσαυρου και αν πατήσει κανείς το πλήκτρο "space"τότε ξεκινά ένα παιχνίδι με τον δεινόσαυρο να πηδάει διάφορα εμπόδια.

4. Και αυτό είναι μία μόνο από τις πολλές κρυφές εκπλήξεις

Οι περισσότερες εντοπίζονται όταν κάποιος "γκουγκλάρει"διάφορες περίεργες φράσεις. Για παράδειγμα αν κάποιος αναζητήσει τη λέξη "askew", θα παρατηρήσει ότι τα αποτελέσματα της αναζήτησης θα εμφανιστούν... στραβά. Αν δε πατήσει "do a barrel roll"η σελίδα θα κάνει στροφή 360 μοιρών. Μπορείτε να βρείτε μια πλήρη λίστα των "μαγικών"αναζητήσεων ΕΔΩ.

5. Η Google δεν είχε ενθουσιαστεί με το "γκουγκλάρισμα"

Αρχικά η εταιρεία πίστευε ότι η φράση "γκούκλαρέ το"θα υπονόμευε την προσπάθειά της να φτιάξει ένα αναγνωρίσιμο προϊόν.

6. Η Google εξαγοράζει περισσότερες εταιρείες από όσες φαντάζεται κανείς

Αναλυτές εκτιμούν ότι η Google εξαγοράζει περίπου μία εταιρεία ανά εβδομάδα. Οι περισσότερες εξ αυτών είναι πολύ μικρές, αλλά κάποιες είναι μεγαλύτερες. Άλλες ενσωματώνονται, ενώ άλλες όπως η Android, είναι ξεχωριστά brand name και μάλιστα πολύ αναγνωρίσιμα. Πολύ σπάνια μεταπουλά κάποια εταιρία που έχει απορροφήσει.

7. Το κουμπάκι "Αισθάνομαι τυχερός"κοστίζει πολύ ακριβά

Η επιλογή του κουμπιού αυτού μεταφέρει το χρήστη της αναζήτησης στο πρώτο αποτέλεσμα, χωρίς να εμφανίζονται οι διαφημίσεις, κάτι που συνεπάγεται μεγάλη απώλεια εσόδων.

Η επιλογή του κουμπιού "Αισθάνομαι τυχερός"μπορεί να φαίνεται διασκεδαστική, ωστόσο είναι ιδιαίτερα δαπανηρή για την Google δεδομένου ότι σε αυτή δεν εμφανίζονται οι διαφημίσεις και άρα υπάρχει μεγάλη απώλεια διαφημιστικών εσόδων.

8. Ο πρώτος αποθηκευτικός χώρος ήταν σε... Lego

Μπορεί σήμερα η εταιρεία να έχει σήμερα τεράστιους αποθηκευτικούς χώρους για τους server της, όμως η πρώτη συστοιχία σκληρών δίσκων ήταν τοποθετημένη σε ένα κοντέινερ φτιαγμένο από... Lego.

9. Είναι γενναιόδωρη με τις οικογένειες όσων χάσουν τη ζωή τους εν ώρα εργασίας

Οι σύζυγοι λαμβάνουν το 50% του μισθού για την επόμενη δεκαετία και τα παιδιά τους άλλο ένα ποσό έως ότου ενηλικιωθούν.

10. Ένα "γκουγκλάρισμα"χρειάζεται μεγαλύτερη υπολογιστική ισχύ από όση χρειάστηκε η αποστολή του Αpollo 11 στη Σελήνη

Μπορεί μια αναζήτηση να διαρκεί δέκατα του δευτερολέπτου, αλλά πίσω από αυτό κρύβεται μια θηριώδης υπολογιστική ισχύ, πολύ περισσότερη από τους κώδικες και τους υπολογιστικούς μηχανισμούς που χρειάστηκε για να στείλει η NASA αστροναύτες στη Σελήνη.

11. Το μαθηματικό όνομά της

Το όνομα της Google προέρχεται από τη λέξη "Googol", ενός μαθηματικού όρου που αντιστοιχεί σε μία μονάδα, ακολουθούμενη από 100 μηδενικά. Ο όρος Γκούγκολ επινοήθηκε από τον εννιάχρονο Μίλτον Σιρόττα, ανιψιό του Αμερικανού μαθηματικού Έντουαρντ Κάσνερ το 1938.

12. Όταν η Google "έπεσε"για 5 λεπτά πήρε μαζί της το 40% του ίντερνετ

Στις 19 Αυγούστου 2013 η Google σταμάτησε να δουλεύει για περίπου πέντε λεπτά και προκάλεσε "έμφραγμα"στο Διαδίκτυο. Σήμερα κάτι τέτοιο αναμένεται να έχει μικρότερη επίδραση, λόγω της αυξημένης επιρροής που έχουν άλλες πλατφόρμες, όπως το Facebook.

13. H Google προσλαμβάνει... κατσίκες

Στα κεντρικά της Google υπάρχουν τεράστιες εκτάσεις με χορτάρι, ωστόσο η εταιρεία αντί να προσλάβει κηπουρούς να κόβουν το γκαζόν, προσλαμβάνει... κατσίκες. Περίπου 200 κατσίκια αναλαμβάνουν για μία εβδομάδα να... καθαρίσουν με τα χορτάρια χωρίς... φασαρία και μόλυνση του περιβάλλοντος.

14. Έχουν και σκύλους

Οι υπάλληλοι της εταιρείας έχουν τη δυνατότητα να φέρνουν μαζί στη δουλειά και τα κατοικίδια σκυλάκια τους. Οι γάτες δεν απαγορεύονται, ωστόσο υπάρχουν... "συμπλοκές"με τους σκύλους.

15. Ένας είναι ο Μεγάλος Σκύλος

Ο Γιόσκα είναι ο μόνος σκύλος στην ιστορία της εταιρείας που πήρε... βαθμό. Ήταν ο σκύλος του σημερινού αντιπροέδρου της εταιρείας Urs Hölzle από το 1999.

16. Τα πρώτα της γραφεία στεγάζονταν σε γκαράζ

Τα πρώτα γραφεία της εταιρίας στεγάζονταν τον Σεπτέμβριο του 1998 στο γκαράζ της Susan Wojcicki επί της λεωφόρου Santa Margarita, στο πάρκο Menlo στην Καλιφόρνια. Η Wojcicki, αδελφή της Anne Wojcicki που ίδρυσε το "23andMe"είναι ο υπάλληλος υπ'αριθμόν 16 της Google.

16. Το λογότυπο της Google δεν ήταν στο κέντρο της σελίδας έως το 2001

Τα πρώτα χρόνια βρισκόταν στα αριστερά της σελίδας και στο τέλος του 2001 μεταφέρθηκε στο κέντρο.

17. Από τότε κάνει πολύ μικρές αλλαγές

Η εταιρεία κάνει πολύ μικρές αλλαγές στο λογότυπό της, όπως π.χ. στη γραμματοσειρά της λέξης Google.

18. Οι αλλαγές περιλαμβάνουν και ολόκληρο το όνομα

Η μεγαλύτερη αλλαγή τα τελευταία χρόνια ήταν η αλλαγή του ονόματος της μητρικής εταιρείας από Google σε Αlphabet.

19. Το πρώτο doodle ήταν ο Καμένος Άντρας

Το πρώτο doodle ήταν ένα μήνυμα που ανέβασε η ιστοσελίδα τον Αύγουστο του 1998 για να ενημερώσουν τους επισκέπτες της ότι οι ιδρυτές της είχαν πάει στο φεστιβάλ του "Burning Man".

20. Η εταιρία έχει "συνεισφέρει"στη μάχη κατά των βαμπίρ

Η πρώτη χρήση της λέξης Google ως ρήμα (γκουγκλάρω) έγινε στην τηλεόραση, στη δημοφιλή τηλεοπτική σειρά "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"στις 15 Οκτωβρίου 2002.

21. Πολυγλωσσία

Το 2000, η ιστοσελίδα της Google ήταν διαθέσιμη στα γαλλικά, τα γερμανικά, τα ιταλικά, τα σουηδικά, τα φινλανδικά, τα ισπανικά, τα πορτογαλικά, τα ολλανδικά, τα νορβηγικά και τα δανικά.

• 917 – Liu Yan declares himself emperor, establishing the Southern Han state in southern China, at his capital of Panyu.
• 1590 – Alexander Farnese's army forces Henry IV of France to lift the siege of Paris.
• 1661 – Fall of Nicolas Fouquet: Louis XIV Superintendent of Finances is arrested in Nantes by D'Artagnan, captain of the king's musketeers.
• 1666 – Great Fire of London ends: Ten thousand buildings, including Old St Paul's Cathedral, are destroyed, but only six people are known to have died.
• 1697 – War of the Grand Alliance : A French warship commanded by Captain Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville defeated an English squadron at the Battle of Hudson's Bay.
• 1698 – In an effort to Westernize his nobility, Tsar Peter I of Russia imposes a tax on beards for all men except the clergy and peasantry.
• 1725 – Wedding of Louis XV and Maria Leszczyńska.
• 1774 – First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia.
• 1781 – Battle of the Chesapeake in the American Revolutionary War: The British Navy is repelled by the French Navy, contributing to the British surrender at Yorktown.
• 1791 – Olympe de Gouges writes the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen.
• 1793 – French Revolution: The French National Convention initiates the Reign of Terror.
• 1798 – Conscription is made mandatory in France by the Jourdan law.
• 1812 – War of 1812: The Siege of Fort Wayne begins when Chief Winamac's forces attack two soldiers returning from the fort's outhouses.
• 1816 – Louis XVIII has to dissolve the Chambre introuvable ("Unobtainable Chamber").
• 1836 – Sam Houston is elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas.
• 1839 – The United Kingdom declares war on the Qing dynasty of China.
• 1862 – American Civil War: The Army of Northern Virginia crosses the Potomac River at White's Ford in the Maryland Campaign.
• 1877 – American Indian Wars: Oglala Sioux chief Crazy Horse is bayoneted by a United States soldier after resisting confinement in a guardhouse at Fort Robinson in Nebraska.
• 1882 – The first United States Labor Day parade is held in New York City.
• 1882 – Tottenham Hotspur, a Premier League football club from North London, is founded (as Hotspur F.C.).
• 1887 – A fire at the Theatre Royal, Exeter, kills 186.
• 1905 – Russo-Japanese War: In New Hampshire, United States, the Treaty of Portsmouth, mediated by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, ends the war.
• 1906 – The first legal forward pass in American football is thrown by Bradbury Robinson of St. Louis University to teammate Jack Schneider in a 22–0 victory over Carroll College (Wisconsin).
• 1914 – World War I: First Battle of the Marne begins. Northeast of Paris, the French attack and defeat German forces who are advancing on the capital.
• 1915 – The pacifist Zimmerwald Conference begins.
• 1921 – Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle party in San Francisco ends with the death of the young actress Virginia Rappe: One of the first scandals of the Hollywood community.
• 1927 – The first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon, Trolley Troubles, produced by Walt Disney, is released by Universal Pictures.
• 1932 – The French Upper Volta is broken apart between Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger.
• 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Llanes falls to the Nationalists following a one-day siege.
• 1938 – Chile: A group of youths affiliated with the fascist National Socialist Movement of Chile are executed after surrendering during a failed coup.
• 1941 – Whole territory of Estonia is occupied by Nazi Germany.
• 1942 – World War II: Japanese high command orders withdrawal at Milne Bay, the first major Japanese defeat in land warfare during the Pacific War.
• 1943 – World War II: The 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment lands and occupies Lae Nadzab Airport, near Lae in the Salamaua–Lae campaign.
• 1944 – Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg constitute Benelux.
• 1945 – Cold War: Igor Gouzenko, a Soviet Union embassy clerk, defects to Canada, exposing Soviet espionage in North America, signalling the beginning of the Cold War.
• 1945 – Iva Toguri D'Aquino, a Japanese American suspected of being wartime radio propagandist Tokyo Rose, is arrested in Yokohama.
• 1948 – In France, Robert Schuman becomes President of the Council while being Foreign minister; as such, he is the negotiator of the major treaties of the end of World War II.
• 1957 – Cuban Revolution: Fulgencio Batista bombs the revolt in Cienfuegos.
• 1960 – Poet Léopold Sédar Senghor is the first elected President of Senegal.
• 1960 – Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) wins the gold medal in the light heavyweight boxing competition at the Olympic Games in Rome.
• 1969 – My Lai Massacre: U.S. Army Lieutenant William Calley is charged with six specifications of premeditated murder for the death of 109 Vietnamese civilians in My Lai.
• 1970 – Vietnam War: Operation Jefferson Glenn begins: The United States 101st Airborne Division and the South Vietnamese 1st Infantry Division initiate a new operation in Thừa Thiên–Huế Province.
• 1970 – Jochen Rindt becomes the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship (in 1970), after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix.
• 1972 – Munich massacre: A Palestinian terrorist group called "Black September" attacks and takes hostage 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympic Games. Two die in the attack and nine are murdered the following day.
• 1975 – Sacramento, California: Lynette Fromme attempts to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford.
• 1977 – Voyager Program: NASA launches the Voyager 1 spacecraft.
• 1978 – Camp David Accords: Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat begin peace discussions at Camp David, Maryland.
• 1980 – The Gotthard Road Tunnel opens in Switzerland as the world's longest highway tunnel at 10.14 miles (16.32 km) stretching from Göschenen to Airolo.
• 1984 – STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery lands after its maiden voyage.
• 1984 – Western Australia becomes the last Australian state to abolish capital punishment.
• 1986 – Pan Am Flight 73 from Mumbai, India with 358 people on board is hijacked at Karachi International Airport.
• 1990 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Army soldiers slaughter 158 civilians.
• 1991 – The current international treaty defending indigenous peoples, Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, comes into force.
• 1996 – Hurricane Fran makes landfall near Cape Fear, North Carolina as a Category 3 storm with 115 mph sustained winds. Fran caused over $3 billion in damage and killed 27 people.
• 2012 – An accidental explosion at a Turkish Army ammunition store in Afyon, western Turkey kills 25 soldiers and wounds four others.

• 699 – Abu Hanifa, Iraqi scholar (d. 767)
• 989 – Fan Zhongyan, Chinese chancellor (d. 1052)
• 1187 – Louis VIII, king of France (d. 1226)
• 1201 – Alix of Thouars, duchess of Brittany (d. 1221)
• 1319 – Peter IV, king of Aragon (d. 1387)
• 1451 – Isabel Neville, daughter of Richard Neville (d. 1476)
• 1500 – Maria of Jever, ruler of the Lordship of Jever (d. 1575)
• 1533 – Jacopo Zabarella, Italian philosopher and logician (d. 1589)
• 1540 – Magnus of Holstein, prince of Denmark (d. 1583)
• 1567 – Date Masamune, Japanese daimyo (d. 1636)
• 1568 – Tommaso Campanella, Italian poet, philosopher, and theologian (d. 1639)
• 1638 – Louis XIV, king of France (d. 1715)
• 1641 – Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland, English diplomat (d. 1702)
• 1642 – Maria of Orange-Nassau, Dutch princess (d. 1688)
• 1651 – William Dampier, English explorer (d. 1715)
• 1666 – Gottfried Arnold, German historian and theologian (d. 1714)
• 1667 – Giovanni Girolamo Saccheri, Italian priest, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1733)
• 1694 – František Václav Míča, Czech conductor and composer (d. 1744)
• 1695 – Carl Gustaf Tessin, Swedish politician and diplomat (d. 1770)
• 1722 – Frederick Christian, Prince-Elector of Saxony (d. 1763)
• 1725 – Jean-Étienne Montucla, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1799)
• 1735 – Johann Christian Bach, German-English viol player and composer (d. 1782)
• 1750 – Robert Fergusson, Scottish poet and author (d. 1774)
• 1769 – John Shortland, English commander (d. 1810)
• 1771 – Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (d. 1847)
• 1772 – Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, Iranian king (d. 1834)
• 1774 – Caspar David Friedrich, German painter and etcher (d. 1840)
• 1775 – Juan Martín Díez, Spanish general (d. 1825)
• 1781 – Anton Diabelli, Austrian composer and publisher (d. 1858)
• 1787 – François Sulpice Beudant, French mineralogist and geologist (d. 1850)
• 1791 – Giacomo Meyerbeer, German pianist and composer (d. 1864)
• 1792 – Ours-Pierre-Armand Petit-Dufrénoy, French geologist and mineralogist (d. 1857)
• 1806 – Christophe Léon Louis Juchault de Lamoricière, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1865)
• 1817 – Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, Russian poet, author, and playwright (d. 1875)
• 1818 – Edmund Kennedy, Australian explorer and surveyor (d. 1848)
• 1826 – John Wisden, English cricketer and businessman (d. 1884)
• 1827 – Goffredo Mameli, Italian poet and songwriter (d. 1849)
• 1829 – Lester Allan Pelton, American inventor (d. 1908)
• 1831 – Victorien Sardou, French author and playwright (d. 1908)
• 1833 – George Huntington Hartford, American businessman (d. 1917)
• 1836 – Justiniano Borgoño, Peruvian soldier and politician, 57th President of Peru (d. 1921)
• 1847 – Jesse James, American outlaw (d. 1882)
• 1856 – Thomas E. Watson, American lawyer, publisher, and politician (d. 1922)
• 1867 – Amy Beach, American pianist and composer (d. 1944)
• 1871 – Friedrich Akel, Estonian physician and politician, Head of State of Estonia (d 1941)
• 1872 – V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, Indian lawyer and politician (d. 1936)
• 1872 – Horace Rice, Australian tennis player (d. 1950)
• 1873 – Cornelius Vanderbilt III, American general and engineer (d. 1942)
• 1874 – Nap Lajoie, American baseball player and manager (d. 1959)
• 1876 – Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, German field marshal (d. 1956)
• 1880 – José María of Manila, Spanish-Filipino priest and martyr (d. 1936)
• 1881 – Otto Bauer, Austrian philosopher and politician, Foreign Minister of Austria (d. 1938)
• 1881 – Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson, English field marshal (d. 1964)
• 1883 – Otto Erich Deutsch, Austrian musicologist and scholar (d. 1967)
• 1888 – Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of India (d. 1975)
• 1892 – Joseph Szigeti, Hungarian violinist and educator (d. 1973)
• 1897 – Morris Carnovsky, American actor (d. 1992)
• 1897 – Arthur Nielsen, American market analyst, founded ACNielsen (d. 1980)
• 1899 – Humphrey Cobb, American author and screenwriter (d. 1944)
• 1899 – Helen Creighton, Canadian author and educator (d. 1989)
• 1901 – Florence Eldridge, American actress (d. 1988)
• 1901 – Mario Scelba, Italian politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1991)
• 1902 – Jean Dalrymple, American playwright, producer, manager, and publicist (d. 1998)
• 1902 – Darryl F. Zanuck, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1979)
• 1904 – Vera Bradford, Australian pianist and educator (d. 2004)
• 1905 – Maurice Challe, French general (d. 1979)
• 1905 – Arthur Koestler, Hungarian-English journalist and author (d. 1983)
• 1905 – Justiniano Montano, Filipino lawyer and politician (d. 2005)
• 1906 – Ralston Crawford, American painter, lithographer, and photographer (d. 1978)
• 1906 – Sunnyland Slim, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1995)
• 1908 – Josué de Castro, Brazilian physician, geographer, and activist (d. 1973)
• 1908 – Joaquín Nin-Culmell, German-American pianist and composer (d. 2004)
• 1908 – Cecilia Seghizzi, Italian composer and painter
• 1909 – Hans Carste, German pianist and conductor (d. 1971)
• 1909 – Bernard Delfont, Russian-English talent manager (d. 1994)
• 1909 – Archie Jackson, Scottish-Australian cricketer (d. 1933)
• 1910 – Leila Mackinlay, English author (d. 1996)
• 1910 – Phiroze Palia, Indian cricketer (d. 1981)
• 1912 – John Cage, American composer and theorist (d. 1992)
• 1912 – Kristina Söderbaum, Swedish-German actress and photographer (d. 2001)
• 1912 – Frank Thomas, American voice actor, animator, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
• 1914 – Stuart Freeborn, English make up artist (d. 2013)
• 1914 – Gail Kubik, American violinist, composer, and educator (d. 1984)
• 1914 – Nicanor Parra, Chilean physicist, mathematician, and poet (d. 2018)
• 1916 – Frank Shuster, Canadian comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2002)
• 1916 – Frank Yerby, American novelist (d. 1991)
• 1917 – Pedro E. Guerrero, American photographer (d. 2012)
• 1917 – Sören Nordin, Swedish harness racer and trainer (d. 2008)
• 1918 – Luis Alcoriza, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1992)
• 1918 – Bob Katter, Sr., Australian captain and politician (d. 1990)
• 1919 – Elisabeth Volkenrath, German SS officer (d. 1945)
• 1920 – Peter Racine Fricker, English-American composer and educator (d. 1990)
• 1920 – Fons Rademakers, Dutch-Swiss actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
• 1921 – Murray Henderson, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2013)
• 1921 – Jack Valenti, American businessman, created the MPAA film rating system (d. 2007)
• 1922 – Denys Wilkinson, English physicist and academic (d. 2016)
• 1923 – David Hamer, Australian captain and politician (d. 2002)
• 1923 – Ken Meuleman, Australian cricketer (d. 2004)
• 1924 – Paul Dietzel, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
• 1924 – Frank Armitage, Australian-American artist (d. 2016)
• 1925 – Justin Kaplan, American author (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Paul Volcker, American economist and academic
• 1928 – Joyce Hatto, English pianist and educator (d. 2006)
• 1928 – Albert Mangelsdorff, German trombonist and educator (d. 2005)
• 1929 – Bob Newhart, American comedian and actor
• 1929 – Andriyan Nikolayev, Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2004)
• 1932 – Carol Lawrence, American actress and singer
• 1932 – Robert H. Dennard, American electrical engineer and inventor
• 1933 – Francisco Javier Errázuriz Ossa, Chilean cardinal
• 1934 – Paul Josef Cordes, German cardinal
• 1934 – Dennis Letts, American actor and educator (d. 2008)
• 1934 – Kevin McNamara, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• 1935 – Werner Erhard, American author and philanthropist, founded Werner Erhard and Associates and The Hunger Project
• 1935 – Helen Gifford, Australian composer and educator
• 1936 – Robert Burns, Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
• 1936 – John Danforth, American politician and diplomat, 24th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
• 1936 – Jonathan Kozol, American sociologist, author, and educator
• 1936 – Bill Mazeroski, American baseball player and coach
• 1936 – Knuts Skujenieks, Latvian poet, journalist, and translator
• 1937 – Antonio Valentín Angelillo, Argentinian footballer and manager
• 1937 – Dick Clement, English director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1938 – John Ferguson, Sr., Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager (d. 2007)
• 1938 – Doreen Massey, Baroness Massey of Darwen, English politician
• 1939 – Claudette Colvin, American nurse and activist
• 1939 – William Devane, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1939 – George Lazenby, Australian actor
• 1939 – John Stewart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2008)
• 1939 – George Tremlett, English journalist, author, and politician
• 1940 – Valerie Howarth, Baroness Howarth of Breckland, English politician
• 1940 – Raquel Welch, American actress and singer
• 1941 – Dave Dryden, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1942 – Werner Herzog, German actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1942 – Eduardo Mata, Mexican conductor and composer (d. 1995)
• 1943 – Dulce Saguisag, Filipino social worker and politician, 10th Filipino Secretary of Social Welfare and Development (d. 2007)
• 1944 – Dario Bellezza, Italian poet, author, and playwright (d. 1996)
• 1944 – Gareth Evans, Australian lawyer and politician, 33rd Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1945 – Eva Bergman, Swedish director and screenwriter
• 1945 – Al Stewart, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1946 – Kyongae Chang, South Korean astrophysicist and academic
• 1946 – Dennis Dugan, American actor and director
• 1946 – Dean Ford, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (Marmalade)
• 1946 – Freddie Mercury, Tanzanian-English singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1991)
• 1946 – Loudon Wainwright III, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
• 1947 – Mel Collins, Manx saxophonist and flute player
• 1947 – Chip Davis, American pianist, songwriter, and producer
• 1947 – Buddy Miles, American singer-songwriter and drummer (d. 2008)
• 1947 – Bruce Yardley, Australian cricketer and sportscaster
• 1948 – Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Austrian lawyer, politician, and diplomat, Foreign Minister of Austria
• 1949 – Clem Clempson, English guitarist and songwriter
• 1950 – Rosie Cooper, English businesswoman and politician
• 1950 – Cathy Guisewite, American cartoonist, created Cathy
• 1951 – Paul Breitner, German footballer
• 1951 – Michael Keaton, American actor and producer
• 1951 – Jamie Oldaker, American drummer and percussionist
• 1952 – David Glen Eisley, American rock singer-songwriter (Giuffria) and actor
• 1953 – Victor Davis Hanson, American historian and journalist
• 1953 – Murray Mexted, New Zealand rugby player and sportscaster
• 1953 – Eiki Nestor, Estonian engineer and politician, Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
• 1953 – Paul Piché, Canadian singer-songwriter
• 1954 – Richard Austin, Jamaican footballer and cricketer (d. 2015)
• 1954 – Frederick Kempe, American journalist and author
• 1956 – Roine Stolt, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1957 – Rudi Gores, German footballer and manager
• 1957 – Peter Winnen, Dutch cyclist
• 1958 – Lars Danielsson, Swedish bassist, composer, and producer
• 1959 – Frank Schirrmacher, German journalist and publisher (d. 2014)
• 1960 – Don Kulick, Swedish anthropologist and academic
• 1961 – Marc-André Hamelin, Canadian pianist and composer
• 1962 – Tracy Edwards, English sailor and coach
• 1962 – John McGrath, Welsh businessman
• 1963 – Juan Alderete, American bass player and songwriter
• 1963 – Jeff Brantley, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1963 – Terry Ellis, American R&B singer–songwriter (En Vogue) and actress
• 1963 – Taki Inoue, Japanese race car driver and manager
• 1964 – Frank Farina, Australian footballer and manager
• 1964 – Sergei Loznitsa, Belarusian-Ukrainian director and screenwriter
• 1964 – Ken Norman, American basketball player
• 1964 – Thomas Mikal Ford, American actor (d. 2016)
• 1965 – David Brabham, Australian race car driver
• 1965 – Hoshitango Imachi, Japanese wrestler
• 1965 – Nick Talbot, English geneticist and academic
• 1966 – Achero Mañas, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1966 – Milinko Pantić, Serbian footballer and manager
• 1967 – Matthias Sammer, German footballer and manager
• 1967 – Jane Sixsmith, English field hockey player
• 1968 – Serhiy Kovalets, Ukrainian footballer and manager
• 1968 – Dennis Scott, American basketball player and sportscaster
• 1968 – Robin van der Laan, Dutch footballer and coach
• 1968 – Brad Wilk, American singer-songwriter and drummer
• 1969 – Leonardo Araújo, Brazilian footballer and manager
• 1969 – Mariko Kouda, Japanese voice actress, singer, and radio host
• 1969 – Mark Ramprakash, English cricketer and coach
• 1969 – Dweezil Zappa, American actor and musician
• 1970 – Liam Lynch, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, puppeteer, and director
• 1970 – Mohammad Rafique, Bangladeshi cricketer
• 1970 – Gilbert Remulla, Filipino journalist and politician
• 1970 – Johnny Vegas, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1971 – Adam Hollioake, Australian cricketer and mixed martial artist
• 1972 – Shane Sewell, Canadian-American wrestler and referee
• 1972 – Guy Whittall, Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1973 – Paddy Considine, English actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1973 – Rose McGowan, American actress
• 1974 – Rawl Lewis, Grenadian cricketer
• 1974 – Ken-Marti Vaher, Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior
• 1975 – Rod Barajas, American baseball player and manager
• 1975 – George Boateng, Dutch footballer and manager
• 1975 – Randy Choate, American baseball player
• 1975 – Matt Geyer, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1976 – Tatiana Gutsu, Ukrainian gymnast
• 1977 – Rosevelt Colvin, American football player and sportscaster
• 1977 – Joseba Etxeberria, Spanish footballer
• 1977 – Minoru Fujita, Japanese wrestler
• 1977 – Nazr Mohammed, American basketball player
• 1978 – Laura Bertram, Canadian actress
• 1978 – Chris Jack, New Zealand rugby player
• 1978 – Sylvester Joseph, Antiguan cricketer
• 1978 – Zhang Zhong, Chinese chess player
• 1979 – John Carew, Norwegian footballer
• 1979 – Stacey Dales, Canadian basketball player and sportscaster
• 1979 – Julien Lizeroux, French skier
• 1979 – Salvatore Mastronunzio, Italian footballer
• 1979 – George O'Callaghan, Irish footballer
• 1980 – Franco Costanzo, Argentinian footballer
• 1980 – Kevin Simm, British singer
• 1981 – Daniel Moreno, Spanish cyclist
• 1981 – Kai Rüütel, Estonian opera singer
• 1981 – Filippo Volandri, Italian tennis player
• 1982 – Alexandre Geijo, Spanish-Swiss footballer
• 1983 – Eugen Bopp, Ukrainian-German footballer
• 1983 – Pablo Granoche, Uruguayan footballer
• 1983 – Antony Sweeney, English footballer
• 1984 – Chris Anker Sørensen, Danish cyclist
• 1985 – Ryan Guy, American soccer player
• 1986 – Colt McCoy, American football player
• 1986 – Pragyan Ojha, Indian cricketer
• 1988 – Denni Avdić, Swedish footballer
• 1988 – Felipe Caicedo, Ecuadorian footballer
• 1989 – Elena Delle Donne, American basketball player
• 1989 – José Ángel Valdés, Spanish footballer
• 1989 – Ben Youngs, English rugby player
• 1990 – Antonio Esposito, Italian footballer
• 1990 – Francesca Segarelli, Dominican tennis player
• 1990 – Lance Stephenson, American basketball player
• 1990 – Yuna Kim, South Korean figure skater
• 1990 – Franco Zuculini, Argentinian footballer
• 1991 – Zeki Yavru, Turkish footballer
• 1994 – Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italian swimmer
• 1995 – Szabina Szlavikovics, Hungarian tennis player
• 1996 – Richairo Živković, Dutch footballer
• 1996 – Sigrid, Norwegian singer

• 590 – Authari, Lombard king (b. 540)
• 714 – Shang, emperor of the Tang Dynasty
• 1165 – Nijō, emperor of Japan (b. 1143)
• 1235 – Henry I, duke of Brabant (b. 1165)
• 1311 – Amadeus Aba, Hungarian oligarch
• 1336 – Charles d'Évreux, count of Étampes (b. 1305)
• 1526 – Alonso de Salazar, Spanish explorer
• 1548 – Catherine Parr, Sixth and last Queen of Henry VIII of England (b. c. 1512)
• 1562 – Katharina Zell, German Protestant reformer (b. 1497)
• 1569 – Edmund Bonner, Bishop of London (b. c. 1500)
• 1607 – Pomponne de Bellièvre, French politician, Chancellor of France (b. 1529)
• 1629 – Domenico Allegri, Italian singer-songwriter (b. 1585)
• 1734 – Nicolas Bernier, French composer (b. 1664)
• 1786 – Jonas Hanway, English merchant and philanthropist (b. 1712)
• 1803 – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, French general and author (b. 1741)
• 1803 – François Devienne, French flute player and composer (b. 1759)
• 1836 – Ferdinand Raimund, Austrian actor and playwright (b. 1790)
• 1838 – Charles Percier, French architect and interior decorator (b. 1764)
• 1857 – Auguste Comte, French sociologist and philosopher (b. 1798)
• 1876 – Manuel Blanco Encalada, Chilean admiral and politician, 1st President of Chile (b. 1790)
• 1877 – Crazy Horse, American tribal leader (b. 1849)
• 1894 – George Stoneman, Jr., United States Army cavalry officer (b. 1822)
• 1898 – Sarah Emma Edmonds, Canadian-American nurse, soldier, and spy (b. 1841)
• 1901 – Ignacij Klemenčič, Slovenian physicist and academic (b. 1853)
• 1902 – Rudolf Virchow, German anthropologist, pathologist, and biologist (b. 1821)
• 1906 – Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist and philosopher (b. 1844)
• 1909 – Louis Bouveault, French chemist (b. 1864)
• 1912 – Arthur MacArthur, Jr., American general (b. 1845)
• 1917 – Marian Smoluchowski, Austrian-Polish physicist and mountaineer (b. 1872)
• 1920 – Robert Harron, American actor (b. 1893)
• 1922 – Georgette Agutte, French painter (b. 1867)
• 1926 – Karl Harrer, German journalist and politician (b. 1890)
• 1930 – Robert Means Thompson, American soldier, businessman, and philanthropist (b. 1849)
• 1931 – John Thomson, Scottish footballer (b. 1909)
• 1932 – Francisco Acebal, Spanish journalist, author, and playwright (b. 1866)
• 1932 – Paul Bern, German-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1889)
• 1934 – Sidney Myer, Russian-Australian businessman, founded Myer Stores (b. 1878)
• 1936 – Gustave Kahn, French poet and critic (b. 1859)
• 1942 – François de Labouchère, French soldier and pilot (b. 1917)
• 1945 – Clem Hill, Australian cricketer and footballer (b. 1877)
• 1948 – Richard C. Tolman, American physicist and chemist (b. 1881)
• 1953 – Richard Walther Darré, Argentinian-German agronomist and politician (b. 1895)
• 1954 – Eugen Schiffer, German lawyer and politician, Vice-Chancellor of Germany (b. 1860)
• 1955 – Haydn Bunton, Sr., Australian footballer and coach (b. 1911)
• 1965 – Thomas Johnston, Scottish journalist and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1882)
• 1966 – Dezső Lauber, Hungarian golfer, tennis player, and architect (b. 1879)
• 1970 – Jochen Rindt, German-Austrian race car driver (b. 1942)
• 1972 – Alan Kippax, Australian cricketer and businessman (b. 1897)
• 1973 – Jack Fournier, American baseball player and coach (b. 1889)
• 1977 – Marcel Thiry, Belgian poet and activist (b. 1897)
• 1979 – Alberto di Jorio, Italian cardinal (b. 1884)
• 1980 – Don Banks, Australian composer and educator (b. 1923)
• 1982 – Douglas Bader, English captain and pilot (b. 1910)
• 1984 – Adam Malik, Indonesian politician and diplomat, 3rd Vice President of Indonesia (b. 1917)
• 1984 – Jane Roberts, American psychic and author (b. 1929)
• 1985 – Johannes Hint, Estonian engineer (b. 1914)
• 1986 – Neerja Bhanot, Indian model and youngest recipient of country's highest peacetime military award Ashok Chakra (b. 1963)
• 1988 – Gert Fröbe, German actor and singer (b. 1913)
• 1989 – Philip Baxter, Welsh-English engineer and academic (b. 1905)
• 1990 – Hugh Foot, Baron Caradon, English academic and diplomat (b. 1907)
• 1990 – Jerry Iger, American cartoonist and publisher, co-founded Eisner & Iger (b. 1903)
• 1990 – Ivan Mihailov, Bulgarian politician (b. 1896)
• 1991 – Sharad Joshi, Indian author and poet (b. 1931)
• 1992 – Fritz Leiber, American author and poet (b. 1910)
• 1993 – Claude Renoir, French cinematographer (b. 1914)
• 1994 – Shimshon Amitsur, Israeli mathematician and scholar (b. 1921)
• 1994 – John Newman, Australian politician (b. 1946)
• 1995 – Benyamin Sueb, Indonesian comedian, actor, and singer (b. 1939)
• 1995 – Salil Chowdhury, Indian music composer, who mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam film and other films. (b. 1922)
• 1996 – Basil Salvadore D'Souza, Indian bishop (b. 1926)
• 1997 – Leon Edel, American author and critic (b. 1907)
• 1997 – Georg Solti, Hungarian conductor and director (b. 1912)
• 1997 – Mother Teresa, Albanian-Indian nun, missionary, and saint, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1910)
• 1998 – Ferdinand Biondi, Canadian radio host (b. 1909)
• 1998 – Willem Drees, Jr., Dutch economist and politician, Dutch Minister of Transport (b. 1922)
• 1998 – Verner Panton, Danish interior designer (b. 1926)
• 1998 – Leo Penn, American actor and director (b. 1921)
• 1999 – Alan Clark, English historian and politician, Minister for Defence Procurement (b. 1928)
• 1999 – Allen Funt, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1914)
• 1999 – Bryce Mackasey, Canadian businessman and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (b. 1921)
• 2000 – Roy Fredericks, Guyanese cricketer and politician (b. 1942)
• 2000 – Abdul Haris Nasution, Indonesian general and politician, 12th Indonesian Minister of Defense (b. 1918)
• 2001 – Justin Wilson, American chef and author (b. 1914)
• 2001 – Vladimir Žerjavić, Croatian economist and academic (b. 1912)
• 2002 – David Todd Wilkinson, American cosmologist and astronomer (b. 1935)
• 2003 – Gisele MacKenzie, Canadian-American singer and actress (b. 1927)
• 2005 – Roberto Viaux, Chilean general (b. 1917)
• 2007 – Jennifer Dunn, American engineer and politician (b. 1941)
• 2007 – Paul Gillmor, American lawyer and politician (b. 1939)
• 2007 – Thomas Hansen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1976)
• 2007 – D. James Kennedy, American pastor and author (b. 1930)
• 2007 – Nikos Nikolaidis, Greek director and screenwriter (b. 1939)
• 2009 – Gani Fawehinmi, Nigerian lawyer and activist (b. 1938)
• 2010 – Hedley Beare, Australian author and academic (b. 1932)
• 2010 – Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo, Belgian-Dutch poet and painter (b. 1922)
• 2012 – Ediz Bahtiyaroğlu, Turkish-Bosnian footballer (b. 1986)
• 2012 – Ian Dick, Australian cricketer and field hockey player (b. 1926)
• 2012 – Victoria Fyodorova, Russian-American actress and author (b. 1946)
• 2012 – John Oaksey, English jockey and journalist (b. 1929)
• 2013 – Edwin Bideau, American lawyer and politician (b. 1950)
• 2013 – Geoffrey Goodman, English pilot, journalist, and author (b. 1922)
• 2013 – Isamu Jordan, American journalist and academic (b. 1975)
• 2014 – Bruce Morton, American journalist (b. 1930)
• 2014 – Mara Neusel, German mathematician, author, and academic (b. 1964)
• 2015 – Goh Eng Wah, Malaysian-Singaporean businessman, founded Eng Wah Global (b. 1923)
• 2015 – Aadesh Shrivastava, Indian singer-songwriter (b. 1964)
• 2015 – Chester Stranczek, American baseball player and businessman (b. 1929)
• 2016 – Hugh O'Brian, American actor (b. 1925)
• 2016 – Phyllis Schlafly, American lawyer, writer, and political activist (b. 1924)

Judy Garland's stolen ruby slippers 

found after 13 years

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz has been found 13 years after being stolen, according to US authorities.

They were taken from a Minnesota museum in 2005, when someone broke in through a window late at night.

Three others pairs of ruby slippers worn by Garland in the 1939 film are known to exist. 

An anonymous donor once offered a $1m (£775,000) reward for the stolen pair's whereabouts and the thief's name.

However, the reward expired on the tenth anniversary of the robbery. 

It is unknown if the shoes' recovery is related to any tip-offs.

In press conference on Tuesday afternoon, no specific details were given about where they were found or how. 

FBI special agent Joan Sanborn indicated that the investigation was still ongoing. "We've gathered lots of information on this case. We believe there's lots more to give," she said. 

• Renee Zellweger prepares to play Judy Garland
• Public urged to help save Oz's ruby shoes

The slippers are often said to among the most valued props in movie history. 

This pair was insured for $1m but experts have said they could be worth two times that now. 

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

How were they stolen? 

The Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Garland's birthplace, had been loaned the slippers from a collector named Michael Shaw.

The theft was described as a simple smash-and-grab, with the glass display case destroyed and the slipper snatched.

Almost no clues were left behind, neither footprints nor fingerprints, and the surveillance camera was not working that night. 

"I literally felt like I was hit in the stomach when I got the call," Mr Shaw told Newsweek in 2015. "My knees buckled, and I went right down on the floor. I had taken care of those shoes for 35 years!"

Jon Miner, the museum's co-founder, told the magazine he was also devastated. "I cried," he said. "I couldn't believe this happened to us because it was the stupidest thing."

The museum has kept the podium - labelled "Dorothy's Ruby Slippers" - empty since they disappeared. 

A documentary about the theft - Who Stole The Ruby Slippers? - was released in 2015. 

The history of the ruby slippers

• The shoes are covered in about 2,300 sequins, according to the Hollywood Reporter
• In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum's 1900 book on which the film is based - Dorothy wore silver shoes. However MGM Studios chose to turn them bright red to show off new Technicolor film techniques
• In 2016, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington DC raised more than $300,000 for the restoration of a pair they had acquired
• In 2012, actor Leonardo DiCaprio was named as the lead benefactor in a group of movie lovers who bought one of the pairs. It will be displayed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures when it opens in Los Angeles next year
• The fourth known pair is owned by a private collector, who bought them from a Tennessee schoolteacher who had won them in a 1940 competition 
• Actress Debbie Reynolds was also once given some ruby slippers from the movie but these were used for screen tests and never worn by Garland. They sold for more than $500,000 at a 2011 auction

Παντρεύεται η Μαρία Μενούνος 

-Σε ένα χωριό στην Αρκαδία 

Τα σκαλιά της εκκλησίας στην Ελλάδα αναμένεται να ανέβει

 η Μαρία Μενούνος.

Η διάσημη παρουσιάστρια μίλησε για τις ετοιμασίες, το χωριό της και τις

 λεπτομέρειες του γάμου σε γνωστή ραδιοφωνική εκπομπή των ΗΠΑ.

Συγκεκριμένα, η Μαρία Μενούνος απαντώντας στην ερώτηση των δημοσιογράφων 

αν σκοπεύει να κάνει και θρησκευτικό γάμο, μετά τον πολιτικό που έκανε την

 Πρωτοχρονιά στην Times Square, η ίδια απάντησε πως ήδη βρίσκεται στις

 ετοιμασίες του.

«Σχεδιάζουμε γάμο σε ένα χωριό στην Ελλάδα, αλλά όλα θα γίνουν την τελευταία

 στιγμή» αποκάλυψε η Μαρία Μενούνος, η οποία τους επόμενους μήνες θα

 παντρευτεί στην χώρα μας τον σύζυγό της και επί 18 χρόνια σύντροφό της, Κέβιν

 Αντεργκάρο.

Έναν χρόνο μετά τον πολιτικό τους γάμο στην Times Square, η Μαρία Μενούνος

 και ο Κέβιν Αντεργκάρο θα παντρευτούν στην Ελλάδα. 

Το μυστήριο θα τελεστεί στο χωριό του πατέρας της παρουσιάστριας, στο Άκοβο

 Αρκαδίας.

«Πιστεύω πως στους γάμους στην Ελλάδα πάντα «περνούν» οι κανόνες του πατέρα.

 Μπορεί, λοιπόν, η μητέρα μου να είναι από την Καλαμάτα, αλλά εγώ είμαι από 

το Άκοβο», είπε χαριτωμένα η πετυχημένη παρουσιάστρια και δημοσιογράφος.

Ο γάμος θα γίνει σε ένα εκκλησάκι στο χωριό του πατέρας της Μενούνος, το Ακοβο Αρκαδίας.

Μιλώντας για τον αγώνα που έκανε ο πατέρας της για τον τόπο του, η ίδια

 ανέφερε πως θα παντρευτεί στο εκκλησάκι που χτίστηκε μετά από δωρεά του 

πατέρα της και άλλων ομογενών που μένουν στις ΗΠΑ.

«Οργανώναμε τεράστια πανηγύρια, ο κόσμος αγόραζε εισιτήριο, τρώγαμε και 

χορεύαμε με σκοπό να μαζευτούν χρήματα για αυτή την εκκλησία. Γι΄αυτό και

 εγώ θέλω να παντρευτώ εκεί», ανέφερε η Μαρία Μενούνος η οποία πρόσθεσε πως

 έχει πάει μία φορά στο χωριό της σε ηλικία 10 ετών.