December 23, 1823 –The famous poem A Visit From St. Nicholas was first published on this date. It begins, Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse …. Fourteen years after its first publication, an editor attributed the poem to a wealthy professorContinue reading “You probably know it as ‘Twas the night before Christmas’”
Author Archives: dcaligari
Sports fans, do you remember the Immaculate Reception?
December 23, 1972 –Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers grabbed a deflected pass from quarterback Terry Bradshaw to score a touchdown, winning the game for the Steelers 13-7 over the Oakland Raiders, on this date. The NFL’s Immaculate Reception, as it has become to be known, is one of the most famous plays in theContinue reading “Sports fans, do you remember the Immaculate Reception?”
A donation in your name has been made
Festivus for the rest of us As not to embarrass yourself tonight at your Festivus family gathering, here are the four tenets of the holiday: The Festivus Pole: During Festivus, an unadorned aluminum pole is displayed. The pole was chosen apparently in opposition to the commercialization of highly decorated Christmas trees, because it is “veryContinue reading “A donation in your name has been made”
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first debuted
December 23, 1954 –Walt Disney’s live-action film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, premiered on this date. In 1969, Captain Nemo’s pipe organ, which had been on display in Disneyland, was redressed and now resides in the ballroom of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. A duplicate was constructed for the ballroom of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom HauntedContinue reading “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first debuted”
In Which We Serve premiered
December 23, 1942 The Noel Coward-David Lean War time drama, In Which We Serve, opened in the US on this date. After about three weeks of shooting, Noël Coward realized that (a) David Lean knew a lot more about filmmaking than he did, and (b) he didn’t care much for the long hours. So CowardContinue reading “In Which We Serve premiered”
I’m sure you’re sick of hearing this song by now
December 22 1958 –The song by Dave Seville and The Chipmunks, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late), hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, on this date, and stayed there for four weeks. (Sorry about the ear worm.)< The song, written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (a.k.a. David Seville) who varied the tapeContinue reading “I’m sure you’re sick of hearing this song by now”
Doctor Zhivago debuted
December 22, 1965 – David Lean’s Russian epic, Dr Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Courtenay, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson, Siobhán McKenna, and Rita Tushingham, premiered in the US, on this date. The movie was torn apart by critics when first released. Newsweek, in particular, made comments about “hack-job sets”Continue reading “Doctor Zhivago debuted”
KARLOFF . . . ‘The Mummy’
December 22, 1932 – Universal Pictures released the horror film The Mummy, directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff on this date. The discovery of Pharaoh Tutankahmen’s tomb and the alleged curse it contained inspired Universal to make this film. In fact, when Howard Carter (funded by Lord Carnarvon) opened the sarcophagus of KingContinue reading “KARLOFF . . . ‘The Mummy’”
All the Advent candles are now lit
Ok Bunkies, today is the fourth and last Sunday of the Advent season. The day is called the Fourth Sunday of Advent, sorry no fancy french or Latin name. The fourth candle is often called the Angel candle. It represents the messengers who announced the birth of the Messiah. Go talk to the old ladiesContinue reading “All the Advent candles are now lit”
Don’t worry, with heavy drinking, you can get through this
The Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere will be at 10:03 AM (EST), the shortest amount of daylight of the year and the longest night. It’s officially the first day of Winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans evenContinue reading “Don’t worry, with heavy drinking, you can get through this”
The Haus of Dcaligari 