Author Archives: dcaligari

April 16, 1178 BC –… The sun has been obliterated from the sky, and an unlucky darkness invades the world. – Theoclymenus A solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca and one of the most recurrent characters in Western literature, to his kingdom after the Trojan War on thisContinue reading “Home is the sailor, home from the sea”

April 16 1912 –The remains of the R.M.S. Titanic came to rest at the bottom of the sea on this date. The unsinkable ship sank after being torn by iceberg. Of a total of 2,208 people, only 712 survived; 1,496 perished. If the lifeboats had been filled to capacity, 1,178 people could have been saved.Continue reading “Way down below the ocean”

April 16, 1178 BC –This, supposedly, is the day that Odysseus returned to Ithaca Two of King Odysseus’ old friends recognize him, his aged nurse, Eurycleia, and Argos, the only dog to whom Homer have a name. … But the moment he sensed Odysseus standing by he thumped his tail, nuzzling low, and his earsContinue reading “Sailing to Byzantium”

You might think that today, April 15, is the deadline for submitting personal tax returns, but this is not always the case. When the date falls on a weekend, it is often moved to the following Monday. But since today is Wednesday, they’re due today. you better hustle.

April 15, 1982 –The independent science fiction film Liquid Sky, directed by Slava Tsukerman and starring Anne Carlisle and Paula E. Sheppard, opened on this date. Anne Carlisle playing dual roles was not originally planned. The actor who was supposed to play the character of Jimmy dropped out of the project.

April 15, 1988 –The drama, The Moderns directed by Alan Rudolph and starring Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino, John Lone, and Geneviève Bujold, opened on this date. According a number of critics and sources, this picture is somewhat of a companion piece to writer-director Alan Rudolph’s later film Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.

April 15, 1912 – 12:50 a.m. EST A junior wireless operator at Cape Race, Newfoundland, received a message from the Virginian stating that they were attempting to reach the Titanic but had lost communication. Titanic’s final signals, sent at 12:27 a.m., were “blurred and ended abruptly.“ The ‘unsinkable‘ ship Titanic sank after being torn byContinue reading “Nearer my God to thee”

April 15, 1972 –Roberta Flack’s breakout single, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, goes to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date. Folk singer Ewan MacColl wrote this in 1957 for his lover, Peggy Seeger. She was in a play and phoned him for suggestions on a song for a romantic scene.Continue reading “I thought the sun rose in your eyes …”

April 15, 1950 – The Merrie Melodies short, The Hypo-Chondri-Cat, directed by Chuck Jones and starring Hubie and Bertie and Claude Cat, debuted on this date. Hubie and Bertie are relatively minor characters of the Looney Tunes series, appearing in seven short films between 1943 and 1951. Their distinguishing trait in the cast is thatContinue reading “The Hypo-Chondri-Cat premiered”

April 14, 1912 – 11:40 pm.Mr and Mrs Sturges are arguing about whether or not Mrs Sturges will return to Europe with her husband after the boat docks in New York. In the heat of the moment, Julia Sturges reveals to her husband Richard, that Norman, their son is not his but but rather theContinue reading “They bought their tickets – they took their chances”