Author Archives: dcaligari

There are 29 days until summer. Hopefully, you’ll be able to make some vacation plans this year.

May 22, 1965 –The Beatles single, Ticket to Ride hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts on this date. Most Americans at the time, concluded the “ticket” was from British Railways, and “ride” was the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. McCartney confessed to his biographer Barry Miles that they were partly right.Continue reading “I think I’m going to be sad …”

May 22, 1971 – The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers album, with a working zipper on the cover, hits #1 in the US, on this date. Andy Warhol designed the Sticky Fingers album cover. Before he started working on it, Mick Jagger send Warhol a note warning that a complicated design could cause nasty production delays,Continue reading “Yeah, gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields …”

May 22, 1974 –There is no real explanation – perhaps gambling debts – can explain the pairing of Julie Andrews and Jackie Gleason in the TV special, Julie Andrews & Jackie Gleason: How Sweet It Is, which air on ABC TV on this date. This special was produced specifically for the American market (with JackieContinue reading “Julie Andrews & Jackie Gleason: How Sweet It Is, premiered”

May 22, 1992 –For 30 years, the man most of America went to bed with every night, finally got tired of having to try to satisfy so many people and decided to retire. Johnny Carson , known for his sharp wit, impeccable timing, and understated charm, made his final appearance on The Tonight Show onContinue reading “America bid Bon Voyage to Carson”

May 21, 1971 –Regarded as one of the landmark recordings in pop music history, and one of the greatest albums of the 20th century, Marvin Gaye’s eleventh studio album What’s Going On, was released on this date. The What’s Going On album takes on many issues, including the environment (Mercy Mercy Me) and poverty (InnerContinue reading “Mother, mother, there’s too many of you crying …”

The 37h annual Fleet Week New York will start today and continue through May 27th, and the U.S. Navy says about 2,600 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen will be on hand to join in the “celebration of sea services.” The event featured a Parade of Ships, public ship tours, and various other military demonstrations andContinue reading “Please refrain for singing, “In The Navy””

May 21, 1990 –The final episode of Newhart aired on CBS, bringing the show to a close after eight successful seasons. Bob Newhart played Dick Loudon, a Vermont innkeeper, in this quirky sitcom. But what truly made TV history was the final scene of the series. Following his decision to end the show after SeasonContinue reading “Wow, Bob must be one heavy sleeper”

May 21, 1992 –Bette Midler appeared as the last scheduled guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, on this date. Carson had already announced his retirement, and this was the penultimate episode before his final farewell the next day. (This was the apex of TV. It hasn’t gotten any better than this.) What madeContinue reading “Johnny got all verklempt”

May 21, 1982 – The ingeniously crafted comedy Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, a unique blend of parody, homage, and technical wizardry that paid loving tribute to the film noir genre of the 1940s opened on this date. Directed and co-written by Carl Reiner, and starring Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, and Carl Reiner, the filmContinue reading “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid premiered”