Author Archives: dcaligari

August 12, 1939 – The Bugs Bunny everyone knows takes another step forward when Hare-um Scare-um opened on this date. Bugs cross dresses for the first time in this cartoon when he dresses up as a female dog to distract the hunter’s dog.

August 12, 1939 – Considered one of the highlights of the Golden Age of Hollywood, The Wizard of Oz premiered on this date in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. A recent study found that The Wizard of Oz is the most watched movie in film history, largely due to the number of television screenings each year as wellContinue reading “We’re off the see the wizard …”

August 12, 1927 –One of only two silent films – the other being The Artist in 2011 – to win an Oscar for best picture, Wings, opened in NYC on this date. As a former pilot, director William A. Wellman knew how vital it was to have clouds for the dogfights, but the skies overContinue reading “Wings premiered”

Today is National Vinyl Day (and not Record Store Day which was April 20th this year.) National Vinyl Record Day is celebrated every year on August 12 (commemorating the day Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877) to remember the culture, art, the very sound of the vinyl record. Don’t forget, whatever you do today,Continue reading “Vinyl will outlast CDs”

August 11, 1973 –A DJ named Kool Hercat (Clive Campbell) played at a back-to-school party for his sister, Cindy Campbell, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, and Hip Hop was born. Since then, hip-hop has evolved and it has exploded. The influence of artists such Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z among others,Continue reading “Hip Hop got it’s start”

August 11, 1995 –The Hollywood Picture film, Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, and Courtney B. Vance, opened in US theaters on this date. The movie’s soundtrack tops the Billboard albums chart thanks to its lead single, Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise. Originally entitled My Posse Don’t Do Homework, the name of the book from which this trueContinue reading “Dangerous Minds premiered”

August 11, 2008 –The Canadian singer Feist appears on Sesame Street on this date, where she turns her song 1234 into a lesson in counting. It becomes one of the most popular music segments on the show, and far more popular than the original.

August 11, 1929 –Booze hound and notorious whore monger Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run at Cleveland’s League Park on this date, becoming the first baseball player to do so. He ended his career in 1935 with 714 career home runs – still the third best in Major League Baseball history.

August 11, 1942 –Actress Hedy Lamarr (that’s Hedy not Hedley) and composer George Antheil received a patent for a frequency hopping, spread spectrum communication system that will later became the basis for the technology behind Wi-Fi and wireless telephones. In 1997, she and George Anthiel were honored with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Pioneer Award.Continue reading “Not just a pretty face”

It’s the Feast of St. Clare today. St. Clare of Assisi (or Clair or Claire – spelling wasn’t a major issue back then. Living past 29 years old was considered miraculous) didn’t want to marry the rich young man her parents picked out for her and ran away from home to become the biggest FrancisContinue reading “Every time you turn on the TV – think of her”