Author Archives: dcaligari

May 14, 1925 – A middle-aged society matron goes shopping for flowers for her party and World War I veteran, suffering PTSD, decides to commit suicide rather than be institutionalized, all on the same afternoon. Much internal contemplation ensues. Virginia Woolf’s novel, Mrs. Dalloway was published on this date. The novel is considered one ofContinue reading “Mrs. Dalloway is published”

Today is National Chicken Dance Day – Although I’m sure that Werner Thomas, the creator of the original Chicken Dance music ( Der Ententanz (The Duck Dance)) never had Beyoncé’s dancing in mind

May 13, 1970 –The Beatles‘ final movie, Let It Be, received its U.S. opening, in New York City theaters on this date. John Lennon believed that Michael Lindsay-Hogg deliberately avoided including shots of him and Yoko Ono in favor of more shots of Paul McCartney. Lennon said he felt that “the camera work was setContinue reading “Let It Be premiered”

May 13, 1978 –Yvonne Elliman’s single If I Can’t Have You (written by The Bee Gees,) went to No.1 on the Billboard Charts, replacing the song, Night Fever, another song written by The Bee Gees and also featured on The Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The huge success of this song resulted in Elliman being rememberedContinue reading “If I Can’t Have You topped the charts”

May 13, 1994 –Nearly two years to the day after his farewell, Johnny Carson made a surprise cameo on the Late Show With David Letterman, which turned out to be his last-ever TV appearance before his death in January 2005, on this date. Just before Carson’s death in 2005, CBS executive Peter Lassally, who hadContinue reading “Carson makes his final TV appearance”

May 13, 2004 –The last episode of Frasier aired on TV following an 11-year run on NBC-TV on this date. The series holds the record for the most Emmy wins for a TV series of any kind (comedy or drama) with 37 wins.

May 13, 1973 –Tennis players Bobby Riggs and Margaret Court played in a $100,000 winner-take-all challenge match, on this date. The match has become known as the first Battle of the Sexes (also known as the Mother’s Day Massacre.) Margaret Court, the 1970 the singles Grand Slam champion, underestimated the 55 year old Bobby RiggsContinue reading “The little remembered Mother’s Day Massacre”

In case you didn’t get you mom a great gift, you can remind her that you will probably be helping with her nursing home costs. The United States celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. In the United States, Mother’s Day was loosely inspired by the British version of the day and wasContinue reading “Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children”

May 12, 1960 –Elvis Presley guest-starred in The Frank Sinatra Timex Special (the show is commonly referred to as Welcome Home Elvis) on ABC-TV. This was Elvis‘ first appearance on TV in three years; he had only recently been discharged from the army. Elvis was paid an at the time incredible sum of $125,000 forContinue reading “Elvis was back (on TV)”

May 12, 1987 – There was a final roll call at the Hill Street Station when NBC TV aired the last episode of Hill Street Blues, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over, on this date. The series is regarded as a hallmark in American dramatic television. It was the first dramatic series to incorporate longContinue reading “Be safe out there”