Author Archives: dcaligari

June 8, 1974 –Dolly Parton’s single I Will Always Love You went to No.1 on the US country charts on this date. Elvis Presley let it be known that he wanted to cover the song. Parton was interested until Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter toContinue reading “I Will Always Love You topped the charts”

June 8, 1946 – The very funny Looney Tunes cartoon, Kitty Kornered, was released on this date. It have a number of firsts going for it:1.) It’s the first appearance of Sylvester the Cat (as this point unnamed) in a Warner Bros. cartoon.2.) It’s the first pairing of Porky and Sylvester.

June 8, 1984 –Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… mass hysteria! Ivan Reitman’s comedy – horror film, Ghostbusters, debuted on this date. In the middle of the film’s initial release, to keep interest going, Ivan Reitman ran a trailer that was basically the commercial the Ghostbusters used in the movie, but the 555 numberContinue reading “The original Ghostbusters premiered”

June 8, 1983 –John Landis‘ mega-hit comedy Trading Places, starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis opened in the US on this date. In 2010, as part of the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act, which was to regulate financial markets, a rule was included which barredContinue reading “Trading Places premiered”

Today is National Name Your Poison Day. As described on many websites, “… National Name Your Poison Day is observed each year on June 8. Over the years, bartenders have been known to use the phrase, “name your poison,” when asking patrons what they would like to drink. This observation celebrates that phrase and isContinue reading “I believe you know what mine would be”

June 7, 1975 –Elton John’s ninth studio album Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboys, went to No. 1 on the US album chart, on this date. It’s the first album ever to enter the US chart at No. 1. (where it stayed for seven weeks). Captain Fantastic‘ is a concept album that gives anContinue reading “Captain Fantastic topped the charts”

June 7, 1975 –Sony releases Betamax videocassette recorder, the first home video format, in Japan, on this date. The recorder goes on sale to the public for $995.00. Almost a year to the day later, JVC will introduce a competing format called the Video Home System (VHS). VHS will ultimately surpass the Betamax format inContinue reading “Betamax made it’s debut”

June 7, 1969 – A summer replacement for ABC’s Hollywood Palace variety program, The Johnny Cash Show, debuted on this date, with performances by Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. Dylan, who met Cash at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, was making his first public performance since the Woody Guthrie benefit in January 1968. He performedContinue reading “The Johnny Cash Show premiered”

June 7, 1967 –If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy. Dorothy Rothschild Parker, writer, poet, critic and screen writer,Continue reading “Dorothy Parker”

Today is National Donut Day. The holiday began as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army in 1938. It is celebrated annually on the first Friday of June, and honors all the female volunteers who served donuts to soldiers behind the front lines during World War I. But let’s talk about Homer Simpson, the US’ No.Continue reading “Life is short, eat the donut”