Author Archives: dcaligari

February 10, 1976 –Sesame Street episode #847 featured Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, aired on this date. It scared children so badly that the episode has never been re-aired.

Hey it’s Lunar New Year’s Eve in many parts of the world tonight: It’s a busy night, in between hanging red lanterns, the New Year reunion dinners, setting off firecrackers (Use only ACME – the best!), giving red envelopes to kids (I will never be too old to accept a red envelope,) staying up lateContinue reading “Pace yourself, there’s a lot going on today”

February 9, 1964 – The Beatles made their US live debut on CBS-TV’s The Ed Sullivan Show; they performed five songs including their current No.1 I Want To Hold Your Hand on this date. Never before had so many viewers tuned-in to a live television program, which with 73 million viewers, was three-fourths of theContinue reading “At 8pm, 60 years ago …”

February 9, 1895 –William G. Morgan met James Naismith, inventor of basketball, while Morgan was studying at Springfield College in 1892. Like Naismith, Morgan pursued a career in Physical Education at the YMCA. Morgan was greatly influenced by Naismith and his new game, basketball. On this date, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, Morgan invented a less vigorousContinue reading “The invention of Mintonette”

February 9, 1976 –Paul Simon’s song, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, hits number 1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date. Paul Simon has never gotten around to listing the other ways to leave but poking around the internet, I have discovered the other 45 ways: 6. Post her nude pics, Dick. Next upContinue reading “Multiple ways to end a relationship, according to Mr. Simon”

February 9, 1979 –Based on the 1974 independent film of the same name, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, starring Dan Haggerty and Ben the Bear (Bozo), first aired on NBC TV on this date. The series was shot in Northern Utah countryside locations. The production office was based in Park City, Utah. TheContinue reading “Grizzly Adams premiered”

February 9, 1990 –Proving that you can throw good money after bad, CBS TV tried with an hour-long Comedy-Drama(?) version of The Brady Bunch, The Bradys, starring the usual suspect, which debuted on this date. The show lasted six episodes. Once again Robert Reed fought with Sherwood Schwartz over script quality. When Schwartz refused toContinue reading “The beating of a dead horse, televised”

February 8, 1587 –After some 19 years in prison, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded on this date. She had spent the last hours of her life in prayer and also writing letters and her will. She expressed a request that her servants should be released. She also requested that she should be buried inContinue reading “The lesson today: Tip your executioner well”

Today is National Boy Scout Day. Boy Scout Day celebrates the birthday of Scouting in America. On this date in 1910, Chicago publisher William Dickson Boyce filed incorporation papers in the District of Columbia to create the Boy Scouts of America. Oh wait a minute, this may not be the right video for the anniversary.Continue reading “I guess you should still be courteous and kind”

February 8, 1968 –Planet of The Apes opened in NYC on this date, confirming Charlton Heston’s position as one of the greatest “One Note Actors” of his generation. At one of the first test screenings, a woman walked up to Charlton Heston and asked him how he was. Heston had no clue who she wasContinue reading “Planet of The Apes premiered”