Author Archives: dcaligari

February 4, 1912 –Franz Reichelt (alias The Flying Tailor) designed an overcoat to fly or float its wearer gently to the ground like the modern parachute. To demonstrate his invention he made a jump of 60 meters from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower, at that time the tallest man-made structure in the world.Continue reading “Winner of the 1912 Darwin Award”

February 4, 1979 –Co-Ed Fever, one of the three series that attempted to capitalize on the success of the motion picture National Lampoon’s Animal House, (the others were ABC’s Delta House and NBC’s Brothers and Sisters,) had a special preview on CBS-TV on this date. The show had such poor ratings that it was cancelledContinue reading “More TV programs you’ve probably never seen”

February 4, 2007 – Can you make it rain harder? Prince performed at Super Bowl XLI, in the pouring rain and giving what is arguably the greatest Halftime show performance on this date.

February 4, 1974 –Patty Hearst heard the burst of Roland’s Thompson gun, and bought it. Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst, 19 years old, was kidnapped in Berkeley, California, by the Symbionese Liberation Army on this date.

February 3, 1959 –The Day the Music Died: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper were on a tour called “Winter Dance Party” tour. The musicians were traveling from venue to venue on tour buses. A small plane carrying The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), Buddy Holly and Richie Valens crashed near Mason City, Iowa,Continue reading “Bye Bye Miss American Pie”

February 3, 1973 –Elton John’ song Crocodile Rock became his first US Billboard Hot 100 hit on this date. The falsetto hook from Pat Boone’s 1962 hit, Speedy Gonzales has some similar “La La“s, and that song’s writers spoke out, accusing Elton of plagiarism. There was no legal action taken, and Elton has copped toContinue reading “We started hoppin’ and boppin’”

February 3, 1882 – P.T. Barnum purchased the elephant Jumbo on this date. He kept him for three years until the animal’s skull was crushed by a train. After his death, Jumbo’s skeleton was donated to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The elephant’s heart was sold to Cornell University. Jumbo’sContinue reading “Goodbye Jumbo”

February 3, 1945 – Walt Disney’s The Three Caballeros, opened in the US, on the date. With the exception of Mickey Mouse’s brief appearance with Leopold Stokowski in Fantasia, this was the first time Walt Disney attempted to combine animation with live actors since the Alice Comedies in the 1920s.

February 3, 1978 –The TV-movie Dead Man’s Curve, the first to deal with the tragic Jan & Dean story, premieres on ABC-TV on this date. Wolfmand Jack, Dick Clark, and Beach Boys Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, appear in the movie. In the film, Wolfman Jack introduces himself to Jan and Dean in a smallContinue reading “We found out that it’s no place to play”

Today is also National Working Naked Day (also celebrated on the first Friday in February). National Working Naked Day was founded by Lisa Kanarek in 2010. Lisa decided to create this day along with her own company, a brand called Working Naked, after she left a corporate job of over 20 years to start theContinue reading “Most of us don’t need (or want to know) about it.”