Author Archives: dcaligari

August 30, 1968 –Apple Records released its first single, Hey Jude by The Beatles on this date. In a 2018 interview with GQ, Paul McCartney talked about how he came up with the idea for this song: “John and his wife Cynthia had divorced, and I felt a bit sorry for their son, who wasContinue reading “Na na na nananana, nannana …”

August 29, 1967 – ABC’s television ratings soared through the roof as David Janssen and Barry Morse starred in the final episode of The Fugitive on this date. Some sources incorrectly state that an alternate ending for the series was planned in which Kimble would be seen removing a false arm, revealing him as theContinue reading “The one-armed man was real!”

August 29, 1964 –Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins opened in general release on this date. This is first movie I ever saw (but not on this date.) When founder and (now former) chief archivist at the Walt Disney Archives Dave Smith went on a search for the snowglobe from this movie, which featured birds flying aroundContinue reading “It was a jolly holiday”

August 29, 1953 – Warner Brothers introduced Speedy Gonzalez in the cartoon Cat-Tails for Two on this date. While this is the first cartoon featuring the character Speedy Gonzales, his depiction here is vastly different from the character he would later become. It wasn’t until his second appearance, Speedy Gonzales (two years later,) that heContinue reading “Meet Speedy”

August 29, 1986 –BBC1-TV aired a Paul McCartney special, McCartney for the first time, on this date. Originally conceived as a long-form promotional piece for the Wings album, Press to Play, the BBC staffer (Richard Skinner) persuades Paul McCartney to talk about much more, including one of the more in-depth interviews about Wings.

August 29, 1966 – The Beatles performed their last concert before paying fans at in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on this date. The performance marked the end of a four-year period dominated by touring and concerts including nearly 60 U.S. appearances and over 1400 internationally.

August 28, 1964 –The Beatles met Bob Dylan for the first time at The Delmonico Hotel, following their show at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium, on this date. After being introduced by a mutual friend, writer Al Aronowitz, the band offered their guests drinks, but Dylan and Aronowitz expressed interest in smoking weed instead. ThisContinue reading “The Beatles spark up for the first time”

August 28, 1978 –Released by Warner Bros. and produced by Brian Eno, Devo’s debut album , Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo was released, on this date. The album was met with mixed reviews at the time, but today is viewed as one of the most significant albums of the Post-Punk andContinue reading “Devolution began”

August 28, 1898 –Pharmacist Caleb Davis Bradham created a beverage, he believed would aid in digestion and boost energy, calling it “Brad’s Drink,” on this date. He later renamed it Pepsi-Cola, after “pepsin” and the kola nut used to flavor the drink.

August 28, 1946 –Universal’s film-noir classic version of Ernest Hemingway’s story, The Killers, opened in NYC on this date. Burt Lancaster was the third choice for the part of The Swede, and was signed only after actors Wayne Morris and Sonny Tufts proved unavailable. Lancaster was an ex-circus acrobat from Union City, NJ. When producerContinue reading “The Killers premiered”