Author Archives: dcaligari

November 16, 1974 –John Lennon’s song Whatever Gets You Thru the Night hits #1 on the Billboard charts on this date. With this song, John Lennon became the last of the Beatles to hit #1 US in their respective post-Beatles careers. By this time Paul McCartney had hit #1 three times, and George Harrison andContinue reading “It’s your money or your life”

November 16 is known as Have a Party with Your Bear Day but many sites do not explain the reason: (No it’s not this reason.) In 1902 while on a hunting trip with Mississippi Gov. Andrew H. Longino, President Teddy Roosevelt was offered the opportunity to shoot a bear tied to a tree. Seeing thisContinue reading “Maybe you’ll think twice about it”

November 16, 1969 –David Bowie appeared in his first TV special, 1980 Floor Show, broadcast on NBC’s Midnight Special, on this date. The show was a spectacular stage production that was filmed over three days, mostly at The Marquee Club, in Soho, London. It would be Bowie’s last performance as the Ziggy Stardust persona withContinue reading “1980 Floor Show premiered”

November 16, 1986 –The theme of the show is Raisins – the first comedic television miniseries ever to air in the U.S., Fresno, starring Carol Burnett, Teri Garr, Charles Grodin, Dabney Coleman, Jerry Van Dyke, and Tom Poston, premiered on CBS, on this date. Charles Grodin recalls that during filming, Jerry Van Dyke asked himContinue reading “Fresno premiered”

November 16, 1979 –Paul McCartney released what many consider the worst Christmas tune ever, Wonderful Christmastime, on this date. Paul has the last laugh concerning the song, music industry sources estimate that McCartney makes between $400,000 to $600,000 annually from royalties on Wonderful Christmastime alone.

November 16, 1913 –Whatever you do, don’t disparage M. Proust. Unable to find a publisher willing to publish the first part of his ambitious three-volume novel, Marcel Proust paid the cost of publication himself of Du Côté de Chez Swann (Swann’s Way,) the first volume of what turns out to become the seven-part novel ÀContinue reading “À la Recherche du Temps Perdu was published”

Today is America Recycles Day. Its also known as national clean out the refrigerator day. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, today’s a good day to make some room in the frig (I should start looking through the freezer for a few ‘frozen corpse‘ meals in there for this week.). While the country may beContinue reading “Have to make room for that turkey”

November 15, 1935 –… Listen, Gottlieb, nix on the love making. Because, I saw Mrs. Claypool first. Of course, her mother really saw her first; but, there’s no point in bringing the Civil War into this. . The Marx Brother’s first film made without Zeppo, A Night at the Opera, premiered on this date. InContinue reading “You can’t fool me! There ain’t no Sanity Claus!”

November 15, 1950 – The third installment of John Ford’s ‘cavalry trilogy‘, Rio Grande, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, premiered in the US on this date. The film was criticized for being too studio-bound and for having too many songs. However, Harry Carey Jr. defended the inclusion of songs as authentic, since cavalrymen didContinue reading “Rio Grande premiered”

November 15, 1986 –The Beastie Boys‘ debut studio album Licensed to Ill, released by Def Jam and Columbia Records, went on to become the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart, was released on this date. With their debut album, Licensed To Ill, released in November, and over the next few months, theContinue reading “‘Cause I am most ill and I’m rhymin’ and stealin’”