Author Archives: dcaligari

June 28 1914 –Archduck Franz Ferdinand was having an extremely bad day. He was touring Serbia with his wife, the Mallard Sophie. The purpose of his tour was to get Serbia to calm down, it having become extremely irritable for reasons known only to itself, possibly having to do with Austria’s occupation of the region.Continue reading “The 20th Century started on this date”

Happy Birthday Mel Brooks I’m so happy to once again note that it’s always a good day to know that Mel is still around.

June 28, 1985 –Hard to believe now but Hollywood employed some of the Brat Pack again when Joel Schumacher’s St. Elmo’s Fire, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Mare Winningham, opened on this date. Much like her character, Demi Moore (Jules) had a drug problem when sheContinue reading “St. Elmo’s Fire premiered”

June 28, 1951 –A TV version of the popular radio program Amos ‘N’ Andy aired on CBS on this date. Although criticized for racial stereotyping, it was the first network TV series to feature an all-black cast.  I’m ambivalent about embedded the episode, but but most people have never even seen a clip of theContinue reading “Amos ‘N’ Andy premiered”

June 28, 1975 –David Bowie released the song, Fame, featuring John Lennon on backing vocals, on this date. It become Bowie’s first #1 hit in the US. John Lennon helped write this song – he came up with the title and also sang the background Fame parts in the high voice. They started working onContinue reading “Fame went on sale”

Although today is just a primary election in NYC today- Every vote is important and they absolutely count.

June 27, 1964 –Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman (the woman who learned love at the hands of Ernest Borgnine) were married on this date. The marriage lasted 38 days. Truly, such are the vagaries of life

June 27, 1971 –After only three years in business, rock promoter Bill Graham closes the “Church of Rock and Roll“, the Fillmore East in New York (on Second Avenue near East 6th Street,) on this date. The final concert was billed as three acts (The Allman Brothers Band, The J. Geils Band, Albert King) andContinue reading “The Fillmore East closed”

Hard to believe but for about 1.1 million students (and their exhausted families) the 2022/ 2023 school year is finally over. (Enjoy what you can of summer – the 2023/ 2024 fully ‘in class‘ school year is scheduled to begin 72 days from today, on September 7, 2023.Unless another public health crisis comes along)

June 27, 1966 – The first broadcast of Dark Shadows aired on ABC-TV on this date. For more than a year and a half the characters of Dark Shadows used almost every possible phrase to refer to Barnabas Collins (“He’s not alive!” “He’s one of the undead.” “He walks at night but he ain’t alive.“)Continue reading “Dark Shadows premiered”