Author Archives: dcaligari

When the first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, 1929, movies had just begun to talk. That first ceremony took place during an Academy banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. There were 270 people in attendance and guest tickets cost $5. Though this was the first time these awardsContinue reading “The first Academy Awards ceremony”

May 16, 2005 – Everyone got to love Raymond one last time when the last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, The Finale aired on this date. Filming of the series finale was delayed twice when Patricia Heaton and then Doris Roberts were ill and couldn’t speak well on the filming days.

May 16, 2019 –After 12 seasons, Sheldon finally learns how to acknowledge his friends when CBS TV aired the last episode of The Big Bang Theory: The Stockholm Syndrome, on this date. With this final episode, the four male characters Leonard, Sheldon, Howard and Raj are the only ones that have appeared in every episode.Continue reading “The finale of The Big Bang Theory”

May 16, 1984 –Prince’s single, (written at the behest of the director of the film, Purple Rain, Albert Magnoli, to cover a sequence in the film,) When Doves Cry became his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, on this date. This was the second US chart-topper with a kind of bird in the title,Continue reading “When Doves Cry topped the charts”

May 15, 1942 –President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation, that when into effect on this date, establishing the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. The act, signed into law some five months after the United States entered World War II, created a voluntary enrollment program for up to 150,000 women to join the war effort in noncombatContinue reading “The first time old maids were recruited for the war in the US”

May 15, 1976 –The Rolling Stones‘ 13th British and 15th American studio album, Black and Blue, goes to No. 1 of the Billboard Albums Chart on this date. The working title for the album was Hot Stuff until they decided on Black And Blue.

May 15, 1981 – Look, there was no real reason for this but The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island premiered on NBC on this date. At the time of filming, Jim Backus was suffering from Parkinson’s disease thus preventing him from being in the movie. Originally his character was written out of the storyline butContinue reading “The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island premiered”

May 15, 1928 –Plane Crazy was the first animated cartoon produced to feature Mickey Mouse as well as Minnie Mouse (Mickey’s girlfriend), (even though Steamboat Willie was officially released earlier.) The short was co-directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Iwerks was also the main animator for this short and reportedly spent six weeks workingContinue reading “The first Mickey Mouse cartoon”

In case you didn’t get you mom a great gift, you can remind her that you will probably be helping with her nursing home costs. The United States celebrates Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. In the United States, Mother’s Day was loosely inspired by the British version of the day and wasContinue reading “Mother’s Day is here”

May 14, 1989 – Moonlighting, one of the better “boy/girl detective show” aired it’s last episode on ABC on this date. Even after the series had long since ‘jumped the shark‘, Bruce Willis‘ toup was a thing to behold.