Author Archives: dcaligari

April 16, 1178 BC –This, supposedly, is the day that Odysseus returned to Ithaca Two of King Odysseus’ old friends recognize him, his aged nurse, Eurycleia, and Argos, the only dog to whom Homer have a name. … But the moment he sensed Odysseus standing by he thumped his tail, nuzzling low, and his earsContinue reading “Sailing to Byzantium”

You might think that today, April 15, is the deadline for submitting personal tax returns, but this is not always the case. When the date falls on a weekend, it is often moved to the following Monday. But since today is Wednesday, they’re due today. you better hustle.

April 15, 1982 –The independent science fiction film Liquid Sky, directed by Slava Tsukerman and starring Anne Carlisle and Paula E. Sheppard, opened on this date. Anne Carlisle playing dual roles was not originally planned. The actor who was supposed to play the character of Jimmy dropped out of the project.

April 15, 1988 –The drama, The Moderns directed by Alan Rudolph and starring Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino, John Lone, and Geneviève Bujold, opened on this date. According a number of critics and sources, this picture is somewhat of a companion piece to writer-director Alan Rudolph’s later film Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.

April 15, 1912 – 12:50 a.m. EST A junior wireless operator at Cape Race, Newfoundland, received a message from the Virginian stating that they were attempting to reach the Titanic but had lost communication. Titanic’s final signals, sent at 12:27 a.m., were “blurred and ended abruptly.“ The ‘unsinkable‘ ship Titanic sank after being torn byContinue reading “Nearer my God to thee”

April 15, 1972 –Roberta Flack’s breakout single, First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, goes to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date. Folk singer Ewan MacColl wrote this in 1957 for his lover, Peggy Seeger. She was in a play and phoned him for suggestions on a song for a romantic scene.Continue reading “I thought the sun rose in your eyes …”

April 15, 1950 – The Merrie Melodies short, The Hypo-Chondri-Cat, directed by Chuck Jones and starring Hubie and Bertie and Claude Cat, debuted on this date. Hubie and Bertie are relatively minor characters of the Looney Tunes series, appearing in seven short films between 1943 and 1951. Their distinguishing trait in the cast is thatContinue reading “The Hypo-Chondri-Cat premiered”

April 14, 1912 – 11:40 pm.Mr and Mrs Sturges are arguing about whether or not Mrs Sturges will return to Europe with her husband after the boat docks in New York. In the heat of the moment, Julia Sturges reveals to her husband Richard, that Norman, their son is not his but but rather theContinue reading “They bought their tickets – they took their chances”

Today is International Moment of Laughter Day. Unlike many of the ‘holidays‘ that litter the internet, we know who created this one. The unofficial holiday, created by motivational speaker Izzy Gesell, encourages people to forget the stresses of daily life and give into the healing and relaxing power of laughter. It’s always difficult to slipContinue reading “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.”

April 14, 1969 –The bizarre 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee TV special starring The Pre-fab four, The Monkees, aired on NBC TV, on this date. This special is notable as the Monkees‘ final performance as a quartet until 1986, as Peter Tork left the group at the end of the special’s production.