Author Archives: dcaligari

June 12, 1839 – Alexander Cartwright, and not, Abner Doubleday, should be credited with the invention of Baseball. On the one hundredth anniversary of the apocryphal story, the National Baseball Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown, New York (in an effort to bring tourists to town.) The first five inductees were Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner,Continue reading “A Red Letter Day in Baseball”

June 12, 1981 –A bizarre coincidence but Mel Brooks’ History of the World Part 1 and Lucas/ Spielberg’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark both premiered on this date. Beforehand, it was agreed that Orson Welles would receive $5,000 per day in exchange for his services. Figuring that he’d have to spend five eight-hour days recordingContinue reading “Such are the vagaries of life”

Each year on June 12, people in the United States observe National Red Rose Day. The day is meant to honor the flower that is a symbol of love and romance, the red rose. Apparent the other color roses don’t have as strong a lobby. Today is also Crowded Nest Awareness Day. While this holidayContinue reading “It’s a good year for the roses”

June 11, 1963 –A patent for the Mercury space capsule is granted to Blanchard, Chilton, Faget, Hammack, Johnson, Kehlet, and Meyer and and assigned to NASA, (US No. 3,093,346.) The invention is described as a “manned capsule configuration capable of being launched into orbital flight and returned to the earth’s surface.” The invention is intendedContinue reading “Mercury space capsule”

June 11 is an important day for American football fans and seems almost inevitably slated to someday become a national holiday. It’s the birthdays of Vince Lombardi (1913) and Joe Montana (1956). Mr Lombardi played at Fordham University and was a Latin and chemistry teacher in New Jersey before becoming the head coach of theContinue reading “Football birthdays”

June 11, 1977 –Electric Light Orchestra’s record Telephone Line reached #7 on the Billboard Charts in the US, giving the band its first gold single. ELO’s first manager was Don Arden. When he lost interest in the group, he gave them to his daughter Sharon who ran Jet Records. Sharon married Ozzy Osbourne a fewContinue reading “Telephone Line charts”

June 11, 1937 –The Marx Brothers film, A Day at the Races, opened on this date. Irving Thalberg protested the scene in which Harpo Marx frantically mimes to Chico Marx that Hackenbush (Groucho Marx) is in danger. It changed Harpo, said Thalberg, from a character who DIDN’T talk into a character who COULDN’T talk. Thalberg,Continue reading “A Day at the Races premiered”

Today is the 13th World Gin Day, started by Neil Houston and Emma Stokes in 2009, always celebrated on the second Saturday in June, (National Martini Day is coming up on Sunday, June 19, Father’s Day – I will just have to pace myself!). I wait patiently by the phone for confirmation that I haveContinue reading “Fear not, today is World Gin Day.”

June 10 1190 –While en route to the Holy Land for a jolly vacation of pillaging and sodomy (The Third Crusade) with his fellow sovereigns, Richard (of the Lionheart fame) and Phillip II of France, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa drowned near Silifke Castle in the Saleph river, on this date. Accounts of the event are conflicting.Continue reading “Sometimes, it is not good to be the king”

June 10, 1989 –De La Soul’s debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, peaks at #24 on the Billboard 200 chart. On the same day, Me, Myself and I hits #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.