Author Archives: dcaligari

February 8, 1974 – The spin-off from the sitcom Maude, that wasn’t quite a spin-off, Good Times, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. Norman Lear hired artist Ernie Barnes to paint the pictures which J.J. used in the show. Barnes’ work displays elongated African-American subjects in everyday scenes. Eddie Murphy owns the original The SugarContinue reading “Good Time premiered”

February 8, 1587 – After some 19 years in prison, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded on this date. She had spent the last hours of her life in prayer and also writing letters and her will. She expressed a request that her servants should be released. She also requested that she should be buriedContinue reading “Nope, she’s pretty dead now”

The Eighth day of the Lunar New Year is believed to be the birthday of millet, an important crop in ancient China. According to the folk proverbs, if this day is bright and clear, then this whole year will be a harvest year; however, if this day is cloudy or even rainy, then the wholeContinue reading “Anyone have a good millet recipe?”

February 7, 1964 –It was 58 years ago today, The Beatles arrived at JFK International Airport to begin their first tour of the United States. They helped bring about a social revolution whose effects can be felt to this day. They had nothing to declare but their genius. The Beatles came from Britain, sometimes knownContinue reading “The Beatles first American tour”

February 7, 1974 –The Love Unlimited Orchestra’s Love’s Theme and their album Under the Influence of Love Unlimited were certified gold, on this date. This is one of the few instrumentals and purely orchestral tracks to reach #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was one of the most played instrumentals of the 1970s.Continue reading “Barry White & Love Unlimited Orchestra”

The seventh day of the Lunar New Year is commonly referred to as “Ren Ri” (the day of human), because according to the legend, Nu Wa ( a Goddess in Chinese mythology who is believed to create the world and human beings) created human beings on the seventh day. Legend has it that Nüwa createdContinue reading “Hang tight; we’re half way through the celebrations”

February 7, 1979 –The very expensive superbomb of 1979, Supertrain premiered on NBC-TV on this date. TV Guide ranked Supertrain number 28 on its “50 Worst TV Shows of All Time” list. This was the most expensive American TV series ever produced at the time. The failure of this show, along with the US boycottContinue reading “Supertrain premiered”

February 6, 1952 –Elizabeth II became Queen upon the death of her father George VI (who had been ill for some time and died in his sleep from a coronary thrombosis), on this date (she has been on the job for 70 years.) At the exact moment of succession, she was in an observation postContinue reading “Taking over the family business”

February 6, 1971 – Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first person to hit a golf ball on the Moon on this date. Near the end of the second moonwalk and just before entering the lunar module for the last time, Shepard attaches a six-iron to the end of a sample collecting tool andContinue reading “Golfing on the Moon”

This celebrates the February 6, 1840 signing of The Treaty of Waitangi by representatives of the British Crown and leading Maori chiefs in Waitangi. The treaty preserved many Maori rights while making New Zealand a British Colony. Given the confused and confusing state of things, I must recommends that America join her Kiwi friends inContinue reading “Today is Waitangi Day in New Zealand”