Author Archives: dcaligari

The Asian Lunar New Years is 19 days away. Valentine’s Day is 32 days away. Mardi Gras is 38 days away. And today is Old New Years Eve (Old Style Calendar.) And if this matter’s to you, Pete’s birthday is two days away. Enjoy the day!

January 13, 1966 – Samantha gave birth to a baby girl, Tabitha on the ABC-TV program Bewitched (entitled, And Then There Were Three,) on this date. This is the first appearance of Cousin Serena, who would be a recurring character for the remainder of the series.

If you were ever an altar boy or ever took Latin, I don’t need to tell you what jacta alea est means. But if you’re like most Americans, to whom Latin is about as familiar as Urdu, let me translate: it means the die is cast. At least that’s how it’s usually translated. Back inContinue reading “Jacta Alea Est”

January 12, 1967 –You’re pretty high and far out son, what kind of kick are you on son? Dragnet reappeared in color when their iconic episode The LSD Story premiered on this date. When the revival was in the planning stages, Jack Webb had originally planned on bringing in his former co-star Ben Alexander toContinue reading “Dragnet 1967 premiered”

January 11, 1922 –The first insulin injection was given to Leonard Thompson, a teenager in Canada, on this date. He weighed only 65 pounds and was about to slip into a coma and die. Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best worked on the insulin, then called Isletin, using a fetal calf pancreas extract. Unfortunately, theContinue reading “Insulin was first used on a patient”

January 11, 1998 – Nike debuted its I Can commercial, introducing the British band The Verve to a wide American audience with the song Bitter Sweet Symphony, on this date. The song becomes the band’s only hit in the States, which is sucked for the band because they had to sign away royalties to theContinue reading “I Can commercial premiered”

January 12, 1992 –“… My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it I can sing it for you.” The HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic Computer) 9000 computer became operational in the HAL plant in Urbana, Illinois, on this date in the film, 2001, A SpaceContinue reading “Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Answer Do …”

January 12, 1967 –Dr. James Bedford (a psychology professor at the University of California) became the first person to ever be cryogenically preserved with the intent of being resuscitated in the future. Dr. Bedford remains were switched to a different tank in 1991 and it would appear that everything has held up thus far. (RememberContinue reading “The first person ‘frozen’ on purpose”

January 11, 1966 –The children’s adventure-series Daktari, debuted on CBS-TV on this date. Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion and Judy the Chimpanzee both won PATSY Awards for the Series.

Harry Gordon Selfridge was born on January 11, 1864. Though American-born, he is best known as the founder of the British store Selfridge and Co., Ltd (think Macy’s, for those of you unfamiliar with the store). He receives little or no attention here in the United States. His name does not appear in any textbooks,Continue reading “The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how.”