Author Archives: dcaligari

August 31, 1950 –A mouse flew on a US V-2 rocket from New Mexico, USA on on this date, reaching an altitude of 137 km (85 miles). It was the first mouse in space. Unfortunately the rocket disintegrated because the parachute system failed. But what the hell do you care.

Louise-Marie-Thérèse de Saint Maurice, Comtesse de Vercellis farted while she was dying. She said, “Good. A woman who can fart is not dead.”

August 30, 1859 – At the University of Göttingen, PhD candidate Albert Niemann isolates the alkaloid C17H21NO4 from leaves of the plant Erythroxylum coca. Niemann names his white, powdery discovery Cocaine and observes firsthand its peculiarly strong anesthetic effect: “it benumbs the nerves of the tongue, depriving it of feeling and taste.“ Oh, that’s whatContinue reading “The more you know”

August 30, 1993 –Moving himself and his gang of cohorts from NBC-TV, The Late Show with David Letterman premiered on CBS-TV, on this date. The microphone on David Letterman’s desk was an old RCA DX 77. It was a replacement for the original microphone given to him as a gift from the NBC crew whenContinue reading “The Late Show with David Letterman”

Abraham Lincoln was a wrestling champion. He is a member of the Wrestling Hall of Fame Before becoming America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln was an avid wrestler. He only lost one fight out of 300.

America’s National School Lunch Program of 1946 was due in no small part to WWII. By mid 1945, America had just come out of a huge, resource-depleting war. So why on Earth would they be handing out free food for school kids? After all, it’s no secret that food rationing in Britain continued until nineContinue reading “What’s for lunch today”

August 29, 1949 –The Soviet Union joined the nuclear club on this date when they detonated a nuclear weapon, code-named First Lightning (Pervaya Molniya) at a test site in Kazakhstan. American experts were shocked and dismayed because they had thought the Soviets were still years away from having a workable bomb. The resultant fear helpedContinue reading “It certainly got our attention”

August 29, 29/30AD (The date is a best guess, and the subject of much debate. Once again, Romans were too busy with their orgies and draining lead-lined wine goblets to accurately document events of the day.) John the Baptist (cousin of the itinerant carpenter of Nazareth) received a severe haircut from King Herod, because hisContinue reading “It’s always better to tip your belly dancer with money.”

August 28, 1982 –Two young people got married on this date. Some of the people who were at that wedding are still with us.More and more of them are unfortunately not.Some of them have gotten married (even to each other.)Others are not.Some of them had children.Some do not. Thirty nine years later, those two notContinue reading “It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.”

Another important PSA from ACME: Given what has gone on in the world the past year, people have learned to wear their mask while venturing outdoors and properly washing their hands when they return home, but how many Americans really know how to protect themselves against political assassination? Not many. And yet, each year, millionsContinue reading “Please stand by”