Author Archives: dcaligari

A rural Cuban farmer once owned the most expensive cow in history. On November 30, 1960, Rufina, a female cow was killed by a falling chunk of U.S. satellite in Cuba. This was during a time where tensions between Havana and Washington were at their highest. So the Cuban government decided to make the bestContinue reading “A very expensive piece of meat”

September 20, 1946 – The first Cannes film festival, the first great international cultural event of the post-war period, begins on this date. Among the selections that year were: Brief Encounter directed by David Lean Wet Paint directed by Jack King, produced by Walt Disney The Bandit (Il bandito) directed by Alberto Lattuada The MagicContinue reading “Cannes Film Festival”

September 20, 1955 – The Phil Silvers Show (originally broadcast as You’ll Never Be Rich) premiered on CBS-TV on this date Phil Silvers (Bilko) and Maurice Gosfield (Doberman) did not get along. In real-life, Gosfield was very much the slob that he portrayed as Doberman. He also had constant trouble remembering his lines, which frustratedContinue reading “The Phil Silvers Show”

September 19, 1881 –The 20th President of the United States, James A. Garfield, (shot by assassin Charles J. Guiteau,) died from his wounds on this date. Psst – Guiteau didn’t kill the President, his doctors did. Several inserted their unsterilized fingers into the wound to probe for the bullet, and one doctor punctured Garfield’s liverContinue reading “The lesson here – avoid doctors”

September 18, 1977 –NASA’s unmanned space probe Voyager 1 snapped the first photograph of the Moon and the Earth in the same frame while on its mission to study the Solar System and its boundaries. At the time, Voyager 1 was 7.25 million miles (11.66 million kilometers) from Earth. Voyager 1 continues its mission todayContinue reading “Don’t go yet, there’s a lovely Earth outside”

September 18, 1932 –24-year-old starlet Peg Entwistle dove head first from the letter “H” of the HOLLYWOODLAND sign in Los Angeles. She is the first person to commit suicide at the landmark. Her body was discovered in the brush at the base of the hill two days later, and pronounced dead. When police examined herContinue reading “She finally made the grade”

On July 4, 1776, the American colonies told Britain to kiss their hairy American asses. This occurred during the Revolutionary War, during which the Redcoats were coming, a shot was heard ‘round the world‘ and Paul Revere could see the whites of their eyes and knew that their taxes were too high. The complexities ofContinue reading “Please stick through this, there’s a point”

September 17, 1965 – Artemus Gordon and the frequently bare-chested James T. West boarded their specially outfitted train for the first time when Wild, Wild, West premiered on ABC-TV on this date. Robert Conrad has stated that the very tight pants he wore on the show often split open during action scenes. This is especiallyContinue reading “Wild, Wild, West”

September 16, 1920 –A horse-drawn carriage loaded with dynamite exploded in front of the J.P. Morgan and Company headquarters at 23 Wall Street in New York’s financial district, on this date. 30 people were killed in the blast. More than 400 were injured. Although the crime was never solved, it was believed to have beenContinue reading “Anarchists ruin it for everybody”

September 16, 1972 – Everybody’s favorite therapist, before Frasier (see below) walked through his front door as The Bob Newhart Show premiered on CBS-TV on this date. When Bob Newhart read the premise for the proposed series, he insisted on two changes. First, he insisted that his character be changed from a psychiatrist to aContinue reading “Hi Bob!”