Author Archives: dcaligari

September 16, 1963 – The science-fiction anthology series The Outer Limits premiered on ABC-TV on this date. This series provides an example of a television network deliberately killing a popular series by moving it to an inappropriate slot on their schedule. This series was a big hit, especially among younger viewers. For the second season,Continue reading “The Outer Limits”

The Sahara Desert is neither the sandiest nor the largest. Only a quarter of the Sahara Desert is sandy. Most of this gargantuan desert is covered in gravel, although it also has its own mountain ranges and oases. Also, it isn’t the world’s largest desert, because Antarctica is the world’s largest desert. The Antarctic PolarContinue reading “This might surprise you”

September 15, 1885 – Circus showman P.T. Barnum’s prize elephant Jumbo was struck dead by a freight train in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. It took 150 men to haul the carcass up an embankment, from whence it is taken to a taxidermist. The stuffed Jumbo became a featured attraction in Barnum’s circus. Afterwards, P.T. BarnumContinue reading “Goodbye Jumbo”

September 15, 1965 – Danger Will Robinson, danger. Dr. Smith is attempting to inappropriately stimulate your young pulsating bulbous nether region! The Robinson Family gets Lost in Space for the first time on CBS-TV on this date. The Robinsons’ robot was created by Robert Kinoshita, the same man who designed Robby the Robot for ForbiddenContinue reading “This was an incredibly busy day on TV :”

According to fashion arbiters from days gone by – you should not be wearing your straw hats any longer this season – In the early 20th Century, tradition held that a man switch from straw hats to felt ones on September 15th. If he wore “the taboo headgear” after that date, hooligans were free toContinue reading “It probably had to do with The Susquehanna Hat Co.”

Armadillos have shells so hard they can deflect a bullet. One poor Texan man learned this the hard way when he shot at an armadillo only to have the bullet ricochet off the indestructible beast, and back at him into his jaw! The man was airlifted to hospital. Amazingly, the armadillo just walked off unscathed.Continue reading “No Armadillos were injured in this report”

September 14 1849 – Ivan Pavlov was born on this date. Pavlov was a Russian scientist who discovered that dogs drooled whenever bells were rung. Only after his death were his ideas discredited by a group of Swedish scientists who determined that dogs also drooled when a nice juicy steak was dangled in front ofContinue reading “Who’s going to clean up this mess?”

September 14, 1965 –One of the more bizarre sitcoms, My Mother the Car starring Jerry Van Dyke and Ann Sothern (as the car), premiered on this date. Jerry Van Dyke agreed to star on the series after turning down the lead role on Gilligan’s Island and an offer to join the cast of The AndyContinue reading “My Mother the Car”

Dwight David Eisenhower – America’s 34th President

Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios aren’t nuts. They’re classed as seeds, because a nut is defined as “a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel”.