Author Archives: dcaligari

December 9, 1994 –Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was dismissed after suggesting discussion of masturbation in school classes on sexuality. This gives rise to the euphemistic term “firing the surgeon general.”

A tradition was born The lighting of candles and decorating with candles has always been popular, but also one of biggest sources of danger during the Christmas holidays. In 1895 a New England Telephone employee, Ralph Morris, while looking at the newly installed string of lights made for the telephone switchboard decided to take someContinue reading “Useless Christmas Trivia:”

It’s apparently it’s not ‘Send Kevin all the loose bills in your pocket day today, but ‘National Brownie day. According to several sources, Brownies seem to have made their first appearance at the Parker House Hotel in Chicago in 1893 celebrating the Columbian Exposition World’s Fair in Chicago, (you may find their original recipe forContinue reading “Never trust anyone who skips dessert”

I believe some of you are really going to need an old lady in church, saying the rosaries on a Tuesday afternoon in the back row of your church to explain this one to you: December 8, 1854Pius IX promulgates the doctrine of Immaculate Conception (Ineffabilis Deus) – the Virgin Mary is free from originalContinue reading “Trust me, there is a TV connection here”

December 8, 1976 –Richard and Karen Carpenter’s first US television special, The Carpenters’ First Television Special, with guest stars Victor Borge and John Denver, first aired on this date. This in fact was not their first TV special; they appeared on a special produced by the BBC, five years earlier.

December 8, 1976 –Asylum release the fifth studio album of the Eagles, Hotel California, on this date. Hotel California would go on to sell 16 million copies in the U.S. and double that figure worldwide.

December 8, 1980 – John Lennon was shot by a lunatic, Mark David Chapman, outside Lennon’s apartment in New York City mere hours after receiving the Beatle’s autograph. Chapman was carrying around his dog eared copy of Catcher in the Rye. For those of you who remember the book, I leave it to you toContinue reading “It’s always a sad anniversary”

December 7, 1979 –Kurtis Blow’s Christmas Rappin‘ by becomes the first rap song released on this date, by a major label – Mercury Records. It sold about 400,000 copies and provides the template for his next single, The Breaks, which becomes the first rap Gold record.

December 7, 1960 – MGM released the science fiction film Village of the Damned, directed by Wolf Rilla and starring George Sanders on this date Originally begun in 1957 as an American picture, writer Stirling Silliphant said he wrote it with Ronald Colman in mind, but at the time producer Milo O. Frank Jr. wasContinue reading “Look out for those damn towheaded kids”

December 7, 1969 –Another Rankin/Bass production, Frosty the Snowman, premiered on CBS-TV on this date. June Foray was the original voice of Karen during the special’s first few airings in the early 1970s. However, an unknown actress replaced Foray’s voice for subsequent broadcasts. Foray was also the voice of Cindy Lou Who on How theContinue reading “Just what was in that top hat?”