Author Archives: dcaligari

February 16, 1957 –Ingmar Bergman’s classic take on life, death and a chess-playing grim reaper, The Seventh Seal, starring Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, and Bibi Andersson, premiered in Sweden on this date. The inspiration for this film was said to be drawn from the period films of Akira Kurosawa, of which Ingmar Bergman wasContinue reading “The Seventh Seal debuted”

February 16, 1982 –The Jam had two of their singles, A Town Called Malice, and Precious, at No.1 on the UK singles chart on this date. The title of Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice inspired the title, but the inspiration for the song came from Paul Weller’s friend Dave Waller by means of describingContinue reading “The Jam’s double hit”

February 16, 1964 – The Beatles appeared for the second time on the Ed Sullivan Show on this date. The Beatles performed six songs: She Loves You, This Boy, All My Loving, I Saw Her Standing There, From Me To You and I Want To Hold Your Hand. The Beatles received $25,000 for their appearance;Continue reading “Ed had them back”

February 15, 2005 –The Norah Jones mellow, jazzy album Come Away With Me is certified Diamond for sales of over 10 million in America on this date. The Come Away With Me album is a rare massive seller with no big hits. The only song to land in the Hot 100 was Don’t Know Why,Continue reading “I waited ’til I saw the sun”

February 15, 1758 – Mustard was first advertised for sale in America on this date, by Benjamin Jackson who had set up business in Globe Mills, Germantown, Philadelphia, selling mustard packed in glass bottles with his label on them. In the Philadelphia Chronicle, he claimed to be “the original establisher of the mustard manufactory inContinue reading “Hooray for Brassica juncea”

February 15, 1985 –Don’t you forget about me – Universal Pictures released John Hughes’ film (and introduced the Brat Pack to an unsuspecting world), The Breakfast Club, starring, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy on this date. It was originally suggested that there would be several sequels to thisContinue reading “Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?”

February 15, 1979 –There’s no real reason to post this except that it really occurred – The Temple City Kazoo Orchestra appeared on the Mike Douglas Show, on this date. (In case you don’t know, members Harold Bronson and Richard Foos are the founders of Rhino Records.) Hopefully that made your day a little better.

It’s Nirvana Day (for some people), no, it’s not the day you wear your flannel shirts and listen to grunge music; it’s the day Buddha died and achieved bliss (Parinirvana.) Some celebrate the day on February 8, others in Bhutan, it is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the fourth month of the Bhutanese calendar.Continue reading “In case you didn’t have a lot on your plate yesterday”

February 14, 1962 – First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, with her breathless voice, takes television viewers on a tour of the White House, on CBS TV, on this date. (Haven’t you always found it strange that Marylin Monroe and Jackie Kennedy basically had the same voice?) It was estimated that hundreds of millions of people sawContinue reading “But we never saw the Warren G Harding broom closet”

February 14, 1963 –Twentieth Century Fox releases the sci-fi film The Day Mars Invaded Earth, directed by Maury Dexter and starring Kent Taylor and Marie Windsor, to U.S. theaters on this date. Filmed at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California. Two years after this film was made, The City of Beverly Hills purchased the mansionContinue reading “The Day Mars Invaded Earth premiered”