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January 27, 1976 –Laverne and Shirley, a spinoff from Happy Days, starring Penny Marshall as Laverne De Fazio and Cindy Williams as Shirley Feeney, premiered on ABC-TV on this date. Various Happy Days cast members have talked about the vicious fights next door on set of Laverne and Shirley, so loud that they would listenContinue reading “The first time most American heard ‘Schlemiel and Schlimazel’”

January 26, 1973 –Elton John’s sixth studio album, Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, was released on this date. It was his second straight No. 1 album in the US. According to Elton John: The Definitive Biography, here’s how the album got its title: While in Los Angeles, Elton was introduced to theContinue reading “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player went on sale”

Today is the 74th (or 75th, I’ve seen it referred to both ways) annual Republic Day in India. Usually spectators line up to watch dancers from all over the nation gather in New Delhi every year on this day to dance in the huge National Arena and all along a five mile parade route, (notContinue reading “Yes, they are all related (somehow)”

Today is the Feast Day of St. Timothy. St. Timothy is known to be the patron saint of those who suffer from stomach aches or other intestinal disorders (he was prescribed ‘a little wine’ for his own stomach troubles.) Timothy is famous for being the companion and secretary to St. Paul. One of the requirementsContinue reading “It does not pay to be a prude”

January 26, 1979 –The sitcom McLean Stevenson left MAS*H for, Hello, Larry, created by Dick Bensfield and Perry Grant, premiered on NBC TV, on this date. (TV Guide ranked the sitcom #12 on their 50 Worst Shows of All Time in 2002.) Since it was cancelled, the show has become a metaphor for low-quality andContinue reading “Another series you probably never saw but have heard about”

January 26, 1980 –Three months after the 1979 release of his second album, simply-titled Prince, Prince made his debut on American Bandstand on this date. While he delivered confident performances of I Wanna Be Your Lover and Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad, the ‘shy‘ artist struggled to answer Dick Clark’s questions.

January 25, 1924 – The first Winter Olympics opened on this date in Chamonix, France. Prior to this event, figure skating and ice hockey had been events at the Summer Olympics. Few, if any, of the athletes survived those winter sports during the Summer Olympics, as the rinks continually melted. And you don’t want toContinue reading “The flame must have kept them warm”

January 25, 1964 –The Beatles scored their first No.1 best seller in the US when I Want To Hold Your Hand reached the top of the Cash Box Magazine music chart, on this date. The Fab Four would eventually rack up 25 No.1’s in America.

January 25, 1949 – The first Emmy Awards, which were devoted solely to local Los Angeles programming, were held on this date, at the Hollywood Athletic Club. The name Emmy derives from Immy, a nickname for image orthicon, a camera tube used in television. The very first Emmy, for Outstanding Personality, went to Shirley Dinsdale,Continue reading “The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented their first awards”

January 25, 1970 –Robert Altman’s Oscar winning film starring Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, MAS*H, premiered in NYC on this date. The film’s famous theme song was intended to be the “stupidest song ever written“. After attempting to write the lyrics himself, Altman said he found it too difficult to write “dumb enough“, and insteadContinue reading “We found out suicide is painless and profitable”