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February 3, 1882 – P.T. Barnum purchased the elephant Jumbo on this date. He kept him for three years until the animal’s skull was crushed by a train. After his death, Jumbo’s skeleton was donated to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The elephant’s heart was sold to Cornell University. Jumbo’sContinue reading “Maybe he should have stayed at the Zoo”

February 3, 1978 –The TV-movie Dead Man’s Curve, the first to deal with the tragic Jan & Dean story, premieres on ABC-TV on this date. Wolfmand Jack, Dick Clark, and Beach Boys Mike Love and Bruce Johnston, appear in the movie. In the film, Wolfman Jack introduces himself to Jan and Dean in a smallContinue reading “Dead Man’s Curve premiered”

February 3, 1945 – Walt Disney’s The Three Caballeros, premiered in the US, on the date. The premise of the film is that it is Donald Duck’s birthday and his friends give him a tour of Latin America as a gift. The date of the birthday is given as “Friday 13th” with no month specified.Continue reading “The Three Caballeros premiered”

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverses centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives.Continue reading “Happy Marmot Day!”

February 2, 1913 –The new Beaux-Arts style Grand Central Terminal in New York City opened on this date. The cost to construct Grand Central Terminal was a staggering $43 million. The price was offset by the sale of “air rights” over the enclosed facility. Many majestic buildings were constructed including the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. ForContinue reading “The third iteration of GCT opened”

Today is the 12th day of the Lunar New Year. Technically, the Spring Festival is 15 days, but celebrations start on New Year’s eve making it 16. However, you can also say that the holiday season starts in lunar December with the Laba Festival (December 30,) making it 34 days of celebration. Since the LunarContinue reading “Perhaps just a little tea and toast this morning”

February 2, 1950 –Produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, the TV game show What’s My Line, debuted on CBS TV on this date. Although there are those who suspect John Daly was sending the panel signals, Moderator Daly insisted that there is only one signal he ever gave to the panel: When he pulledContinue reading “What’s My Line premiered”

February 2, 1971 –The animated special based on the Harry Nilsson album, The Point!, originally voiced by Dustin Hoffman, Paul Frees, June Foray, and Mike Lookinland premiered as an ABC Movie of the Week, on this date. Although that version was only licensed for the initial airing, a few different narrations followed, including Alan ThickeContinue reading “The Point! premiered”

February 2, 1973 –The regular run of the musical series, Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special premiered on NBC-TV on this date. Also among the acts that appears on that first show were The Byrds, Ike and Tina Turner Revue, Rare Earth and George Carlin.

February 1, 2004 –During the MTV-provided halftime show of the Superbowl, former boy band member Justin Timberlake conducts an obviously pre-scripted move to expose Janet Jackson’s right bosom on this date, which oddly sports a ninjitsu-style throwing star as a pasty. The nation is shocked, simply shocked, that a pristine, noncommercial event such as theContinue reading “The most famous costume malfunction ever”