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August 19, 1960 –The Soviet Union launched Sputnik V into orbit on this date. On board are two dogs (Belka and Strelka,) along with two unnamed rats and 40 mice. The menagerie was recovered safely the next day from the landing capsule. The two rats were later appointed wardens of gulags in Siberia. Belka enteredContinue reading “Dogs in Space”

August 19, 1977 –I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it. One of the world’s leading commentator on the human condition, Julius Marx gave up the ghost on this date.

Today is National Soft Serve Ice Cream Day. Soft Serve Ice Cream has been around since the 1930s. There are conflicting reports of the origins of the dessert. In 1934, Tom Carvel, the founder of eponymous ice cream brand and franchise, had to sell melting ice cream on a parking lot because his ice creamContinue reading “The best time for ice cream is always.”

August 19, 1969 –David Crosby, Steven Stills, Joni Mitchell, and the Jefferson Airplane appeared on the Dick Cavett Show, giving a first-hand account of the Woodstock festival that took place over the weekend. Jefferson Airplane’s performance of We Can Be Together marked the first time the word “fuck” was uttered on live US television.

August 18, 1868 –French astronomer Pierre Jules César Janssen discovers Helium, while analyzing the chromosphere of the sun during a total solar eclipse in Guntur, India, on this date. Because helium was found in the Sun before it was found on Earth, its name comes from the Greek word for Sun, helios. It marks theContinue reading “Helium discovered”

August 18, 1999 –A giant black rainbow encircled the Earth, sucking all oxygen from the atmosphere. The air returns shortly thereafter, but only after millions die from asphyxiation. On the bright side, the survivors go on to build a Utopian civilization. It all happens precisely as predicted in the 1950s by Criswell, the TV psychicContinue reading “Perhaps you remember?”

August 18, 1956 –Elvis’ double A side single Don’t Be Cruel/ Hound Dog, both hit no. 1 on the Billboard charts on this date. Don’t Be Cruel was written by Otis Blackwell, a songwriter who came up with a lot of hits for Elvis. On Christmas Eve 1955, Otis Blackwell found himself on the streetsContinue reading “Big day for Elvis”

Umayyad partisans defeat the supporters of Ibn al-Zubayr and cement Umayyad control of Syria, in the Battle of Marj Rahit, on this date in 684 – but what the hell do you care. Today is National Bad Poetry Day in the United States. There’s a very fun website will generate on command a great dealContinue reading “Poetry is like fish: if it’s fresh, it’s good; if it’s stale, it’s bad”

August 18, 1969 –Playing on the unscheduled fourth day, Jimi Hendrix’s version of The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock was considered by some, at the time, to be controversial and disrespectful. Of about 500,000 people who were there over the weekend, only about 30,000 were left, and many of them remember waking up to this song.Continue reading “An unexpected moment from Woodstock”

Today is National Thrift Store Day – the day was created to promote shopping at secondhand stores in their home towns today, (keeping social distance in mind of course.) DonateNYC, is promoting National Thrift Store Day by encouraging everyone to shop secondhand in New York today. Hey, it’s not always the highest quality, but theContinue reading “I’ma take your grandpa’s style”