Category Archives: Uncategorized

July 14 1789 –Paris was not a happy city in 1789. Paris has never been an especially happy city, especially for those who don’t speak French, but in that fateful year, it was especially grouchy. And it wasn’t just the city, but the whole country. All of France was being cranky and irritable, and allContinue reading “Happy Bastille Day”

I would say for the most part, there are very few people who should actually celebrate the holiday in public. You know whether or not you should celebrate Please feel free to celebrate responsibly within the confines of your own home. Demand Euphoria!

July 14, 1933 –The iconic Popeye the Sailor, appeared in his first eponymous titled cartoon, on this date. (Kids, Betty, who is probably underage in this film, is not wearing a bra – so avert your eyes.) Popeye’s appearance is based on that of a fighter named Francis “Rocky” Fiegel whom his creator, Elzie Segar,Continue reading “Popeye the Sailor premiered”

July 13th –July’s Full Moon is known as the Full Buck Moon, when the new antlers of buck deer push out from their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. A disgusting image – bone pushing through flesh – for your early morning. It was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, for the reason thatContinue reading “A non-Manhattanhenge update”

July 13, 1974 –George McRae’s single Rock Your Baby became the first disco song to hit #1 on this date. The song was written by Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of KC & The Sunshine Band, and it formed the basis for their wildly successful writing and performing partnership which yielded five more USContinue reading “Rock Your Baby went to the top of the charts”

July 13, 1985 –37 years ago, I had only recently patented the long birthday weekend…. (I love that WNEW thought that George Segal and Marilyn McCoo were the perfect host for their coverage of Live Aid.) (Find time to watch this short documentary about Bob Geldorf and his feelings about Live Aid.) (still the greatestContinue reading “Live Aid premiered”

July 13, 1977 –Starting at about 9 PM on this date, four lightning struck high-voltage transmission lines within the course of about half-an-hour, knocking out electricity and plunging millions of residents of New York City into a 25 hour black-out. The 1977 blackout, unlike the 1965 and 2003 blackouts, resulted in city-wide looting and otherContinue reading “The 1977 Blackout”

July 13, 1923 –The Hollywood Sign was officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood, Los Angeles on this date. It originally reads “Hollywoodland” but the four last letters are dropped after renovation in 1949. Unfortunately it became a perennial favorite suicide location. Over the years, the sign had fallen into disrepair. A public campaign toContinue reading “The Hollywood Sign first appeared”

July 12, 1962 –The Rolling Stones, (or more precisely, the group that they became) gave their first concert on this date. The concert was held in London at the Marquee Club. At the time, the band was called The Rollin’ Stones – they got their current name in 1963. One of the most successful groupsContinue reading “The Rolling Stones first gig”

July 12, 1960 –In 1955, a French electrician named André Cassagnes got an idea for a new toy after seeing how an electrostatic charge could hold aluminum powder to glass. He worked up a prototype for the toy—based on the design of a television screen—in his basement workshop and called it L’Ecran Magique, or theContinue reading “Etch-A-Sketch”