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June 30, 1908 –An explosion near the Tunguska River in Siberia on this date, incinerated some 300 sq. km. that encircled the impact of an estimated 60 meter diameter stony meteorite. It flattened some 40,000 trees over 900 sq. miles and caused damage equivalent to a 15-megaton hydrogen bomb. The explosion in Siberia, which knockedContinue reading “The Tunguska Event”

June 30, 1936 –It’s the 86th anniversary of publication of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind on this date. Despite spending 10 years of her life working on the tome, Mitchell didn’t really have much intention of publishing it. When a “friend” heard that she was considering writing a book (though in fact, it hadContinue reading “The novel Gone With the Wind was released”

June 30, 1953 –The first Corvette rolled off the production line on this date. The car only came in white with a black top and red interior. Optional features included a curtain instead of roll-up windows and interior door handles. 300 cars were made the first year and sold for $3,498. And so it goes

June 30, 1989 –One of Spike Lee’s big early films, Do The Right Thing, went into limited release in the US on this date. Spike Lee originally wanted Robert De Niro for the role of Sal Fragione. But De Niro turned down the part, saying that it was too similar to many of the partsContinue reading “Do The Right Thing premiered”

June 30, 1979 –Anita Ward single, Ring My Bell, started a two week run at No.1 on the Billboard chart, on this date. (This was her only charting hit.) This was one of the first hit songs to feature a synthesized drum. The hook was the synthesized drum of Frederick Knight, which produced a soundContinue reading “Ring My Bell goes to the top off the charts”

June 29, 1971 –When Soyuz 11 disengaged from the Salyut space station, cosmonauts Georgi Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev were killed by a faulty pressurization valve on this date. All the oxygen leaks out of the Soyuz cabin before Patsayev could close the valve by hand, and the crew was asphyxiated. I hate whenContinue reading “Soyuz 11 disaster”

June 29, 1984 –After a failed attempt shooting a studio video for Dancing In The Dark, Bruce Springsteen performs the song live at his concert in St. Paul, Minnesota, on this date. Directed by Brian DePalma, the video was filmed during Springsteen’s concert at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota on June 29, 1984.Continue reading “Dancing in the Dark filmed”

June 29, 1995 –Ringo Starr appeared in his first-ever TV commercial (in the US), for Pizza Hut, (featuring the newly reformed Monkees, on this date. It seems like a strange product for Ringo to promote; the rocker has been a vegetarian since 1965, and has allergies to onions, garlic, and several spices, which have preventedContinue reading “Ringo shills for Pizza Hut”

June 29, 1940 –According to the Batman Canon: two gangsters working for Tony Zucco rubbed out a circus highwire team known as the Flying Graysons, leaving their son Dick (Robin) an orphan on this date. Lucky for Dick, a rugged virile older man, Bruce Wayne was there to give him the care and attention aContinue reading “Holy origin story Batman!”

June 28, 1902 –Today is the birthday of nefarious American philosopher John Dillinger, born in 1902. (He is also believed to have been born on June 22, 1903.) At the age of twenty, a precocious young Dillinger attempted to illustrate the transient nature of material goods by depriving a stranger of his automobile. When aContinue reading “John Dillinger”