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January 12, 1992 –“… My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it I can sing it for you.” The HAL (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic Computer) 9000 computer became operational in the HAL plant in Urbana, Illinois, on this date in the film, 2001, A SpaceContinue reading “Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Answer Do …”

January 12, 1967 –Dr. James Bedford (a psychology professor at the University of California) became the first person to ever be cryogenically preserved with the intent of being resuscitated in the future. Dr. Bedford remains were switched to a different tank in 1991 and it would appear that everything has held up thus far. (RememberContinue reading “The first person ‘frozen’ on purpose”

January 11, 1966 –The children’s adventure-series Daktari, debuted on CBS-TV on this date. Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion and Judy the Chimpanzee both won PATSY Awards for the Series.

Harry Gordon Selfridge was born on January 11, 1864. Though American-born, he is best known as the founder of the British store Selfridge and Co., Ltd (think Macy’s, for those of you unfamiliar with the store). He receives little or no attention here in the United States. His name does not appear in any textbooks,Continue reading “The boss knows how it is done; the leader shows how.”

January 10, 1870 –Victor Noir, French journalist, was killed by Prince Pierre Bonaparte. Noir had called on him with a companion to present his editor’s challenge to a duel because of a journalistic dispute concerning Corsican politics. Bonaparte was so insulted to have been approached by mere “menials” (his phrase, apparently) that he slapped theContinue reading “An odd tribute started”

January 10 1948 –Donald Fagen, singer and front man of the rock band Steely Dan, was born on this date. After the death of Walter Becker, his friend and cofounder of Steely Dan, Fagen has continued to tour as Steely Dan.

January 10, 1984 –The “Where’s the Beef?” commercial campaign for Wendy’s with Clara Peller was first aired on this date. Clara Peller was 81 when she came out of retirement to star in the Wendy’s spot. Peller died on August 11, 1987, one week after her 84th birthday.

If winter comes, can spring be far behind? There are 69 days until Spring

It’s the birthday of the 37th President of the United States, Richard Milhous Nixon, (born in Yorba Linda, California) on this date in 1913. He had a childhood full of tragedy and disappointment. When Nixon was 12, his older brother had a vision of young Dick’s future and got a headache that turned out toContinue reading “The presidency has many problems, but boredom is the least of them.”

The only ‘recognized‘ monarchy to reign in the United States died on this date. Joshua Norton was a businessman in San Francisco in the 1800’s. In the 1840’s, just before the Gold Rush, he tried to corner the market on rice and failed. He went from being very wealthy to being destitute overnight and theContinue reading “Emperor Norton I of the United States, and the Protector of Mexico”