Category Archives: On This Day

Happy Birthday, Dick Clark!

Posted on November 30, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Dick Clark!
Dick Clark

Richard Wagstaff “Dick” Clark (November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012)

Richard Wagstaff “Dick” Clark is an American television personality and businessman, best known for hosting long-running shows such as American Bandstand, various Pyramid game shows, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Clark has long been known for his continued youthful appearance, earning the moniker “America’s Oldest Teenager”, and also for his good health — until he suffered a stroke in 2004. With some speech ability still impaired, Clark made a dramatic return to his New Year’s show on December 31, 2005, and appeared at the Emmy Awards on August 27, 2006.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Music, On This Day

RIP Leslie Nielsen

Posted on November 28, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Leslie Nielsen

“I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley”

Leslie Nielsen

Leslie Nielsen (February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010)

Leslie William Nielsen, OC was a Canadian American actor and comedian. Nielsen appeared in over one hundred films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters.

Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked as a disc jockey before receiving a scholarship to Neighborhood Playhouse. Beginning with a television role in 1948, he quickly expanded to over 50 television appearances two years later. Nielsen appeared in his first films in 1956 and began collecting roles in dramas, westerns, and romance films. Nielsen’s lead roles in the films Forbidden Planet (1956) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972) received positive reviews as a serious actor, though he is primarily known for his comedic roles.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Big Screen, The Little Screen (Television)

John F. Kennedy

Posted on November 22, 2014 by James| Comments Off on John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917–November 22, 1963)

The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, USA at 12:30 p.m. CST (18:30 UTC). John F. Kennedy was fatally wounded by gunshots while riding with his wife Jacqueline in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, an employee of the Texas School Book Depository in Dealey Plaza, according to the conclusions of multiple government investigations, including the ten-month investigation of the Warren Commission of 1963-4 and the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) of 1976-9. This conclusion initially met with widespread support among the American public, but polls, since the original 1966 Gallup poll, show a majority of the public hold beliefs contrary to these findings. The assassination is still the subject of widespread speculation and has spawned numerous conspiracy theories (even the HSCA, based on disputed acoustical evidence, concluded that Oswald may have had unspecified co-conspirators), though these theories have not generally been accepted by mainstream historians and no single compelling alternative theory has emerged.

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, Patriotic

Happy Birthday, ISS

Posted on November 20, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, ISS

On November 20, 1998, the first segment of the ISS, the Zarya FGB, was launched into orbit on a Russian Proton rocket, and was followed two weeks later by the first of three ‘node’ modules, Unity, launched aboard STS-88.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, Patriotic

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Posted on November 10, 2014 by James| Comments Off on The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Edmund FitzgeraldThe SS Edmund Fitzgerald, May 1975.

SS Edmund Fitzgerald was a cargo ship that sank suddenly during a gale storm on November 10, 1975, while on Lake Superior. The ship went down without a distress signal in 530 feet (162 m) of water at 46°59.9′N 85°6.6′W, in Canadian waters about 17 miles (15 nm; 27 km) from the entrance to Whitefish Bay. All 29 members of the crew perished. Gordon Lightfoot‘s hit song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, helped make the incident the most famous marine disaster in the history of Great Lakes shipping.

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day

RIP Michael Crichton

Posted on November 4, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Michael Crichton

John Michael Crichton, M.D., (October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008 ) is best known as the author of Jurassic Park and the creator of NBC’s ER.

Crichton’s books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. He was the author of The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Disclosure, Rising Sun, Timeline, State of Fear, Prey, and Next. He was most famous for being the author of Jurassic Park, and its sequels.

His most recent novel, Next, about genetics and law, was published in December 2006.

He had won an Emmy, a Peabody and a Writer’s Guild of America Award for ER.

Posted in Because I Can, Literary, On This Day

Today…

Posted on October 29, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Today…

In 1886, the ticker-tape parade is invented in New York City when office workers spontaneously throw ticket tape into the streets as the Statue of Liberty is dedicated.

In 1929, the New York Stock Exchange crashes in what will be called the Crash of ’29 or Black Tuesday, ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression.

In 1960, in Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay (who later takes the name Muhammad Ali) wins his first professional fight.

In 1969, the first-ever computer-to-computer link is established on ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet.

In 1998, Space Shuttle Discovery blasts-off with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space. He became the first American to orbit Earth on February 20, 1962.

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day

Happy Birthday, Charlie Daniels

Posted on October 28, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Charlie Daniels

Charles Edward Daniels is an American country music, Southern rock, and jazz singer, fiddler, and guitarist.

Charlie Daniels

Charles Daniels (October 28, 1936 – )

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Music, On This Day

RIP Roger Miller

Posted on October 25, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Roger Miller
Roger Miller

Roger Miller (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992)

Roger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs. His most recognized tunes included the chart-topping country music and pop music hits King of the Road, Dang Me, and England Swings, all of which came from the Nashville sound era of the mid-1960s.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Music, On This Day

RIP Don Messick

Posted on October 24, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Don Messick

On October 24, 1997, the animation industry lost a treasure. Don Messick‘s entertainment career spanned seven decades, with forty years of voice work in animation. Messick performed in over 100 animated programs, providing voices for some of the most beloved cartoon characters on television, including Astro and Rudy on “The Jetsons,” Bamm Bamm on “The Flintstones,” Boo Boo and Ranger Smith on “Yogi Bear and Friends,” Dr. Benton Quest and Bandit on “The Adventures of Jonny Quest,” Ricochet Rabbit on “Magilla Gorilla,” Papa Smurf on “The Smurfs,” and his most famous role, Scooby Doo, in countless formats.

Thank you, Don, for one of my most cherished memories of childhood. Scooby Doo was my hero. – James

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Little Screen (Television)

RIP, Mr. Cunningham…

Posted on October 19, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP, Mr. Cunningham…
Tom Bosley

Tom Bosley (October 1, 1927 – October 19, 2010)

Thomas Edward “Tom” Bosley was an American actor, best known for his starring and supporting roles on the television shows Happy Days; Murder, She Wrote and Father Dowling Mysteries, as well as the title role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fiorello!

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Little Screen (Television)

Happy Birthday, Robert Jordan

Posted on October 17, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Oliver Rigney, Jr. (October 17, 1948 – September 16, 2007), under which he was best known as the author of the bestselling The Wheel of Time fantasy series. He also wrote under the names Reagan O’Neal and Jackson O’Reily.

Posted in Because I Can, Literary, On This Day

Happy Birthday, Atari 2600!

Posted on October 14, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Atari 2600!
Atari 2600

October 14, 1977

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Gadgets, Gaming, On This Day

White Christmas

Posted on October 14, 2014 by James| Comments Off on White Christmas
White Christmas

The film was released in theaters October 14, 1954.

White Christmas is a 1954 movie starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye that featured the songs of Irving Berlin, including the titular White Christmas.

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Little Screen (Television)

RIP Edgar Allan Poe

Posted on October 7, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet, short story writer, editor, critic and one of the leaders of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of the macabre, Poe was one of the early American practitioners of the short story and a progenitor of detective fiction and crime fiction. He is also credited with contributing to narrative forms of the emergent science fiction genre.

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849)

 Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Literary, On This Day

RIP Steve Jobs

Posted on October 5, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)

In the late 1970s, Jobs, with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Mike Markkula and others designed, developed, and marketed one of the first commercially successful lines of personal computers, the Apple II series.

From such humble beginings, a legend was born… Jobs was the driving force behind the Macintosh (seeing potential in the mouse-driven GUI); founded NeXT after leaving Apple; aquired a little Lucasfilm’s computer graphics division (which became Pixar), and returned to Apple and become CEO.  When Pixar was aquired by Disney, he became Disney’s largest individual shareholder ever.

What a story… Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Gadgets, On This Day

Anniversary of Dr. No

Posted on October 5, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of Dr. No

On the 5th of October, 1962, the 1st James Bond film, Dr. No, premiered in London (it would arrive in the US the 8th of May of 1963).

Dr. No poster

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Big Screen

Happy Birthday, Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Posted on October 3, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Happy Birthday, Stevie Ray Vaughan!

Stephen (“Stevie”) Ray Vaughan, born in Dallas, Texas, was an American blues guitarist, known as one of the most influential electric blues musicians in history. He is often referred to by his initials, SRV.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990)

Wikipedia Link

Posted in Because I Can, Music, On This Day

Anniversary of The Flintstones

Posted on September 30, 2014 by James| Comments Off on Anniversary of The Flintstones

The Flintstones

The Flintstones is an animated American television sitcom that ran from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966 on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones is about a working class Stone Age man’s life with his family and his next door neighbor and best friend. It has since been re-released on both DVD and VHS.

Critics and fans alike agree that the show was an animated imitation of The Honeymooners with rock puns thrown in. William Hanna admitted that “At that time “The Honeymooners” was the most popular show on the air, and for my bill, it was the funniest show on the air. The characters, I thought, were terrific. Now, that influenced greatly what we did with “The Flintstones”… “The Honeymooners” was there, and we used that as a kind of basis for the concept.” However Joseph Barbera disavowed these claims in a separate interview, stating that “I don’t remember mentioning “The Honeymooners” when I sold the show, but if people want to compare “The Flintstones” to “The Honeymooners,” then great. It’s a total compliment. “The Honeymooners” was one of the greatest shows ever written.” Its popularity rested heavily on its juxtaposition of modern-day concerns in the Stone Age setting

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Little Screen (Television)

RIP Paul Newman

Posted on September 26, 2014 by James| Comments Off on RIP Paul Newman
Paul Newman

Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008)

Paul Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian and auto racing enthusiast. He won numerous awards, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Festival Award, an Emmy award, and many honorary awards. He also won several national championships as a driver in Sports Car Club of America road racing and his race teams won several championships in open wheel IndyCar racing.

Newman was a co-founder of Newman’s Own, a food company from which Newman donated all post-tax profits and royalties to charity. As of July 2011, these donations had exceeded US $300 million.

On September 26, 2008, Newman died at his longtime home in Westport, Connecticut, of complications arising from lung cancer.

Posted in Because I Can, On This Day, The Big Screen