On this Day
- Thread starter texan
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texan
Well-Known Member
On this day 14 Feb 2012, The US celebrates Valentines day.
It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deletedd from the General Roman Calendarr of saints in 1969 by
Pope Paul VI. It is celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world, mostly in the West, although it remains a working day in all of them.
The U.S. Greeting Card Associationn estimates that approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines a
re given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. When you include the valentine-exchange cards made in school
activities the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines. In some North American
elementary schoolss, children decorate classrooms, exchange cards, and are given sweets. The greeting cards of these students sometimes
mention what they appreciate about each other.
It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deletedd from the General Roman Calendarr of saints in 1969 by
Pope Paul VI. It is celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world, mostly in the West, although it remains a working day in all of them.
The U.S. Greeting Card Associationn estimates that approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines a
re given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. When you include the valentine-exchange cards made in school
activities the figure goes up to 1 billion, and teachers become the people receiving the most valentines. In some North American
elementary schoolss, children decorate classrooms, exchange cards, and are given sweets. The greeting cards of these students sometimes
mention what they appreciate about each other.
texan
Well-Known Member
On this day, 15 Feb 1984, Broadway legend Ethel Merman dies.
She was as big a star as the American stage ever produced, a legend both in her own time and beyond it.
She had neither the looks nor the dancing ability that typically recommended a young woman for
Broadway stardom, but she had a vocal instrument that simply could not be ignored.
"She needed no hidden microphones" was the line from her New York Times obituary that could
easily have served as her epitaph.
She was as big a star as the American stage ever produced, a legend both in her own time and beyond it.
She had neither the looks nor the dancing ability that typically recommended a young woman for
Broadway stardom, but she had a vocal instrument that simply could not be ignored.
"She needed no hidden microphones" was the line from her New York Times obituary that could
easily have served as her epitaph.
texan
Well-Known Member
Teddy bear:
The name Teddy Bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, whose nickname was "Teddy".
The name originated from an incident on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902, to which Roosevelt was invited
by Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino. There were several other hunters competing, and most of them had already
killed an animal.
A suite of Roosevelt's attendants, led by Holt Collier, cornered, clubbed, and tied an American Black Bear to a willow tree
after a long exhausting chase with hounds. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested that he should shoot it.
He refused to shoot the bear himself, deeming this unsportsmanlike, but instructed that the bear be killed to put it out
of its misery, and it became the topic of a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902.
Morris Michtom saw the drawing of Roosevelt and the bear cub and was inspired to create a new toy. He created a little
stuffed bear cub and put it in his shop window with a sign that read "Teddy's bear," after sending a bear to Roosevelt
and receiving permission to use his name. The toys were an immediate success and Michtom founded the
Ideal Novelty and Toy Co.
The name Teddy Bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, whose nickname was "Teddy".
The name originated from an incident on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902, to which Roosevelt was invited
by Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino. There were several other hunters competing, and most of them had already
killed an animal.
A suite of Roosevelt's attendants, led by Holt Collier, cornered, clubbed, and tied an American Black Bear to a willow tree
after a long exhausting chase with hounds. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested that he should shoot it.
He refused to shoot the bear himself, deeming this unsportsmanlike, but instructed that the bear be killed to put it out
of its misery, and it became the topic of a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902.
Morris Michtom saw the drawing of Roosevelt and the bear cub and was inspired to create a new toy. He created a little
stuffed bear cub and put it in his shop window with a sign that read "Teddy's bear," after sending a bear to Roosevelt
and receiving permission to use his name. The toys were an immediate success and Michtom founded the
Ideal Novelty and Toy Co.
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
Later on that evening the first crank 911 phone call was made.
texan
Well-Known Member
On this day, Feb 17 1966, Brian Wilson rolls tape on "Good Vibrations," take one.
From the very beginning, the Beach Boys had a sound that was unmistakably their own, but without resident genius
Brian Wilson pushing them into deeper waters with his songwriting and production talents, songs like "Surfin' Safari"
and "Surfin' U.S.A." might have been their greatest legacy. While the rest of the band toured during their mid-60s
heyday, Wilson lost himself in the recording studio, creating the music for an album—Pet Sounds—that is widely
regarded as one of the all-time best, and a single—"Good Vibrations"—on which he lavished more time, attention
and money than had ever been spent previously on a single recording. Brian Wilson rolled tape on take one
of "Good Vibrations" on February 17, 1966. Six months, four studios and $50,000 later, he finally completed his
three-minute-and-thirty-nine-second symphony, pieced together from more than 90 hours of tape recorded during
literally hundreds of sessions.
From the very beginning, the Beach Boys had a sound that was unmistakably their own, but without resident genius
Brian Wilson pushing them into deeper waters with his songwriting and production talents, songs like "Surfin' Safari"
and "Surfin' U.S.A." might have been their greatest legacy. While the rest of the band toured during their mid-60s
heyday, Wilson lost himself in the recording studio, creating the music for an album—Pet Sounds—that is widely
regarded as one of the all-time best, and a single—"Good Vibrations"—on which he lavished more time, attention
and money than had ever been spent previously on a single recording. Brian Wilson rolled tape on take one
of "Good Vibrations" on February 17, 1966. Six months, four studios and $50,000 later, he finally completed his
three-minute-and-thirty-nine-second symphony, pieced together from more than 90 hours of tape recorded during
literally hundreds of sessions.
texan
Well-Known Member
texan
Well-Known Member
On this day, 18 Feb 1885, Twain publishes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Twain (the pen name of Samuel Clemens) first introduced Huck Finn as the best friend of Tom Sawyer, hero of his
tremendously successful novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Though Twain saw Huck's story as a kind of
sequel to his earlier book, the new novel was far more serious, focusing on the institution of slavery and other aspects
of life in the antebellum South.
Twain (the pen name of Samuel Clemens) first introduced Huck Finn as the best friend of Tom Sawyer, hero of his
tremendously successful novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). Though Twain saw Huck's story as a kind of
sequel to his earlier book, the new novel was far more serious, focusing on the institution of slavery and other aspects
of life in the antebellum South.
texan
Well-Known Member
On this day, 18 Feb 2001, Dale Earnhardt killed in crash.
On this day in 2001, Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered one of the greatest drivers in National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR) history, dies at the age of 49 in a last-lap crash at the 43rd Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Earnhardt was driving his famous black No. 3 Chevrolet and vying for third place when he collided with another car, then
crashed into a wall. After being cut from his car, Earnhardt, whose tough, aggressive driving style earned him the
nickname "The Intimidator," was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries.
On this day in 2001, Dale Earnhardt Sr., considered one of the greatest drivers in National Association for Stock Car
Auto Racing (NASCAR) history, dies at the age of 49 in a last-lap crash at the 43rd Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Earnhardt was driving his famous black No. 3 Chevrolet and vying for third place when he collided with another car, then
crashed into a wall. After being cut from his car, Earnhardt, whose tough, aggressive driving style earned him the
nickname "The Intimidator," was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead of head injuries.
texan
Well-Known Member
On this day, 19 Feb 1924, Lee Marvin was born.
Marvin joined the United States Marine Corps, serving as a Scout Sniper in the 4th Marine Divisionn. He was wounded
in action during the WWII Battle of Saipann, in the assault on Mount Tapochauu, during which most of his
company ("I" Company, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Divisionn) was killed.
After the war, while working as a plumber's assistant at a local community theatre in Upstate New York, Marvin was asked t
o replace an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals. He then began an amateur Off-Broadwayy acting career in New York City
and served as an understudy in Broadway productions.
In 1950, Marvin moved to Hollywood. He found work in supporting roles, and from the beginning was cast in various
war films. As a decorated combat veteran, Marvin was a natural in war dramas, where he frequently assisted the d
irector and other actors in realistically portraying infantry movement, arranging costumes, and the use of firearms.
His debut was in You're in the Navy Now (1951), and in 1952 he appeared in several films, including Don Siegel's
Duel at Silver Creek, Hangman's Knot, and the war drama Eight Iron Men.
During the mid-1950s, Marvin gradually began playing more important roles. He starred in Attack, (1956) had a good
supporting role in the Western Seven Men from Now (1956) and starred in The Missouri Traveler (1958) but it took over
one hundred episodes as Chicago cop Frank Ballinger in the successful 1957-1960 television series M Squad to
actually give him name recognition.
In the 1960s, Marvin was given prominent supporting roles in such films as The Comancheros (1961), John Ford's
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and Donovan's Reef (1963), all starring John Wayne, with Marvin's roles
getting larger with each film. As the vicious Liberty Valance, Marvin played his first title role and held his own with
two of the screen's biggest stars (Wayne and James Stewart).
Marvin won the 1965 Academy Award for Best Actor for his comic role in the offbeat Western Cat Ballou starring
Jane Fonda.
Next Marvin performed in the hit Western The Professionals (1966), in which he played the leader of a small band of
skilled mercenaries (Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode) rescuing a kidnap victim (Claudia Cardinale) shortly
after the Mexican Revolution. He followed that film with the hugely successful World War II epic The Dirty Dozen (1967)
in which top-billed Marvin again portrayed an intrepid commander of a colorful group
(future stars John Cassavetess, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, and Donald Sutherland) performing
an almost impossible mission.
Marvin joined the United States Marine Corps, serving as a Scout Sniper in the 4th Marine Divisionn. He was wounded
in action during the WWII Battle of Saipann, in the assault on Mount Tapochauu, during which most of his
company ("I" Company, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Divisionn) was killed.
After the war, while working as a plumber's assistant at a local community theatre in Upstate New York, Marvin was asked t
o replace an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals. He then began an amateur Off-Broadwayy acting career in New York City
and served as an understudy in Broadway productions.
In 1950, Marvin moved to Hollywood. He found work in supporting roles, and from the beginning was cast in various
war films. As a decorated combat veteran, Marvin was a natural in war dramas, where he frequently assisted the d
irector and other actors in realistically portraying infantry movement, arranging costumes, and the use of firearms.
His debut was in You're in the Navy Now (1951), and in 1952 he appeared in several films, including Don Siegel's
Duel at Silver Creek, Hangman's Knot, and the war drama Eight Iron Men.
During the mid-1950s, Marvin gradually began playing more important roles. He starred in Attack, (1956) had a good
supporting role in the Western Seven Men from Now (1956) and starred in The Missouri Traveler (1958) but it took over
one hundred episodes as Chicago cop Frank Ballinger in the successful 1957-1960 television series M Squad to
actually give him name recognition.
In the 1960s, Marvin was given prominent supporting roles in such films as The Comancheros (1961), John Ford's
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and Donovan's Reef (1963), all starring John Wayne, with Marvin's roles
getting larger with each film. As the vicious Liberty Valance, Marvin played his first title role and held his own with
two of the screen's biggest stars (Wayne and James Stewart).
Marvin won the 1965 Academy Award for Best Actor for his comic role in the offbeat Western Cat Ballou starring
Jane Fonda.
Next Marvin performed in the hit Western The Professionals (1966), in which he played the leader of a small band of
skilled mercenaries (Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, and Woody Strode) rescuing a kidnap victim (Claudia Cardinale) shortly
after the Mexican Revolution. He followed that film with the hugely successful World War II epic The Dirty Dozen (1967)
in which top-billed Marvin again portrayed an intrepid commander of a colorful group
(future stars John Cassavetess, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown, and Donald Sutherland) performing
an almost impossible mission.
