Like most of us, Henry Cole, an Englishman, was too busy to write personal greetings for all of his Christmas greetings in 1843. Cole hired artist John Calcott Horsley to design a ready-to-be-sent card.
The hand-colored card Horsley designed was lithographed on stiff, dark cardboard and featured adults and children raising wine glasses in a toast. Some thought the card blasphemous with the family, surrounded with religious symbols, holding glasses of wine
Printed in an edition of 1,000, Horsley's card was sold in London stores. At the time, the greeting cards could be mailed for a penny each. Less than a dozen of those cards exists today. Printed cards soon became the rage in England; the controversy is thought to have helped promote Cole's idea.
December 9, 1902 -
I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too!
Margaret Hamilton, celebrated character actress best known for her portrayal of The Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, was born on this date.
December 9, 1947 -
An oft forgotten holiday classic, The Bishop's Wife, starring Cary Grant, premiered in NYC on this date.
William A. Seiter was the original director, but producer Samuel Goldwyn didn't like what he had shot and brought in Henry Koster to shoot a completely new film. The preview audience didn't like the new version, so Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett had to rewrite a couple of scenes without screen credit.
December 9, 1965 -
It's the 47th anniversary of the premiere of the bi-polar kid and his wacky friends first experiences of the depressive nature of the holiday season -
When viewing the rough cut of the show, both Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson were convinced that they had a flop on their hands. After it premiered, they were happily surprised and shocked at the high ratings and excellent reviews that the show received.
(Today's Special - The holiday can really bring you down)
Today in History:
December 9, 1783 -
The site of London's executions (via the gallows) was moved from Tyburn to Newgate. The public spectacle of prisoners' executions drew large crowds.
Out with the old, in with the new.
December 9, 1957 -
Donny Osmond was born on this date!
Still a little bit Rock and Roll.
December 9, 1968 -
The John Birch Society, is a political education and action organization founded by Robert W. Welch on this date.
The society supports associated with traditionally conservative causes such as anti-communism, support for individual rights and the ownership of private property.
If you think I'm going to make fun of them, you've got another thing coming.
December 9, 1994 -
Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was dismissed after suggesting discussion of masturbation in school classes on sexuality.
This gives rise to the euphemistic term "firing the surgeon general."
Useless Christmas Trivia:
The lighting of candles and decorating with candles has always been popular, but also one of biggest sources of danger during the Christmas holidays.
In 1895 a New England Telephone employee, Ralph Morris, while looking at the newly installed string of lights made for the telephone switchboard decided to take some home to decorate his tree with. And/or it may be attributed to Thomas Edison's partner, Edward Johnson for inventing the first string of lights around the same time Ralph, for safety reasons.
In 1923 President Calvin Coolidge started the annual tradition of the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the White House lawn.
16 more shopping days until Christmas, and the world may just be over in 12 days.
And so it goes
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