So remember to pull up your socks and help those less sock inclined.
As always happens, I nearly forget the last day of International Cephalopod Awareness Days, celebrated today (although National Fossil Day is normally celebrated on the second full Wednesday in October, which was yesterday. So I am a tad confused.)
Today is (or should be) Fossil Day, celebrating all the incredible suckers that have gone extinct.
October 12, 1950 -
One of the first comedy series to make the successful transition from radio to television The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, premiered on CBS-TV on this date.
The bulk of the filmed episodes were shot over the course of a day with two cameras. Episodes were then edited and screened for a preview audience, and audio of the crowd's reaction was recorded to give an organic reaction to each joke rather than "canned laughter." At the end of each preview screening, George and Gracie would come out and film their "Say goodnight, Gracie" closing tag scene live in front of the audience.
October 12, 1966 -
This was a particularly busy date in history.
Sammy Davis, Jr. makes a cameo appearance on the ABC-TV series Batman, during one of their legendary Batclimbs.
October 12, 1969 -
An almost forgotten film, The Madwoman of Chaillot, directed by Bryan Forbes and starring Katherine Hepburn and an all-star cast, opened in the U.S. on this date.
John Huston was originally set to direct this film, but left the production some 17 days before shooting was due to begin. Bryan Forbes agreed to take over in order to have the experience of directing Katharine Hepburn, who became a close friend.
October 12, 1993 -
Touchstone Pictures releases the stop-motion animated feature film The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick, produced by Tim Burton, on this date.
Chris Sarandon was cast as Jack Skellington because his speaking voice matched the singing voice of Danny Elfman.
October 12, 2007 -
The follow-up to Cate Blanchett's successful 1998 bio-pix Elizabeth, directed by Shekhar Kapur, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, also starring Geoffrey Rush, and Clive Owen, opened in the U.S., on this date.
Director Shekhar Kapur filmed Elizabeth's personal time (ex. bathing) in circular sets to reflect the infinite questioning of her mind, aspiring to a different kind of freedom and exploration. He filmed Elizabeth's professional moments (ex. throne room) in rectangular rooms that enclosed her with straight walls and corners.
October 12, 2008 -
The Fox Searchlight Pictures distributed Darren Aronofsky's film, The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke (in an intensely incredible performance,) and Maresi Tomei, closed the New York Film Festival on this date.
Darren Aronofsky revealed that Mickey Rourke was the first choice to play Randy "The Ram" Robinson but the studio wanted Nicolas Cage. Aronofsky fought to have Rourke as "The Ram", and ultimately won out.
Shark Tank reject
Today in History:
October 12, 1492 -
Christopher Columbus, not the brightest bulb in the explorers club, reached America, making his first landing in the New World on one of the Bahamas Islands.
Columbus believed he had reached India.
It was discovered that Columbus' ships really landed on the 13th of October, 1492, he was persuaded by Dutch sailor Piet de Stuini (or DeStynie) to change it to the 12th in the logs because he said that the number 13 might frighten sailors and future investors away. An Italian study group called the Colombiani detected this change.
October 12, 1609 -
The children's nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice was published in London on this date.
This is reportedly the earliest known secular song published.
October 12, 1810 -
The festival was such a success, the locals decided to hold it annually. (a great little known fact - Adidas recently released a limited edition of vomit-proof sneakers inspired by the Oktoberfest.)
October 12, 1915 -
Her final words to the German pastor, Le Saur were recorded as 'Ask Mr. Gahan to tell my loved ones later on that my soul, as I believe, is safe, and that I am glad to die for my country.'
Pretty tough cookie.
October 12, 1960 -
Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev disrupted a U.N. General Assembly session by pounding his desk with a shoe during a dispute on this date.
This resulted in the popular stereotype of the Soviet Dictator who pounds his desk with his shoe.
In fact, many Soviet Dictators did not pound their desks with their shoes. They had their deputies do it for them.
October 12, 1964 -
The Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1 with astronauts Boris Yegorov, Konstantin Feoktistov and Vladamir Komarov on board (the first space flight to carry more than one crewman into orbit.)
This was also the first mission flown without space suits.
October 12, 1969 -
The Soyuz 7 spacecraft was launched on this date. The main goals of this mission in the official version was to test spacecraft systems and designs, maneuvering of the space craft with respect to Soyuz 6, which had launched a day earlier.
When it achieves orbit, it marks the first time in history that five people are in space at the same time (the three astronauts aboard Soyuz 7 and the two aboard Soyuz 6.)
Wait for it, there's more to this story.
October 12, 1970 -
During his court martial for the My Lai Massacre, Lt. William Calley testified that Cpt. Ernest Medina had ordered that anybody they couldn't move would be "wasted."
October 12, 1973 -
U.S. President Richard Nixon nominated House Minority Leader Gerald Ford for the vice presidency, under the 25th Amendment, to replace Spiro Agnew, who had resigned two days earlier.
I'm not saying that there is a connection but it gives you pause.
October 12, 1997 -
Folk singer John Denver died when the small plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay on the California coast.
Divers later recover most of the body, but not the head. Denver was ultimately identified by his fingerprints.
Perhaps you really didn't want to know that part.
October 12, 2000 -
In the port of Aden in Yemen, a large bomb, carried by two suicide terrorists on a rubber raft, caused heavy damage to the USS Cole, killing 17 sailors and injuring another 39.
This event was the deadliest attack against a U.S. Naval vessel since 1987.
And so it goes
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