Monday, October 13, 2008

Today in history


1961 - A TV news icon called it quits. Howard K. Smith parted ways with CBS News. He said that “there was a difference in interpretation of network news policy.”

1962 - A young 34-year-old named Edward Albee brought his play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, to the stage in New York. Four years later, Albee’s play became an Academy Award-winning film (6 Oscars).

1963 - Beatlemania hit the London Palladium. The Beatles made their first appearance on a major TV show -- for the BBC. Thousands of delirious fans jammed the streets outside the theatre to voice their support of the Fab Four. A few months later, Beatlemania would sweep the U.S. as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah!

1971 - ‘Little’ Donny Osmond received a shiny gold record for his rendition of the Steve Lawrence hit, Go Away Little Girl. He went on to garner million-seller success with Hey Girl and Puppy Love too. Donny was quite popular with the bubblegum set, as well he should have been. Donny was only 13 years old.

1973 - The Rolling Stones’ Goat’s Head Soup was number one album in the U.S. With the exception of Angie, the album’s tracks were only semi-memorable: Dancing With Mr. D, 100 Years Ago, Coming Down Again, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker), Silver Train, Hide Your Love, Winter, Can You Hear the Music, Star Star.

1979 - Speaking of the teenage set, Michael Jackson went to “#1 ... 1 ... 1” for the second time with Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough. His first number one (Oct. 14, 1972 - age 14) was a ratty little number about Ben.

1984 - And speaking of Jacksons (we are so clever), Jesse Jackson collected the $5,000 standard scale payment for guest hosts on Saturday Night Live. Jackson also appeared in several skits on the show.

1989 - God answered my prayer and sent an angel down to earth :)

1994 - Netscape Communications Corporation announced that it was offering its new Netscape Navigator free to users via the Internet. The Internet browser, developed by the six-month-old Silicon Valley company led by Silicon Graphics founder Jim Clark and NCSA Mosaic creator Marc Andreessen, was available for free downloading by “individual, academic and research users.”

1995 - Movies opening in U.S. theatres: Copycat, with Sigourney Weaver, Harry Connick Jr., John Rothman and Holly Hunter; and The Scarlet Letter, starring Demi Moore, Gary Oldman, and Robert Duvall.

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