Thursday, November 30, 2006

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known far better by him pen name Mark Twain, was born on this day. One of, if not the, quintessential American author, Mark Twain is most fondly remembered for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but his literary legacy included novels, short stories and essays, and perhaps more importantly, a distinctly American voice, heard in works that would be read and enjoyed around the world.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Today is Meco Monardo's birthday. Meco experienced an explosion in popularity due to his disco cover version of John Williams' theme from Star Wars. The trend continued with disco versions of Williams' music from Close Encounters and Superman plus the later Star Wars movies, as well as other material like the Wizard of Oz. Meco was also a successful record producer, producing Gloria Gaynor's "Never Can Say Goodbye." It was also Meco who brought the world the Star Wars Christmas Album, Christmas in The Stars which featured such instant holiday classics as "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "What Do You Get A Wookie For Christmas (When He Already Owns A Comb)?"

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

81 years ago today, the longest continuously running radio program in America first took to the airwaves on WSM 650 AM in Nashville, Tennessee. It was called the WSM Barn Dance, and was a spin-off of George D. Hay's program National Barn Dance originating on WLS in Chicago. Within a couple of years the show became better known by the name it still goes by today, The Grand Ole Opry.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Hey boys and girls, what time is it? It's Buffalo Bob Smith's birthday!

Buffalo Bob and his pal Howdy Doody entertained children in the peanut gallery for decades. Before teaming up with his puppet pal, Buffalo Bob was a star on the radio. When he moved to TV, he became the new medium's first major children's entertainment superstar. Kids everywhere crowded into the house on their block that had a TV to have a laugh with Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody and all their gang.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

This Holy Sunday we continue our Very eBay Apocalypse with the resurrection of the dead. During the Apocalypse, after Jesus returns to Earth, he shall reunite souls with their bodies. That sounds fine...but the longer you've been six feet under, the less of your body there is to reunite with. If you didn't think your high school reunion went well, just imagine how this one will go.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

On this Cartoon Saturday after Thanksgiving, we decided to look for a turkey cartoon. Since we couldn't think of one, we remembered that the song "Turkey In The Straw" was featured in the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie. So in honor of the bird so many of you have turned into if you subscribe to the "you are what you eat" school of thought, we salute Steamboat Willie.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Dwight Schultz, the actor who played Murdock on the A-Team celebrates his birthday today. Though better known to some from his recurring role as Reginald Barclay on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, his breakthrough role remains his best, crazy and lovable Howling Mad Murdock, key member of the A-Team. As Murdock, Shultz added a level of humor to the show that kept both the show and the other characters from taking themselves overly seriously.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Many Americans consider it tradition to eat a turkey on this holiday, and turkeys have become symbolic of Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Although he often remarked that he got no respect, Rodney Dangerfield was widely recognized as one of the greatest stand-up comedians of the later 20th century. In addition to this recognition, he was rewarded with his very own board game. Today is his birthday.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

This is the 100th post on eBay A Day: An Auction Almanac. To commemorate our first 100 days of finding items available for current bid on eBay that relate to an event, birthday or other happenstance of significance on a given day, we decided to pay tribute to the auction site without which eBay a Day wouldn't rhyme.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Richard Dawson celebrates his birthday today. Best known as the longtime host of The Family Feud, Dawson also co-starred on Hogan's Heroes.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

As we continue bringing Holy Sundays to an end through our continuing featurette, which we have dubbed "A Very eBay Apocalypse," we've already seen the arrival of the Four Horsemen. As they do those unpleasant things they do, it's time to bring back the big guy to put an end to it all. Ladies and gentlemen: Jesus.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Today's cartoon Saturday somewhat picks up from yesterday's remembrance of the birthday of Lorne Michaels, creator of Saturday Night Live. Of the many films and television series spinning off from the sketch comedy classic, we fondly remember The Completely Mental Misadventures Of Ed Grimley.

Martin Short's Ed Grimley started out on SCTV before moving to SNL for a season. It was there that Ed Grimley's popularity reached it's peak, and a spin-off from Saturday night to Saturday morning soon followed.

Along with Ed Grimley, SCTV's Count Floyd also appeared, telling "scary" stories to often unimpressed little kids.

While many shows of the era were at least partly trying to sell a toy line or were otherwise hiding an ulterior motive, this show had an honest title, it was completely mental.

Friday, November 17, 2006

In a year that has brought two new television shows based at least in part on the inner workings of Saturday Night Live, let us take note of the birthday of the man who brought us the show that inspired it all, Lorne Michaels.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Today we celebrate 99 years of statehood of our 46th state, Oklahoma.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Today is the birthday of British singer Petula Clark. A popular hitmaker of the 60's swinging London scene, Petula Clark is most remembered for her single "Downtown" but had a decade long string of hit singles and albums in the UK, the US and France.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Today is Senator Joseph McCarthy's birthday. He made a list, but it turned out it wasn't a list of presents he wanted for his birthday, so we got him a poster.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Called "Walt Disney's Masterpiece," Fantasia opened in New York on this day in 1940. The mix of animation and music called for such an elaborate sound system, only a dozen theaters ran the full "Fantasound" version of the film, and it was a re-edited (and re-mixed to mono) version of the film made the rounds to screens across the country the following year. Over a decade later, a re-release of the film included the rich "Fantasound" as theaters had caught up to the technology. As with many ambitious projects, Fantasia proved to be critically successful and financially disastrous, failing to earn a profit until a run in the late 60's aimed at the psychedelic pursuits of the hippie movement.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Our Very eBay Apocalypse continues, as we wrap up the Holy Sundays feature. We've seen the first three horses of the apocalypse so far. Laggy behind is the pale, sickly horse on which rides the Fourth Horsemen, Death.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

This cartoon Saturday, we remind you of "The Real Ghostbusters." This cartoon (which later led to "Slimer & The Real Ghostbusters" due to the success of their poltergeist pal and still later to "The Extreme Ghostbusters") was based on the 1984 comedy film starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd (among others) as ghost exterminators. The show was popular, with the requisite late 80's merchandise and toys.

The reason the cartoon was "Real" owed to the Filmation Ghostbusters series, which was live action in the 1970's and revived as an animated series in the wake of the success of the unrelated feature film.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Legendary children's television series Sesame Street made it's debut on this day in 1969. Perhaps the most popular and successful children's television ever, worldwide, Sesame Street's combination of human cast members, Jim Henson's Muppets, animation segments, songs and sharp, witty writing made it a hit with generations of kids and their parents.

Thursday, November 9, 2006

A century ago today, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to make a trip to a foreign country as he set off for Panama to examine the progress of the Panama Canal.

Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Today is the birthday of Irish author Abraham Stoker, better known as Bram Stoker. Stoker wrote over a dozen novels and shoter stories, but his most enduring legacy will always remain the tale of the vampire Dracula.

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

Today is election day 2006. New voting technology has made people worry that there are no safeguards to ensure that their votes cannot be manipulated. Fortunately the Automatic Voting Machine Corporation has created a solution with not only safeguards, but five distinct mechanical safeguards to protect the machine against manipulation.

Sadly, this machine is no longer available, nor is the Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, which turned into the American Locker Group (which is known for making multiple mailbox units for multi-family residences) in the early 1970's following the twin problems of the death of one of its corporate heads and the indictment (but not conviction) of the other (the son of the first) for bribing officials in Buffalo, NY to buy AVM voting machines.

The ad below was issued in 1928. Given the emphasis on safeguards against manipulation, it appears that despite Bob Dylan's assertions to the contrary, the times aren't changing all that much.

Monday, November 6, 2006

We like her. We really like her. So let's all wish Sall Field a very happy birthday today!

Sunday, November 5, 2006

As we continue to watch our Very eBay Apocalypse unfold, bringing Holy Sunday to an end, we meet the third of our four horses. This is the black one. Stock up on the canned food, here comes famine.

Friday, November 3, 2006

Today is the birthday of film composer John Barry. Known best as the composer of the majority of the James Bond films along with countless other scores over the past four decades, Barry also was the leader of the swinging John Barry Seven and the composer of several pop hits (and not quite hits) for a variety of early 60's artists.

Thursday, November 2, 2006

The Hughes H-4 Hercules made it's one and only flight, getting about 70 feet above sea level for a little less than a mile on this day in 1947. The aircraft, more commonly known by it's derisive nickname, The Spruce Goose (as it was largely constructed out of wood), was piloted by it's creator, Howard Hughes. Although essentially a successful test flight, the government cut their funding for the project, and the wooden aircraft would never fly again.

Wednesday, November 1, 2006

Shakespeare's Othello was first publicly presented in at Whitehall Palace in London 402 years ago today.