Almanac of Absurdities for Sept. 30 2010

On this day in 1791, Mozart’s last opera “The Magic Flute” opens in Vienna. In 1888 on this day, Prostitutes Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes are found dead in London’s Whitechapel District, the work of Jack The Ripper. In 1955, 24 year old actor James Dean, driving a Porsche 550 Spyder, fatally collides with a car driven by a Cal Poly student near Paso Robles, CA.

Almanac of Absurdities for September 29, 2010

On this date in the year 1650, Henry Robinson opened his “Office of Addresses and Encounters” on Threadneedle Street in London. It is the first documented ‘dating service’ found in history. On this day in 1966, Chevrolet introduced its answer to the Ford Mustang. They almost called it the “Panther” but finally settled on “Camaro.”

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/28/10

On this date in 1066, French armies under the command of William of Normandy invade the British Isles, and the Norman Conquest begins. William becomes the first Plantagenent King. It’s the birthday of the ACTUAL Nicolas Flamel, the French Alchemist was born in 1330. Also birthdays of Confucius and Hilary Duff.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/27/10

On this day in 1905, a Scientific Journal published a paper by one Albert Einstein, called "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?" introducing the fateful equation E=MC squared. Most people still have no idea what it means, but they all agree it’s very important. We can all agree that it being Don Cornelius’ birthday is important too. Peace, Love, Soul.

Almanac of Absurdities, 9/26/10

On this day in 1580, Captain Sir Francis Drake completed his circumnavigation of the world, the first by English Ships. Jack LaLanne is 96 years old today and in better shape than me, and probably you. T.S Eliot, George Gershwin and Brian Ferry of Roxy Music all have birthdays today as well.

Almanac of Absurdities for September 25th 2010

On this day in 1789 the US Congress ratified the first amendments to the US Constitution-The Bill Of Rights. An important day. Also on this day in 1513, Spanish Explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa “Discovered” the Pacific Ocean, a place where already, millions of people were living-up till then-free of European Colonial Influence. Mark Hamill’s & Shel Silverstein’s Birthday.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/24/10

On this day in 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne into Little Rock Arkansas to enforce his order to desegregate the schools, an act of moral courage and strength for which he is too rarely credited. Birthdays for Sir Arthur Guinness...yes THAT Guinness...F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jim Henson, Kevin Sorbo and the Honda Motor Company. And apparently it's National Punctuation Day.

Almanac of Absurdities September 23, 2010

On this date in 1889, the Nintendo Koppai company was founded in japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to market the card game Hanafuda. The name was later shortened to simply Nintendo. On this date in 1952, Richard Nixon gave the iconic “Checker's Speech”, which was delivered from the stage of the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. (I didn't know that either) Birthdays for Augustus Caesar, Kublai Khan and Julio Iglesias.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/22/10

Autumnal Equinox. Also American Business Women's Day. Birthdays for Des Moines Iowa, The National Geographic Magazine, and Nigerian Afropop Star King Sunny Ade. And in 1896, on this date, Queen Victoria passed her grandfather to become the Longest Reigning British Monarch.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/21/10

On this day in 1780, Benedict Arnold gave the British the plans to West Point in an act of treason that makes his name synonymous with betrayal. On this date in 1792, France became a Republic, “The Hobbit” was published on this day in 1937, and on this day in 1942, the B-29 Superfortress made its maiden flight. Animation Giant Chuck Jones' Birthday, as well as Bill Murray.

Almanac of Absurdities 9/20/10

Astronomer Galileo Galilei is tried before the Catholic Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (AKA The Inquisition) for the crime of suggesting the Earth rotates around the Sun on this day in 1633. NZ Actor Michael Hurst’s birthday if you’re hip to that. It’s Pollution Prevention Week.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/18/10

On this day in 1932, actress Millicent “Peg” Entwhistle ensured her status of Hollywood Legend forever by leaping to her death from the “H” on the Hollywood Sign. She’d just learned that her RKO Film “Thirteen Women” had been savaged by the critics and that her part was to be heavily edited out of the film. Birthdays for Greta Garbo and June Foray, voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/17/2010

On this day in 1862, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, as General George McClellan stops General Robert E. Lee’s northward advance in the battle of Antietam. Manfred Van Richtofen shoots down his first enemy plane near France in 1916…later they’ll call him the Red Baron. Birthdays for Fee Waybill of “The Tubes” and Cassandra Peterson…Elvira to you.

Almanac of Absurdities for September 16, 2010

“Operation Countenence” came to its conclusion on this day in 1941. Soviet and British Forces, working together, quietly overthrow the government of Persia in order to keep its vast oil reserves from falling into the hands of the Nazis. In the process, they tossed out the Monarch and replace him with his pliable 22-year-old son…later known as the Shah of Iran. Birthdays for Henry V of England and Allan Funt.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/15/10

St. Ludmila of Bohemia was murdered at the order of her Daughter-In-Law on this day in the year 921AD. She was the Grandmother of Good King Wenceslaus, for those of you who may have been confused. On this date in 1975, David Bowie’s “Fame” (with backing vocals by Dr. Winston O’Boogie) was number one on the billboard charts. National Felt Hat Day

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/14/10

On this date in 1927, famed dancer Isadora Duncan perished when her trademark long scarf got caught on the wheel of her convertible and strangled her...something that all convertible owners think about to this very day. It's Walter Koenig's Birthday: Mr. Checkov, and the sinister Mr. Bester from the PsyCorps is a remarkable 74, and Wendy Thomas was born on this date in 1961. Her father named a chain of Hamburger Stands after her...Wendy's.

Almanac of Absurdities for September 13, 2010

British troops failed to take Baltimore today in 1814. The incident inspired Francis Scott Key to write a war-celebrating poem which was later set to an old English Drinking song and became our national anthem. Great Birthdays today: William Cecil, Lord Burleigh in 1520, Milton Hershey, the Chocolate Guy, Roald Dahl, and both Zak Starkey and Stella McCartney.

Almanac of Aburdities for Sept 12

On this date in 1857, the sidewheel Steamship SS Central America went down in the Atlantic off the coast of the Carolinas with about 425 still on board, as well as a cargo of Thirty Thousand pounds of Gold from California. Thirty Nine insurance companies sued the divers who found the wreck in 1987, but salvage got to keep 92% of the profits in the end. It's Barry White's Birthday, baby, baby, oh baby...

Almanac of Absurdities Sept 11, 2010

The almanac of absurdities is not needed on September 11. You know what happened. We'll be back tomorrow.

Almanac of Absurdities for September 10, 2010

On this day in 1930, Alphonse Capone, in an act worthy of a corporate emperor, took his former rivals into his operation, creating a Vice, Alcohol and Gambling syndicate that controlled Chicago. On this day in 1977, a Tunisian immigrant convicted of murder in France became the last man to die by Guillotine. “War-What is it good for?” by Edwin Starr was the number one song on this day in 1970.

Almanac of Absurdities 9/9/10

The first computer “bug” was identified on this day in 1947, when engineers working on the Harvard University Mark II Computer discovered a dead moth in an important relay. Birthdays for Leo Tolstoy, Captain Bligh, and Jay Ward, creator of Rocky and Bullwinkle. And there's still a couple of days left to celebrate National Waffle Week.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/8/10

On this date in 1966, Some network executives at NBC cringed at the sight of a new series making its debut on the Prime Time Schedule. Sold to them as “Wagon Train to the Stars”, the new series was called “Star Trek” and the first episode was about a shape changing salt vampire. It ran two and a half seasons, and never went away. Birthdays for Richard the Lionheart, Sid Caesar, Peter Sellars and Patsy Cline.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/7

A day of considerable significance for those of us who do Renaissance Faires: On this day in 1533, Little Elizabeth Tudor was born to King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn. The joy of the event was somewhat muted, as the couple were hoping for a boy. Having been born on that day, Elizabeth was, astrologically speaking, born under the sign of Virgo. Yup. Keith Moon died on this day in 1978.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/6

On this date in 1939, the Royal Air Force got into its first air battle of the Second World War. Unfortunately they had the epic battle without bothering to find any enemy aircraft and accidentally shot down two of their own. It's Labor Day, of course, Jane Curtin's Birthday, And Television Producer Quinn Martin died on this day in 1987.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/5/10

On this day in 1661, King Louis XIV’s crooked Financial Minister Nicolas Fouquet was arrested by none other than the head of the King’s Musketeers, a fellow known as D’Artagnan. Walt Disney releases his first cartoon, “Trolley Troubles” starring Oswald The Rabbit, distributed by Universal. Later, Oswald was stolen by Universal, so Disney came up with Mickey Mouse instead.

Almanac of Absurdities for September 4, 2010

On this day in 1781, 44 Spanish Settlers marked the founding of The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porziuncola, but half of them left in the 7th Inning. They later shortened the name of the village to “Los Angeles”. Appropriately enough, the Ford Motor Company introduced it’s revolutionary new Auto Line “Edsel” on this day in 1957. Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, died on this day in 1588.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/3/2010

On this day in 1189, Henry II’s Bloodthirsty son Richard (The Lionheart) was crowned king of England. Mostly he was famous for being gone, which caused problems at home. The Great Fire of London was ravaging the city on this day in 1666. King Charles II joined ordinary citizens on bucket brigades fighting the flames. Why aren’t there more movies about King Charles? He dressed nice, too.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/2/10

Just letting you know that you are quietly celebrating National Piano Month as you read this, as well as coolly dismissing National Enthusiasm Week. WWII Vets will remember with a sigh of relief that this is VJ Day. It’s Victor Spinetti’s birthday, (if you know who he is, extra points) and Keanu Reeve’s birthday …whoah.

Almanac of Absurdities for 9/1/2010

Le Voyage dans la lune, (A Trip to the Moon) a 14 minute long silent film by Georges & Gaston Melies is released in Paris on this day in 1902. It is the first Science Fiction movie. French Speaking, fin de siecle protogeeks, wearing black, camp out at the box office, smoking clove cigarettes and drinking Absinthe. Actually I made that part up. Its birthdays for Edgar Rice Burroughs and Lily Tomlin.