On July 11, 1533, Pope Clement VII excommunicated England’s King Henry VIII. If you are familiar with English history, you know that Henry asked to have his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled because she hadn’t given birth to a son. The… Continue Reading
Melvin Jerome Blanc was known best as an American voice actor, but he was also an actor, radio comedian, and recording artist. Born May 30, 1908, in San Francisco, he is best remembered for his work in animation as the… Continue Reading
Robert James “Bob” Keeshan was born June 27, 1927 in Lynnbrook, New York. Most people remember him as Captain Kangaroo, though some may also recall that he played Clarabell the Clown on the Howdy Doody show. In honor of his… Continue Reading
Today is National Pink Day in the United States. The National Day Calendar website has been unable to determine the origins of this celebration. A search of the Congressional Record — Congress often designates national days — has yet to… Continue Reading
Today* is the Summer Solstice, and with it comes celebration. As you probably already know, it’s the longest day of the year; that is, we get more sun in these 24 hours than we will until the next Summer Solstice. In… Continue Reading
Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is a holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas, and more generally the emancipation of African-American slaves throughout the Confederate South. The… Continue Reading
Today is Bloomsday, the annual celebration in which James Joyce’s Ulysses breaks out of the classroom and hits the streets. To commemorate his first date with his future wife, Nora Barnacle, Joyce set his novel on June 16, 1904. That date… Continue Reading
On June 14, 1825, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the French-born American architect who laid out Washington, DC, died at age 70. L’Enfant is said to have been a Freemason and a friend of George Washington. When Congress decided to build a… Continue Reading
All cocky, teasing talk about sex, that’s Prince. Forget Mr. Look So Good; meet the original Mr. Big Stuff. He’s afraid of nothing onstage: ready to take on all the desires of a stadium full of his lusty fans, ready… Continue Reading
“It wouldn’t be the first time hipsters spoiled something for America,” says Smithsonian. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, “The word sherbet derives from the Persian sharbat, an iced fruit drink; iced desserts were introduced to the West via the Middle East. In… Continue Reading