Pop Culture

Young Charles Dickens

History of Charles Dickens: 211 years Ago

By billpetro / February 7, 2023 / Comments Off on History of Charles Dickens: 211 years Ago

HISTORY OF CHARLES DICKENS Today marks the 211th birthdate of Charles Dickens, considered by many the greatest English writer since Shakespeare — at least he was during his lifetime in the Victorian age. He enjoyed the distinction of fame and a measure of financial success during his lifetime, starting in his 20s. Many of his…

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The Beatles

History of The Beatles: Coming to America February 7, 1964

By billpetro / February 7, 2023 /

HISTORY OF THE BEATLES On February 7, 1964, The Beatles landed at JFK Airport in New York. The airport was recently renamed by a mourning country in honor of President Kennedy, who had been assassinated just 77 days earlier. The airport was now full of 4,000 greeters. Not realizing why there was such a crowd,…

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Peter Pan

History of Peter Pan: the Story Behind the 70-Year-Old Disney Classic

By billpetro / February 5, 2023 /

HISTORY OF PETER PAN All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.   So begins my favorite Walt Disney animated movie, Peter Pan, which debuted 70 years ago today on February 5, 1953. The original movie poster said: “It will live in your heart forever!” …and indeed, it has. Why was…

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American Pie

History of The Day The Music Died

By billpetro / February 3, 2023 /

HISTORY OF THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED On February 3, 1959, a plane crash occurred in Iowa during a snowstorm shortly after 1:00 AM, killing three young rock and roll singers who would go down in history: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. Their story would later be captured as “long,…

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Apple Lisa Computer

History of Apple Lisa at 40: The Flop that Influenced Macintosh

By billpetro / February 2, 2023 /

HISTORY OF APPLE LISA AT 40: THE FLOP THAT INFLUENCED MACINTOSH Forty years ago, on January 19, 1983, Apple Computer introduced Lisa. It has well been called Apple’s biggest flop, but it’s accurate to say that without the Lisa computer, there would have been no Macintosh, and it is likely Microsoft Windows would not look…

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History of Groundhog Day

By billpetro / February 2, 2023 /

HISTORY OF GROUNDHOG DAY Groundhog Day comes from Candlemas Day, observed for centuries in parts of Europe on February 2. The custom was to have the clergy bless candles — representing how long winter would be — and distribute them to the people. Pagan Roots This seems to have derived from the pagan celebration of Imbolc…

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Mozart

History of Mozart: today’s his birthday

By billpetro / January 27, 2023 /

HISTORY OF MOZART Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, but he was baptized under the name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart.   What’s In A Name? When he was an adult, he referred to himself as “Wolfgang Amadè Mozart,” signing his marriage certificate that way. His baptismal name was Latinized, as was…

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AustraliaFlag

History of Australia Day: Ties to the American Revolutionary War?

By billpetro / January 26, 2023 /

HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA DAY Did you know that the history of European Australia has ties to the American Revolutionary War? When the 13 American Colonies were part of the British Commonwealth, it was convenient for England to transport its convicts to the Colonies. Indeed, it was considered more humane to “transport” prisoners than to execute…

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Macintosh

History of Macintosh: a 39-Year Love Affair

By billpetro / January 24, 2023 /

HISTORY OF MACINTOSH: A 39-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR The now-famous Macintosh computer turns 39. When Apple President Steve Jobs launched this computer at the Flint Center on the De Anza College campus on January 24, 1984, to the theme from the movie Chariots of Fire, he called it “insanely great!”   Macintosh Launch The $1.5M “1984”…

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CNY 2023

History of Chinese New Year: Lunar New Year

By billpetro / January 20, 2023 /

HISTORY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR Chinese New Year is China’s oldest, longest, and most important social and economic holiday, beginning on the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It starts this year on January 22, though the celebrations continue for around two weeks. Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year or…

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Friday The 13th

History of Friday the 13th

By billpetro / January 13, 2023 /

HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH If you’re reading this article to learn the history of Friday the 13th, you’re in luck. Or perhaps bad luck. No one knows, with any certainty, when it began or why it’s to be feared. However, there are lots of entertaining speculative theories about the topic.     What is…

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Auld Lang Syne

History of Auld Lang Syne: What Does It Mean?

By billpetro / December 30, 2022 /

HISTORY OF AULD LANG SYNE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN Why do we sing “Auld Lang Syne” each New Year’s Eve, but do we know what it means? The song contains words from a language that few are familiar with, in a syntax that is confusing to most, and is from a poem about friends recalling…

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