Pop Culture
Reading Time: 2 minutesHISTORY OF TOWEL DAY May 25 celebrates Towel Day to honor Douglas Adams, the author of the five (or six) book “trilogy” Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Created in May 2001 to mark the passing of English science fiction humor author Douglas Adams, the day is set aside for fans of his writings to carry a…
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF STAR WARS The original Star Wars movie premiered on May 25, 1977. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away… …in Berkeley, in November 1976, I picked up a new science fiction novel called “Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker” by George Lucas. I did not know then that…
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF THE WHO’s TOMMY ifty-seven years ago today, on May 23, 1969, the British rock group The Who released the double-album rock opera Tommy in the U.K. Commercially, the record went Gold in the U.K. and Double Platinum in the U.S. It was released in the U.S. on May 17 or 19; reports vary.…
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF MAY THE FOURTH ay 4th, or May the Fourth, is a geek holiday that has gained popularity in recent years due to a popular film franchise. But where did it begin?
Reading Time: 5 minutesHISTORY OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE ver four hundred fourteen years ago, on May 2, 1611, marked the publishing, at the request of the Anglican clergy, of what would become the Authorized Version of the Bible to wide acclaim. But there are at least three problems with that statement. While it is true that…
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhile World Tai Chi Day started back in 1999, the history of Tai Chi goes back centuries. Learn the origins and history of this Chinese Martial Art.
Reading Time: 3 minutesHISTORY OF THE MARATHON Today marks the 130th running of the prestigious Boston Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors. It begins at the start line in Hopkinton, MA, at 10:00 AM, then follows the course into Boston. This is the oldest and longest-running (no pun intended) annual marathon event, at least in the…
Reading Time: 9 minutesMOVIE REVIEW: A GREAT AWAKENING, THE HISTORY BEHIND IT “Arise, O sleeper, awaken!” his phrase, famously associated with the great evangelical preacher George Whitefield, is featured in his open-air sermon in Philadelphia in the movie A Great Awakening… “Let us proclaim freedom to the captives. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed! Arise,…
Reading Time: 7 minutesHistory of Easter Candy Easter is the second-largest “candy holiday” of the year, after Halloween in the US. Trick-or-treating can turn a grown adult into a porch-based sugar distributor for tiny extortionists in costume. This ranking may be because Halloween retailing starts in July, aggressively elbowing the Fourth of July store displays. Easter has waited politely…
Reading Time: 4 minutes Movie Review: Project Hail Mary (no plot spoilers) he most anticipated movie of 2026 has been Project Hail Mary. Amazon has spent about $200M on the film, and I think it’s going to be money well spent. It has grossed an estimated $33.1 million on its opening day, including $12 million from Thursday previews…
Reading Time: 4 minutesHISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13TH f 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.
Reading Time: 6 minutesHISTORY OF THE CHINESE NEW YEAR Chinese New Year is China’s oldest, longest, and most important social and economic holiday. Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It starts this year on February 17, though the celebrations continue for around two weeks. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival,…