TV

History of A Charlie Brown Christmas

By billpetro / December 9, 2023 /

HISTORY OF A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS On December 9, 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered on CBS TV as a 30-minute animated Christmas special written by Charles M. Schulz, creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip. The comic was hugely popular at the time when the TV special debuted. Though this was not Schulz’s first TV…

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5 Christmas Myths

5 Christmas Myths, Not Found in the Nativity Story

By billpetro / December 1, 2023 /

5 CHRISTMAS MYTHS: NOT FOUND IN THE NATIVITY STORY I’m often asked to explain the history behind a holiday: is it based on history, tradition, or legend? The best historical sources on the birth of Jesus are found in two Gospel accounts in the New Testament: St. Matthew and St. Luke. St. Matthew was a…

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JFK

History of John F Kennedy: 60 Years Ago

By billpetro / November 22, 2023 /

John F. Kennedy, the most popular post-WWII President was the youngest American President voted to the office, having succeeded Dwight D Eisenhower, the oldest President at the time. Kennedy was attractive, winsome, and exuded youth and vitality despite his health problems. Kennedy was supremely confident. The celebrities he courted in the public eye were American royalty.

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World Series

History of the World Series: For People Who Don’t Watch

By billpetro / October 27, 2023 /

HISTORY OF THE WORLD SERIES The World Series is over a hundred years old, starting in 1903 as a contest between the National League and the American League. This sporting event, usually held in October and sometimes called the Fall Classic, has already infringed upon the territory of the following athletic contest run-up with the…

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Large Enterprise

History of Star Trek: 57 Years Ago and Now

By billpetro / September 7, 2023 /

HISTORY OF STAR TREK Star Trek premiered on NBC TV on September 8, 1966… 57 years ago. It is my favorite show; I was glued to the TV for the first episode and for every one after that. It significantly influenced my life and my choice of a career in technology.

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D-Day

History of D-Day: 79 Years Ago

By billpetro / June 6, 2023 /

HISTORY OF D-DAY Why has D-Day captured the imagination of American consciousness for over three-quarters of a century? Seventy-nine years ago, on June 6, 1944, the Allies launched an offensive on the Normandy coast of France to liberate continental Europe from the Nazi German occupation. On Twitter, the hashtag is #DDay79     D-Day was the…

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sgt. peppers lonely hearts club band

History of the Summer of Love — 1967: Part 4, Rock & Roll

By billpetro / June 2, 2023 /

HISTORY OF THE SUMMER OF LOVE — 1967: PART 4, ROCK & ROLL   It was twenty years ago today Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play They’ve been going in and out of style But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile   Rock & Roll in the late ’60s was exemplified when The Beatles…

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Super Bowl LVII logo

History of the Super Bowl: Just another Religious Holiday?

By billpetro / February 10, 2023 /

The Super Bowl™ is a territory acquisition athletic contest played on a fixed agrarian grid using, as a token, an inflated porcine prolate spheroid. Some will say it is the most important holiday of the year in America. While it is ostensibly a secular holiday, others argue it is truly a religious holiday. And there…

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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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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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Towel Day

History of Towel Day: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

By billpetro / May 25, 2022 /

HISTORY OF TOWEL DAY May 25 celebrates Towel Day as a day to honor Douglas Adams, the author of the five (or six) book trilogy Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Created in May of 2001 to mark the passing of English science fiction humor author Douglas Adams, the day is set aside for fans of his…

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