Note: The calendar is also a page index. Select a date or other item of interest for more information.

The daily notes for this month are from the The History Channel's Home Page. If you like these notes, you'll love looking at the other notes and birthdays they have recorded for every day of the year.

11 -- Corups Christi

14 -- Flag Day

21 -- Father's Day

21 -- Summer Begins

1 June -- This is Superman Day!

The first issue of "Action Comics" was issued this day in 1938. In its pages was the world's first super hero, Superman.

Jerry Siegel had a dream about the baby, Moses, who was abandoned by his parents in order that his life be saved. This dream prompted the creation of the 'Man of Steel'. Artist, Joe Shuster made the comic book hero come alive. The first story, in this first issue took place on the planet, Krypton, where the baby, Kal-El was born. The infant was shot to Earth in a rocket just before Krypton exploded.

We all know the rest of the story: the baby landed in Smalltown, U.S.A., was adopted by the Kent family and named, Clark. On Earth, Clark Kent has superhuman powers, "faster than a speeding bullet ... more powerful than a locomotive ... able to leap tall buildings at a single bound". The only thing that can render him powerless is kryptonite, a green rock from the planet, Krypton. Disguised as a timid, bespectacled reporter for Metropolis' "Daily Planet", Superman is determined to fight the "never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way".

Superman was born in a comic strip almost six decades ago; but he continues to live in TV reruns, films starring Christopher Reeve and in the current TV show, Lois and Clark.

Word Of The Day: Integral (IN tuh gruhl) adj. Essential, necessary to the whole. The point is integral to the argument.

2 June -- This is "Tarzan" Day!

He was born on this day in 1904, in the asphalt jungle of Chicago, but reached the pinnacle of his fame in a tropical jungle. Johnny Weissmuller played the role of Tarzan more than any other actor in a decade of Tarzan films.

Weissmuller was a star athlete, however, way before he became a Hollywood star. An Olympic Gold Medalist, Johnny Weissmuller won a total of five gold medals in swimming in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics. He also collected 52 national (U.S.) and 67 world swimming records.

Not a lot of competition in the swimming pool and in the Tarzan movies, his only competition was his co-star, Maureen O'Sullivan. Their first [1932] Tarzan movie was "Tarzan the Ape Man"; the last together was in 1942, titled, "Tarzan's New York Adventure".

"Me Tarzan, you Jane."

Word Of The Day: Ilk (ilk) n. Type or kind; sort. A remark of that ilk doesn't deserve a response.

3 June -- This is "Mighty Casey" Day!

There was no joy in Mudville this day in 1888, as "Casey at the Bat", was first was published in "The San Francisco Examiner". The author was not given a byline in the paper, but he was given $5. Ernest Thayer wrote a series of comic ballads for the San Francisco paper. "Casey at the Bat" was the last and the only one to live on through the years.

William DeWolf Hopper, the well-known actor, first recited the poem at Wallach's Theatre in New York City this same year. That five minutes and 40 seconds became part of DeWolf Hopper's repertoire. It is said that he had told the tale of Mudville some 10,000 plus times.

In 1986, the U.S. Library of Congress reissued the poem in both written and recorded formats.

Another interesting fact attached to this famous rhyme is that, nationally-known, former DJ, Casey Kasem, once worked in Oakland, a stone's throw across the bay from San Francisco. His show was titled "Mighty Casey at the Mike" when he worked at KEWB Radio. True!

Word Of The Day: Remuneration (ree MYOO nuh RAY shuhn) n. Payment for services performed or losses incurred. Remuneration was insufficient for all the work done.

4 June -- This is "Up, Up, and Away" Day!

Although the first flight of any significant length, in any object, was achieved by a man on June 5, 1783; a woman did it higher, further and longer on this day in 1784. Marie Thible of Lyon, France was the first woman to fly in a hot-air balloon. Her flight lasted 45 minutes, that's 35 minutes longer than the flying trip her male counterparts took a year earlier.

Marie's balloon, named "Le Gustave" (named after Sweden's King Gustav III, who viewed the ascent), rose 8,500 feet. The guys only made it to 1500 feet.

Ms. Thible's pilot, Monsieur Fleurant, told reporters that she "sang like a bird" while she drifted across Lyon. We suppose she sang, "Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon..."

Word Of The Day: Oblique (o BLEEK) adj. Not straightforward, indirect. I sensed by her oblique mannerisms that she was hiding something.

5 June -- This is "Hopalong Cassidy" Day!

Today is the anniversary of the birth of William Boyd, born in Cambridge, Ohio in 1898.

Boyd is better known to movie-goers and TV audiences throughout the world as Hopalong Cassidy. He first played the role of the cowboy hero in the 1935 movie, "Hop-a-long Cassidy". What most of us don't know is that Clarence E. Mulford, the author and creator of the original Hopalong, described him as a rather unsavory character rather than the straight-thinking, straight-shooting cowboy that William Boyd portrayed.

Boyd was Hopalong Cassidy in 66 films through 1948 (he bought the rights to the character in 1945) and then, starred as Hopalong in the successful TV series in the 1950s. For over twenty years, children and adults, alike, thrilled to the adventures of Hopalong Cassidy, his horse, Topper and his sidekick, played first by George 'Gabby' Hayes and later by Andy Clyde.

Although William Boyd starred in Cecil B. DeMille's "Volga Boatman"; and in many silent movies and a slew of westerns other than the Hopalong Cassidy series; he will always be remembered as 'Hoppy'.

Word Of The Day: Rue (roo) v. To feel remorse or sorrow for; regret. He will someday rue his decision to resign.

6 June -- This is "Passion Pit" Day!

The first U.S. drive-in to show movies was opened in Camden, New Jersey, on Admiral Wilson Boulevard, this night in 1933. Those first drive-in moviegoers got to see "Wife Beware", a flick not destined to be a classic. The screen measured a huge 40 feet by 50 feet and was easily seen by everyone in the first cars in the front to the 500th car in the back row. As drive-in movies became popular throughout the country, families would regularly park their cars in the front rows so the kids in their PJs could play on the swings and monkey bars before the movie started. The rest parked wherever since a good number of those moviegoers weren't there to see the movie anyway! The passion pits that dotted the country, some with in-car heaters and through-your-radio sound have all but disappeared now, as TV and video cassettes have made movie viewing more convenient. Those drive-ins that do remain, however, offer more than just all-day swap shops in their huge lots. Some have four or five, even six screens, showing first run films at about $7.00 per carload. (Those stowing away in the trunk will be tossed out of the theatre immediately.)

Be sure to visit the snack bar at intermission for the pizza with the mushrooms ... and try not to spill your drinks and popcorn while searching for your car ... and remember to remove the speaker from your side window before you drive off. The breaking glass kinda puts a damper on the passion...

Word Of The Day: Urbane (uhr BAYN) adj. Refined or polished; polite or witty. The contestant from New York had such an urbane personality.

7 June -- This "$64,000 Question" Day!

"The $64,000 Question", a 1955 summer replacement show, with host, Hal March, premiered on this day. The first show became the most watched and talked about program on TV. Contestants had to answer 10 questions correctly beginning at $64 and doubling the amount with each correct answer upward to the $4,000 category. Getting this far got you a return trip to the show the following week. The consolation prize for an incorrect answer after reaching the $8,000 plateau was a new Cadillac. At this level, you got a free trip to the Revlon isolation booth where you, literally, sweated your way from $8,000 to $16,000 to $32,000 and, finally, the big one. An expert was permitted to accompany the contestant at the $64,000 mark.

This, the first of the big money, TV shows, attracted guests with unusual interests. Some of the better-remembered were Gino Prato, a Bronx, New York shoemaker who used his knowledge of opera to win $32,000, Jockey Billy Pearson, an art expert and one of the first to win $64,000 and psychologist, Joyce Brothers, an expert in boxing, who won big not only in cash but in her new career as media personality.

The biggest winner was 11-year-old Robert Strom, who won $192,000 ("The $64,000 Question" had added three new plateaus and several spin-off quiz shows: "The $64,000 Challenge" and "The Big Surprise").

On November 2, 1958 we witnessed the demise of "The $64,000 Question" as the quiz show rigging scandal ended this type of show. The real $64,000 question will always be, "was the show rigged or not?"

Word Of The Day: Manifold (MAN uh fold) adj. Many and complex; having diverse features. The family's problems are manifold.

8 June -- This is "Lassie" Day!

On this date in 1947, "Lassie" was heard on ABC radio. It was a 15-minute show about an extraordinary collie. Rudd Weatherwax, the owner and trainer of Lassie, served as the host of the original 15-minute radio show, which was sponsored by Red Hart Dog Food.

The 1940 best-selling novel by Eric Knight, "Lassie Come Home" and the popular 1944 MGM movie of the same title were the basis for the original radio show. In 1950, Lassie had enough of radio, and four years later, the show moved over to television. The TV show, incidentally, was not called "Lassie" in the beginning. It was "Jeff's Collie".

Through the years, there have been no less than seven Lassie dogs and, despite Jeff or, in later years, little Timmy saying "Good girl, Lassie", the performing collie has always been male. Frequently, more than one Lassie has been used in an episode, depending on the kind of tricks and stunts required. At least two dogs were always on hand at one time.

Kind of blows the image of the wonder dog a little, doesn't it? Next, we'll find that Jon Provost (who played Timmy) was really 25 years old and playing a little kid. A lot like Michael J. Fox.

Since we couldn't see the Lassie on the radio show, we'll have to assume there was only one true radio Lassie. Only Rudd Weatherwax knows which Lassie came home.

Word Of The Day: Coerce (ko URS) v. To control or force. They had to coerce the boys into cleaning their room.

9 June -- This is "Donald Duck" Day!

Walt Disney's famous ducky made his first appearance (as a bit player) on film this day in 1934 in "The Wise Little Hen". Donald Duck went on to quack his way into mischief and stardom in 127 cartoons and features before his final appearance in 1961. The irascible duck is known the world over and is the best-recognized Disney creation after Mickey Mouse. His girlfriend, Daisy, was seen for the first time in 1937. Kids came later, in the form of nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie; along with Donald's miserly uncle, Scrooge McDuck. All have appeared not only in films, but also in comic books and cartoons on TV.

Donald's distinctive quack was voiced originally by Clarence Nash. Quack, quack, quack...

Word Of The Day: Didactic (dai DAK tik) adj. Morally instructive; "teacherlike," often in an unfavorable sense. The class quickly grew tired of the didactic poetry.

10 June -- This is "Off To The Races" Day!

The sport of harness racing was first covered in a newspaper in the U.S. in the June 10, 1806 edition of New York's "Commercial Advertiser". A pacer named, Yankee, won the mile at Harlem Race Track in New York. Yankee had the pace down correctly: simultaneously thrusting out the fore and hind legs on one side. We don't know how many more races Yankee won, but the all-time high for pacer victories goes to Single G, a horse that won 262 races from 1918 through 1926. And Yankee wasn't around to run in the Triple Crown of Pacers (which began in 1959): the Cane Pace (Yonkers Raceway, NY), The Little Brown Jug (Delaware County Fair, Delaware, OH) and the Messenger Stakes held at various locations.

For most, however, harness racing is synonymous with trotting races. The difference between pacers and trotters is in their gait. Trotters use the diagonally opposite legs. The all-time high for trotter victories goes to Goldsmith Maid, who won 350 races from 1864 through 1877. The triple crown for trotters includes the most famous and richest race in North American harness racing, The Hambletonian. The Kentucky Futurity and Yonkers Trot complete the trio.

Trotting races go back in history to 1554 when they were first held in Valkenburg, the Netherlands and there are traces of trotters in England in the 1590s. In the U.S., 1870 marks the date that The National Trotting Association was founded; the current governing body for harness racing. It was first titled: National Association for the Promotion of the Interests of the Trotting Turf.

Great drivers, like Stanley Dancer (he won the Triple Crown of trotting twice, and of pacer once), have made harness racing a major spectator sport, complete with pari-mutual wagering in many states. See the horses line up across the track. They start behind a moving gate that takes a full lap to get the horses up to speed. The electric gate then folds away and the horses pulling sulkies (the 2-wheeled wagon the jockey sits in) and jockey are, literally, off to the races! There they goooo!

Word Of The Day: Fraught (fraht) adj. Filled or accompanied (usually derogatory). The city government was fraught with waste and corruption.

11 June -- This is "Triple Crown" Day!

Racing back to 1919 -- Sir Barton won the Belmont Stakes in New York to become the first horse to capture the Triple Crown. It was on this day that the Belmont Stakes was first run as part of thoroughbred racing's most prestigious trio of events. Sir Barton had already won the first two jewels of the Triple Crown -- The Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky and The Preakness Stakes in Maryland.

The Triple Crown is for three-year-olds only and has only been achieved by ten horses other than Sir Barton: Gallant Fox in 1930; Omaha, five years later; War Admiral in 1937; Whirlaway in '41; Count Fleet in '43; Assault in 1946; Citation ridden by Eddie Arcaro in 1948; the famous Secretariat in 1973; Seattle Slew in '77 and Affirmed, the following year.

Jim Fitzsimmons, the trainer of Gallant Fox and Omaha; and Ben Jones, who trained Whirlaway and Citation are the only trainers to have two winners in the Triple Crown circle.

Eddy Arcaro is the jockey who holds the most wins at the Kentucky Derby [5], Preakness Stakes [6], and Belmont Stakes [6]. Although he shares these records with other jockeys, he is the only one to have won the Triple Crown twice -- with Whirlaway and Citation.

Word Of The Day: Conflagration (KAHN fluh GRAY shuhn) n. A large, destructive fire. All was lost in the conflagration.

12 June -- This is "Perfect Game" Day!

Baseball's first El Perfecto, a perfect game, was recorded on this day in 1880 ... a perfect game being when no batter reaches a base during a complete game of at least nine innings.

A southpaw, left-handed John Lee Richmond of Worchester, MA., pitched himself to perfection with a 1-0 shutout of Cleveland in a National League game. Five days later, on June 17, the second, official perfect game was pitched by John Ward in another National League game between Providence and Buffalo.

It was another twenty-four years before this feat was accomplished again. This time, the now famous Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox, stopped the Philadelphia Athletics in an American League game. That was May 5, 1904, another perfect game day!

Word Of The Day: Dissent (di SENT) v. To differ or disagree markedly. If you dissent from our policy, you could be terminated.

13 June -- This is "Miranda" Day!

When reading this description of this day in history, you have the right to remain silent...

On this day in 1966, the Miranda Decision was handed down by the United States Supreme Court. The 5-4 decision regarded the rights of individuals to remain silent because "...anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law." It held that the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States "required warnings before valid statements could be taken by police."

If you are held for questioning, you will hear police read you your rights or read you the Miranda, the more common reference to the Miranda decision. The card imprinted with the Miranda Decision, and carried by the police, put some money in the pockets of then, 23-year-old Ernesto Miranda. The subject of Miranda vs. Arizona, he signed the cards, selling his autograph. Some ten years later, a man, suspected of stabbing Miranda to death, was released after being read his Miranda rights. A warrant was later issued for his arrest; but he was never seen again.

Without notifying suspects of their Miranda Rights, law enforcement in the U.S. has little basis for prosecution. What a criminal defendant says, if not informed that he/she has the right to remain silent and speak with an attorney or other legal counsel present, will not be admitted in court.

Book 'em, Danno ... and read 'em their rights.

Word Of The Day: Attenuate (uh TEN yoo ayt) v. To weaken or decrease. Your ability to act will attenuate as you delay your decision.

14 June -- This is "Flag" Day!

"Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white on a blue field, representing a new constellation," said John Adams on this date in 1777 at a meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, PA. And so, the first Flag Day was celebrated in the United States of America.

Proclamation 1335, May 30, 1916, made it possible for every President to issue a proclamation that June 14 would be celebrated as Flag Day. Pennsylvania is the only state to celebrate June 14 as a legal holiday, proclamation or not, although the proclamation has been issued annually since 1949.

At 7 p.m. E.D.T., across the United States, the President leads the country in a pause to pledge allegiance, a time to honor America. The national ceremony is held at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, and was conceived as a way for all citizens to share a patriotic moment.

We salute the star-bangled banner on this Flag Day.

Word Of The Day: Emulate (EM yoo layt) v. To strive to equal; to imitate. The youngster emulated his hero, Henry Ford.

15 June -- This is "Go Fly a Kite" Day!

From the Hey, Kids! Don't Try This At Home Funbook: On this day in 1752, Benjamin Franklin decided that since there was nothing on TV worth a darn, he'd go outside and play in the rain with his son. They even took a kite with them, which, in the dark, was kinda silly.

After realizing that they were getting soaking wet in the driving rainstorm, the thought occurred to Ben, "Gee, I wonder what would happen if I just tied my house key to the kite string and let it go in the rain? Hmmmm. Maybe, just maybe, if the lightning hits the key it will take us back to the future." Now we have no idea whether Mr. Franklin had some of Philadelphia's finest lager beer or some wine with dinner, or whether it was common practice back then to fly a kite in the rain -- but, he got the kite up in the air with the key attached and, sure enough, lightning hit the key, sending a pretty hefty electrical charge down the wet kite string. It put Mr. Franklin on his keester.

Ben learned a lesson, as did the rest of the world, about the relationship between lightning and electricity. "It was a shocking experience," he said. It was also a lesson with a moral, boys and girls: Never fly a kite at night in Philly with a key on the string in a thunderstorm, or, play golf with metal shafts in a lightning storm. If you do, don't tell anyone. Look what happened to Ben Franklin! People still talk about his "Stupid Human Trick" more than 200 years later!

Word Of The Day: Impasse (im PAS) n. A deadlock; a situation from which there is no escape. We reached an impasse on the negotiations.

16 June -- This is "My Little Margie" Day

Gale Storm (Margie Albright) and Charles Farrell (Vernon Albright) starred in "My Little Margie" which debuted on CBS TV on this day in 1952.

Fans of the popular comedy will remember that "My Little Margie" was based at the Carlton Arms Hotel, Apartment 10-A. Vern Albright was a very eligible widower who worked for the investment firm of Honeywell and Todd. Margie Albright, his 21-year-old daughter, was continually scheming to help dad and continually causing big trouble while helping.

The show made the unusual move FROM television TO radio in December, 1952, airing original, not simulcast, versions on the radio. Gale Storm and Charles Farrell starred in the radio series as well. "My Little Margie" skipped around the TV networks, going from CBS after four months to NBC TV, back to CBS TV in January of 1953 and then back to NBC in September of that year.

The sitcom met its demise in August 1955, just in time for Margie AKA Gale Storm to move into a singing career. "I Hear You Knocking", "Teenage Prayer", "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" and "Dark Moon" made it on to the pop charts after "My Little Margie" made it into our memory banks.

Word Of The Day: Profligate (PRAHF li guht) adj. Wasteful or extravagant; given to self-indulgence. His profligate vacation budget is ridiculous

17 June -- This is "Commercial TV" Day!

On this day in 1941, WNBT-TV - Channel 4 in New York City, was granted the first construction permit to operate a commercial TV station in the United States.

Owned by Radio Corporation of America (RCA), the station later changed its call letters to WRCA. As RCA developed the NBC Television Network and, especially, TV in "living" color in the early 1950s, WRCA, as well as its TV counterpart in Los Angeles, KRCA-TV 4, changed call letters once again. To reflect the impact of network television, the station became, and is still known, as WNBC-TV. On the west coast, KRCA was changed to KNBC-TV.

Both stations remain the flagships of NBC Television and are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the television network.

And both are truly commercial TV stations, as are all network TV stations these days (along with cable TV stations that, as we remember it, were originally supposed to be non-commercial).

Word Of The Day: Repugnant (ri PUG nuhnt) adj. Offensive, distasteful. That's the most repugnant looking animal I ever saw.

18 June -- This is "I Should Care" Day!

If you care about anything at all, there's a song written by Sammy Cahn for you to relate to. Sammy Cahn, the Tin Pan Alley legend was born Samuel Cohn, on this day in 1913 in New York City.

As a youngster, little Sammy wanted to grow up to be a famous vaudeville fiddler. How lucky we are that he stopped thinking about this in his teenage years. That's when he met pianist, Saul Chaplin. Sammy wrote the words and Saul the music to their first hit, "Rhythm is Our Business" for bandleader, Jimmie Lunceford. Then "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" for Andy Kirk and the jazz classic, "Shoe Shine Boy", performed by Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, the Mills Brothers, even Bing Crosby. The Andrews Sisters were lucky to know Sammy, too -- it was his adaptation of the Yiddish song, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" that became their signature.

Mr. Sinatra's many signature titles were Sammy Cahn's words, too (with Jimmy Van Heusen's music): "All the Way" (won an Oscar in 1957), "My Kind of Town", and Grammy Award-winning "September of My Years". As part of the personal, song-writing team for Mr. Sinatra, Sammy also wrote "Love and Marriage", "The Second Time Around", "High Hopes" (another Oscar winner in 1959) and "The Tender Trap".

If you still haven't found a song that makes you care, try these additional Oscar winners by Sammy Cahn: "Three Coins in the Fountain" [1954] and "Call Me Irresponsible" [1963). We could cover the entire page with the 22 other songs that were nominated but didn't win the gold statue!

Want to know more? Pick up the autobiography of the talented Sammy Cahn, written in 1974: "I Should Care".

Word Of The Day: Copious (KO pee uhs) adj. Plentiful, abundant. She kept copious minutes for each meeting.

19 June -- This is "Baseball" Day!

On this day in 1846, the first organized baseball game was played. The location was Hoboken, New Jersey (where Frank Sinatra was born!) The New York Baseball Club defeated the Knickerbocker Club, 23 to 1. No, Francis Albert Sinatra did not do the honors by singing the National Anthem, we don't think. Frankie wasn't around as yet...

This first game was only four innings long. The New York Nine, as the winners were known, must have really studied the rules to have twenty-three runs batted in. The rules had been formulated just one year earlier by a Mr. Alexander Cartwright, Jr.

And, this is how baseball, as we know it, got its start!

Word Of The Day: Belated (bi LAY tuhd) adj. Tardy or delayed. Her mother received a belated birthday gift in the mail.

20 June -- This is "Funny Girl" Day!

Fanny Brice, born Fannie Borach, debuted in the New York production of the "Ziegfeld Follies" on this day in 1910. It wasn't long before Brice became known as America's funny girl.

Brice was originally noticed by composer, Irving Berlin; but was truly discovered by Florenz Ziegfeld, and appeared as a Ziegfeld show girl, and then, the star of the "Follies" over the next 26 years. The comedienne who sang novelty and dialect songs, also wowed the audience with her torch numbers such as, "I'd Rather be Blue", "When a Woman Loves a Man", "My Man" and "Second Hand Rose".

A regular on Rudee Vallee's radio show, "The Fleischmann Hour" in the 1920s, Brice joined "The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air" at age 45. The show, on CBS Radio, was the introduction of her funny-voiced character, "Baby Snooks". In 1937, she joined NBC Radio and continued as the Snooks kid, a seven-year old spoiled brat. Brice's most famous line was, "Whyyyyyy, daddy, whyyyyy?" From 1936 through 1951, Brice was one of radio's biggest draws.

Fanny Brice died in 1951 at the age of 59 but she is still with us in the Broadway show [1964] and film [1968], "Funny Girl", based on her life. Barbra Streisand gained recognition and acclaim for her role in both, as Fanny Brice, "Funny Girl".

Word Of The Day: Machiavellian (MAK ee uh VEL ee uhn) adj. Governed by principles of manipulative deceit and cunning. His Machiavellian ploys fooled us all.

21 June -- This is "LP Record" Day!

For those of us who have a garage full of those 12-inch round black disks protected by flimsy cardboard covers, this note: It was on this day in 1948 that Columbia Records announced that it was offering a new "Vinylite" long-playing record that could hold 23 minutes of music on each side. One of the first LPs produced was of the original cast of the Broadway show, "South Pacific".

Critics quickly scoffed at the notion of LPs, since those heavy, breakable 78 RPM 10-inch disks with one song on each side were selling at an all-time high. It didn't take very long though, for the 33-1/3 RPM album -- and its 7-inch 45 RPM cousin to revolutionize the music industry and the record buying habits of millions.

But just the other day, as we were cleaning out a cabinet in the office, we came upon a stereo system, complete with a turntable. No one wanted the system. One Generation-Xer said, "What would I play on it?" I think we may still have one or two vinyls packed away in the garage.

Yes, the LP, or album, has gone the way of the 78s, 45s and 8-tracks, to be replaced by the shiny, compact disc which is now shoving the cassette out the door, too.

Word Of The Day: Ignoble (ig NO buhl) adj. Dishonerable; not having a noble character or purpose. How ignoble of them to treat her that way.

22 June -- This is "Brown Bomber" Day!

On this night in 1937, Joe Louis, The Brown Bomber, knocked out James Braddock in a boxing match in Chicago, Illinois. The bout lasted eight rounds. And Louis was announced as the world heavyweight boxing champion. Exactly one year later, on this date in 1938, Joe Louis knocked out Germany's Max Schmeling in the first round, in a bout at Yankee Stadium.

Joe Louis retained the world heavyweight boxing crown until he announced his retirement on March 1, 1949. That's a total of 11 years, 8 months and 7 days ... and 30 matches to retain the title.

The International Boxing Hall of Famer's first fight was at a boxing club where he fought for $7 worth of food. The Brown Bomber was knocked down 7 times in 2 rounds and, even though he won, swore he'd never fight again. That was just five years before he became the champ!

Word Of The Day: Perfunctory (puhr FUNGK tuh ree) adj. Done with little care or interest; performed routinely. Please give her message more than perfunctory attention.

23 June -- This is "Secret Service" Day!

Whoa! Make NO sudden moves. Those guys with the dark glasses and the earphone in one ear could be watching ... even here on the web! Whoa! Ever wonder why U.S. Secret Service agents talk into their hands in movies like "In the Line of Fire" with Clint Eastwood? Is it to stifle a cough? Is it because Mr. Microphone is hidden in the palm of their hand? Is it because they just like talking into their hand? We'll go with Mr. Microphone.

Anyway, it was on this day in 1860 that the United States Secret Service was created by an act of Congress. The agency was, at first, only responsible for protecting against the counterfeiting of U.S. currency.

In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley, the Secret Service began protecting the President of the U.S. Now, that has been extended and the detail has charge of protecting the President's family, the Vice-President, major presidential and vice-presidential candidates, past Presidents, their wives and widows and children 16 and under. The Secret Service also guards visiting heads of foreign governments and (at the request of the President) other foreign dignitaries. Representatives of the U.S. performing special missions on foreign soil are also protected by this arm of the U.S. Treasury.

The scope of responsibility for the Secret Service has grown enormously over the years. Those in its ranks are responsible for guarding the White House, The Executive Office Building, the Treasury Building and annex along with all the billions of $$$ stored in its vaults.

The Secret Service continues to assist the FBI and the Department of the Treasury in counterfeit crimes of U.S. currency, stamps, government bonds, checks and securities.

In fact, you can learn even more about counterfeit currency from the Secret Service pamphlet, "Know Your Money". (Kinda like "Know Your Hamster" or "Know your Beagle".)

Word Of The Day: Stipulate (STIP yoo layt) v. To specify a condition; demand. Stipulate in the contract that the purchase is subject to the sale of our home.

24 June -- This is "Million-Dollar Deal" Day!

On this day in 1916, the most lucrative movie contract to the time (and for a long time to come) was signed by actress, Mary Pickford. She inked the first seven-figure Hollywood deal. Pickford would get $250,000 per film with a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 a week against half of the profits including bonuses and the right of approval of all creative aspects of her films. It cost $1,040,000 and two years of movie making for Adolph Zukor at Paramount Pictures.

Mary Pickford was the subject of many Hollywood firsts other than this million dollar deal. She was Hollywood's first bankable name, commanding a star status salary of $275 a week as early as 1911, and $500 a week in 1913 when producer, B.P. Schulberg, named her "America's Sweetheart".

Her signature curls were the first film fashion fad. (After the million-dollar deal, she had more curls added by makeup artist, George Westmore, who used hair from Big Suzy's French Whorehouse's ladies of the evening.)

Pickford starred in the first screen play ("The New York Hat") written by now-famous playwright, Anita Loos. And, along with Norma and Constance Talmadge and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary was the first to leave footprints in the cement fronting Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre. She was also one of the first women in Hollywood to gain control over her own movies, forming her own production company, United Artists, with Douglas Fairbanks, D.W. Griffith and Charlie Chaplin. Mary Pickford sold her stock in United Artists in 1956.

America's sweetheart won her first Oscar for "Coquette" [1928-29]. In 1975 she received a special Academy Award recognizing her legacy to the world of film.

Not a bad deal for the former vaudeville and stage actress who once appeared on Broadway with Cecil B. DeMille in "The Warrens of Virginia", for a measly $25 a week.

Word Of The Day: Cessation (se SAY shuhn) n. A complete halt; stoppage. Cessation of construction will cost taxpayers many dollars.

25 June -- This is "Kewpie" Day!

How many of you remember ... or ever heard of ... the Kewpie Doll? Are we dating you? The Kewpie Doll was created by Rose O'Neill, who was born on this day in 1874. Rose was raised in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and had a rather successful career as an illustrator and author. She then began to design dolls, specifically, the Kewpie Doll.

A 1910 issue of "Ladies Home Journal" printed a full page of Ms. O'Neill's doll designs catapulting the Kewpie Doll into a marketing success in the toy industry for over three decades.

The Kewpie Doll was a small, cupid-like, plump figure with a top-knot and was made of plaster or celluloid.

Word Of The Day: Prognosticate (prahg NAHS tuh kayt) v. To predict the future from present indications. Erin prognosticates growth in software sales using economic trends.

26 June -- This is "Bikini" Day!

On this day in 1946, the first two piece brief swimsuit was shown in public. The bikini was worn by a model at a press party. According to our Bikini Encyclopedia it wasn't long before the creation of Louis Reard went from making the rounds of media events to the beaches of the world.

Mr. Reard, incidentally, called his bikini creation, "four triangles of nothing". In the 90s, we've seen some bikinis that were a lot less than that.

Word Of The Day: Usurp (yoo SURP) v. To seize control without authority; grab. He usurped the presidency by stealthy and collusion.

27 June -- This is "Clarabell Kangaroo" Day!

"Hey kids...what time is it? IT'S HOWDY DOODY TIME!" The year was 1947 and The Peanut Gallery surrounded Buffalo Bob Smith, Phineus T. Bluster, Indian Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring, Judy, Flubadub and a clown who didn't talk named, Clarabell. The clown could make noise with a horn, like Harpo Marx, and could spray seltzer water. But that was it. Clarabell was Bob Keeshan in disguise, a man who was born on this day in 1927. Two years later, Clarabell got restless. He wanted to talk. So, despite what Buffalo Bob and an NBC players contract said, Clarabell was determined to talk -- even silently. As relations between the clown and the star of the show (Buffalo Bob, not Howdy) got even more tense, Clarabell mouthed the words "Bye Kids" at the close of a "Howdy Doody" show and was fired on the spot.

Clarabell was out of a job until getting the big payback in 1955. Clarabell -- now back to being Bob Keeshan -- signed on with CBS for the only network children's show to be broadcast on a daily basis. That show, "Captain Kangaroo", became an integral part of American culture for two decades. Keeshan introduced us to Grandfather Clock, Mr. Green Jeans, Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose and many other characters who taught kids a lesson. The phrase, "And be sure to say 'please' ... and 'thank you!" was just one of many. "Captain Kangaroo" became the model for truly excellent children's television which led the way to "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood", "Sesame Street" and others.

We wish you Happy Birthday, wherever and whoever you are, Mr. Keeshan.

Word Of The Day: Idyllic (ai DIL ik) adj. Simple, romanticized, peaceful. In those idyllic days we had time to talk and walk.

28 June -- This is "Route 66" Day!

"Get your kicks...on Route...Six...Six" The words to the classic song made famous by Nat "King" Cole, The Manhattan Transfer, Rosemary Clooney and many others is remembered today, along with the TV show, of the same name.

The 59-year-old highway of 2,200 miles of blacktop was decertified as a U.S. highway on this day in 1985. The highway that was a legendary part of Americana saw highway crews removing the classic roadway shield markers that designated it as the highway west.

Route 66 started in Chicago, Illinois and continued into Santa Monica, California. Martin Milner and George Maharis took us for many spins on the famous highway through the TV series which aired in the early sixties. To travel from one end of Route 66 to the other, one would go through eight states and three time zones. Today, a very small portion of the highway is still open. In some places, grass and vegetation, as seen from the interstate highway or railroad tracks nearby, has all but obscured the once well-traveled route. Some one-stop, out-of-the-way places such as gas stations and greasy-spoon diners are now nothing more than decaying shells of their once glorious past.

From Chicago to LA, "Go to St. Louis, Joplin, Missouri, Oklahoma City is might pretty. You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico. Flagstaff, Arizona. Don't forget Winona... Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino. When you make that California trip. Get your kicks on Route Sixty-Six..."

Word Of The Day: Encumbrance (en KUM bruhns) n. A burden, load; a hindrance. Every encumbrance imaginable was encountered in their search.

29 June -- This is "Goethals" Day!

No one had a clue that the baby boy named George Washington Goethals, born on this day in 1858, in Brooklyn, NY would someday change the way the world did business.

As an adult, Mr. Goethals became army officer and chief engineer over thousands of workers who completed the passage we know as the Panama Canal. The engineering marvel took eleven years to complete at a cost of $337 million. The U.S. President at the time, Theodore Roosevelt, said it was "the greatest task of its own kind that has ever been performed in the world."

The canal is owned by the United States government under treaties that end the U.S. control in the year 2000. The United States pays rent to the Panamanian government.

We wonder if even George Washington Goethals knew how important the Panama Canal would be, both strategically and in commercial trade throughout the century.

Word Of The Day: Garrulous (GAR yuh luhs) adj. Talkative, chatty; wordy. All evening the garrulous guest dominated the conversation.

30 June -- This is "Big Boom" Day!

Possibly the most powerful, natural explosion in recorded history occurred on this day in 1908. The site was Central Siberia.

The spectacular explosion caused seismic shock, and a firestorm followed by black rain and an illumination that, it is said, could be seen for hundreds of miles.

To this day, no one knows what caused the explosion ... an extraterrestrial visitor? or a meteorite?

Word Of The Day: Demur (di MUR) v. To take exception to; object. I demur at the implication that I lied.

George R. Self
E-mail me at: grself@c2i2.com

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