Events That Occurred In English Language, American & Pop Culture History December 8 – 13

December 8

Singer/Songwriter & Poet Jim Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida on December 8, 1943. As a young man Morrison studied film at UCLA and it was during this time that he met keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore and formed the rock group “The Doors.” The Doors recorded and performed from 1966 and 1971. The group was known for Morrison’s poetic lyrics and on stage antics and for the excellent musicianship of Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore which is particularly notable during the long, free flowing instrumental sections of their songs.

Jim Morrison died in 1971.

Here’s a link to an All Music biography of Jim Morrison:

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-morrison-mn0000031022/biography

And here’s a link to a YouTube clip of the Doors performing the song “Riders on the Storm” which gives one a good idea of the sound of the group:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DED812HKWyM

December 9

Actor Dick Van Patten was born December 9, 1928 in Queens, New York. Van Patten was raised in a theater loving family and landed his first acting role in 1935 in the Broadway production of “Tapestry in Gray.”

From the 1940s to the 1970s, in addition to his theater work, Van Patten appeared in television shows and movies including: “Mama,” “The Jackie Gleason Show,” “I Dream of Genie,” “Sanford and Son” and the Oscar Award winning film “Charly.” However, it was in 1978 that Van Patten landed the role that made him a household name and pop culture icon in the U.S. – that of patriarch Tom Bradford in the hit show “Eight is Enough.” Bradford portrayed the father of eight children in the dramatic, comedy tinged series. In each episode of the series at least one family member was working to overcome some type of challenge and the patient, kind, caring and occasionally exasperated father Tom (Van Patten) was always on hand to offer assistance.

Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Dick Van Patten:

http://www.biography.com/people/dick-van-patten-9542423

A link to a YouTube clip showing the opening sequence of season 3 of the series – which gives you a good idea of what the show is like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tincTKPfpw

And a link to a TV Episode Guide for the series Eight is Enough:

http://www.tv.com/shows/eight-is-enough/episodes/

December 10

Poet Emily Dickinson was born December 10, 1851 in Amherst, Massachusetts. Dickinson grew up and lived her life within a close knit family that was well-off. Additionally of note, she received more education than was usual for a woman in America during the 19^th century; she attended the Amherst Academy and later spent a year at the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary before returning to her family home and living a very quiet life that included a great deal of writing and spending time with family and a few friends.

After her death in 1886 Dickinson’s family had her poems, which numbers approximately 1,800, published and Dickinson has since become known as a great American poet for the creativity and depth of her poetry.

Here’s a link to a an 1892 free book edition of Dickinson’s poems titled “Poems by Emily Dickinson;”

http://goo.gl/TCgp6b

December 12

Iconic singer Frank Sinatra was born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey. Frank Sinatra began singing as a child and decided to become a professional singer as a youth. Sinatra sang with Harry James and his Orchestra and Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra before launching a solo career. Sinatra became the quintessential American male vocalist of the 20^th Century, preforming and recording albums from the 1920s through the 1990s. Sinatra was  known for his smooth vocal performances on many, many songs over the years including: “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning,” “Nice ‘N’ Easy,” “Night And Day,” “My Way,” “New York, New York,” and “Strangers In The Night.”

Here’s a link to a concise biography of Frank Sinatra found on the Bio website:

http://www.biography.com/people/frank-sinatra-9484810

And a link to an official, and more in-depth, Sinatra Family biography of Frank Sinatra found on the Sinatra Family website:

http://sinatrafamily.com/biography/

And here’s a link to a YouTube clip of Sinatra singing “Come Fly With Me;”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQq6yLe2ww

December 13

On December 13, 1862 the American Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg unfolded near Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Battle of Fredericksburg saw the Army of Northern Virginia, under the command of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, win a decisive victory over the Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of Union General Ambrose Burnside. The battle was a very blood one for the Union Army as more than 12,000 Union soldiers were killed as compared to approximately 4,000 Confederate soldiers; and this 1862 Union loss cast a gloomy over Union Troops during the winter of 1862-1863. Eventually, however, the tide of the war turned and the Union Army was eventually victorious leading to the surrender of Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in Appomattox, Virginia to Union General, and future U.S. President, Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865.

Here’s a link to History site webpage that offers a general overview of the Battle of Fredericksburg:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-fredericksburg

A second related link to a National Parks webpage that offers a more in-depth description of the Battle of Fredericksburg:

http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fredhist.htm

And a link to a History webpage that offers a brief description of the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s and his Confederate Army to General U. S. Grant’s and his Union Army – which essentially ended the Civil War – on April 9, 1865:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

Battle of Fredericksburg. National Parks Service. Online. Accessed December 10, 2013, http://www.nps.gov/frsp/fredhist.htm

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

Dick Van Patten Biography. Bio. Online. Accessed December 8, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/dick-van-patten-9542423?page=1

Dickinson, Emily. Poems by Emily Dickinson. Robert Brothers. Boston. 1892. Accessed via Google Books December 8, 2013, http://goo.gl/TCgp6b

Emily Dickinson’s Biography. Emily Dickinson Museum. Online. Accessed December 8, 2013, http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/emilys_biography

Frank Sinatra. Bio. Online. Accessed December 8, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/frank-sinatra-9484810

Huey, Steve. Jim Morrison: Artist Biography. All Music. Online. Accessed December 8, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-morrison-mn0000031022/biography

Sinatra: Frank Sinatra Biography. Sinatra Family. Online. Accessed December 8, 2013, http://sinatrafamily.com/biography/

This Day in History: Apr 9, 1865: Robert E. Lee surrenders. History. Online. Accessed December 10, 2013, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/robert-e-lee-surrenders

This Day In History: Civil War: December 13, 1862: Rebels repel Yankees at the Battle of Fredericksburg. History. Online. Accessed December 10, 2013, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-fredericksburg

 

 

Events That Occurred In English Language, American & Pop Culture History November 30 – December 7, 2013

November 30:

Dick Clark, of American Bandstand fame, was born on November 30 in 1929. American Bandstand was an exceptionally popular music show that was shown on American TV from 1957 to 1989 – and Dick Clark was its upbeat host. The show focused on the music and dancing of the day and featured popular musicians and singers of the day as well as offering teenagers of the day a chance to dance on TV. Clark was so successful as its host that he became known as the “Oldest American Teenager.”

Dick Clark died in 2012

Here’s a link to Dick Clark’s New York Times obituary, which offers a nice overview of his life and career:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/arts/television/dick-clark-tv-host-and-icon-of-new-years-eve-is-dead-at-82.html?_r=0

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip of Dick Clark as host of American Bandstand and which also features several talented teenagers dancing to the 1964 hit “Just Like Romeo & Juliet:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgHGLBMiX5I

And a link to a YouTube clip of Dick Clark conducting a short interview with Janet Jackson, sister of Michael, during the 1980s era:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phtFAdSzNXQ

December 3:

American Colonial Era Painter Charles Gilbert Stuart was born on December 3, 1755. Stuart is a well-known figure in colonial American history because he painted some wonderful pictures of colonial and early U.S. figures like George Washington, John Adams, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Horatio Gates, Josiah Quincy and more.

Here’s a link to a collection of Charles Stuarts paintings:

http://www.gilbert-stuart.org/

And a link to a biography of Charles Stuart taken from the American National Biography website:

http://www.anb.org/articles/17/17-00839.html

December 5:

Disney founder Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901. Walt Disney founded the Disney Company, which has become an iconic American institution. The Disney company, originally known as the Walt Disney Company, introduced a number of hugely popular entertainment characters including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy. The company pioneered and produced many animated shorts and full-length animated films including Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Dumbo, Bambi, Pinocchio and Cinderella. The company also produced a weekly TV show called “The Wonderful World of Disney” that offered animated films and shorts and live-action shows including the very popular “Davy Crockett.” Additionally of note, the company also has produced many popular live-action (aka not animated) films over the years including “Mary Poppins,” “Treasure Island,” “Kidnapped,” “Swiss Family Robinson,” “Miracle of the White Stallions,” “Toy Story,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Here’s a link to an American National Biography of Walt Disney:

http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-00309.html

And a link to an interactive history of the Walt Disney Company that chronicles its story and that of the impact it has made on American culture through its videos from the 1920s till today:

http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/disney-history

And don’t forget you can check out many Disney DVDs at your public library!

Ninth U.S. President Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782. Van Buren was President of the United States from 1837-1841. Here’s a link to a short White House biography of Van Buren:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/martinvanburen

December 6:

Gerald R. Ford sworn in as Vice President in 1973. Ford, who had been a long serving congressman, had been appointed Vice President by his presidential predecessor President Nixon when Nixon ’s Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned after he was charged with income tax evasion. In 1974 President Nixon resigned due to the Watergate Scandal and Gerald R. Ford became the first President of the United States who had not been elected.

Here’s a link to a bio of President Ford, taken from the Ford Library & Museum website, which also offers a brief overview of the Watergate Scandal:

http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/grf/fordbiop.asp

December 7:

Naval forces of the Empire of Japan attacked the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. There is a great deal of information that can be easily obtained both online and in your local public library about the events that unfolded in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the American involvement in World War II; so I’m simply going to provide a link to the official Pearl Harbor Museum website which offers an overview of the attack:

Here’s the link:

http://www.pearlharboroahu.com/attack.htm

Writer Willa S. Cather was born in Virginia on December 7, 1873 and grew up in Nebraska. Cather was known for writing novels, which captured what life was like in the rural northwestern portion of the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Among her most popular and critically acclaimed works are “ “My Antonia,” and “O Pioneers!;”  both of which tell the story of immigrants and their families living in rural Nebraska and carving out a life for themselves there despite great challenges.

Eventually Cather broadened her writing focus and her later novels were set in a variety of places from New York to the Battlefields of Europe during World War I. Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1922 for her book “One of Ours” which tells the tale of Claude Wheeler a man living in rural Nebraska at the turn of the 20^th Century.

Here’s a link to Cather’s 1947 New York Times obituary, which offers a nice overview of her life and work:

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1207.html

And you can check out Willa Cather’s books at your public library!

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

8. Martin Van Buren 1837-1841. White House. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/martinvanburen

Jewell, Andrew. & Stout, Janis. (2013, April 19). 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Willa Cather. Publishers Weekly Online. Accessed December 2, 2013,

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/56879-10-things-you-probably-didn-t-know-about-willa-cather.html

38. Gerald Ford 1974-1977. White House. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/geraldford

American Bandstand. TV.com. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.tv.com/shows/american-bandstand/

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

Dick Clark. Biography. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/dick-clark-9249296

Disney History. The Walt Disney Company. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/disney-history

Gilbert Stuart. American National Biography. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.anb.org/articles/17/17-00839.html

Gilbert Stuart The Complete Works. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.gilbert-stuart.org/

Walt Disney. American National Biography. Online. Accessed December 2, 2013, http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-00309.html

 

 

 

 

Events That Occurred In English Language, American & Pop Culture History November 22 – 29

November 22:

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of his assassination and as there will be tremendous press coverage of this event I though instead of dwelling on how President Kennedy died, which is indeed a moment almost every American who was old enough at the time still remembers thanks in large part to television coverage, I’d provide some links that focus on his life.

Here’s a link to the official White House page on President Kennedy:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/johnfkennedy  

And a link to the official John F. Kennedy Presidential Library website where you can learn more about President Kennedy:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/

November 23:

Harpo Marx, of Marx Brothers fame, was Adolph Arthur Marx born on November 23, 1888. As a young man he began performing on stage with his brothers Leonard (Chico), Julius (Groucho), Milton (Gummo) and Herbert (Zeppo). The brothers originally put on a singing act but changed to a comedy routine and found they had quite a flair for comedy. And Adolph, who changed his legal first name simply to Arthur during World War II, received the nickname “Harpo” because he played the harp both on and off screen. In addition to playing the harp Harpo was a gifted pantomime who never spoke in the hit films the Marx Brothers made during the period 1929 – 1949. 

The Marx Brothers were exceptionally popular during their heyday of the 1930s and 1940s and their comedic antics have influenced many comedians and comedy actors over the years.

Some of their most popular films include “Animal Crackers” from 1930, “Monkey Business” from 1931, “Duck Soup” from 1933 and “A Night at the Opera” from 1935.

Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Harpo Marx: 

http://www.biography.com/people/harpo-marx-16242175

A link to the official Harpo Marx website which is maintained by Harpo’s eldest son Bill:

http://www.harposplace.com/

A link to a hilarious pantomimic scene from the I Love Lucy Show which features Harpo and Lucille Ball:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbL8M3wNxLc

And a link to a YouTube accessed trailer for the Marx Brother’s film “Horse Feathers;”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIMdOY_fwvU

November 24:

Musician, composer and Pulitzer Prize winner Scott Joplin was born on November 24, 1868 in Texarkana, which is located on the border between the states of Texas and Arkansas. Joplin began playing the piano as a child and became a professional musician as a youth. Joplin’s style of piano playing is called “Ragtime” and he became the most popular musician and composer of the genre. Ragtime emerged as a popular style of music during the period 1880-1900. Ragtime again became popular in the 1940s and 1970s and one of Joplin’s songs “The Entertainer,” as recorded for the soundtrack of the Paul Newman/Robert Redford film “The Sting” became a huge hit during the 1970s.

Some of Joplin’s best known songs have become American standards and include: “The Maple Leaf Rag,” “Solace,” “Peacherine Rag,” and “The Entertainer.”

Scott Joplin died in 1917.

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip of Joplin playing his most famous song “The Entertainer” courtesy of a piano roll from 1902:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPmruHc4S9Q

November 26:

Charles M. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Schulz began drawing as a child and new from a young age he wanted to be a cartoonist. And boy, what a cartoonist he became! Charles M. Schultz is the creator of the wildly popular Peanuts comic strip. The Peanuts strip made its debut on October 2, 1950 initially appearing in just seven newspapers. The strip was eventually carried by thousands of newspapers across the globe. Some of the Peanuts group of kids included “Charlie Brown,” his Sister “Sally,” his friend “Linus van Pelt,” Linus’s sister “Lucy,” and his dog “Snoopy.”

The Charlie Brown comic strip was complemented by a series of TV specials during the 1960s and 1970s. The most popular of the Charlie Brown specials has been the perennial favorite “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which airs annual on CBS and which is also available to check out of the library on DVD:

Also of note, the music for the early Charlie Brown TV specials was composed and recorded by the great Jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi and his trio. Particularly of note, is the soundtrack the Vince Guaraldi Trio did for the 1965 Charlie Brown Christmas Special; the album, which is still in print, is also titled “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and features the upbeat theme song “Linus and Lucy.” 

The library owns both the Charlie Brown Christmas Special on DVD and the complementary soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio so you can check them out!

Charles M. Schultz died in 2000.

Here’s a link to Charles Schultz’s New York Times obituary which offers a nice overview of his life:

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1126.html

Here’s a link to a YouTube accessed video clip showing a scene from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPG3zSgm_Qo

And a link to a YouTube clip of the song “Linus & Lucy”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zypc_LhnM

November 28:

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving is a National Holiday in the United States which honors the first Thanksgiving Dinner held by the early Euro-American colonists from England who settled in what today is Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. Those early colonists barely survived their first year in New World; and who owned their survival in large part to the local Wampanoag Indians who showed them how to successfully plant crops in the sandy Massachusetts soil.

President Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

Here’s a link to a History webpage on Thanksgiving:

http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

Rock N’ Roll Hall Fame Inductee Berry Gordy Jr. was born on November 28, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan. As a young man he served in the army and worked as a boxer and record store clerk before turning to songwriting, music production. Gordy founded and managed the Detroit based Motown Music which was located in a building coined “Hitsville USA” because so many Motown songs became hits and so many artists discovered by Berry Gordy recorded their early hits for Motown. Some of the most popular Motown artists include: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Stevie Wonder & The Jackson 5.

To give you an idea of how popular the bright and energetic Motown music was in the ten year period between 1961 – 1971 one hundred a sixty three Motown songs appeared on the pop charts and 28 went to number 1!

Here’s a link to a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame biography of Berry Gordy Jr:

http://rockhall.com/inductees/berry_gordy_jr/bio/

And a link to “Shop Around” which was the first #1 hit for both Motown Records and the musical group Smokey Robinson & The Miracles in 1960; and which offers a good idea of the great music put out by Motown Records in the 1960s and 1970s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGXa3FiXKM

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Berry Gordy Jr. Biography. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013, http://rockhall.com/inductees/berry_gordy_jr/bio/

Boxer, Sarah. (2000, February 14). OBITUARY Charles M. Schulz, ‘Peanuts’ Creator, Dies at 77. New York Times. Online. Accessed Niovember 22, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1126.html

A Charlie Brown Christmas. All Music. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-charlie-brown-christmas-mw0000649547

Charles M. Schultz Biography. Charles M. Schultz Museum. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013

http://schulzmuseum.org/about-the-man/schulz-biography/

First Thanksgiving. National Geographic Kids. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013, http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/first-thanksgiving/

Harpo Marx. Bio. Online. Accessed November 21, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/harpo-marx-16242175

Harpo’s Place. Online. Accessed November 21, 2013, http://www.harposplace.com/

History. Classic Motown. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013, http://classic.motown.com/history/

Marx Brothers Movies. Marx Brothers. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013, http://www.marx-brothers.org/watching/movies.htm

Scott Joplin. Bio. Online Accessed November 22, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/scott-joplin-9357953

Thanksgiving. History. Online. Accessed November 22, 2013, http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

Events That Occurred In English Language, American & Pop Culture History November 16 – 19

November 16:

On November 16, 1805 Lewis & Clark and their Discovery Corp reached the Pacific Ocean. In February of 1803, at the request of President Thomas Jefferson, Congress appropriated $2,500 to fund the journey of group of explorers led by Jefferson’s secretary Meriwether Lewis and his friend William Clark. The explorers were collectively dubbed “The Discovery Corp” by President Jefferson and their mission was to travel across the uncharted western portion of America until they reached the Pacific Ocean chronicling anything they saw along the way from the landscape, to the Native American tribes they encountered to the flora and fauna (aka plants and animals) they encountered along the way. The trip became a legendary adventure for the explorers and has gone down in American history as a colossal event.

Here’s a link to a PBS webpage on Lewis & Clark and their journey.

http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/

And here’s a link to a short clip taken from a National Geographic documentary about Lewis & Clark and their legendary journey that offers a nice synopsis of why their journey is important within the framework of American history:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqL4MTpCwL0

The library owns the National Geographic program “Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West” and the Ken Burns PBS miniseries about Lewis & Clark which is titled “Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.” You can check out the DVDs at the library; give us a call and we’ll request the for you, or, you can request the DVDs yourself by using the library’s online catalog – StarCat – here’s the link:

http://starcat.stls.org/client/default

November 18:

Singer & American Standards Songwriter Johnny Mercer was born on November 18, 1909 in Savannah, Georgia. Mercer wrote or co-wrote many songs that have since become American standards from the 1930s through the 1960s. Some of his famous songs include: “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive,” “Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe,” “One for My Baby (And One More for the Road),” “Come Rain or Come Shine,”  “Blues in the Night,” “Satin Doll,” “My Shining Hour,” “Early Autumn,”  and “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby.”

The library owns a really cool documentary on Johnny Mercer called “The Dreams on Me” – check it out!

Here’s a link to an All Music biography of Johnny Mercer:

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-mercer-mn0000244406/biography

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip of Billie Holiday singing Mercer’s “One for My Baby (And One More for the Road):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMTt61-Lqc

November 19:

On November 19, 1863 President Lincoln Gave His Famous Gettysburg Address.

President Lincoln spoke at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Virginia, the site of one of the most famous battles of the American Civil War – “The Battle of Gettysburg” which was fought in the July of 1863 and caused more than 50,000 casualties.

And the speech President Lincoln gave that day is one of his most famous speeches. Here’s the text of the speech taken from the Library of Congress website:

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.”

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow, this ground– The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here.

It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedica-ted to the great task remaining before us — that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln, Draft of the Gettysburg Address: Nicolay Copy. Transcribed and annotated by the Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. Available at Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division (Washington, D.C.: American Memory Project, [2000-02]),”

Here’s a link to a Library of Congress webpage that offers more information on Lincoln and his Gettysburg  Address

http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/gettysburgaddress/Pages/default.aspx

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

The Corps. PBS. Online. Accessed November 15, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/idx_corp.html

Inside the Corps. PBS. Online. Accessed November 15, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/index.html

Johnny Mercer Biography. All Music. Online. Accessed November 15, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-mercer-mn0000244406/biography

 

 

 

Events That Occurred In English Language, American & Pop Culture History November 10 –15

November 10:

Sesame Street made its television debut on November 10, 1969. Sesame Street is a children’s television show that has been shown on Public Broadcasting Stations (or PBS) for 44 years and counting. The show is very popular and has educated generations of children over the years with a format that is both fun and educational. The show takes place on a city street (Sesame Street) and features both Jim Henson’s Muppets (sort of live action puppets) and a series of human characters. Over the years the human actors have included Bob McGrath, Matt Robinson, Loretta Long, Roscoe Orman, Ruth Buzzi, Buffy Saint Marie and others. And the most famous of the Muppet characters include Burt, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, The Count, Big Bird, The Cookie Monster and Mr. Snuffleupagus. And children learn as they follow the fun adventures of the Sesame Street gang which include live action stories, skits and video clips.

Sesame Street is still very popular in the United States and an estimated 8 million children tune in to watch the show every week!

Here’s a link to a History Channel history of Sesame Street:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sesame-street-debuts

And here’s a link to the first four minutes of the very first episode of Sesame Street which introduced some human characters and one very large Muppet named “Big Bird!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRurJ9BDhik

And a third link to another short Sesame Street video that shows the Martian Muppets “discovering” a telephone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTc3PsW5ghQ

November 11:

Veterans Day: Veterans Day was originally called “Armistice Day” in the United States and was a day to honor U.S. soldiers who died during World War I (1914-1918). In the 1950s the name of the day was changed from “Armistice Day” to “Veterans Day” and became a day to remember all U.S. soldiers who died in all wars including the then recently concluded wars: Word War II and the Korea War.

In 1970 a law known as the “Monday Holiday Law” moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in November. However, the change in date of the holiday, from its traditional November 11 date that is still strongly associated with the end of World War I, was very unpopular and in 1975 another law was passed that moved Veterans Day back to the November 11 date.

Here’s a link to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs history of Veterans Day which chronicles how Veterans Day has been observed in the U.S. since 1919:

http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

November 13:

Robert Louis Stevenson was born on November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Stevenson’s works were popular in his own life time and are considered popular English language classics today. His two most popular children’s books are: “Treasure Island,” which tells that tale of young Jim Hawkins’s who opens the trunk of a sea captain that has unexpectedly died at his parent’s inn in Bristol, England and wind up having quite an adventure! When he opens the trunk Hawkins finds a treasure map and he embarks on a sea faring adventure that includes pirates, mutiny and treasure; and, “Kidnapped,” which relays the story of David Balfour, a youth from a family of modest means, who discovers after his father Alexander dies, that his father’s family is a wealthy family; once he discovers this fact, David decides to go and meet his uncle, his father’s brother Ebenezer Balfour, at the family estate. And unbeknownst to David his father was actually the elder of the two brothers and upon his father’s death David should have inherited the family estate – David discovers this after he meets his Uncle Ebenezer and is kidnapped by sailors and taken away on a sailing ship at the bequest of his charming Uncle Ebenezer!

Stevenson’s best known story for adults is the classic terror tale “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” about a doctor whose science experiment turns him into the horrific Mr. Hyde of the title.

You can check out the book and DVD versions of Kidnapped, Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at the library!

Here’s a link to a Biography bio of Robert Louis Stevenson:

http://www.biography.com/people/robert-louis-stevenson-9494571

A link to a Spark Notes in-depth plot summary of Treasure Island:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/treasure/summary.html

A link to a Spark Notes in-depth plot summary of Kidnapped:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/kidnapped/summary.html

And  link to a Spark Notes in-depth plot summary of Treasure Island:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/jekyll/summary.html

November 14:

The great American composer Aaron Copland was born on November 14, 1900 in Brooklyn, New York. Copland learned to play the piano as a child and at age 20 moved to France to study European classical music at the Summer School of Music for American Students in Fountainebleau, France. Copland began composing professionally in his twenties and by the 1930s he was composing symphonic works for ballet and film. His film scores of that era include “Our Town” from 1940, “Of Mice and Men” from 1939 and “The Heiress” from 1949 for which he received an Academy Award for best film score.

And his classical works include “Agnes DeMille’s Rodeao” from 1942, “Appalachian Spring” from 1944, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize, “A Lincoln Portrait” also from 1942 and the short but majestic and unforgettable “Fanfare for the Common Man” also from 1942.

Here’s a link to a short PBS biography of Aaron Copland:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/aaron-copland/about-the-composer/475/

And a link to an NPR Music page that offers more information on Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” and a link to clip of the song:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5158688

And a link to a YouTube clip of the full 25 minutes of Copland’s “Appalachian Spring:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4E1JYP5Tgc

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

American Masters: About The Composer: Aaron Copland. PBS. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/aaron-copland/about-the-composer/475/

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013.

Copland’s ‘Fanfare for the Common Man.’ NPR Music. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5158688

History of Veterans Day. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, History of Veterans Day. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

Kidnapped: Robert Louis Stevenson: Plot. Spark Notes. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/kidnapped/summary.html

Robert Louis Stevenson. Bio. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/robert-louis-stevenson-9494571

This Day in History: November 10, 1969: Sesame Street Debuts. History. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sesame-street-debuts

Treasure Island: Robert Louis Stevenson: Plot. Spark Notes. Online. Accessed November 10 ,2013, http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/treasure/summary.html

Veterans Day. History. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-veterans-day

World War One. BBC. Online. Accessed November 10, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/

Events That Occurred In American & Pop Culture History November 5 – 8

November 5:

The Nat King Cole Show Made Its Television Debut On November 5, 1956. Pianist and singer extraordinaire Nat King Cole hosted a variety show for NBC from 1956 to 1957. Cole was the first African American to host a television show; and even though NBC couldn’t find a sponsor for the show at the time, it agreed to produce the show and would even have kept it running longer than the 13 months it was on the air. However, since there wasn’t a sponsor for the show there wasn’t much money to pay the performers who appeared on the show and Nat King Cole made the decision to end the show in 1957 because he didn’t feel it was appropriate to continue to ask performers to appear on the show and pay them next to nothing.

If you like vocal music and/or classic Jazz and aren’t familiar with the music of Nat King Cole you should check it out! The library owns a number of Nat King Cole CDs – ask the staff if you’d like to check one out the next time you visit the library.

Here’s a link to a Classic TV Info page on the Nat King Cole show:

http://www.classictvinfo.com/TheNatKingColeShow/

And a second related link to a YouTube clip of the show which features Nat King Cole singing on his show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5tZrH2O4jc

November 6:

U.S. Composer & Bandleader John Philip Sousa Was Born On November 6, 1854 in Washington, D. C. Sousa was a musician and composer of band marches  who apprenticed with the U.S. Marine Band for twelve years from 1880-1892. In 1892 Sousa formed his own band and toured internationally to great acclaim. Sousa’s band music is very patriotic and is played by high school marching bands across the country. His music is also features in many annual 4^th of July programs.

Here’s a link to a PBS biography of Sousa:

http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/sousa.html

And here’s a link to a YouTube clip of the U.S. Marine Band playing the most famous of Sousa’s 136 marches “The Stars & Stripes Forever;” which became the official march of the U.S. in 1987:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7XWhyvIpE

November 8:

Author Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8, 1900 in Atlanta, Georgia. Mitchell only wrote one novel but it became an exceptionally popular novel! The book is titled “Gone with the Wind” and it was a bestseller when it was published in 1936. The book even won the coveted Pulitzer Prize in 1937.

Gone With The Wind was a sweeping romantic drama set in the old south and chronicled the story of Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara. The book was turned into an equally popular movie of the same name in 1939 that starred the classic Hollywood actors Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.

Margaret Mitchell died from injuries she received after being struck by a car in 1949.

Here’s a link to a Margret Mitchell’s New York Times obituary which offers a nice overview of her life story:

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1108.html

And a link to an NPR article and accompanying podcast from 2011 titled “Margaret Mitchell’s ‘Gone With The Wind’ Turns 75,” which discussed the history of the book and its continuing popularity:

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137476187/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-the-wind-turns-75

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013. John Philip Sousa. Biography. Online. Accessed November 4, 2013,

Davidson, Jim. (2011, March 28). The Nat King Cole Show 1956-1957, Jim Davidson’s Classic TV Info. Online. Accessed November 1, 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K8Q3cqGs7I

John Philip Sousa. Biography. Online. Accessed November 4, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/john-philip-sousa-9489296

On This Day: August 17, 1949: Miss Mitchell, 49, Dead of Injuries. New York Times. Online. Accessed November 4, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/1108.html

Pulitzer Prizes 1937 Winners. Pulitzer Prize. Online. Accessed November 4, 2013, http://www.pulitzer.org/awards/1937

Sousa: The March King: Biography. PBS. Online. Accessed NOvember 4, 2013, http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/sousa.html

Stamberg, Susan. (2011, June 30). Margaret Mitchell’s ‘Gone With The Wind’ Turns 75. NPR. Online. Accessed November 4, 2013, http://www.npr.org/2011/06/30/137476187/margaret-mitchells-gone-with-the-wind-turns-75

Events That Occurred In American & English Language History October 25 – November 1, 2013

Here is a listing of notable English Language & American historical and popular culture related events for the period of October 25 – November 1:

October 25:

On October 25, 1400 Geoffrey Chaucer, the most prominent English language poet and writer of the Middle Ages, died. Chaucer’s exact birth date is unknown but it is believed that he was born in London, England in approximately 1340. His best known work today, which is still a staple of many English Literature classes, is his “Canterbury Tales” which encompasses more than 17,000 lines of poetry.

And as you can imagine since he died in 1400 a good number of Geoffrey Chaucer’s works have fallen into the public domain; and so you can read the entire Canterbury Tales collection for free online! Google Books has a copy which you can even download to our PC if you like – here’s the link:

http://goo.gl/DaR6Va

And you can also check a print copy out of the library if you prefer to read print books!

Note Before You Read: Be advised that The Canterbury Tales is written in the English of the Middle Ages – so it is not written in modern British or American English and will be something of a challenge to read; however, it is interesting to read the poetry in the book to see how the English language has evolved over time. And of course, Chaucer’s poetry itself is neat too!

October 26:

On October 26, 1825 the Erie Canal opened for business. The Erie Canal was the first large man made commercial water-way transport United States. The Erie Canal ran from the Huston River in Albany to the Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York and was a project enthusiastically sponsored by then New York State Governor Dewitt Clinton. Once the Erie Canal opened for business merchants, farmers and others could quickly float their tons of their goods westward through the on Canal on barges for a fraction of what it would cost to do so by mule and horse transport. The Erie Canal was very busy until steam travel was perfected and made it faster and cheaper to transport goods by train in the late nineteenth century.

You can still travel by boat today through most of the Erie Canal and the State of New York even maintains a website that offers current and historical information on the canal systems that still run through the state – here’s the link:

http://www.canals.ny.gov/navinfo/index.html

And here’s a link to a History site page that offers a history of the Erie Canal:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/erie-canal-opens

The great American gospel singer Mahalia Jackson was born on October 26, 1911 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jackson began singing professionally as a youth and became a popular singing star in the 1940s and 1950s. Jackson sang Christian songs with a deep passionate voice. Some of her best known songs include “Move On Up a Little Higher,” “Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho,” and “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” Jackson sang at President Kenney’s inauguration in 1961 and at the famous Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights March of 1963. Mahalia Jackson died in 1972.

Here’s a link to Biography website bio of Mahalia Jackson:

http://www.biography.com/people/mahalia-jackson-9351242

And a link to a YouTube clip of Jackson singing the song “Down By The River Side:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eiwb67-TMd0&list=PL780F47250A903430

October 28:

Microsoft founder, entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington. Gates began programming computers as a youth with a friend named Paul Allen and the two went on to form a company originally called Micro-Soft in 1975. Micro-Soft became Microsoft in 1976. And with its user friendly software Microsoft went on to become the dominant computer software company in the world – its operating system (or OS for short) being installed on the great majority of computers being sold to consumers from the 1980s on; and the success of the company made Bill Gates one of the wealthiest men in the world! Bill Gates and his wife Melinda formed the philanthropic Gates Foundation in 1994 and the Foundation has given billions of dollars towards a variety of charities including public libraries!

Bill Gates left his role working as the chief operating office of Microsoft in 2000 to focus on philanthropic work but remains on the Microsoft Board.

Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Bill Gates:

http://www.biography.com/people/bill-gates-9307520

And here’s a link to a history of Microsoft:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history

October 29:

Actor Richard Dreyfuss was born on October 29, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Dreyfuss began appearing as a supporting actor in television shows like “Gidget” and “Bewitched” during the mid-sixties. Dreyfuss then moved on to supporting roles in movies like “Baby Face Nelson” and “Valley of the Dolls” before landing the film role that first brought him to the attention of American film goers; that of Curt Henderson, a recent high school graduate unsure of what he wants to do with his future, in the film classic “American Graffiti.” Dreyfuss has since become one of the most popular and critically acclaimed American film actors of his generation. Dreyfuss has put in top notch performance in a number of other films over the years including “The Goodbye Girl,” ”Down & Out In Beverly Hills,” “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” and the recent Oliver Stone film “W.”

Here’s a link to a Biography site bio of Richard Dreyfuss and you can check out his movies on DVD at the library!

http://www.biography.com/people/richard-dreyfuss-9279259?page=2

October 30:

Emily Post was born on October 30, 1872 in Baltimore, Maryland. Post published the first edition of her famous book on etiquette titled “Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage” in 1922. The book quickly became a popular guide that Americans’ consulted to determine what qualified as socially acceptable behavior. The book has been published in more than 100 different editions over the years and is still in print in 2013! The book is now known as “Emily Post’s Etiquette” and it is still being updated to reflect modern standards of etiquette by members of Emily Post’s family.

Here’s a link to a Biography site bio of Emily Post:

http://www.biography.com/people/emily-post-9445093

And the library owns several copies of the book “Emily Post’s Etiquette “ so if you’d like to check one out – ask the staff the next time you’re in the library!

October 31:

The Humorous NPR Auto Repair Show Car Talk debuted on National Public Radio On October 31, 1987. The show featured two brothers; Tom and Ray Magliozzi who were nicknamed “Click and Clack; the Tappet Brothers.” The program was aired live and allowed radio listeners to call in call in and describe the trouble they were having with their cars and allow the repair expert Magliozzi brother to answer their questions in a humorous fashion. The brother always had a joke or two up their sleeves and the so the radio program became known as much for their good natured humor as for the car repair tips they offered.

The Magliozzi Brothers hosted the show live on Saturday mornings for 35 years through 2012 and have since retired. However, they taped many, many programs over their long run and those are being replayed every Saturday morning on NPR.

So if you’re in the mood to listen to two comedian car experts on Saturday mornings check out Car Talk on NPR Radio! And if you’re in the mood to listen any other time check out the Car Talk website which features clips from the show – here’s the link:

http://www.cartalk.com/

November 1:

November 2013 is Peanut Butter Lovers month in the United States!

So if you like peanut butter you should make all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter pie and peanut butter cookies you desire in the month of November!

And you can also check out the Peanut Butter Lovers website to find out more about Peanut Butter Lovers month and even find some new recipes that include that delicious ingredient peanut butter!

Here’s the link:

http://peanutbutterlovers.com/

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

Ankeny, Jason. Artist Biography  Mahalia Jackson. All Music. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mahalia-jackson-mn0000814657/biography

Car Talk. Car Talk. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.cartalk.com/

Chase’s Calendar of Events 2013. New York. McGraw-Hill. 2013

Dewitt Clinton. Union College. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.eriecanal.org/UnionCollege/Clinton.html

History of the Canal: A Brief History of the Canal. The Erie Canal Museum. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://eriecanalmuseum.org/history/

A History of Windows: Highlights from the first 25 years 1975–1981: Microsoft boots up. Microsoft. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history

Mahalia Jackson. Biography. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/mahalia-jackson-9351242

Mahalia Jackson Discography. All Music. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mahalia-jackson-mn0000814657/discography

Memmott, Mark. (2012, June 08). ‘Car Talk’ Guys Are Retiring, But Their Best Stuff Will Be Rebroadcast Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/06/08/154576808/car-talk-guys-are-retiring-but-their-best-stuff-will-be-rebroadcast

New York State Canals. New York State. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.canals.ny.gov/navinfo/index.html

Richard Dreyfuss. Biography.  Online. Accessed October 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/richard-dreyfuss-9279259

This Day In History: October 26: The Erie Canal Opens. History. Online. Accessed October 25, 2013, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/erie-canal-opens

On This Day In American Pop Culture History – Actress Carrie Fisher Is Born

Actress Carrie Fisher was born in Los Angeles, California on October 21, 1956. Fisher’s father was the popular singer Eddie Fisher and her mother is the well-known classic Hollywood era actress Debbie Reynolds. Fisher began acting as a youth appearing with her mother on stage in Las Vegas. Fisher made her screen debut in the 1975 hit film “Shampoo” which starred Warren Beatty and Goldie Hawn.

And in 1977 Fisher got her big break when she was cast by director George Lucas in a little film he was making called Star Wars! Fisher was cast in the prime role of Princess Leia and the incredible success of the movie and it subsequent sequels “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” made Fisher and her co-stars Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) household names.

In the years since the original Star Wars trilogy of films were released Fisher has offered strong supporting performances in a number of films including “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sweet Revenge” and “Soap Dish.” Fisher has also penned a number of best-selling books including “Postcards from the Edge,” “The Best Awful,” and “Wishful Drinking.”

Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are all rumored to be among the cast of the original Star Wars trilogy of films to agree to reprise the roles in the upcoming 7^th film in the Star Wars franchise which does not yet have a release date.

Carrie Fisher celebrates her 57^th birthday today!

Here’s a link to a Bio biography of Carrie Fisher:

http://www.biography.com/people/carrie-fisher-9542646

And a link to a trailer for the first Star Wars film from 1977 then simply known as “Star Wars” and today known as “Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope;”

http://starwars.com/watch/rw_swtrailer.html

Have a great day!

Linda R.

References

Carrie Fisher. Biography. Online. Accessed October 21, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/carrie-fisher-9542646

Carrie Fisher Biography. Online. Accessed October 21, 2013, http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/carrie-fisher.html

Historical & Pop Culture Items of Note for The Week of October 14 – 20, 2013

On This Day In American History: October 17:

On October 17, 1989 an earthquake that measured 6.9 on the Richter scale occurred in the San Francisco Bay area and lasted less than a minute. Sixty seven people were killed in the earthquake and the damage to buildings and transportation systems in the area totaled more than five billion dollars.

California is a place where earthquakes of varying degrees of intensity occur on a regular basis because there a major fault line (aka a break in the Earth’s crust caused by shifting tectonic plates of rock) in that region. The previous super earthquake in the region occurred on April 1906 with the epicenter of the quake so close to San Francisco that an area that encompassed 500 city blocks was completely destroyed by the quake!

Here’s a link to a History webpage that offers more information on the earthquake and also has links to photos and videos of the quake and its aftermath:

http://www.history.com/topics/san-francisco-oakland-earthquake-of-1989

Here’s a link to a San Andreas Foundation site page that offers information on the California earthquakes cause – the San Andreas Fault:

http://www.sanandreasfault.org/

And a link to a National Archives page on the 1906 earthquake that features a number of photos showing the massive devastation caused by that earthquake:

http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf/

On This Day In American History: October 18:

Rock n’ Roll Pioneer, Guitarist & Icon Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 18, 1926. In the late nineteen fifties Berry’s youth oriented songs became exceptionally popular with young people and his guitar playing influenced a whole host of future musicians including members of the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys. Some of Chuck Berry’s most notable songs include “Johnny B. Good,” “Maybelline,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Almost Grown,” “You Can’t Catch Me” and “Havana Moon.”

Chuck Berry celebrates his 87th birthday on October 18th!

Here’s a link to a Biography bio of Chuck Berry:

http://www.biography.com/people/chuck-berry-9210488

And a link to a YouTube clip of Berry playing the song “You Can’t Catch Me” in 1956:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcblXxc4oqo

On This Day In American History: October 20:

Actor Viggo Mortensen was born in New York City on October 20, 1958. Mortensen made his film debut in the 1985 hit “Witness” and appeared in The Indian Runner (1991), Portrait of a Lady (1996) and 28 Days (2000) before being cast as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy based upon the books written by J. R. R. Tolkien – Aragorn of course being the actual King of the title of the third book and film in the trilogy “The Return of the King.”

The Lord of the Rings trilogy of films (and books) includes the following three titles that tell one complete tale: “The Fellowship of the Ring,” (2002), “The Two Towers” (2003) and “The Return of the King” (2004).

Mortensen has subsequently starred in films including “Hidalgo” from 2004, “A History of Violence” from 2005, Eastern Promises from 2006, “The Road” from 2009 and “A Walk on the Moon” from 2010.

Here’s a link to a Biography bio of Viggo Mortensen:

http://www.biography.com/people/viggo-mortensen-13729309

And here’s a link to a pivotal scene from the film “The Return of the King” that shows Aragorn the King giving a speech to his troops just before they engage the enemy troops lead by the evil and powerful Sauron:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReDWEGDioDA

And if you’d ever like to read more about any of the historical or cultural items mentioned in the blog postings on this blog, or to view any of the movies or television shows mentioned – ask the staff at our library (or your library) – to assist you in requesting the books and/or DVDs you’re interested in!

Have a great week!

Linda R.

References

Chuck Berry. Biography. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/chuck-berry-9210488

San Francisco Earthquake, 1906. National Archives. Online.  Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf/

San Francisco–Oakland earthquake of 1989. History. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.history.com/topics/san-francisco-oakland-earthquake-of-1989

San Andreas Fault Information. San Andreas Fault. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.sanandreasfault.org/Information.html

Viggo Mortensen. Biography. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/viggo-mortensen-13729309

What is a Fault? (2012, September 12). Earth Science Picture of the Day. Online. Accessed October 17, 2013, http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2012/09/what-is-a-fault.html

 

On This Day In English Language History – The Classic British TV Series Upstairs, Downstairs Premiers

Long before there was Downton Abbey there was the British television series Upstairs, Downstairs. Upstairs, Downstairs made its television debut on October 10, 1971. The series was set in London and followed the lives of the rich Bellamy Family who lived upstairs and their servants who lived downstairs. The series chronicled the interconnected lives of the members of the Bellamy household from 1903 to 1930.

The Bellamy Family consisted of Richard Bellamy, his wife Lady Marjorie Bellamy, their son James and their daughter Elizabeth. The main Downstairs “family” of servants consisted of Butler Mr. Hudson, Cook Mrs. Bridges, chief maid Rose Buck, parlor maid Daisy and footman Edward.

The series was a fun drama to watch as it showed what life was like in London during the first three decades of the twentieth century.

The series was co-created by Jean Marsh who portrayed maid Rose Buck and ran for five seasons. The program was shown on PBS in the United States.

The series remains so popular that a sequel to the program also called Upstairs Downstairs* made its debut in 2010 and it too stars Jean Marsh as Rose Buck!

Here’s a link to a YouTube clip showing scenes from the original Upstairs, Downstairs series which gives you a good idea of what the series is like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSPacDUm5dk

The library owns all five seasons of Upstairs, Downstairs so if you’d like to check it out you can!

Have a great day!

Linda R.

*You’ll notice the second series called “Upstairs Downstairs” doesn’t feature a comma between the words Upstairs and Downstairs – and in noticing that you’d be right! The first series is titled “Upstairs, Downstairs,” and the second series is indeed titled “Upstairs Downstairs” with no comma!