Welcome back! As the little girl said in Poltergeist 2,
"Wee’rrrrreee baaaa-aack!"
Our new mission here at The Spark is to point you to the Yahoo! Directory,
America's favorite source of aggregated and categorized Internet information
for more than a tenth of a century.
Look, we know: you're busy, we're busy, everyone's busy. But there are times
when you want to know a bit (or a lot) more about an event or topic, and that's
where we come in. Since 1995, we've searched the web to find the best sites and
information in order to present them to you.
The beauty part of it is, every week, we'll give you an overview of what's
happening and what's coming up. If you simply want to know what's going on,
we're one-stop shopping. But if you see something that piques your interest,
well, there's plenty more lurking behind the links. So, here we go!
Monday:
Today is the 241st anniversary of the founding of Los Angeles. In fact, it's a good fortnight for civic anniversaries, as
August 12th marks the 177th birthday of Chicago.
The London Tube turns 140 today. It was the world's first subway, and is ridden by around three million people daily. As
long as we've already mentioned Los Angeles and Chicago, we should note that
they have subways, too. Chicago's El (which isn't a "subway," but you know what we
mean ...) came along in 1892, so Chicagoans had to wait only 60 years to hitch
a ride, but Angelenos weren't able to ride underground
until 1990. (We won't mention the old Southern Electric Red Cars that were
replaced by the freeway system.)
We note the birthdays of some of our favorite actors today. Myrna Loy (1905) was voted "Queen of the Movies" in the 1930s (in the same poll that named Clark Gable "The King"). Ann Dvorak (1912) had
a shorter career, but remains indelible for what performances she did give. She
was once described as being able to do everything Bette Davis could -- plus being able to sing and dance
-- but she never got the right roles and faded. Peter O'Toole
celebrates his 78th birthday. He's been nominated for eight Oscars (the most ever without a win) for movies like Lawrence of Arabia, The Stunt Man,
and My Favorite Year.
And if you should feel a need to celebrate any of those birthdays, you might
break out your favorite board game and head for Amish country, since this whole week will see the World Boardgaming Championships in Lancaster, PA.
Tuesday:
Even a multi-gazillion dollar business like college sports got a start somewhere, and today's the anniversary of that
beginning: in 1852, Harvard and Yale competed in a boat race
that was the first intercollegiate athletic event in the U.S.
More birthdays today: Mystery novelist P.D. James hits 90, singer Tony Bennett is 84, homemaker extraordinaire Martha Stewart turns 69, and both film director John Landis and actor Martin Sheen
hit the big 7-0.
And while it’s not a "birthday," per se, the National Basketball
Association was founded on this day in 1949.
Wednesday:
More birthdays: jazz legend Louis Armstrong would have been 109 today if he could only have laid off
the reefer and laxatives,
and, in an odd juxtaposition, both President Barack Obama (49) and recently-retired journalist Helen Thomas (90) are celebrating today. If only they could have talked
things over with a glass of champagne (which was invented by Dom Perignon
on this date in 1693), maybe Helen wouldn't have had to retire.
Thursday:
We note some travelers today. In 1620, the Mayflower left Southampton, England, with its passenger list of sour Puritans who were eager to see that no one in the New World had a
good time. Neil Armstrong, who was the first man on the moon in 1969, is 80 today.
Movie director John Huston, who traveled from Hollywood to Ireland to Africa
making films would have been 104 today. And actress Marilyn Monroe shuffled off this mortal coil -- whether by her own hand or
a conspiracy -- on this day in 1962.
Friday:
A mixed bag today. We begin by noting the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of
Hiroshima, which kind of throws all the other
events into perspective.
In happier anniversaries, in 1889, London’s Savoy Hotel opened. At the time, it was one of the most luxurious
hotels in the world, run by César Ritz
(yes, that Ritz, as in "Puttin' on the ...") and featuring chef Auguste Escoffier in the kitchen. The Savoy is currently undergoing a three
year, $150 million renovation, and will reopen in October.
It's also pioneering television comedienne Lucille Ball's 99th birthday and the 50th anniversary of Chubby Checker's first appearance on national TV doing his (one and only)
hit, "The Twist."
Oh, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival opens today. It's the world's largest convocation of
performing artists and writers from around the planet. The whole town will be one giant stage for the next three to four weeks,
so consider that either an invitation or a warning.
Saturday:
It's really something for everyone today.
For those who like football, well, this weekend, the 2010-2011 season begins, with the
annual Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, followed by Sunday's pre-season
opener featuring Cincinnati and Dallas (boy, that ought to be a real barn-burner).
For those who like a more violent pastime, may we present UFC 117 in Oakland?
For those who like intrigue and sex, well, they can commemorate the 134th
birthday of World War I's superspy Mata Hari.
And for those of you who are skeptical of all of the above, you can celebrate
the 82nd birthday of James (The Amazing) Randi, professional skeptic and debunker of any number of hoaxes
and scams.
Sunday:
To finish the week, may we offer the suggestion of having a breakfast of waffles
(since it is National Waffle Day) and taking the time to watch an Little Rascals comedy featuring birthday boy Carl "Alfalfa"
Switzer?
Well, that's all for this week. See you again next time with the random events
and facts that you've gradually come to love over the course of the last five
years.
Suggested Sites...
- 99% Invisible: The Great Red Car Conspiracy - just what did happen to the largest urban transportation network in the world?
- World Boardgaming Championships - I wanna be the top hat.
- How Champagne Is Made - the bubbles tickle my nose.
- Edinburgh Fringe Festival - from genius to hooey, it's all here.
- History.com: Actor Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer Killed - a short, and (unfortunately) unhappy, one.
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